The Thrill is Gone: The Divorce of Violence and Sport
by crazybones on Feb 5, 2012 2:16 AM EST
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PrintWhat drew me to this sport was, above all else, the promise of something honest. It was what every other competition pretends it isn't, and that is violence. The purest form of every argument, every shouted word, every touchdown or tackle or scored goal I've heard or seen or done myself. Unlike these things, mixed martial arts did not consider the violent end a disgrace or an ugly loss of composure, but an exaltation.
Carlos Condit didn't want to hurt Nick Diaz. It would've been all right if he did hurt him, but only as a side effect. What he wanted to do was show three judges that he'd kicked Diaz a few more times than Diaz punched him. He flitted in and out of Diaz's reach for twenty-five minutes. He didn't care who hurt who, just that he won. And he won. There is no question about that – you can't give Diaz the win. But Condit wasn't fighting. He was playing a sport. He tried his best to keep Nick Diaz from getting into a fight, and he did it brilliantly.
This was supposed to be a celebration of what our sport could be. It turned out to be a statement on what it is.
Which is okay. I have, of course, found more to love about this sport than just violence. But it's worth noting that we've come to a place where violence is no longer a prerequisite of victory. Where one of the most "violent" men in our sport is elated with such a quiet triumph. I don't say this with malice or bitter blood, but disappointment. It was always going to be like this if we ever wanted the sport to evolve.
Two of my favorite fighters "retired" recently – BJ Penn and Nick Diaz. They were the only martial artists at the grandest stage who didn't know how to win a decision. The last elite fighters who weren't sportsmen. For now.
Today, the UFC Champion is not the best fighter. He's the best mixed martial artist.
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sigh Condit was hitting Diaz every chance he got. What did you want him to do? Walk back to the cage with his hands down and call Diaz over to box with him there? It’s hard as fuck to finish Diaz anyway (ditto for Condit). Diaz couldn’t impose his gameplan, and he ended up losing. End of story. All of these guys are still “fighters.” Condit didn’t wrestle him to a decision or anything (and wrestling is one of the few martial arts not designed to finish a fight).
by FreeFocus on Feb 5, 2012 2:26 AM EST reply actions 8 recs
Was he trying to hurt Diaz badly enough to stop the fight? No. He was more effective than Diaz, no question. He did everything right and he was smart.
But one of the things I loved about Condit was that he looked for the finish. The last thing he wanted to do tonight was go for the finish.
Totally
Those light jabbing headkicks and spinning backfists he kept throwing. He should’ve covered up and walked people into the cage.
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Are you purposely ignoring the fact that Condit hit Diaz square with headkicks? Also, he threw power punches square to Diaz’s face. What was he supposed to do against the guy with a granite chin?
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by chrisbboy82 on Feb 5, 2012 3:04 AM EST up reply actions 7 recs
Hard to dispute that really. Dont forget the spinning back fists that he threw with seriously bad intentions.
Jon Fitch throws power punches square to his opponent’s face too. Does Fitch want to put his opponent away? Of course. Does he make that his primary focus, even to the detriment of his ability to win a decision? No. No one does except Diaz, because it’s a bad way to approach fights in 2012.
Fitch generally strikes his opponents while on the ground though, so the power isn’t there as it would be standing. He also hasn’t shown much power in his strikes when he does stand. The context is different between most Fitch fights and Condit vs Diaz especially since the Condit vs Diaz fight was primarily standing, while Fitch fights tend to be fought on the ground.
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You make this fight sound very different than it actually was
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I just don’t like this notion from some MMA fans that Condit didn’t try to do anything to put Diaz away and all he did was leg kicks. Granted, much of the fight was leg kicks and strikes that weren’t meant to finish, but I do feel that some MMA fans miss the fact that Condit did indeed connect with power strikes to Diaz’s face/head.
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For what it's worth
According to Fightmetric, Condit landed 12 power shots to the head, 14 to the body, and 18 to the legs.
What did you want him to do?
Fight with a sense of urgency, perhaps?
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Why didn't Nick do that?
Not once did I see him go on any offensive spree. Body shots early, nothing else of note.
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by halitosis on Feb 5, 2012 2:37 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think Nick did fight with a sense of urgency.
He just refuses or can’t adapt. I’m honestly not sure which because he’s such a fucking head case.
"A guy in Texas came up to me and told me ‘Frye you're not mixed martial arts, you're no holds barred’, and I said you're god damn right partner." ~ Don Frye
Well said.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate what Carlos Condit did in that ring tonight, nor do I believe Diaz won the bout (I’d give Carlos three rounds to one, with one round up in the air for me).
But I’m sad the bout turned out the way it did, as I could only watch with less and less interest as it played out. Its not what I loved about MMA and not why I came be a fan. There’s no thrill or passion at the top now, just people trying to hold the status quo. I can’t blame them for that, but I don’t care anymore either.
"A guy in Texas came up to me and told me ‘Frye you're not mixed martial arts, you're no holds barred’, and I said you're god damn right partner." ~ Don Frye
Condit did what he had to win, stop being so hard on him
Also you could have scored that fight for Diaz.
And lastly, the sky isn’t falling.
About sums it up.
I don’t resent Carlos for doing what he needed to do to win, but as a fan I just feel let down. This should have been a fight for the ages, but one of the fighters we expected didn’t show up. It’s a shame really.
If you want beef then bring the ruckus.
CB, you're a fantastic writer, and I agree with you more often than not,
but I disagree completely. Condit DID come to fight. His kicks were doing damage, slowing Diaz down, and BUCKLED him in the 5’th round (IIRC). He outlanded Diaz in power shots to the head. Carlos landed OVER 150 STRIKES, FFS.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 2:43 AM EST reply actions 6 recs
None of that negates the fact that Condit didn't fight like Condit.
He fought a tactical battle where the end goal was always to win on an official’s scorecard, not to incapacitate his opponent and win on his own terms.
If you want beef then bring the ruckus.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 5, 2012 2:48 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Condit absolutely fought like Condit-
Pure Muay Thai style. He is a modern Nak Muay in MMA. The goal was to outstrike Diaz, and he did exactly that. If you think he should’ve kept his back to the fence and brawled with Diaz, then you must not like Carlos Condit very much. I thought he showed masterful skill and composure in there.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:04 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Queue up some Condit fights for me where he played a stick and move game to a decision.
Bet I find twice as many fights where he goes after a guy and attacks him with a fervor that few can match in the sport. That was not the Condit we’ve come to expect and you’re being a bit thick to suggest otherwise.
If you want beef then bring the ruckus.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 5, 2012 3:25 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
He's never fought a guy like Nick Diaz before.
One of the real strengths of Condit is that he’s so flexible and great at adapting. He has a vast skillset, and the smarts to be able to fight whatever fight works best for him.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:27 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed
And queue up the promos where Condit tells us he’s a “warrior,” that he “lives to fight,” and that he’d “do it for free” because he loves fighting so much.
And then queue up some gifs of him literally running away any time Diaz threatened.
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by ( . Y . ) on Feb 5, 2012 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
If you're gonna show him running,
you might want to add in all the parts where he slams his shin into the meat of Nick’s juicy torso, like a fine slab of Kobe beef.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Yes, the secret to the most tender meat-
a heavyweight thai boxer pulverizing it with hard round kicks, Rocky- style.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 6, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
I think you mean
Gifs of Diaz letting his man get away.
by WheelieMonkey on Feb 8, 2012 1:05 AM EST up reply actions
Right right
25 minutes of kicking and running = flying knee to the fucking head followed by brutal G&P for the win.
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by IKiIIed007 on Feb 5, 2012 7:56 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Condit's style and movement didn't change.
He’s always fought with a technical Muay Thai brand. This time around he was fighting a human honey badger though, not the Dongmeister
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
Elliot you are a good poster
but sometimes, it looks like you are trying to hard to defend every little shit about this sport.
I'm really not, man.
I was genuinely thrilled and impressed by Condit in this fight. I have plenty of cynical moments (I’ll admit to being harsh on Chael Sonnen), but that’s the honest to god truth.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
To each their own,
one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, etc
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:34 PM EST up reply actions
If he buckled him, it must’ve been a problem with his footing, because Diaz didn’t slow down at all. He didn’t try to move his leg out of the way like when Cyborg kicked him. Like Diaz said, Condit was throwing baby leg kicks the whole fight. I don’t believe he was legitimately trying to take Diaz’s base away with those light kicks.
They weren't even close to "baby leg kicks".
Sure, Condit did most of his work down low with his lead leg, but those kicks had good snap behind them. You’re crazy if you don’t think that Carlos was trying to do damage with those low kicks.
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:02 AM EST up reply actions
Condit won the exchanges in the center of the octagon
and then put himself back in the center so he could win more exchanges.
In these exchanges, he threw plenty of risky, potentially fight-ending strikes like flying knees, spinning elbows, spinning backfists, and head kicks.
Meanwhile, Diaz threw kicks and punches that were fewer and weaker than Condit’s, and he wasted time with taunts and come-at-me-bro hand gestures.
by James Kimbell on Feb 5, 2012 2:45 AM EST reply actions 6 recs
This is true. But Condit’s main plan was to win the judges over with light leg kicks. If he KO’d Diaz, great, but the objective was to throw out a variety of strikes so Diaz couldn’t predict his leg kicks every time.
Diaz threw “weaker” punches because that’s how he throws them. He sends out feelers and then throws hundreds of punches when he finds his range.
I guess another way to say it is
Diaz relies on a “plan” just as much as any fighter does. We all know what it is, basically. His plan is to anger and tire his opponents with taunts and volume punches, and then drop them with progressively bigger shots against the cage. Maybe throw a submission in there if necessary. This has worked darn well against lesser competition.
Diaz failed to implement his plan tonight. He should have noticed this and adjusted, but he failed to do that, too.
by James Kimbell on Feb 5, 2012 3:03 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The point is that
Diaz’s plan is to finish. It appears Condit’s plan was to out-score. It was disappointing for me at least. I wanted a war, but got a match instead.
LOL
Light leg kicks. When’s the last time you saw Diaz walking that slow at the end of the fight? They were clearly working.
by Scott Whitaker on Feb 5, 2012 1:40 PM EST up reply actions
Mobile Rec so fucking hard
What do you expect Condit to do? Stand and hang? Back right up against the cage and stay there like every other shitty fighter Nick fought in Sf? You can’t force a finish if it isn’t there but Condit was dropping bombs on Nick all night and there still was a few moment when he tucked and threw the power right.
It really is quite amazing how people actually think Diaz won this fight. There is just no way.
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by KMcCaig on Feb 5, 2012 2:52 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
Look man, that’s the fucking point. I DON’T EXPECT A SMART FIGHTER TO STAND AND BANG WITH NICK DIAZ. There’s where we’re at in MMA. I’m not blaming Condit for what he did, at all.
Saying Condit didn’t want to hurt Diaz is bullshit.
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by KMcCaig on Feb 5, 2012 2:58 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 8 recs
This.
If you are at all sad about the fight it takes two to tango. Be upset that super fighter Nick Diaz didn’t bring the fight. He never got anything going if Condit wasn’t up against the cage. Instead of taunting him he should’ve been throwing. Why didn’t he? Do you think he to was smart enough to play into that game with Condit? Diaz is indeed a smart guy. Why didn’t he ever come to fight? Right? I mean, that’s what you are saying isn’t it?
He did. Condit did the right things to keep Diaz from hurting him, so Diaz couldn’t do much. I’m not throwing around blame. This is just how things are.
Look, I absolutely hate lay n' pray
I know the counter argument to it is how someone can control another human being for that long yadda yadda yadda. I understand the point that you are trying to make as well however I don’t think this is a good example of making this point.
I had to ask this in another thread and never received a response so I will ask it again. If you were in a cage with Nick Diaz, how would you have fought? I personally would’ve done exactly what Condit did. It was smart. He was awesome tonight. That’s the thing about battles, it dates back to the Five Rings. Have a plan, execute, walk away to fight another day. If you want violence watch old Tank Abbot videos ya know?
So would I. Condit did what he should’ve done, no question. This isn’t a “blame Condit for being a pussy” thing.
So then it's a I don't like that fighters aren't blasting each other anymore?
As I mentioned above, I understand the point of your post. I get it. I have gone through the same mind set when I see someone like a Mendes or a Story beating Alves. But I would much rather have today’s MMA versus Garcia vs Phan all the time.
Understandable.
But the fun thing is (which I am learning to do) as an MMA fan is to appreciate the technical planning side of the sport now. What I saw tonight got me excited. I thought it was a lot of fun to see. That was also after I saw a great Werdum/Nelson fight, a great sub from Herman, a fucking monster in Poirier, a crazy high kick knockout, etc. All on one card. One card. I think we are at a point where we are getting our cake and eating it to.
Of course again, just one person’s opinion.
by Hart Thorson on Feb 5, 2012 3:09 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think your point is being badly misconstrued
But I understand the principles at play here. Diaz and Condit seemed to be proof that we could have our cake and eat it too – smart, technical, and skilled fighters who also brought incredible violence and killer instinct into the cage with them.
On the other hand, though, Condit threw the kitchen sink at Diaz and he shrugged it off like it didn’t matter. Those leg kicks weren’t light; Diaz just takes punishment better than anybody this side of Roy Nelson. While it would’ve been nice to see more extended exchanges, Condit was hardly lay-n-praying or doing his best Dominick Cruz impression.
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by Patrick Wyman on Feb 5, 2012 3:06 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
You wanted to see someone brawl and you saw an MMA event instead.
Diaz got countered, and he adapted too late. If he got that takedown a minute and a half earlier, he would have won. Diaz lost that fight because he didn’t pay attention to what was happening, he didn’t adapt. In that little window, he had back control with a lock on and was in great position. A little more time and you’re seeing SOTN possibly. So get over your disappointment that Carlos actually looked at Diaz fights and thought of a way to shut down Diaz’ simple and totally predictable strategy. You’re also painting yourself into the Just Let em Bleed corner with this. Diaz blew it.
Diaz is waaaaaaay better than Condit on the ground. Not great at takedowns, but he would have needed only one, based on what we say in the 5th.
I thought Lay N Pray was a stupid insult until I watched Tyrone Woodly fight.
It was supposed to be the guaranteed FOTY that wasn't even FOTN,
of course it’s disappointing, especially when Condit’s charm came from the fact that he was apart of a dying breed of fighters who went balls to the walls to finish his opponent. I don’t think anyone’s faulting Condit for doing what it takes to win; obviously he had a good gameplan and executed it decently (not Floyd Mayweather good). It’s just disheartening that the fight didn’t live up to its monstrous expectations.
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by sun yue on Feb 5, 2012 4:50 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Completely agree
The way things went down was more telling about Diaz than the sport.
by hcblankscreen on Feb 5, 2012 5:38 AM EST up reply actions
Not at all
Look at GSP, he is a prime example of this. The higher up the rankings he got, the more he fought like it was a competition to win on the judges cards and should an opportunity to finish a fight arise he may or may not take it.
You cannot fault him for that, but that is the nature of the sport.
Two of my favorite fighters “retired” recently – BJ Penn and Nick Diaz. They were the only martial artists at the grandest stage who didn’t know how to win a decision. The last elite fighters who weren’t sportsmen. For now.
Today, the UFC Champion is not the best fighter. He’s the best mixed martial artist.
Quite succint and well put. The sport is still evolving, so at some point some technically violent specimen will pop out ala Mike Tyson, but he/or she will know hot to point fight but elect to lop heads off instead.
It will be some long decades till then.
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I think we are seeing those guys
Condit being one of them. I just don’t think we can expect to see that every time out, even from guys as incredibly violent as Carlos and Diaz. For whatever reason – one guy’s hurt, a weight cut didn’t go well, a really bad or really good gameplan, or even just that the two guys don’t have any chemistry (this sounds weird, I realize) – some fights aren’t going to live up to the expectations we hold for them.
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by Patrick Wyman on Feb 5, 2012 3:33 AM EST up reply actions
This.
Not accusing CB of this but I hate whenever a fight doesn’t live up to expectations and we get people out the woodwork acting as if we’re entering an age where everyone will become point-fighters and high-level violence will become a rarity.
It happens sometimes.
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Wish I didn't have to shell out $50 to discover that one of the fighters has elected to forgo his crowd pleasing style to backpedal for half an hour.
If you want beef then bring the ruckus.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 5, 2012 3:42 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I get that...
But that style would’ve gotten him killed. I don’t blame him for it.
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Neither do I, I'm just fucking bummed out man.
If I watch a shitty soccer match I’m out…nothing really. If I watch a shitty fight I’ve just wasted fifty bucks.
If you want beef then bring the ruckus.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 5, 2012 3:51 AM EST up reply actions
This
I just really wish I hadn’t bought that fight, though I comfort myself by saying its a wash, since I save myself a future $60 on the title unification card.
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by Dave Strummer on Feb 5, 2012 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Okay, I feel you
There’s a reason why some folks prefer the NCAA football to the NFL, and it’s the same reason why March Madness is about a zillion times more popular than the NBA playoffs, and it’s the same reason why watching the Oilers put together a Stanley Cup dynasty was infinitely better than watching the Devils do the same thing: once people get really really good at a sport, it changes the sport into something completely different.
Nick Diaz is not really, really good at MMA. He’s got great MMA boxing. He’s got great cardio. He probably still has great BJJ, although we haven’t had an opportunity to see it in a while. But he’s Tim Tebow. He’s JJ Reddick. He can put on a great show, and he can perform at an elite level, but he’s not a champion — at least, not at the highest level.
I like March Madness and I have never watched the NBA playoffs. I would rather shoot myself than watch a Devils game from the trap era. I think Tim Tebow was the most watchable trainwreck in the NFL. But the UFC gives you all of that with every event – you get a karate expert in his UFC debut rocking a sick KO, a full-mount verticle armbar, a dude bleeding all over his gut. But you also get slick game-planning, motherfuckers who play chess not checkers, and I kinda dig that too.
*I have been drinking
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by FightingFighting on Feb 5, 2012 3:44 AM EST reply actions 5 recs
Loving the cross-sport comparisons
This really has me thinking. Especially as the UFC expands to meet the demands of the Fox deal, it’s going to develop some greater similarities to other major sports.
One of the natural side effects of expanding the roster is a greater disparity in terms of talent and skill level between the very best fighters and the very worst. This also creates more openings for “role players”: if there’s a significant portion of fighters on the roster who are simply never going to make it to the highest level for whatever reason, then the remainder need to carve out some niche (sub specialist, brawler, etc.) in order to stay on the roster.
Fights within the top 10, and especially title fights, are always going to display more of the game-planning element: the stakes are so much higher, the camps are bigger, the training partners better, and the fighters get more attention from better coaches.
Shootouts in meaningless bowl games (Washington-Baylor, e.g.) are wonderful, and we can enjoy them as such. This year’s national championship game wasn’t particularly enjoyable for those who weren’t fans, but it was also college football at the highest level. The same holds true in MMA: the best fighters aren’t necessarily the most entertaining. Sometimes they are, and that’s truly awesome, but even they can’t deliver absolute fireworks every time. Sometimes, as Alonzo Harris says, you have to play chess, but it has to be appreciated differently.
Training Day is awesome, btw.
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by Patrick Wyman on Feb 5, 2012 4:11 AM EST up reply actions
Hey all
Just wanted to say thanks for the good conversation. Tonight was a fun night of fights. Got to seem a good prospect in Poirier do his deal. Got to see Werdum make a comeback in the UFC. Got to see Barao in a three rounder. Then we got to all have a great discussion about a great fight.
I’m glad that everyone is passionate about this subject. It’s really cool to see.
I’m off to bed but before I go, CrazyBones, hang in there. There are still a lot of fantastic fighters and fights out there. Don’t give up on fighting/MMA just yet. :0)
I said it before, that I was looking forward to Edgar/Bendo more than Diaz/Condit.
Hopefully they deliver.
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I agree 100% with this post
I HATE to see this from one of my favorite fighters.
CAn we get Wanderlie vs Diaz in Japan for some voilence please. FUck weight classes
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From reading these responses
It’s clear most of the people on BE got exactly the fight they expected. Why then all the hype? We were sold a brawl and we got a stand-up Fitching. I don’t ever want to hear these people complain about Fitch or GSP again. That license is being taken away. If we’re going to play the “masterful”, “technical” angle on this, then we’re going to play it for GSP and Fitch too, and no one can talk about “boring” or “letdown” again. The double standard exists because of the Diaz hate, period. And I picked Condit to win, and wanted Condit to win because I thought he’d be harder to wrestlefuck for GSP than Diaz.
Now I hope GSP wrestlefucks him to death for a 50-45 3 card decision.
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by IKiIIed007 on Feb 5, 2012 8:01 AM EST reply actions 9 recs
Dude, to be fair,
most of the people that I have seen pointing out the “masterful game plan” and “technical” angle are the people that after every Fitch or GSP fight point out that a game plan wins fights and that is sort of the point. Seriously, the Venn Diagram looks like a target.
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...my knee jerks and kicks a strawman right in the junk. :(
If you think violence has vanished from the sport you need to meet Alistair Overeem.
Also there’s this one cat named Jon Jones. He seems kinda violent too
great post
The “Condit fought smart” take I can understand. It is definitely smart to run from someone who’s tougher than you.
But this “Condit WAS looking to hurt him” defense is hilarious. Its like people have invented a new reality where throwing leg kicks and circling is badass.
There’s also some of that classic BE snobbery at play here. If you didn’t like Condit’s performance, you don’t understand the sport, etc. Similar to the fans who can’t wait to tell everyone how much they love wrestling. “LOOK AT WHAT AN EDUCATED FAN I AM.” Its like the people who call out “play whatever you want” at a concert.
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my god this pointfighting
139
Bonnar defeated Kingsbury via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–25, 30–27).
Kampmann defeated Story via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).
Faber defeated Bowles via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:27 of round 2.
Silva defeated Le via TKO (knees and punches) at 4:49 of round 2.
Henderson defeated Rua via unanimous decision (48–47, 48–47, 48–47).
140
Jung defeated Hominick via KO (punches) at 0:07 of round 1.
Ebersole defeated Patrick via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28).
Nogueira defeated Ortiz via TKO (punches to the body) at 3:15 of round 1.
Mir defeated Nogueira via submission (kimura) at 3:38 of round 1.
Jones defeated Machida via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:26 of round 2.
141
Hettes defeated Phan via unanimous decision (30–25, 30–25, 30–26).
Gustafsson defeated Matyushenko via TKO (punches) at 2:35 of round 1.
Hendricks defeated Fitch via KO (punch) at 0:12 of round 1.
Diaz defeated Cerrone via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).
Overeem defeated Lesnar via TKO (kick to the body and punches) at 2:26 of round 1.
142
Barboza defeated Etim via KO (spinning wheel kick) at 2:02 of round 3.
Prater defeated Silva via disqualification (punch to back of head) at 0:29 of round 1.
Palhares defeated Massenzio via submission (heel hook) at 1:03 of round 1.
Belfort defeated Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:49 of round 1.
Aldo defeated Mendes via KO (knee) at 4:59 of round 1 to retain the UFC Featherweight Championship.
WAR peace
by DamnSevern on Feb 5, 2012 10:43 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Sad but True
I know it breaks your heart
but it is a sport
so if you want to see the toughest men in the world fight
you may have to go to the pen to get to see them fight
You can really see how careful Condit is being not to hurt him here:
Honestly, I think calling this the death of violence in MMA is premature. Sure, this was a very technical fight. But stop acting like this kind of fight is some new thing. GSP did this to Koscheck with his jab and to Hardy with his wrestling. Hell, wrestlers of all kinds used to dominate from the top (hell, from guard) without even attempting to finish, and I’d say that has gone down due to fighters becoming more savvy about takedown defense.
Condit exchanged with Diaz, but the difference was he just moved every time he was on the fence. Look at those last rounds again, once Diaz got tired. Condit was really going for the finish with kicks.
and here comes the 4 second snap shot of the fight, gif guy to save the day!
yep, he was trying to finish by kicking and backing away immediately
those kicks were meant to score points… not finish. Diaz came forward IMMEDIATELY after all of them. There was no power behind them.
www.themindofshadow.blogspot.com/
He kept trying to lazily walk Condit into the fence
It’s called ultimate fighting, not ultimate wrestling.
by Scott Whitaker on Feb 5, 2012 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, fuck off with that "scoring points" bullshit.
Landing strikes scores points with the judges, sure. But you know what strikes also do? THEY FUCKING HURT
There's no moral order at all. There's just this: can my violence conquer yours?
by ElliotMatheny on Feb 5, 2012 3:25 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Moving after you kick is the smart thing to do. Plant your foot and stop after kicking and you will end up on your ass quickly. This idea of fighters not trying to hurt the guy is stupid. Everybody who steps in the cage with intent to win is trying to hurt the other guy.
I'm gonna give you three seconds; exactly three-fucking-seconds to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!
The artful muppet formerly known as KrmtDfrog.
Please read my sardonic wit and over-blown sense of self over at headkicklegend.com
He looks like he's pushing out a missive turd
I'm gonna give you three seconds; exactly three-fucking-seconds to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!
yeah but
these mixed martial artist keep beat your “fighters” in fights. Maybe its because technique is king.
I'm gonna give you three seconds; exactly three-fucking-seconds to wipe that stupid looking grin off your face or I will gouge out your eyeballs and skull-fuck you!
by attgnp on Feb 5, 2012 2:21 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Your whole premise is wrong
Carlos Condit didn’t want to hurt Nick Diaz. It would’ve been all right if he did hurt him, but only as a side effect
Carlos Condit WANTED to hurt Nick Diaz. But that’s not all there is to FIGHTS! The goal isn’t to hurt the other guy, it’s to hurt the other guy MORE than he hurts you! And that’s what Condit did.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
http://twitter.com/#!/garik16
I'm just going to leave this final addendum
Condit had one decision in 27 wins prior to the Diaz fight, and he went balls-out for that decision (against Ellenberger). There was one point in that fight where he was literally curled up in a fetal position, and somehow a second later he was firing knees at Ellenberger’s face.
That’s the kind of fighter he is, and I don’t fault him for fighting differently against Diaz. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that a technically sound, impulsively violent fighter like Condit could be converted to a cool-headed tactician. In every other competition imaginable you have to be a tactician above all else, and even in most MMA fights. I thought this would be the one fight that was violence incarnate and an amazing display of technique.
Seriously?
Is he supposed to throw nothing but fight enders? I mean, it worked for guillard….
I honestly wonder if people were watching the same fight. He threw plenty of strikes from various angles that would KO most. But this is Nick Diaz. What do you really expect?
And if this is the ridiculous angle people want to take, why not fault Diaz for not going after it harder in the middle of the cage rather than just try to walk Condit down the entire fight.
You can't win on a site like this
I wanted to say exactly what you did in your fanpost. I was a fight fan, not a fan of a MMA competition. You cannot express what you did without being called the JUST BLEED guy around here.
People who feel the way you do may be the minority online where saying anything bad about the UFC or MMA in general are extremely taboo but outside the internet a lot of people feel the same way about these boring fights.
That fight was a Fight of the Year candidate on paper and it didn’t even win a FOTN bonus. What does that say?
People are really, really bad at forming expectations?
Same type versus same type rarely turns out in the same type way. Two jiu-jitsu guys, better kickboxer wins. Two strikers, better wrestler wins.
Two brawlers, smarter one wins.
by WheelieMonkey on Feb 8, 2012 1:15 AM EST up reply actions
Tell that to ever major MMA media outlet that hyped this fight
Styles make fights, you’re not wrong, but when two guys who like to “stand and bang” come out, you can expect fireworks. Look no further than the Nate Diaz vs Donald Cerrone fight.
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