UFC 108 – the hating stopped after fight one

January 4, 2010 · Posted in MMA, Sport, UFC, Uncategorized

UFC 108, the card that a lot of MMA fans didn’t want to see was one of the best fight nights over the last few years.

The card included two champions pull out of the card, firstly middleweight and pound for pound champ Anderson Silva pulled out due to elbow surgery, the second was heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar.
It also included withdrawal of Carlos Conduit, heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and title contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, lightweight hopeful Tyson Griffin and welterweight Rory Markham. It also included the last minute withdrawal of former WEC champ Steve Cantwell.
This appeared to have a determental effect on the card and many MMA fans questioned whether it would be worth the PPV fee in the States or worth the ESPN monthly subscription.
Dana White the UFC president came back with one of the best challenges to MMA fans, if you don’t like it don’t buy it….anyone who missed the event from Sin City Los Vegas you have missed a classic.

I can safely say this was one of the most enjoyable and skilled based MMA cards for years.
It had everything, silky submissions, big knock outs and a three round decider of top light heavyweight contender between former title holder Suga Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva.

There were some real credible wins and important wins –
Heavyweight take note now – dos Santos is coming with bombs!
Junior dos Santos sent a warning to all heavyweights with his TKO of MMA veteran Gilbert Yvel. I know that I have been a fan of dos Santos since he destroyed Fabricio Werdum and then Stefan Struve, but he definitely must have won a few more after 108.
The way he made Cro Crop submit (it was not a TKO) should have worried the division!
I like Frank Mir but in his MMA live build up of UFC 108 on ESPN he discounted dos Santos as a contender, for me that was wrong and if Mir beats Carwin he might have to fight dos Santos for the title in the future.
dos Santos ran over Yvel and throws him in the mix for the title.
He must now be behind Nogueria, Velsaquez, Carwin and Mir for the title, if not before Nogueria and Velsaquez. A great fight would be dos Santos and Velsaquez, for the division and the MMA fan.
Lesnar also is being assesed this week so this will clear up the title and contenders fight outcomes.
For me dos Santos is number two contender behind the winner of Mir and Carwin.
Note to all heavyweights do not stand up and trade with Cigano you will lose!

Welterweight’s do not expect to stand and bang with Semtex
Paul Daley, the English fighter from Nottingham shook up the UFC at UFC 103, after beating lightweight contender Martin Kampmann back in November.
Paul Semtex Daley faced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist Dustin Hazelett, this was the striker versus the BJJ master. Many tipped Hazelett to win by submission but to be fair he did not get near Daley until he was on his back knocked out.
Daley clearly had a good plan and waited his time to drop the huge left bomb. That was deadly.
I can say without hesitation that noone will want to fight Daley in the welterweight division, the likes of Koscheck and Anthony Johnson might have to step up but not even these two huge welterweight will fancy their chances against Daley.
This in my opinion makes him number 3 or 4 contender in the title challengers line. Many UK MMA journalists have got excited and said he is behind Dan Hardy but Kos, Fitch and Johnson would all have something to say about that.

Light heavyweight division lackluster??
Rashad Evans is a force attacking not so good defending big punches……
Rashad Evans won the battle but maybe not the war with his win over Thiago Silva. Rashad when he attacked his Brazilan opponent Silva he controlled the fight, whever he attacked Silva had no answer.
In the first two rounds Rashad displayed all the skills which has made him dominate his opponents and even helped him win the ultimate fighter heavyweight show.
Rashad demonstrated his game plan two of the three rounds, the third was a slightly different story.
Was it a question of conditioning, was it a case of Rashad thinking he won and couldn’t get knocked out by Thiago?
My personal opinion was Rashad and his corner thought he already won, then the huge right from Silva rocked Rashad and gave him the chicken legs (thanks for the laugh Joe Rogan). That could have ended the title dream from Rashad.
Ultimately a win is a win and ensures the Rampage and Evans fight we have craved for since UFC 100 will happen!
If Rashad thinks he can trade with Rampage he will be sadly mistaken and his take downs will need to be tighter than against Silva as Rampage will train hard on defence at Wolveslair. Rashad will need to take down Rampage and hold him there and ground and pound, people may have forgotten already Rashad even when taking Silva down did not control or take a real dominate poisition.

In the long run the light heavyweight division might still be struggling for a long time title holder, with recent champions Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida.
I still can see Dana White calling Anderson Silva and Ed Soares asking for a step up after his middleweight defence against Victor Belfort, especially if Shogun beats Machida.

The real winners of UFC 108 were the UFC, the fighters who stepped in to fight and ultimately the UFC, they now know they have a huge rooster of fighters who fight every second in the octagon and love doing it!

Fighters that have made headways in the UFC since their wins at 108 were Junior dos Santos, Sam Stout, Rashad Evans and the biggest winner was without doubt was Paul Daley, I can’t remember anyone else sending shockwaves after just two fights!

Fight winners at UFC 108 -
Rafaello Oliveira
Jake Ellenberger
Mark Munoz
Cole Miller
Martin Kampmann
Junior dos Santos
Jim Miller
Sam Stout
Paul Daley
Rashad Evans

Danny Denhard

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