UFC 142 Aldo vs Mendes & Belfort vs Johnson discussion and rbr thread (with SPOILERS)

He didn't just let go. It's a common wrestling situation. Aldo gained wrist control and applied back pressure to break free of the hold... Mendes realized that he couldn't control Aldo in that position any longer so on wrestling instinct he decided to reshoot immediately when Aldo cut in toward him... which is usually a smart thing to do. However, Aldo timed that knee beautifully.

 

Widdow when you gonna put those kids in the cage?? :thumbsup

 

I already have my hands full with Wrestling, Football, Baseball, and Basketball. Coached at a Wrestilng tournament today from 8 am until after 6 pm.... my voice is gone.

 

Oh ok.

Aldo dropped a guy leaning in with a knee to the face in WEC as well.

 

To me, Aldo should get ko of the night. Barboza's win was very cool, but I can't help but think he just threw that kick and hoped for the best. Aldo's knee, as quick as it was, was calculated.

 

I am going to heavily disagree. You don't just knock out your opponent with a picture perfect wheel kick with luck. It's not the same as an blind overhand right.

 

****ed up ref calls were the story of tonight, I think. Silva, and all of us picking him in the Prediction League, was royally ****ed and the quick stand-ups were disgraceful. Other than that, good stuff.

 

Aldo's ko wasn't with a blind overhand right. I know that isn't what you were saying.

Barboza said, in the post fight interview, that he decided to try the kick because he had landed a spinning kick to the body earlier in the fight. For me it's not the same as stating that you knew your opponent was going to go for your legs after breaking that opponent's body lock, and you wanted to catch him coming in with the knee. There was no fluke with that. Barboza's ko was, self admittedly, more of a "**** it worked here; it might work there" type of moment.

I award more points to Aldo's technique because it looked like something that could be taught as a realistic sequence of moves. Barboza just kicked his opponent in the face.

Just my opinion.

 

In defense of the ref, a shot or so did land on the back of the head.

I have become so conditioned to shots being landed to the back of the head in mma, that I would probably have never noticed. I have occasionally shown mma bouts to a friend of mine that doesn't watch mma. Well, that is if I'm not showing it to him. Anyway, he is constantly noticing fighters being hit to the back of the head.

I wonder if officials are being told to look for this more now that the sport is trying harder to get into the mainstream. I only say this because of what happened recently with Nogueira and Mir, and Dean warning Nogueira about hitting the back of the head. I've heard ref's warn fighters before, but it was usually more blatant than in the fights I've mentioned in this post.

 

On a scale of 1-10:

6 to Pyle for winning a fight, for which he was the heavy favorite, by ko when he normally wins by submission.

8 to Barboza for landind a 'Hail Mary.'

10 to Aldo for anticipating his opponent's next move, and executing his technique perfectly.