UFC 132 SAVED FIGHT NIGHT: Klitschko – Haye Dropped the Ball

By Sean Farrell

Well I was having a hard time buying that UFC 132 could top that incredible night on Versus we just had, but man did it ever. After wasting over an hour of my afternoon watching that snooze-fest of a so called heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, I found myself AMPED! When the UFC 132 Prelims started. This night of fights had a lot of storytelling like the WWE from Tito’s improbable upset of Ryan Bader, Dennis Siver surviving a second round onslaught to eke out a decision, Melvin Guillard TAKING HIS RESPECT!, G-Sot being shot down, and a REAL TITLE FIGHT with two of the UFC’s smallest who outshined “The Most Important Title” fight in boxing by light years. Did I mention we saw a man named “Stun Gun” get stunned by Condit’s knee? This card had it all, here is what happened.

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. George Sotiropoulos

This fight was supposed to help further plant G-Sot within the division and getting planted happened but not how he was expecting. The bout started with both men feeling each other out and trading shots, then Dos Anjos winded up like Roger Clemens and uncorked a fastball that looked to come from Sotiropoulos’ native Australia which met his chin and put him out instantly ending the fight in only 59 seconds.

Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner

This fight was supposed to be fast, and man was it. Both men started with a frantic pace until Winner got caught with an uppercut that dazed him. Njouani smeeled blood and unleashed a Muay Thai assault of punches, elbows, knees, and kicks trying to finish Winner but couldn’t. Round 2 was more of the same Njokuani was settled in and continued his onslaught nearly finishing Winner again to no avail. Round 3 Winner opened up a little bit as Njokuani slowed but the damage was done as Njokuani coasted to a lopsided beating of a decision. This fight proved two things, Njokuani should be considered a “feared striker” and Andre Winner has one of the hardest chins in all of fighting.

Shane Roller vs. Melvin Guillard

This fight went just like I told everyone it would, with Guillard KOing yet another victim. It started with Guillard just unleashing strikes at Roller who seems confused by the speed of Guillard. Guillard missed and uppercut but the left hand followed so fast Roller had no choice but to eat it and was dropped. Guillard pounced but Roller made it back to his feet before getting his bell rung again and then being crushed with another left ending the bout in just 2:12. Guillard said he wants to fight at UFC 136 in Houston in front of his mom he doesn’t care who he fights and Dana White is making that happen.

Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Well Carlos Condit wants a title shot, only one problem his opponent dubbed the “Stun Gun” has never been beaten. Condit’s response? No problem. This bout started in typical fashion for both men, trying to end the fight through engaging. Kim seemed to be flustered early for the first time in his career and desperately tried to block a head kick which he did. Problem was that head kick was immediately followed by a flying knee which landed flush on his chin turning his lights off instantly and falling limp like he was hit with a stun gun. Condit followed with punches but the damage was done form the knee and the ref stopped the bout, afterwards Condit was told he was in line for a title shot against the winner of Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader

This one was supposed to be an easy squash for Bader to get back on track after being embarressed by Jon Jones. Tito apparently got that memo and was real offended. I am not an Ortiz supporter of any kind but last night even I was kinda happy for him. Ortiz came out like Bader was the underdog and treated him as such landing leg kicks and punches early. Then out of nowhere there was a deafening smack of fist and face and Bader crumbles in a heap.

Tito pounces Bader but he recovers, too bad he recovered right into an Ortiz choke. Ortiz squeezed liked his career depended on it too and Bader had no choice but to tap out. Tito stays employed and Bader falls into Tito’s place, the “TUF” alumni has been horrid in his last two outings against “Big” name stars and three in a row could get him canned. Ortiz after the bout said “Tonight, I made a stepping stone of Ryan Bader, and he said he was going to make a stepping stone of me. But he ain’t stepping on this champion. Hell no. I had an out-of-body experience, it’s like I was watching myself do it. Everything was in slow-mo. It was kind of like in the ‘Matrix.’ It was weird. For the first, everything was super, super slow. I didn’t want to let go because I wasn’t sure what was going on because like I said, I had an out-of-body experience, I didn’t know how to react. I was like, ‘I’m not letting go until the referee rips me off.’ I don’t mean to hold on to a submission longer than I was supposed to, but I wasn’t letting go. I wanted to win. I’m like an animal out there. When negativity brings you down, you need to find something to uplift you and make you strong and get past those downfalls, I wasn’t trying to prove anyone wrong. I was trying to prove people right. I’m healthy now. There’s no more excuses. … I came up short four times, five times in a row. Split decision, draw, decision, decision. But I’ve stayed competitive against top guys in the world, and I think Ryan kinda didn’t respect me. For one camp, I let my hands let me go.”

So what is next for Ortiz? Well he is shooting pretty big at the moment when he said “I’d like to see Forrest Griffin, maybe the winner between him and ‘Shogun’ Rua,” Ortiz suffered a decision loss to Griffin at UFC 106. “I want to fight top guys. I want to fight guys with big names. I want to give fans want they want to see. I want the biggest fights in the world. The surgeries I’ve done, athletes don’t come back. They’re done. Not me. I have too much drive. I have too much to live in this life. I’m going to live this life to the fullest. I’m healthy now. I feel great. Once again, I’m going to leave my career in my hands.”

Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman

Now in order for me to give a proper assessment on this fight, I had to watch it 3 times. When I saw it live I was sure that Wiman was screwed and Siver got a decision because of his name. But this is not that case, Siver took round one although it was not exciting in anyway. Then round 2 as clear who won as Wiman decimated Siver cutting him multiple times with elbows and catching every kick thrown by Siver. Round 3 is where the fight was interesting, Siver was on bottom in that round but he was doing all the work, Wiman was stalled and visibly gassed out while Siver threw pillow shots from the bottom(Don’t Hurt BUT THEY COUNT Calzaghe-Hopkins anyone). Siver then rocked Wiman as time was running out and secured a choke but the horn sounded. Wiman was highly mad at the decision and left the cage, but he did lose the MMA bout. If it were a bar room brawl, he definitely won but it isn’t this is a sport.

Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva

Whenever a fighter faces an idol it is always something special. Last night was no different, Leben idolized the “Axe Murderer” and rightfully so and Wanderlei being as respectful as he is decided this was time to go out on his shield. Both men agreed to stand and bang before the fight even happened (How often do we hear that) but these two actually did out of respect. Wanderlei came buzz sawing towards Leben and landed a right hand on Leben’s nose, Leben answered with only his left. Leben missed the first few lefts and landed a crushing left uppercut flooring Silva. Leben then uncorked a series of lefts until the ref stepped in to stop the action at :27 seconds. Maybe this is why people don’t stand and bang, but for Wanderlei nothing could be more fitting. Dana White spoke on Silve and stated “People love him so much because of the way he fights and his style and the type of person he is, But yeah, it’s probably the end of the road for Wanderlei. People knew that [Silva] and Leben were going to come out and they were going to throw until somebody fell down, and it was Wanderlei tonight, I think it’s one of those ones where I’d like to sit down and talk to him and kind of Chuck Liddell him into it. I think the guy has nothing left to prove. He’s a warrior. People love him all over the world, and I just don’t want to see that happen to him anymore.”
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber II

You want to know how to put on a title fight WBO,WBA,IBF,IBO, and whatever other acronyms that are out there here is how. You take the two fastest men in the sport, mix in some bad blood, and throw in a shiny belt with a couple hundred thousand dollars as incentive. What do you get? A REAL TITLE FIGHT. Cruz and Faber started off at such a frantic pace I told my girlfriend it looked like two squirrels fighting over a mate. For five rounds these men went back and forth letting out their disdain for one another.

In the end, Cruz prevailed and proved to be the premiere featherweight of the world but Faber is a VERY close second. Cruz said the featherweights have arrived “I’m not trying to be a villain; I’m just trying to be me, I’m just scrapping. I can’t control the crowd, but it hypes me up. Love me or hate me, it hypes me. You’re going to cheer for me? Sweet. You’re going to boo for me? You’re just going to make me want to prove you wrong. I think me and Urijah kind of set the bar for everything, the 135-pounders especially. We had something to show everyone in the world today – that 135-pounders can headline a card, that 145-pounders can headline a card, and it will be exciting. We can compete with heavyweights, 170-pounders, everyone. Just because we’re little guys doesn’t mean we can’t scrap. I respect all the fighters out there, but even my best friends know I’m a jerk sometimes, so it was fun. It was fun to talk trash. And sometimes it’s easy to talk trash about a guy like Urijah. But I have nothing but respect for the guy, I’m good. It’s business to go in there. The guy has done so much for the lighter weight classes. There’s no denying it.”

Cruz went on to talk about his frantic style of fighting and if he was hurt by Faber and he said “It feels like I was in a tornado running into stuff, dressers and whatnot, I don’t know. My shoulder hurts. My face hurts a little bit. I don’t know. I was just going out there to scrap, and all I knew was if I got hit, I was going to keep punching. … There’s no way to stop me. That’s the only way to think in there.”

Although Cruz has dealt with numerous hand injuries in the past, he said he felt pretty good after UFC 132. That means any extended layoff is unlikely, which could mean a quick return to the cage for Cruz “My hands are great,” he said. “They’re sore. They always hurt after a fight like that. … But they they’re good.” It looks as if Demetrious Johnson will be getting the next crack at Cruz and if the WEC taught us anything, it is the little guys can scrap.