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SUNSTONE

By SUNSTONE
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#98QBKiller

#98QBKiller

Posted
Posted

Pretty good article. 2, 3, & 4 are some of my all-time favorite fights.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/5-Unforgettable-MMA-Brawls-21245

5 Unforgettable MMA Brawls

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Tomas Rios

If nothing else, the altogether unexpected rise of Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson has resurrected one of the ironclad rules in fight sport -- a brawler will always have a paycheck waiting for him.

From a street-fighting champion rocking a world-class beard to a wild-eyed Brazilian with the mannerisms of a caged silverback, trading brain cells for greenbacks will remain a profession that always hires. Irony, however, can be found in the idea that true brawlers seem like they would engage in their sadomasochistic calling for a stale cheese sandwich just as quickly as they would a six-figure payday.

In honor of the men who willingly perform acts most of us would give an arm to avoid and in anticipation of the expected scrap between Kimbo Slice and Houston Alexander on Saturday at the TUF 10 Finale, Sherdog.com has compiled a collection of the greatest brawls in mixed martial arts history, minus the cage-side blood splatters and mid-fight advertisements for Mickey’s Malt Liquor. Get stung, indeed.

5. Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell

“The Ultimate Fighter 4” Finale -- Nov. 11, 2006; Las Vegas

When my buddies and I get together, beating one another into bloody pulps rarely comes up on the agenda. Smith and Sell, fast friends on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4, turned their friendship into the fuel for a full-scale re-creation of D-Day. The only sight more bizarre than watching two supposed friends fight like wild dogs was the mutual joy both men received from having the structural integrity of their skulls compromised. After five minutes of unbridled violence, the two men embraced and laughed like they were trading punch-lines in between actual punches.

The second round saw Sell claim control of the fight. With Smith’s gas tank running on fumes, a textbook left hook to the ribs left him in a heap, awaiting an end Sell seemed poise to deliver. The end did come quickly but not as Sell had hoped; he rushed toward the prone Smith and immediately ran into a desperation right cross. The blow laid out Sell, and Smith managed to deliver a few follow-up strikes to seal the stoppage before ending up in the same condition as his friend: sprawled out on the canvas as cage-side doctors examined him. It was a fitting fate.

4. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Pride “Critical Countdown 2005” -- June 26, 2005; Saitama, Japan

It has become easy to forget just how hot rivalries between teams used to burn, but if you ever find yourself in the mood to relive the old days, just give this fight a long-overdue spin. With Rua’s roots at the Chute Boxe Academy and Nogueira’s allegiance to Brazilian Top Team, a spot in the semi-finals of the 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix seemed to play second fiddle to team pride. The opening stanza saw Nogueira surprise Rua -- and just about everyone else -- by standing toe-to-toe with him and getting the best of several heated exchanges. Desperation grew in Rua, who was repeatedly rocked by right hooks and responded with flashy ground-and-pound techniques that Nogueira remarkably managed to shrug off like a slap on the head.

The closing round only saw the exchanges grow more heated, both on the mat and the feet, as neither fighter could be certain of an edge on the scorecards. While the outcome would be debated regardless of who won, it was Rua who earned the judge’s favor with a last-ditch effort that overshadowed Nogueira’s early brilliance. Either way, this true brawl will be remembered for everything but the verdict.

3. Eddie Alvarez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri

Dream 5 -- July 21, 2008; Osaka, Japan

Anytime you get a Japanese crowd roaring, you have doing something right, and few fights captured the imagination of the usually taciturn fans of the Far East like the epic showdown between Alvarez and Kawajiri. No one knows if it was the prospect of a spot in the Dream lightweight grand prix final or merely the opportunity to battle a willing foe that inspired such unforgettable performances from these two. We do know that there was not a human being alive who witnessed the fight who was not immediately sucked into the drama that unfolded.

A relentless pace was forced by both fighters, as they traded kicks and punches that would have fallen men twice their size. It remains a testament to the will of these world-class lightweights that they managed to not only survive being dropped but somehow use it as fuel for their improbable back-and-forth rallies. It seems unlikely we will ever see another match that requires such a toll for mere survival, never mind victory. For proof, one needs only to look to the end of the fight, as a dazed and fatigued Alvarez dropped Kawajiri with a cringe-inducing right cross and uppercut combination; he still needed to follow with a hail of right fists to Kawajiri’s dome to force a stoppage that felt like it may never come.

Neither man advanced to the grand prix final, and no one seemed to care much. The 7:35 this memorable bout lasted encapsulated everything fans hope to see when they pay money to see two men fight.

2. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi

Pride 33 “Second Coming” -- Feb. 24, 2007; Las Vegas

Forget the post-fight hysteria surrounding Diaz’ choice of mind-altering aids; the fight itself was crazier than the past two decades of Mike Tyson’s life. It was a fine example of what happens when you put two guys with serious anger management issues in a ring together.

In a matter of a few minutes, both men started to look like Z-grade clones of themselves, as their faces showed the punishment to which their wills refused to surrender. The pace and sheer brutality of the fight started to wear on Gomi and Diaz, but it only meant that technique was sacrificed in favor of aggression and the sort of heart many believed had been confined to “Rocky” movies.

Somehow, this fight lasted to the second round, where an improbable string of action was punctuated by an even more improbable finish, as Diaz put away Gomi with a gogoplata. It left everyone unsure of whether to cheer or merely look on in awe over what had just transpired.

1. Melvin Manhoef vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos

Cage Rage 15 “Adrenaline Rush” -- Feb. 4, 2006; London

After watching this fight, I lost all interest in B-movies that pit genetically engineered super-cobras against mutant Komodo dragons; there really is no more ringing an endorsement one can give a brawl. The stare-down alone was scarier than anything Hollywood has produced in years. In hindsight, it did not even begin to portend the insanity that awaited anyone lucky enough to be watching live. It bears noting that Manhoef was defending his Cage Rage light heavyweight title, but considering how both men fought, it seems more likely that they were fighting for a night with Jessica Alba.

Dizzying exchanges and feats of intestinal fortitude that defied human biology seemed to arrive with every passing moment, and neither fighter seemed interested in asking for or giving any quarter. With nearly two full rounds in the books, it looked like Santos had seized control of the bout. He employed brutal knees in the Thai clinch against Manhoef, who seemed to have no answer for the plateful of punishment being jammed down his throat.

It was then that Manhoef managed to break away and gather his senses long enough to realize there was only one way to win this fight. “The Hulk Out” was the foundation of Hulk Hogan’s success and consisted of his becoming temporarily immune to pain and basically bench pressing opponents into oblivion. Manhoef did the standard bearer proud, as he scored an incredible come-from-behind knockout win before promptly passing out from exhaustion.

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Patrick86L

Patrick86L

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Posted (edited)

I was reading the thread on sherdog about that article and everyone was dumbfounded that they did not have Frye vs Takayama on the list. I just started following MMA in '08 so I had not seen it but I can tell you I understand why there was an uproar.

2u5gh86.jpg

My jaw dropped when I watched the fight on youtube and first saw that...holy ****

Edited by Patrick86L
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#98QBKiller

#98QBKiller

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Posted
I was reading the thread on sherdog about that article and everyone was dumbfounded that they did not have Frye vs Takayama on the list. I just started following MMA in '08 so I had not seen it but I can tell you I understand why there was an uproar.

2u5gh86.jpg

My jaw dropped when I watched the fight on youtube and first saw that...holy ****

That fight definitely should've been on the list. I think Don Frye used everything he had left in the tank because his career started going downhill after that fight lol.

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lovetoaster

lovetoaster

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Yeah, Dana hates Roy because he is a little arrogant and because he has a terrible physique, but he is a very good fighter. His stand up is solid and belly or not, he is great on the ground.

I was hoping Roy and Schaub would be in the semis to eventually have Nelson and Jones in the finals. I thought Roy and Schaub would be a great semis fight because I thought that Schaub would force Roy to open up a little more, which he is perfectly capable of doing. But I am pretty pleased with how things ended up with Roy beating McSweeney :D. I think Nelson wins Saturday night, but it should be a pretty good fight.

I was sad to see Big Baby lose too, but Schaub is a heck of a fighter. I am happy to see Marcus fighting again on Saturday, although that is going to be a tough fight against Meathead. It does not look like he takes a punch very well, and the ones he is going to get from Meathead are going to be harder than what he saw last night.

However, if he can get it to the ground, I can't imagine Meathead is as good on the ground as Schaub showed last night.

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lovetoaster

lovetoaster

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Here is the full card for Saturday's TUF finale:

MAIN CARD

  • Roy Nelson vs. Brendan Schaub ("TUF 10" tournament final)
  • Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones
  • Houston Alexander vs. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson
  • Frankie Edgar vs. Matt Veach
  • Marcus Jones vs. Matt Mitrione

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • James McSweeney vs. Darrill Schoonover
  • Jon Madsen vs. Justin Wren
  • Brian Stann vs. Rodney Wallace
  • Dennis Hallman vs. John Howard
  • Mark Bocek vs. Joe Brammer

http://mmajunkie.com/news/17066/the-ultimate-fighter-10-finale-lineup-set-nelson-vs-schaub-lead-five-fight-main-card.mma

And, by the way, I think this season leads previous ones in something at least. Nicknames that will stick, whether the fighters want them to or not. Big Baby, Meathead and of course....Titties.

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Forehead

Forehead

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I've refrained from posting about this season of the Ultimate Fighter until now, but this season pretty much sucked. I watched almost every episode but I probably shouldn't have. Can't fight the addiction I guess.

Regardless, this was a terrible crop of fighters. First, you have group 1, guys who probably shouldn't have been there in the first place:

Zac Jensen - head case, obviously overmatched

Abe Wagner - completely overmatched

Wes Shivers - gassed within two minutes of round 1, hands on hips, showed very little

Wes Sims - may have mental issues, was dominated in fight

Scott Junk - I don't care how much he wants to fight, the guy just stands in one place and gets pounded, also gassed quickly. I can't imagine what a wrestler would have done to him, much less Mitrione

Mike Wessel - Also showed pretty much nothing in his fight

So you've got 6 out of 16 fighters, 37.5% on this show who in my opinion didn't really look like they belonged.

Next is Group 2, fighters who obviously aren't well rounded.

Justin Wren - can't fight standing up. He tried in the Nelson fight, but no dice. Has some potential, but I feel he needed more work before being cast.

Jon Madsen - can't fight standing up

Matt Mitrione - heavy hands, can't fight on the ground

Kimbo Slice - very overrated, can't fight on the ground

Marcus Jones - Decent ground game, but you should rarely, if ever, lose full mount position. Poor standup and a shockingly weak chin.

That's 5 more, another 31.25%. And by the way, Marcus Jones and Kimbo Slice get special disconsideration. Here's the thing, I'm all for giving people opportunities, but these guys are in their mid-30's and still have a lot to learn. By the time they get their act together, what could they give the UFC? 3-4 years tops? Very few people are Randy Couture. I'd have rather seen these spots go to younger guys.

Group 3 is my enigmas.

Demico Rogers - I missed the episode where he lost...I heard he was doing well but got caught by Schaub

Darrill Schoonover - He looked decent in his first fight (admittedly against the weakest fighter in the house) but got clocked in his second, where he was very undersized. Not sure what to make of him

Group 4: Legit fighters

James McSweeney. Say what you will about him being a douche, because he was a pretty big one. But the fact remains, this guy showed an ability to throw nice punches, solid leg kicks, and handle himself to some degree on the ground. ****y and arrogant, probably won't go to far in the UFC if he gets a contract, but he's got some tools.

Brendan Schaub. Showed very good skill, winning fight on the ground and standing up. Young and has a lot of potential, probably the brightest future of anyone on the cast. Still, I don't think he's going to win, because of...

Roy Nelson. Someone explain to me why Nelson was on the show in the first place? You have this collection of former NFL players, one dimensional people, and guys who don't belong on the show. Then you have this guy, who from a physique standpoint looks like a friendlier Tank Abbott, but who hads 17 fights under his belt, including fights against people like Ben Rothwell and Andrei Arlovski? Seriously? Why didn't they just hand him the contract and not even bother with the filming.

Wren gave him a decent fight, but Nelson basically toyed with Slice, and did the same thing to McSweeney. He is far and away the best fighter on this show, which I really feel could have been better cast.

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StillUnknown

StillUnknown

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Posted (edited)

Forehead pretty much said all that needs to be said about the season

Kimbo definitely brought in the ratings, but that record number of people who tuned in were treated to some of the worst fights MMA had to offer. that doesn't help the sport long term

Edited by StillUnknown
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lovetoaster

lovetoaster

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I've refrained from posting about this season of the Ultimate Fighter until now, but this season pretty much sucked. I watched almost every episode but I probably shouldn't have. Can't fight the addiction I guess.

Regardless, this was a terrible crop of fighters.

Group 4: Legit fighters

James McSweeney. Say what you will about him being a douche, because he was a pretty big one. But the fact remains, this guy showed an ability to throw nice punches, solid leg kicks, and handle himself to some degree on the ground. ****y and arrogant, probably won't go to far in the UFC if he gets a contract, but he's got some tools.

Brendan Schaub. Showed very good skill, winning fight on the ground and standing up. Young and has a lot of potential, probably the brightest future of anyone on the cast. Still, I don't think he's going to win, because of...

Roy Nelson. Someone explain to me why Nelson was on the show in the first place? You have this collection of former NFL players, one dimensional people, and guys who don't belong on the show. Then you have this guy, who from a physique standpoint looks like a friendlier Tank Abbott, but who hads 17 fights under his belt, including fights against people like Ben Rothwell and Andrei Arlovski? Seriously? Why didn't they just hand him the contract and not even bother with the filming.

Wren gave him a decent fight, but Nelson basically toyed with Slice, and did the same thing to McSweeney. He is far and away the best fighter on this show, which I really feel could have been better cast.

Yeah, it was not a great season at all. I think last night was the best episode, so at least they capped it off well.

As for McSweeney, he is a well-rounded fighter, but I don't think any of his singular skills are really that impressive. He is supremely confident in his stand up game, but he does not have much power in it. He lands punches and kicks, but they don't seem to hurt anybody. His ground game is OK from what I saw, but I think it has to get a lot better for him to make any noticable ripple in the HW division. Not just in the UFC, but in MMA.

The only reason Nelson was on the show is because it is the only way that he would get a contract with the UFC. When the IFL folded and the UFC took a handful of guys in, Dana mentioned Nelson a few times and specifically talked about his physique being essentially why he would not be signed. Which is one thing that I disagreed with Dana on tremendously (not that Dana takes my opinion into account :D). Who cares what a guy looks like if he can fight? It is not a bodybuilding competition, it is a combat sport.

I think Schaub is going to be a very good fighter with some time. I always like to see what camp some of these guys end up in post-TUF, and I think with the right camp, Schaub could become a hell of a fighter.

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StillUnknown

StillUnknown

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I think Schaub is going to be a very good fighter with some time. I always like to see what camp some of these guys end up in post-TUF, and I think with the right camp, Schaub could become a hell of a fighter.

Schaub & McSweeney both train with Greg Jackson's group.

honestly i see McSweeney dropping immediately to 205 after the show. Schaub would probably be better served making the cut as well. his lack of wrestling will be his downfall

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Chachie

Chachie

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Did anyone else notice how Marcus talked endlessly about how much he loves this sport and how dedicated he is to becoming a contender, then he gets GnPed by Schaub and the first things out of his mouth are about how it's time to hang up the gloves because he doesn't think his wife should have to see any more of this? I have to wonder about a guy so easily discouraged. All the tools in the box but very little heart and desire.

Edited by Chachie
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lovetoaster

lovetoaster

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Schaub & McSweeney both train with Greg Jackson's group.

honestly i see McSweeney dropping immediately to 205 after the show. Schaub would probably be better served making the cut as well. his lack of wrestling will be his downfall

I guess I completely missed that. I knew McSweeney was with Jackson, but I did not realize that Schaub was. I noticed that he was wearing the same Tapout Jardine shirt that McSweeney wore when warming up for his fight, but I did not make the connection.

I can easily see both of them dropping to 205 as well.

Did anyone else notice how Marcus talked endlessly about how much he loves this sport and how dedicated he is to becoming a contender, then he gets GnPed by Schaub and the first things out of his mouth are about how it's time to hang up the gloves because he doesn't think his wife should have to see any more of this? I have to wonder about a guy so easily discouraged. All the tools in the box but very little heart and desire.

Yeah, I was thinking about that last night as well. That was probably the first time he had been knocked out that badly and taken off in an ambulance though. For someone that cares that much about his family (as was evident with the poster incident), it probably caused him to think twice about his career path.

This fight against Meathead could either be his first in a possibly interesting MMA future, or his last in the sport.

Edited by lovetoaster
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Special K

Special K

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Without a doubt, my favorite part of the TUF season was McSweeney getting ****y and throwing his chin out there and Nelson drilling him with one right up the middle.

It was not a great season, but that may have made it all worth it.

Yeah, I loved that too. KARMA.

Really though, I can't understand idiots who do that bullcrap in a fight. Anyone who does that deserves to get KO'd.

I was really sad too when Baby lost. He was my favorite.

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herrmag

herrmag

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Did anyone else notice how Marcus talked endlessly about how much he loves this sport and how dedicated he is to becoming a contender, then he gets GnPed by Schaub and the first things out of his mouth are about how it's time to hang up the gloves because he doesn't think his wife should have to see any more of this? I have to wonder about a guy so easily discouraged. All the tools in the box but very little heart and desire.

That, to me, is the scariest dude in the house. He's got some severe emotional and mental issues. I know everyone says he was so nice, blah blah blah, but anyone that snaps from one extreme to the next the way he does has some serious problems. Going after Mitrione was completely uncalled for, and the rocking back and forth out of rage is pretty creepy. Dude needs to learn how to deal with his emotions.

Long story short, he's 35....Not much of a chance for a career even if his head was screwed on correctly.

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StillUnknown

StillUnknown

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That, to me, is the scariest dude in the house. He's got some severe emotional and mental issues. I know everyone says he was so nice, blah blah blah, but anyone that snaps from one extreme to the next the way he does has some serious problems. Going after Mitrione was completely uncalled for, and the rocking back and forth out of rage is pretty creepy. Dude needs to learn how to deal with his emotions.

Long story short, he's 35....Not much of a chance for a career even if his head was screwed on correctly.

yeah he went from one extreme to the next pretty damn quick

honestly, outside of Roy & Schaub (maybe Wren because he's only 23 or so), i dont see any of these HW's doing anything more than being on the unaired prelims of a fight night card in the future.

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