What fights have you watched today?

Faber Vs Brown 2.

Man what to make of this. Faber controls the first round, breaks his hand and then loses the next 4 rounds.

Brown now has 2 clear victories over Faber and his claim is solid, but I can't help but feel Faber hasn't given it his best go against Brown yet.

Either way Brown looks like he might go on to be a great champion...

 

Aldo vs Brown.

Very dominant performance by Aldo and he out strikes, out grapples and shuts down Brown over 2 rounds.

There's now 4 ATG FW fighters.

Nogueira, Brown, Faber and Aldo. Also has beaten 2 on that list give him a win over Faber and his goat FW status is beyond question.

 

Torres Vs Bowles

Another new division sees another new champion crowned.

Torres was in great form, had dominated the previous champion and racked up a few defences.

Bowles was undefeated but a big underdog.

Torres begins this in usual fashion, as he's backing up Bowles behind an onslaught of strikes Bowles lands a peach of a right hook which drops Torres.

Miguel, dazed tries to get an armbar with no thought of defence, Bowles lands a big hammer right which knocks Torres out.

Very big win.

 

Diaz Vs Shamrock.

First off, the size difference here looks laughable. You would not believe that one guy is a former LW and one guy is a former LHW. But it's Diaz who looks absolutely the bigger than here.

Frank, in his day, outlasted and brutalised Tito Ortiz. Now he's being walked down by Nick Diaz.

Diaz gets another big name in his ledger but you have to question the worth of this victory.

Lawler, I credit him for that. Gomi, I hugely credit him for that. But this here, no thanks.

It was actually a bit sad seeing one of the nicest men in MMA being beaten up like that.

One look at he Sherk fight tells you how prime Shamrock would have handled Diaz.

 

I reckon they're all the key fights outside of UFC in 2009.

I have the best of DVD ready to be opened so that should keep me busy over the next week or so.

 

You would never believe he was a former LHW champ if that was the first shamrock fight you ever saw.

Some of Diaz's losses prior to this could have gone either way because they're over 3 rounds.

Sanchez, Riggs, Parisyan and Hironaka were all competitive but Sherk beat him very clearly imo and showed that wrestling and grappling by a strong opponent can nullify him completely (probably why he'd lose to Woodley, especially now) and in his prime Shamrock would have destroyed him imo. Probably not get the tap because Diaz is expert at BJJ but enough to win a decision imo.

The Frank we saw was completely bullied and battered and walked down. It just wouldn't have happened like that prime for prime.

 

I think both of them are over and under rated.

The legacy of both is absolutely solid. Ken was the first proper champion, Frank was the first rounded p4p star.

Both fought in a division higher than what was natural for them.

For me as far as h2h beasts go, Ken Shamrock is one of the best at 205. Atleast borderline top ten anyways.

Same with Frank at 180.

Obviously Frank is rated higher because it's a shallower division and he was a better fighter.

But yeah both carried on far too long.

 

Hughes Vs Serra

Very close fight this and easily could have gone the other way, but as it was Hughes edges it out but he looks like he's slipped at this point now and is certainly no longer the force he once was.

 

Condit Vs Ellenberger.

Condit was the WEC champ and lost a very close either way fight in his UFC debut and this is pretty much a must win fight for him if he's gonna justify his hype.

Condit is almost knocked out in the first round but manages to fight his way back before the end of the round probably saving it from being a 10-8 round.

The second and third shows how BJJ needs to be fought in terms of point scoring. Condit is incredibly busy on his back, striking and controlling Ellenberger and whilst it doesn't necessarily advance his position in a BJJ sense it means Ellenberger can't really lay and pray.

I mean to be honest the second and third rounds were both really close. I think the right man won this fight and unlike Condits activity and constant attempts to finish the fight but Ellenberger has a claim for the first being 10-8 and had a fair amount of top position through the fight so I can see the controversy with it.

 

Marquardt Vs Maia.

The two outstanding contenders in UFC ATM both completely opposite styles.

This fight never got going. 20 seconds in Maia goes for a head kick, Nate counters over the top and knocks him out cold.

 

Belfort Vs Franklin.

This was a very good fight between two slightly faded but still elite level former champions.

Fought at a catch-weight, but Belfort as always is dangerous early in with his speed advantage.

He catches Franklin and ends it in 3 minutes adding another great name to his impressive resume.

 

Quarry Vs Krater.

Wow.

If you haven't watched this, watch it.