TOM looks back at UFC 113

By Kevin Borges – MMA Editor

In a MMA landscape that now produces at least one major card every month, UFC 113 stands out. After UFC 112 in which apologies replaced f-bombs in Dana White’s vocabulary, Saturday night was a breath of fresh air. That is not to say that the show went off without a hitch and every fight was fistic arts at its best. To the contrary, Zuffa was faced with issues that it has never had to face before and at times some of the ugliest MMA in recent memory was on display. Where the UFC succeeded was how they handled these issues, proving just how far ahead they are of every other promotion that has tried to mimic their success.

Main events always hold the dual possibilities of either stealing the show or leaving everyone unsatisfied.

Unfortunately the fights that leave us desiring more seem to be the most memorable. Following the Maia vs Silva, “fight”, another disappointing main event was the last thing anyone wanted to see. In the pre-fight interviews Shogun promised that he would not leave this fight in the hands of the judges, as he had done in his first fight with Machida. These words are often spoken but not as often followed through on. Shogun not only didn’t want to leave the fight in the judge’s hands, he wanted to make sure they never even picked up their pens. The fight seemed to be progressing as expected, Machida was jumping in and out and Shogun was stalking Machida around the cage. The fight went to the ground for a short while but it was clear that both fighters wished for this fight to play out on the feet. After a couple exchanges that seemed to bolster both of their confidences, Machida jumped in with a flying knee as he had done many times before. Shogun attempted to counter with a right hook but his fist missed the target. As Machida came back to the ground the fighters feet got tangled just as the forearm of Shogun connected to Machida’s head. This proved to be enough for Machida to lose his balance and he fell back, Shogun seized the opportunity and pounced on his fallen opponent. From the full mount Shogun unleashed a torrent of punches that ended the fight and Lyoto’s reign as champion as well as his undefeated status.

The co-main event of Koscheck vs Daley played out just as it should have. Daley’s takedown defense wasn’t able to stop Koscheck’s takedown prowess, thus the fight was largely spent with Daley on his back. In the first round Koscheck threatened with a rear naked choke but Daley was able to escape and get back to his feet. This submission attempt was the closest that Koscheck would come to finishing the fight even though he was able to retain dominant position throughout the fight. In the second round Daley impressed onlookers with his ability to regain half-guard following numerous passes to mount by Koscheck. In the third round Koscheck was slightly more hesitant to take Daley down, patiently waiting for the right moment. Once on the ground Koscheck was able to pass to and secure the full mount position. In a surprising turn of events Koscheck did very little ground and pound instead opting to hold the position and not risk any reversal, a tactic often referred to as “lay-n-pray’. At the conclusion of the fight Koscheck stood up and turned towards his corner knowing full well that he just secured himself a shot at the belt. Daley stood up and walked towards Koscheck but rather than the customary hug and congratulations, Daley threw a left hook. Referee Dan Miragliotta quickly corralled Daley and held him up against the fence. The situation was resolved without further incident but for a moment the UFC stood on the brink of duplicating the nightmare that Strikeforce just lived. During the post-conference Dana White made it clear that Daley would be dismissed from the UFC and would not be welcome back.

For some reason there are fans out there that will still pay money to watch Kimbo Slice fight, as of Sunday they will have to search elsewhere. Kimbo was matched up against Matt Mitrione, a former NFL player who was forced to retire following a knee injury. Mitrione walked in with one professional fight, he walked out with his second win in what can only be described as the ugliest MMA that UFC fans have ever been forced to witness. The UFC is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport, yet this fight belonged on a regional promotion, not on the UFC’s pay per view and certainly not on the main card. The real problem is not that this fight made it on the main card, but what fight was relegated to the under card so that Kimbo could be featured? Macus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet was a fight featuring two veterans of this sport, both of whom are known for their ability to put on exciting fights. Their fight was marked by strong takedowns and submission attempts in the first round and a short left by Davis that ended Goulet’s night in the second. Without question this fight belonged on the main card, not Kimbo vs Mitrione. The highlight of the fight came during the post-fight conference when it was announced that Kimbo would be released. There is no word yet on whether or not the boat yards will be beckoning Kimbo to return.

The UFC Fight of the Night honors deservedly went to Jeremy Stephens and Sam Stout. Jeremy Stephens walked away with a split decision win but both fighters will be cashing bonus checks for their efforts. As was expected both fighters desired for this fight to remain standing, doing so at the cost of superior position at times. In the third round Stout was on top of Stephens in the full guard, a position from which he could most likely have lasted the round and damaged Stephens. Given the close nature of the fight this would have been a way to win the round in the judge’s eyes. If all three judges could agree that he had won the third round then only two of them would have to agree that he had won either of the previous two rounds. Instead he opted to stand up and allow Stephens back to his feet. He would pay for the mistake when Stephens secured a takedown in the closing seconds, possibly winning the round. In pursuit of the spectacular finish Stout might have cost himself the win. It is not often that such foolishness in the MMA world is rewarded with a bonus check.

UFC 113 showed the full range of possibilities in the sport of MMA. In the upper echelon of the sport we witnessed Shogun vs Machida, a masterpiece of strategy countering strategy. In contrast we also witnessed what happens when sport mixes with spectacle in the Kimbo Slice travesty. The majority of the fight game lies in between these two extremes. Some fighters, like Jeremy Stephens, is still trying to make a name for himself and climb into the ranks of the contenders. Veterans like Marcus Davis, who have long ago given up any dream that they may be champion one day, have embraced their role as exciting fighters. Their job is no longer the pursuit of UFC gold but to have entertaining fights, with little regard given to the victor. In the end UFC 113 will be remembered for two things, the reemergence of Shogun as one of the best Light Heavyweight fighters in the world and the last time Kimbo Slice had a shot at relevance. I just hope that we remember which of these is worth remembering.