Hey guys, just thought I'd give you some light reading after a great card. Please feel free to agree/disagree! It's from www.mmaliveshere.com
1) Chris Leben vs Derek Brunson - Is it time for "The Crippler" to retire? Leben's been in the game for a decade now and this was one of the most uninspiring fights of his career. At 32 years of age, he's no grandpa, but I think we can all agree he's taken more punishment than the average 32-year-old. He offered very little in the way of offense against UFC debutant, Brunson, who looked fairly promising despite gassing in the second round. With two losses from his last two fights, the end could be near for one of the UFC's favourite sons. BRUNSON UD
2) Yushin Okami vs Alan Belcher - Disappointing fight for Belcher. He was confident going into the fight, only to be comprehensively out-grappled for the full 15 minutes. "The Talent" is a highly qualified mixed martial artist, but his grappling falls short against a judoka like Okami and his striking seems to lack that final degree of speed. It's back to the end of the line for Belcher, while Okami (27-7) stays very relevant indeed. OKAMI UD
3) Tim Boetsch vs Constantinos Philippou - "The Barbarian" was favoured to take this one, but a series of unfortunate events coupled with Phillipou's power turned his night out into a nightmare. An ugly eye poke and an injured hand put Boetsch on the back foot and the Cypriot eventually capitalised, finishing the fight in the final round. Philippou is on a five-fight win streak and earns himself another big name opponent. PHILIPPOU TKO 3
4) Joe Lauzon vs Jim Miller - What a fight! Miller came out like a man possessed and very nearly finished the fight in the opening round. He threw some devastating elbows from the collar tie, cutting Lauzon above his eye and forcing Yves Lavigne to call for the doctor. Miller dominated most of the fight, but the always game "J-Lau" hung in there. Then in the dying seconds - after losing about 5 pints of blood - Lauzon dived in for a heel hook, switched to a front choke and nearly tapped him out. I think the words Miller mouthed at the final bell summed it up - "holy shit." MILLER UD
5) Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velazquez (HW title) - Not one of the most technically brilliant title fights, but still hugely captivating. Cain said he was injured going into their first fight and the rematch all but confirmed it. The two-time UFC heavyweight champion didn't take a step back this time around and dominated Dos Santos for 25 minutes. He outstruck "Cigano", outgrappled him and reclaimed his billing as the baddest man on the planet. But Junior showed a serious amount of heart to hang in there for five rounds. He fought off numerous takedown attempts, got back to his feet over and over again and never stopped throwing his hands. The rubber match needs to happen. VELASQUEZ UD
1) Chris Leben vs Derek Brunson - Is it time for "The Crippler" to retire? Leben's been in the game for a decade now and this was one of the most uninspiring fights of his career. At 32 years of age, he's no grandpa, but I think we can all agree he's taken more punishment than the average 32-year-old. He offered very little in the way of offense against UFC debutant, Brunson, who looked fairly promising despite gassing in the second round. With two losses from his last two fights, the end could be near for one of the UFC's favourite sons. BRUNSON UD
2) Yushin Okami vs Alan Belcher - Disappointing fight for Belcher. He was confident going into the fight, only to be comprehensively out-grappled for the full 15 minutes. "The Talent" is a highly qualified mixed martial artist, but his grappling falls short against a judoka like Okami and his striking seems to lack that final degree of speed. It's back to the end of the line for Belcher, while Okami (27-7) stays very relevant indeed. OKAMI UD
3) Tim Boetsch vs Constantinos Philippou - "The Barbarian" was favoured to take this one, but a series of unfortunate events coupled with Phillipou's power turned his night out into a nightmare. An ugly eye poke and an injured hand put Boetsch on the back foot and the Cypriot eventually capitalised, finishing the fight in the final round. Philippou is on a five-fight win streak and earns himself another big name opponent. PHILIPPOU TKO 3
4) Joe Lauzon vs Jim Miller - What a fight! Miller came out like a man possessed and very nearly finished the fight in the opening round. He threw some devastating elbows from the collar tie, cutting Lauzon above his eye and forcing Yves Lavigne to call for the doctor. Miller dominated most of the fight, but the always game "J-Lau" hung in there. Then in the dying seconds - after losing about 5 pints of blood - Lauzon dived in for a heel hook, switched to a front choke and nearly tapped him out. I think the words Miller mouthed at the final bell summed it up - "holy shit." MILLER UD
5) Junior Dos Santos vs Cain Velazquez (HW title) - Not one of the most technically brilliant title fights, but still hugely captivating. Cain said he was injured going into their first fight and the rematch all but confirmed it. The two-time UFC heavyweight champion didn't take a step back this time around and dominated Dos Santos for 25 minutes. He outstruck "Cigano", outgrappled him and reclaimed his billing as the baddest man on the planet. But Junior showed a serious amount of heart to hang in there for five rounds. He fought off numerous takedown attempts, got back to his feet over and over again and never stopped throwing his hands. The rubber match needs to happen. VELASQUEZ UD
