Sebowski

Mo by decision

Jacare by decision

Bigfoot by TKO -Cromier is an interesting 32 year old prospect. I don;t think he is near Silva's calss right now though. He is going to get dwarfed in the cage. Cromier should really be focused on losing some weight and fighting at 205. He'll get outclassed here.

Barnett by Sub -Barnett is my boy. Always been a big fan. He'll dectate were this fight takes place and end up tapping Sergei. I'll go with heel hook.

yeah Dana did not have much credibility before but now he has none. And if he thinks Nick will show up to any other press event now he is crazy, you just played right into him, telling him you pulled the fight and then gave him the co main event.

I actually think Dana's hands where tied, I don't know for a fact but I bet that UFC fighter contracts do not have any clause for showing up to a press conference (or if it is there maybe the language is not clear in that if a fighter misses the press events the contract is terminated) and either Diaz's lawyers or the UFC lawyers pointed this out to Dana and to avoid a breach of contract lawsuit, Dana gave Diaz the Penn fight.

Really ****ing sucks. I was looking forward to Penn-Condit as much as any fight besides Diaz-GSP. Can't believe Diaz just ****ed that fight up for no good reason. What an idiot.

I just came here to post thing. That is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Twitter at it's finest.

True, Fedor looked old and tired against Bigfoot Silva, and got caught by Werdum, but his fight with Henderson was pretty even. It's not like Fedor got his butt handed to him or anything. Two guys went into the cage swinging for the fences, both connected with significant shots, Henderson himself was nearly KO'd, but recovered and then KO'd Fedor. To me that fight speaks more about Henderson's skillset than Fedor needing to retire.

Henderson is a middleweight!!!!

They're definitely going back, they want to do an event in one of Brazil's 100k arenas to break UFC attendance records.

I saw that too. I plan on being in Brasil in 3 years for the World Cup. That would be perfect timing for them to put on a massive show. I really doubt they wait that long t go back, but they would crush any records if they did a super show there while the country is loaded with a few extra million people to draw from.

---------- Post added August-28th-2011 at 03:01 PM ----------

Anybody else enjoying those UFC minus 100 stories I've been posting? I absolutely love them. Especially the ones when they were off ppv. The contrast of those stories and what they are doing now is great.

I really love this series. Here is UFC 134 minus 100

I remember this whole card very well. Maybe the craziest UFC finish in the Hughes-Newton fight.

http://mma.sbnation.com/2011/8/27/2385819/ufc-34-matt-hughes-carlos-newton-UFC-History-Randy-Couture

Matt Hughes, Carlos Newton And The Sport's First Photo Finish

Hughes

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By Jonathan Snowden - Feature Writer

One hundred shows ago, the UFC was live in Las Vegas for one of the most legendary events in the promotion's history. Jonathan Snowden talks to the fighters themselves to relive the magical highlights and history from UFC 34.

Follow @MMANation on Twitter, and Like MMA Nation on Facebook.

In just over a decade, Zuffa has promoted more than 100 numbered UFC events. Before every new UFC event we'll take a look back in time to a show 100 UFC's prior. With input from the athletes who were in the cage, we'll bring you the history of the Zuffa era one event at a time.

UFC 34

Date: 11/2/2001

Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Attendance: 9000 (Gate: $502,550)

PPV Buys: 67,000 (estimate)

Announcers: Mike Goldberg, Jeff Osborne, Jens Pulver

Main Event: Randy Couture (Heavyweight Champion) vs. Pedro Rizzo

Best Fights: Carlos Newton (Welterweight Champion) vs. Matt Hughes; Phil Baroni vs. Matt Lindland

UFC 134: Results | Weigh-In | Fight Card

This show was everything the UFC wanted their inaugural return to pay per view to be. Packed from top to bottom with action packed fights, it was a spectacular night of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, it followed the abysmal UFC 33, the actual first show back in front of the nation, and any chance of gaining significant momentum had already been lost.

The show also marked the first time cracks began to show in the united "pro Zuffa" stance. The industry had embraced the UFC's new owners, but this event was rife with controversy. Initially the top two fights were going to be Randy Couture taking on top challenger Pedro Rizzo for the heavyweight crown and Pat Miletich looking to regain his welterweight title from the charismatic Carlos Newton. A great card on paper, but there was one small problem - those fights were the headliners for UFC 31 and Zuffa didn't want to run an exact replay.

Miletich was pulled from the fight. In his place? His own protege, wrestler Matt Hughes.

Matt Hughes: I told (manager) Monte (Cox), I'm not taking this fight unless Pat tells me it's okay. Period.

Miletich was upset not to get the shot, but decided it was better to have the shot go to Hughes, a teammate, rather than a randomly selected fighter from outside the camp. Hughes left the farm to train with Pat and the Miletich Fighting Systems team in Bettendorf, Iowa, confident he would be Newton's downfall.

Couture was also upset about Rizzo's immediate rematch. He felt the UFC was once again looking to push him to the side. Zuffa was betting big on Rizzo. Couture, after all, was 38 years old. No one knew how long he could keep fighting and the new team running the UFC felt strongly that Rizzo was the future of the division. They signed him to a $175,000 a fight contract, the biggest in UFC history at that time, and hoped to turn him loose once again on Randy.

Things were tense between Couture and the new owners already, before Rizzo was put across the cage from him a second time. The two parties had trouble coming to an agreement for a new contract and Zuffa paid big bucks to have Couture airbrushed out of a national ad campaign. It was a problem that would fester for years until the two sides temporarily parted ways in 2007.

Results:

Frank Mir def. Roberto Traven, submission, 1:05 R1

Matt Lindland def. Phil Baroni, majority decision

Evan Tanner def. Homer Moore, submission (armbar), 0:55 R2

Josh Barnett def. Bobby Hoffman, submission (strikes), 4:25 R2

B.J. Penn def. Caol Uno, KO, 0:11 R1

Ricco Rodriguez def. Pete Williams, TKO, 4:02 R2

UFC welterweight championship: Matt Hughes def. Carlos Netwon, KO, 1:27 R2

UFC heavyweight championship: Randy Couture def. Pedro Rizzo, TKO, 1:38 R3

Fighter Recollections:

The only fight of the night that went to a decision was perhaps the best bout on the undercard. Phil Baroni and Matt Lindland went after it for three full rounds before the Olympic silver medalist had his hand raised in the end. The two were like oil and water, the classic battle of red and blue states, the loud mouthed New Yorker versus the mild mannered man from Oregon, the striker versus the wrestler. It was a feud ahead of its time, a ground breaking battle of trash talk and internet hype that the UFC has since turned into an art form.

Phil Baroni: The first time I was having fun with it. I always watched pro wrestling growing up and that's what the guys did. I was a fan of mixed martial arts and boxing too and I always wanted to see the fights with the guy that talked sh*t. I always wanted to see that guy fight. When I had the chance to become a professional athlete, I wanted to be that guy. The guy that people wanted to come see fight.

Matt Lindland: UFC wasn't highlighting the athletes like they are now. They didn't do the pre-fight build up. That stuff wasn't going on so we had to create that hype ourselves. I think we made it a lot of fun. And those fights, they were great fights.

Baroni: It was my second UFC fight, my big opportunity to talk sh*t. I did my first fight too, but not many people were listening.

It was a closely contested fight. Baroni dropped Lindland with a left in the first round, but the Olympian got several big slams and did some serious damage on the ground. Lindland was announced as the winner and the crowd gave both fighters a standing ovation.

Lindland: Phil was a great athlete. He was a great fighter. As far as getting in there and competing against him, I was really new to the sport. I remember eating a lot of straight right hands trying to walk in and clinch him. Anytime I tried to do anything, he would throw a straight right. He connected with a lot of punches.

Baroni: The judging sucks now, but it was so bad back then and they counted a takedown more than anything. I scored knockdowns and both times finished the fights with him just hanging on. I think they were 10-8 rounds, the last two rounds of both fights. At worst the fights should have been a draw, but I think I definitely won those fights.I really think I got screwed. People talk about the judges now, but it's night and day.

Lindland: He really doesn't think that. But it sounds good. I spent more time riding Phil and pounding him than any other position. I was in controlling positions and there was a lot of damage being done. He's certainly a tough guy and was able to endure a lot of damage. There is no way you could make an argument for him winning either of those bouts.

The other highlight of the night was B.J. Penn's 11 second destruction of top contender Caol Uno. Penn, unbeknownst to almost everyone, had injured his leg training for the fight and was worried about how it would hold up.The short fight was a god send for the proud Hawaiian who had decided not to drop out of the fight. The two were fighting for a shot at Jens Pulver's lightweight title. Pulver was on commentary duty, so he had the best seat in the house to see his two potential rivals in action.

Before the bout, Uno went crashing to the mat; the Japanese star thought laying on the mat put him in a mental state to fight at his best. Penn remembered thinking something else.

B.J. Penn: He was there on the ground and I thought 'You're going to be right back down there soon when I knock you out.

Uno shocked everyone by dashing across the cage and throwing a leaping high kick. It looked like a move straight out of a martial arts movie. Penn had expected the Japanese star to approach the fight methodically, not like a Bruce Lee clone.

Penn: So much for him being cautious in the early rounds right?

He backed Uno up against the fence and obliterated him with a right uppercut. After some vicious shots on the ground, referee Larry Landless jumped in to stop the fight. The whole thing had barely lasted 10 seconds, perhaps the most exciting 10 seconds in UFC history. Penn made the knockout even more memorable by springing out of the cage and sprinting to the back. Then he came running back to the cage when they told him he still had to do a postfight interview.

In the semi main event, Carlos Newton was set to defend his welterweight title for the first time. He couldn't have been more different from his opponent, Illinois's Matt Hughes. The divide was symbolized perfectly by their entrances. Hughes came out with a serious expression, Kid Rock's "American Badass" blaring. Newton, by contrast, danced his way to the cage wearing an afro wig to the beat of Destiny Child's "Bootylicious." Newton was having fun, but Hughes was deadly serious. Carlos had taken the belt from Pat Miletich, the long time champion, something that didn't sit well with Pat's students.

Matt Hughes: I didn't like that a bit, the guy beating my coach and mentor. It was very important to me to go out and avenge that loss and come back and beat Carlos.

Hughes warmed up hard in the back, not just to prepare his body for the strenuous activity to come, but to build up enough of a sweat that it would be hard for Newton to lock on one of his vaunted submissions. After an exciting first round that saw Hughes score several takedowns and Newton manage a couple of sweeps and reversals, the action really picked up in the second round.

Hughes opened the stanza with a giant takedown, but Newton was able to weather it and lock on a tight triangle choke. Hughes stood to his feet, hoping the threat of a slam and the power of gravity would make Newton let go of his hold. But the Canadian was persistent. Hughes felt consciousness begin to fade as he pulverized Newton with a powerbomb fans could feel all the way through their televisions.

No one seemed to know exactly what was going on. Newton was out cold, but Hughes was sitting still with a glazed look on his face. While referee "big" John McCarthy was checking on Newton and calling off the fight when he saw the submission specialist was clearly unconscious, Matt's teammates were trying desperately to get him to wake up. He was dazed and confused - teammate Jeremy Horn had to tell him that he had won the fight. Then the celebration began.

Hughes: I don't think I was out. I was dazed. In the first round I was winning pretty handily, I think all the judges had me winning the round. In the second I came out and took him down and he slapped me in a triangle. To get out of the triangle I lifted him up and he tightened the triangle up even more. Now the triangle's starting to get to me a little bit and I can feel pressure on my neck. So I take a step back and slam him down. The triangle was hurting me so bad it took me probably two seconds to know what was going on. After I slammed him down. It was a couple of seconds before I realized he was unconscious. By no means was I l knocked out I was just groggy from him having a chokehold on me. Me hitting the floor and slamming him had nothing to do with the triangle. I jumped up and ran around for a little while. When I got done running around he was still laying on the ground. He was hurting.

Carlos Newton: I won that fight. I know I did. Because Matt told me, pretty much, ‘Yeah, I was out.’ He made it pretty clear to me that he thought it was a lucky break. That fight was a great fight and it’s shows why this sport is so appealing. It’s so unpredictable. You have to consider so many variables. At the end of the day, when a guy really does dominate in this sport, he isn’t just the better man. He’s the guy that has the wind to his back, making it happen.

Excerpt from The MMA Encyclopedia

In the main event,heavyweight champion Randy Couture defended his title against Rizzo. The Brazilian striker had whalloped Couture's legs in the first match, a close decision win for Couture at UFC 31. Many were surprised to see Couture's hand raised. To this day, Rizzo is insistent he was the rightful winner.

The fight spurred Couture to make some changes to his game. He and Team Quest teammate Nate Quarry traveled to Seatle, Washington to train with kickboxing legend Maurice Smith. They brought a much more refined striking game to their home base in Oregon and Couture was able to deal with Rizzo's pounding leg kicks much more effectively in the second fight.

Couture: I went back and analyzed his other fights, especially the Kevin Randleman fight. Neither guy was really willing to engage and Rizzo had a lot of trouble executing any offense. He relied completely on the other guy's aggression. Once I figured that out, I just tried to be patient. I wasn't going to move into range unless I was going to go all the way.

Couture was clearly much more comfortable standing against Rizzo, opening with his own pair of leg kicks and taking the challenger down out of the clinch. In the second round he opened a cut that McCarthy thought was bad enough to demand a doctor's inspection. The cut seemed to spark life in Rizzo, who landed a crushing leg kick early in the third round. But when Couture again took Rizzo down, the fight seemed to go out of the Brazilian star.

Couture: I figured that if I could get an underhook, get in the clinch, then I could take him down whenever I wanted to. He was cut and tired by the third round and when I took him down the fight was over.

It was a tremendous night of fights, perhaps the best single card in UFC history. Zuffa was on a roll, artistically at least. The sole exception was the hideous UFC 33 - unfortunately the one that mattered most.

UFC 134 airs tomorrow night live on pay per view. Check back at MMA Nation for up to the minute updates in real time as the show goes on.

I understand this. But it's the fight everyone wants to see.

So split the difference in weight, and meet in the middle. Or, be like Lindland, and just fight up. And please get it done while both are still in their prime.

I think the true fight fans would much rather see Silva-Bones.

Also, Silva is probably past his prime already, which makes what he is doing that much more impressive. He would be 37 by the time they fought if it was GSP's next fight after Diaz.

No Gimmie Shelter? WTF?

No kidding. I am still waiting for that Overeem-Fedor PPV.

Couture-Cro Cop is going to be awesome too.

http://www.tatame.com/2011/08/24/Fertitta-talks-UFC-Rio-Silva-vs-Henderson-on-FOX

Fertitta talks UFC Rio, Silva vs Henderson on FOX: "Anderson just needs a win"

By Guilherme Cruz

Photo UFC

UFC owner Lorenzo Ferttita landed in Brazil and already got to work. After a trip to Manaus, where he met the governor, Fertitta went to Rio de Janeiro for the UFC Rio hype, and he spoke to TATAME about the expectations for the show, the possible return to Brazil in 2012, at Manaus, and a potential Anderson Silva vs Dan Henderson clash at UFC on FOX.

I heard you were at Manaus. How was the meeting there?

It was good. We’ve met with the governor of Manaus and they want us to do a fight there. It’s interesting for us, because Jose Aldo is from there, so it’s maybe an opportunity to bring him back to fight in front of his home town.

They said the show is already set for August 2012…

We’re talking to them, trying to find a day, maybe July or August.

How do you see the MMA market in Brazil? Do you already expected the tickets to sold out in 70 minutes?

No, we underestimated how popular it was here. If we could do it again, we would do it in a big soccer stadium, you know? But when we put the tickets on sale, we really didn’t know. But it’s been amazing the amount of support, it’s unbelievable.

What do you expect from this Saturday’s show?

I can’t wait… I’m really looking forward when Anderson Silva walks out for the fight – I think the arena it’s gonna explode. I think the Brazilian fans are very passionate, they’re gonna be loud, and I’m really looking forward feeling the Brazilian culture in the arena.

We spoke to Dana White, and he said he plans on doing a TUF Brazil in 2012. Are you really working on that?

We’re working on that, we’re really close to get something done. We think it’s gonna be very successful – a Brazilian Ultimate Fighter, all Brazilian fighters. One thing that is great about this country is that you have so many great fighters, finding talents is easy. There are some many good kids.

Do you think a TUF Brazil would do a good rating in as a TC show in the US?

I think it would, because one of the things about this sport is that people love to see fighters and good fights, so I do think the Americans would watch Brazilians in a Ultimate Fighter.

There was a report in a Brazilian newspaper saying that the UFC is planning 12 shows in Brazil on the next year. Is that possible, considering that the UFC did 24 shows all over the world last year?

I don’t think 12, maybe we’ll do 4 or 5 in Brazil. I think it’s more realistic.

Will Brazil host only pay-per-view card, or will we get some Fight Night shows?

Yes, we’ll do combinations of big pay-per-views, like we’re doing in Rio, as well as Fight Nights.

What do you expect for the future of the UFC in the US and all over the world?

First in the US, we just had a big announcement on FOX, the biggest sport network in the country, and we think that is gonna make this even more popular. On the same level as NFL. In other countries as Brazil and South America, we’re competing, we wanna be as big as soccer. That’s what we’re looking to do.

What do you expect from UFC on FOX’s first edition? Do you already have a main event set?

We don’t have a main event set yet, we’ll find out probably after this Saturday, these fights in Rio, then we’ll set a main event. But it’ll be something big. It’ll be a big fight.

We reported this Monday that Anderson Silva could put his middleweight title on the line against Dan Henderson, one he beats Yushin Okami…

I would love to do that. Anderson just needs a win.

Those bonuses are completely geared towards finishes-only. I'm talking about a fighter who schools his opponent and wins by ref or doctor stoppage. Or he totally dominates a fight, and doesn't have the flashiest KO or Sub of the night. Not wanting to reward a decision is understandable from a perspective, but if the card was full of mediocre fights, the bonus possibly could go to a one-sided beatdown without a finish. Probably wouldn't happen too often, though.

I think if nothing else, creating another bonus for going out there and kicking ass is a good thing.

A ref or Dr stoppage is a TKO. I just see this as becoming the GSP bonus and it scares me. If someone "dominates" it should mean they finish. Watching Henderson last night shows me where you are coming from, and I don't want to "punish" Henderson for Miller being one of the toughest SOBs in the history of the world, but I just can't agree with giving a bonus to someone who doesn't finish his opponent. To show you my extreme, I would rather vote for any fight that went the distance be considered a draw.

It does raise an interesting point, though. Should the UFC give out a bonus for "Performance of the Night"? Say, only Ben Henderson gets a bonus because he dominated his opponent so decisively. I think that's a pretty damn good idea if I do say so myself. I just don't think you can give a bonus to Jim Miller for his performance last night.

They do give that bonus. In two different forms: KO of the night and Sub of the night. I would never support a bonus for not finishing a fight.

Great series called UFC -100. Roght before each UFC they are looking back at the UFC 100 events before it. With UFC 133 tomorrow, here is a look back on UFC 33

http://mma.sbnation.com/2011/8/5/2346145/ufc-133-tito-ortiz-ufc-33-ufc-history-vitor-belfort-mma-interviews

The last one I read was really cool too.

In honor of Double's sig mmamania put out this article:

http://www.mmamania.com/2011/7/26/2280829/legendary-knockouts-dan-henderson-nearly-kills-michael-bisping-at-ufc#storyjump

The sport of mixed martial arts as we know it today is not only built on exciting fights with definitive finishes but compelling rivalries. These feuds, real or imagined, do wonders in driving interest in the outcome of a fight because, let's face it, two people winging punches at one another can only get you so far.

Bad blood means passion and that, perhaps more than any other invisible trait, translates extremely well to the television medium. It's not often legitimate issues arise and carry themselves out inside the cage or ring. But when they do, it's nothing short of extraordinary.

There are times when promoters take matters into their own hands and do what they can to create a feud. It isn't that they manufacture one, so much as foster an environment in which one can grow organically.

Easiest, most efficient way to do this in UFC? The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) house ... even for the coaches.

This is especially useful when a fighter is particularly difficult to market to the masses. Creative solutions aren't optional when large amounts of money are on the line -- they're absolutely necessary.

Enter Dan Henderson.

A phenomenal fighter who's had a long career in the sport, "Hendo," has a personality that even the most cunning con man would have trouble selling you on.

You want a laid back, California surfer type, who speaks softly and carries a big right hand? "Dangerous" Dan is your man. The problem, of course, is there isn't a big market of mixed martial arts fans that are paying customers willing to shell out the jack to see that. Not in a fight, anyway.

But maybe they would be if he was the proverbial "good guy" going up against a ****y and overconfident "bad guy" with a big mouth who never quite learned how to shut it.

Enter Michael Bisping.

The popular British heel was the perfect fit to coach the Spike TV reality show thanks to his previous stint as a contestant and to take it one step further, a winner of the third installment. With just one loss and 17 wins to his record it made just too much sense to make this match-up a reality.

To top off the cake, the show was dubbed "U.S. vs. U.K." and featured Henderson leading a pack of American protagonists against Bisping rallying his team of English antagonists. The war was on.

Star-divide

Just as was hoped for, Bisping played his role to perfection, turning up his obnoxious tendencies to enough of a degree that he managed to get under the skin of even the most nonchalant of individuals.

This also served the purpose of grabbing the viewing audience and making them want to live vicariously through Henderson, sharing in his frustration at every word uttered by his brash and audacious foe.

Which, of course, would make it that much sweeter if "Hollywood" was to knock him out when they finally met inside the cage.

The best part in all this, is that their scheduled showdown was reserved for July 11, 2009, at the biggest and most heavily promoted event in the history of the UFC, its landmark show -- number 100 (numerically, not literally).

The card was loaded with mega fights, included title defenses from both Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre, unquestionably the two biggest pay-per-view draws in the history of the sport. Henderson and Bisping, thanks to their 12-week cable TV promotional tour on TUF, made it on the poster as a part of a triple main event billing.

The stage, as they say, was set. Now it was time to (stand and) deliver.

The crowd, as expected, boisterously booed Bisping while they were hooting and hollering in favor of Henderson. All that remained between the two slinging leather was the refs orders. Once Mario Yamasaki gave the all clear with his usual, "Let's go, come on!" it was go time.

Right from the beginning, each fighters game plan was painfully obvious. Bisping was clearly hoping to implement his stick-and-move style with plenty of movement and just as much fancy footwork.

Henderson, meanwhile, was simply head-hunting, staying flat on his feet with his missile fist ****ed and ready to unload just as soon as the right opportunity presented itself.

There were various spots in the first round that he launched that missile, but it never quite hit its mark with the necessary force to explode upon detonation.

But as the fight wore on, another fact became even more painfully obvious -- "The Count" was continually making the absolute worst mistake possible.

He was circling to his left.

This was so technically incorrect for one very simple reason ... "Hendo" is right handed. That missile, when he was sending it flying, was coming from the right side, directly at the area Bisping was moving straight into.

The first round was a foreshadowing of the second and ultimately what led to the Englishman's demise.

Again, this was so obvious to anyone watching with even a rudimentary knowledge of boxing, it was curious that Bisping seemed so oblivious to the fatal missteps he was taking.

This was driven home big time when he walked to his corner and they immediately lit him up, blasting him for doing the one thing that could get him killed in a match-up against Henderson.

"You're walking right on to the back hand, mate. Get off his back hand, it's absolutely pathetic. Moving to the right, move to the right, Mike."

Advice that, if heard, was almost completely disregarded.

Throughout the duration of the second frame, there were periods in which he would start to step right but immediately revert back to circling towards his left. Ringside color commentator Joe Rogan was quick to comment on it.

"Bisping, again, is circling towards his left, which is Dan Henderson's power side," he said. "As he goes towards his left, he runs into the big right hand of Dan Henderson and that's what his coach didn't want."

As if on cue, just four short seconds later, it happened.

Henderson throws one lazy inside kick but doesn't follow it up with anything. In his next movement, he slides in with yet another inside kick but loads up the missile right hand and sends it flying at Bisping's face, who powerlessly runs right into it.

"Hendo" explodes all the way through with the punch and Bisping hits the floor in a crumpled heap of flesh and failed hopes and dreams. Henderson, seeing his opponent fall, goes into absolute kill mode and finishes the job (which was already done) by sailing through the air and landing one more sickening blow as Bisping lay flat on his back, already in a different dimension.

Sleep tight.

Our friend Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook took some time to explain how this all went down from a pure boxing perspective:

Looking at this on repeat to analyze (and just because it's a great knockout), obviously Rogan was 100-percent correct that Bisping circling the wrong way was a terrible idea, and that's the biggest reason this knockout happens. But it's not the only one.

It probably isn't quite the same level error as it is in high-level boxing, where it's simply boxing 101, but it's a major tactical error, no matter what sport you're in. It's just always a bad idea to circle into the other guy's power hand, for what should be obvious reasons. Bisping should have been going the other way to keep Henderson's right hand away from him. Of course, he could have been worried about other factors, which is something you don't see in boxing because punches are the only offense.

Henderson definitely read the situation and was aiming for this. Bisping is just wide open for the big shot, and it's because Henderson sets him up so beautifully and then commits to the punch in the biggest way possible. The left kick Henderson uses as a distraction is the real key to this whole moment. The kick is a more of a distracting weapon than even a good set-up jab in boxing (take a look at Randall Bailey knocking out Frankie Figueroa for a good example), because it totally changes what Bisping is preparing to receive.

In moving to his left to avoid that kick, he locks his eyes on Henderson's face (or head, since "Hendo's" face is down) and never sees the haymaker right hand coming in. Bisping is both going to his left and awkwardly pulling back, which drops his left hand to his side as he tries to create room. By pulling back, he even winds up turning his jaw directly into the punch, even more of a sign that he truly did not see the punch coming in ... at all.

In the split second after the set-up kick, Bisping, more or less does every possible thing wrong that he could have and Henderson does the one perfect thing in that same second -- sells out on a monster right hand and scores an enormous knockout.

This knockout was so incredible, so unbelievably powerful and full of meaning, it immediately went down as one of the greatest knockouts in the entire history of organized MMA. It was truly that special.

The audience at home got their wish, as Henderson delivered in the best way he possibly could, finally landing a punch so hard that the arrogant Bisping was finally rendered speechless.

The unconscious part was a pleasant side bonus.

Surely, though, the customers purchasing and viewing on their TV sets couldn't compare, whatsoever, to the live audience of a reported 10,871 delirious fans in attendance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Luckily, our Founder and Commander-in-Chief here at MMAmania.com, Thomas Myers, was live on the scene bearing witness to all the pandemonium.

Here's how he described the atmosphere in the building when Henderson sent Bisping's head into the cheap seats:

The crowd had become a little subdued to start the second round. Perhaps it was the alcohol -- UFC 100 was more of a celebration than an actual event that weekend -- or the notion that another decision (there were four up until that point) was on the horizon. However, our collective heads all snapped around, just like Bisping's, when Henderson connected with that laser. Children cheered. Women screamed. Grown men giggled. All at once, in chorus. It was unlike anything I have ever heard. Oohs, aahs, hi fives and "did you just ****ing see that's?" followed quickly thereafter when the big screens flashed the devastation, over and over, to an awestruck audience. It continued for awhile, too -- it took them a long time to cart Bisping out of the Octagon. But the replays never ceased to impress. And they still don't ... more than two years and 30 major shows later. It's an epic knockout, one for the ages, that will stand the test of time. One that I might even tell my grandchildren about. It was that memorable.

The knockout elevated this show to a level that earned it "Event of the Year" by most major publications. The importance of the moment added to the significance of the performance turned in by Henderson, who, if he wasn't before, was now a full blown American hero.

To this day, the videos and .gifs play on throughout mixed martial arts forums all over the Internet. By all means, please feel free to share your personal favorites in the comments section below.

And here's one more for the road showcasing Dan Henderson's legendary knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100.

VIoafgwvDS4

If Machida doesn't end up taking this fight I don't really know who else they can get. Maybe someone like Matt Hamill? I don't think this was that popular of a card to begin with, if they have to move Franklin/Nog to the main event, they're definitely going to lose some PPV buys.

---------- Post added July-13th-2011 at 03:15 PM ----------

Cro Cops probably going to get KO'd or submitted in his last fight

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/7/13/2273685/mirko-cro-cop-filipovic-vs-roy-nelson-planned-for-ufc-137

On a brighter note though, this is what UFC 137 is looking like so far:

-Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - UFC welterweight championship

-B.J. Penn vs. Carlos Condit

-Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop

-Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson

Pretty good card thus far..:fingersx: hoping for no injuries

Add Mitrione-Kongo

---------- Post added July-15th-2011 at 12:53 AM ----------

btw, I am psyched about Condit-Penn. FOTN favorite right there.

In town and heading to Churchkey. Who's up for it? Also, when does Heavy Seas do tours? That page doesn't load on my phone.

Tito hadn't been able to do this since this thread was started.

I'm surprised he still remembered how to do it:ols:

Leben is funny, "He made the mistake of hitting me on the button Joe! You know what happens when I get hit on the button..."

Except when he's fights Brian Stann :stillbitteraboutlosingmoneyonLeben:

Wow! First win in 4 and a half years! Pretty crazy he's still even on the roster.

Maybe they'll do that catchweight Mitrione fight now.

ummmmm.....

I was just kidding Patrick

**** Yeah!

yea i was about to post boxinguru but beat me to it.

Whatever. Thanks for nothing,Patrick.:stick:

You da man, Wheat!

---------- Post added July-2nd-2011 at 06:14 PM ----------

Really like Condit. Hope Kim doesn't lay n pray this one.

Condit by KO!!!

Little help? Patrick around?

If (read: when) Daiz wins, GSP will get an immediate rematch. The welterweights have a lot of time to sort themselves out.

Shields is fighting Ellenberger.

I'd give Brenenenanener Alves

Story the loser of Kim-Condit.

Kampmann was suppose to fight Howard so I say give him Brown since he beat Howard

I'm hoping they don't do a Penn-Fitch rematch, but they probably will. If not, Fitch gets the winner of Shields-Ellenberger or the winner of Hughes-Sanchez.

I hope Penn goes back to 155. Edgar was just a bad matchup for him and he had a horrible gameplan. Penn can take that fight if he goes at it like he did Fitch. He can also take anyone else in that division. I think the welterweights are too big for him.