Rapid Reaction: UFC Fight Night ‘Shogun vs. St. Preux’
1:10 a.m ET Greg Savage: What a sad
outcome for an MMA legend. Shogun Rua gets dropped by a nice left
and smashed into what should be retirement. If that is the case it
would be an ignominious exit for one of the greatest light
heavyweights of all time. I prefer to remember him for all the
great accomplishments he had rather than the guys who battled
through to the finish line of an awesome career. Sadly enough,
Shogun’s last fight may have come on the same night as boxing great
Bernard Hopkins, who took a beating of his own from Sergey Kovalev
and lost a lopsided decision in what also may be his last bout.
Should that be the case all I have to say is congrats on two
wonderful careers, fellas.
1:00 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Ovince St. Preux calls out Anthony friggin' Perosh in front of the remaining 51 people inside the arena, and with that this surreal international UFC weekend comes full circle. Pride never die, but sometimes it sure feels like it.
12:54 a.m ET Jesse Denis: "Fabio
Maldonado or Anthony Perosh" This man knows how to work his way up
the rankings.
1:01 a.m ET Jesse Denis: the eerie silence at the end pretty much summed that one up. Now would be an ideal time for Shogun to retire.
12:57 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Oh my goodness. OSP just caught Rua with a left hook and ripped him apart in 30 seconds flat. The entire crowd is dead silent and it's not because they're asleep due it being 4 a.m. in Uberlandia. Shogun goes down in brutal, stunning fashion and he is most certainly done as an option to face elite MMA fighters. Whatever he had left in him, it looked like it left after round two of the Henderson fight.
12:56 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: Like I said, OSP all day.
12:56 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jesse, that's exactly what I did whether I realized it. Mousasi has had some awful choices before he got spooky with "Hate or Glory" before Jacare took him apart.
12:54 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Breen, are you forgiving Mousasi for his sins just because he walked out to Gesaffelstein for his last fight?
12:55 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: OSP’s signature win during his vaunted four-fight winning streak was….Ryan Jimmo? Gian Villante? I can’t endorse the ex-Tennesse Volunteer with any type of confidence even against a past-his-prime Shogun.
12:55 a.m. ETTJ De Santis Tristen, I'm part Brazilian. Ok, no, I guess I dropped the ball. I will go back and see where I went wrong.
12:54 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: loll at Tristen firing shots at TJ's scorecard. Did people on Twitter put you up to this?
12:51 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Shogun's been walking to Armin Van Buuren for a long, long time now. Never caught that spark that his Chute Boxe brother Wanderlei Silva did with Darude.
12:52 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: That said, 11 of 12 virtual judges tracked by MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Jouban. The lone dissenting vote? Our own TJ De Santis.
12:53 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Only Alistair Overeem compares to Shogun when it comes to using horrendous techno for entrance music, though the one time Rua came into "Goa'n Mad" for the Antonio Rogerio Nogueria fight was dope. Anyway, anyone calling the OSP upset? Speak now or shut the hell up forever.
12:50 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: Let’s be real guys. The only fighter capable of winning a decision like that against a Brazilian in Brazil is Diego Sanchez. Jouban just didn't do enough wild swinging and mean mugging to win the judges' hearts.
12:48 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: It is pretty intriguing how intensely Jon Anik and Kenny Florian reacted to that decision. Florian sounded like he was gonna throw his cue cards in the air, then they basically suggested there was no upside for any American trying to fight in Brazil. Pretty visceral, critical reaction. Also, what about Phil Davis? Also, it's almost 4 a.m. in Uberlandia. Man.
12:44 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Even though he got jobbed on that decision, Alan Jouban has come a long ass way from the model-sorta-MMA-fighter I saw get wasted by Chidi Njokuani at Tachi Palace. He's fearless, he's tough, he's an underrated athlete and has really become a damn good striker. Even though Alves, the hyped prospect, showed deficiencies, Jouban did his best to expose them.
Alves didn't look bad, he looked like a fighter who was struggling to respond to Jouban's tempo and body attack. The liver kick at the end of the first round really seemed to have a resonance throughout the fight. Alves never stopped fighting and was still landing in round three, but Jouban's ability to break guys down after taking their best Sunday punch is delightful.
12:45 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Horrendous decision. Product of judging incompetence? The 10-9 must system? If that fight takes place in One FC, who wins?
Alves took a close one over Jouban.
12:43 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Not too fond
of that decision, in the slightest. I had 29-28 Jouban. Heroic
performance after that opening blitz by Alves. To be fair, the
Brazilian was never really out of the fight in the third frame,
despite clearly losing the second. It was, however, a very clear
win for Jouban, who got done dirty by the judges.
12:42 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: For a couple minutes, it appeared that Warlley Alves was going to single-handedly flip the script on what had been an otherwise lackluster main card. However, when his furious opening salvo wasn’t enough to put away the resilient Alan Jouban, Alves’ pace began to look more than a little Diego Brandao-esque as the bout progressed. While the Brazilian put forth enough output to get the win, a little more conditioning and a little less ref-baiting and clock watching would be ideal as “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” winner continues to develop.
12:34 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Add another to your groin shot tally Jordan.
12:27 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: And he landed a crushing liver kick that has forced Alves to a wrestling and top position game in round two. Fortunately for Jouban, it gives him the chance to show off his Eddie Bravo-approved 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as he gets to mission control quickly.
12:26 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Absolutely love the elbows Alan Jouban was throwing towards the end of the opening round. Why throw punches, when you can throw 'bows?
12:21 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Yes, CJ, I also think it's amplified by the fact that yesterday's card was basically a pile of bodies.
12:18 a.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: The topic is old and trying, but it’s hard to argue that since there are so many fights over the course of just one weekend, the ones that stink are especially taxing to watch.
12:18 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright. Alan Jouban and Warlley Alves are here to hopefully breathe some necessary life back into this poor card. Jouban is a guy who goes down swinging when he loses, too, so we're liable to see some real fireworks here and either get a look at a great prospect in Alves or another dramatic upset for a fun underdog like Jouban.
12:14 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Yes, CJ, I also think it's amplified by the fact that yesterday's card was basically a pile of bodies.
12:14 a.m ET Jesse Denis: I love how the narrative in the ads and the booth for next week's card is basically, "Mark Hunt can finally do it! Never mind that other guy that was supposed to be fighting for the title anyway."
12:10 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: One-arm guillotine? Yes. How about the end of round 1, where he woke up and came trill with the volume kicking, high and low? My heart melts.
12:09 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright guys. This card is starting to tank. I can feel the life starting to leave y'all. Can we all reminisce briefly on Luke Rockhold getting another "Submission of the Year" contender against Michael Bisping and Al Iaquinta's synergy with the Iron Sheik?
12:07 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: And there's the judging we've missed so much over the weekend…
12:02 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's 3 a.m. on Sunday morning in Uberlandia, and it's still 400 degrees inside the venue. Things are suboptimal. On the other hand, Claudio Silva is having a great third round after eating a lot of shots from Leon Edwards and may steal this fight with a dominant final salvo here.
11:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Mario Yamasaki is in tough cop mode tonight, threatening to take a point from Silva quite quickly after he grabs Leon Edwards' shorts. An uncharacteristic change from a ref that would normally let you get away with a felony before taking a point.
Silva slipped by Edwards.
11:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It is 11:53
p.m. ET and it is our second low blow of the night, courtesy of
Claudio
Silva on Leon
Edwards' groin. Gotta do something to stop that left hand, I
suppose.
11:51 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Unfortunately, with a Brit and a Brazilian in the Octagon, we've got two men who don't necessarily understand the urgency for this fight to end, so we can enjoy LSU-Alabama going into overtime.
11:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jokes aside, Leon Edwards is potentially one of the best UK additions they've had in a while. He's fairly well-rounded, he's a fast-twitch dude for sure, and most importantly, he's got some sharp, deadly serious boxing. I think he's about to tune up da Silva and his can-infested record.
11:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Another interesting note: Claudio Henrique da Silva has fought infamous UKMMA jobbers Shaun Lomas (15-46) AND Aurelijus Kerpe (11-22). Kerpe is basically a Lithuanian construction worker who shows up on two hours notice, throws haymakers and lets the chips fall in hilarious fashion. And da Silva fought him twice.
11:37 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Interesting note ahead of this Claudio Henrique da Silva-Leon Edwards bout. Both men tasted defeat for the first and only time by getting themselves disqualified. Here’s looking at you Matt Thorpe and Delroy McDowell. I think I ran into a Delroy when I went to watch Kyle Maynard fight in that open-air barn in Alabama. The floor was a radioactive mixture of dirt, hay, horse manure, snuff spit, beer bottle shards, French fry crumbs and cigarette butts. Looking back, I probably should have given the ole tetanus shot a little more consideration.
Lima took a decision from Oliveira.
11:35 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Dhiego Lima
wins a fight he was supposed to win over a late replacement.
Dominant, but he was sloppy and could've gotten the finish on the
floor at various stages over the 15 minutes if he was a bit more
diligent. Happy he's back at 170, he's good enough to hang around
but the real prize in the family is the guy who has Ben Askren's
belt.
11:25 p.m. ET Chirs Nelson:
11:24 p.m. ET Jesse Denis:Never going to forget Junior dos Santos asking for a stream during a Jon Jones fight, only to be met with a wall of people tweeting him that video. The internet delivered big.
11:17 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: OK, maybe add "cage awareness" to that list as Lima winds up and cracks Oliveira with a knee to the head while he's clearly grounded. What the hell was that?
11:17 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I want to believe in Dhiego Lima as a prospect, but very few brother tandems in MMA are equal ones. Someone's Fedor, and someone is Aleksander. Someone is Michael McDonald, someone is Brad McDonald. I want to see him show the sudden, extreme gains in standup ability and overall MMA proficiency that his older brother had, but he doesn't seem like the same guy. In addition to more natural power, Douglas just seems to have a better knack for the standup and real killer instinct.
11:11 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Dhiego Lima might very well be the happiest fighter I’ve ever interviewed in person. For that reason alone, I hope he has an extended stay in the Octagon. The return to welterweight should serve him well in that regard.
11:09 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Ovince St. Preux looks like he’s struggling to stay awake as he shadow-boxes backstage at 2:00 a.m. local time.
10:59 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Despite the first decision of the weekend being a hard man contest between Thomas Almeida and Time Gorman, the last pair of bouts in Brazil pretty much kicked the momentum out of this slate of UFC fights.
10:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Round three was all Ansaroff, apart from Lima's creative hair grab-to-clinch knee. I have it 29-28 Ansaroff, but fully expect at least two judges to side with Lima. Ansaroff might not have needed it, though, if she didn't run into the clinch against Lima after stinging her with punches and kicks in the final round.
10:58 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: This fight, paired with the last, have lost my interest. So my thoughts have drifted to how would Doug Marshall look in both of these women's getups.
10:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Someone tell me why that's not Ansaroff's round. Lima did absolutely nothing on top, Ansaroff threw up a decent armbar and actually landed a great spinning back kick at the end. I know no judges will give her the round, but the only real MMA offense was from Ansaroff.
10:46 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I was convinced Peterson was about to let that upkick from Ansaroff slide, for a moment.
10:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: No slight to either of these women, as Ansaroff is a genuine hitter on the feet and Lima is tough, but I'd rather be watching a rematch between Mizuki Inoue and Karolina Kowalkiewicz from Invicta FC 9 last weekend, who will both factor into the UFC's 115-pound division more formatively than either of these two.
10:40 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Take a second and try to imagine Keith Peterson speaking Portuguese.
Carneiro took two rounds from Ansaroff.
10:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As Juliana
Lima-Nina
Ansaroff gets started, Keith
Peterson wipes his glistening face off. The Brazilian prairie
heat is no joke. I wish Soa
Palelei-Walt Harris
was on this card tonight instead of last night.
10:24 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: In a perfect world, we could combine the best from all three events into one card.
10:22 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I'll actually be at World Series of Fighting, wish I could catch Chandler-Brooks 2, though.
10:21 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Also, there’s still a World Series of Fighting Card on Nov. 15?
Rivas decisioned Rubio with ease.
10:17 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: If
Rivas-Perez is any indication as to what we can expect at UFC 180,
which is almost an “Ultimate Fighter” finale masquerading as a
pay-per-view, then Mexico City is destined for a disappointing
debut event. Or maybe they were already disappointed when Cain
Velasquez, Diego
Sanchez and Erik Perez
withdrew from the card.
10:15 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: If I had to nail down a legacy quote for Jon Murphy it would most certainly pertain to his ground prowess in “raising the bar.”
10:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Did you say “no-arm armbar,” Dave? Well, look what I've got to share! I love how Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros play it off like it's not an absolute gaffe of epic proportions.
10:10 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: Don't feel bad Rubio, the no-arm armbar is always difficult to finish.
10:10 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I think I speak for the group when I say we all probably feel like we're on the bottom as far as this fight goes.
10:08 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Rubio finding success by latching onto a cradle and kneeing the side of the body was so surprisingly pleasant to see, as it's not done often. He did, however, wind up on the bottom at the end.
9:58 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Cibernetico could roll up behind him for the save, though.
9:58 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I'm hoping for a Mortis run-in personally, but La Parka would suffice.
9:57 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Hopefully La Parka comes out, whacks everyone with a chair and puts us all out of our misery.
9:54 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's time for TUF Latin America fighters Rodolfo Rubio and Diego Rivas to mix it up. To say this seems out of place is an understatement. It's like when you're watching a WCW card in 1996 and they trot out the luchadores and Mike Tenay. Unfortunately in this metaphor, the luchadores are Silver King and whichever the worst Villano was.
9:49 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: Yes. Yes I have.
9:44 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Clay Morrow via TKO. Put it on a T-shirt.
9:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Shaq had some bars, compared to your average NBA player. He killed this, as the Fu-Schnickens are the perfect foil for his weirdness:
9:48 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Of course he loses to her. Have you seen Ronda hit mitts?
9:47 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Shaq is always wearing short sleeve shirts under his suits during the NBA on TNT studio shows, so Ronda might have less fabric to grip and throw him with. Difficult sleeve tactics.
9:45 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: I don't know how well he'd do against Ron Perlman but Shaq would definitely lose to Ronda Rousey in a street fight.
9:40 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I will die happy when Choi Hong Man gets a UFC fight against Shaq, assuming they let him perform his smash hit on the way to the cage. Hell, let Shaq rap his way to the cage, too, on some Adrien Broner stuff.
9:42 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Speaking of Hellboy and superheroes, Shaq is always talking about wanting to fight in the UFC. Who wins, team: Shaquille O'Neal or Ron Perlman?
9:42 p.m. ETC.J. Tuttle: With that performance, Caio Magalhaes just sparked the rewatchability of this cruddy 2004 flick.
Magalhaes was too spicy for "Hot Sauce."
9:41 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, doesn't
it just figure that the only person who hasn't finished in the last
800 UFC fights is the guy who came in never having gone the
distance with insane offensive firepower? MMA is a weird sport (and
Tim
Gorman is the realest).
9:38 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Unless you're Erick Silva, Brian, then Charlie Brenneman (happy coincidence) gets a win over you.
9:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: OK, I think Keith Peterson is a fantastic referee -- literally, one of the best -- and Trevor Smith was clearly toast after that massive knee. But, how does Magalhaes get away with a giant standing hammerfist which is actually aimed at the back of Smith's head, then follow-up ones to the brainstem?
I think a lot of fans freak out unnecessarily over back-of-the-head shots, not realizing the practical interpretation of the rule: unless you're in a dominant position, aiming deliberate shots at direct back of the skull and neck, you won't be called, especially against a thrashing, scrambling foe. But Magalhaes did a standing whack-a-mole, then got a few extra ones in. Smith was brown bread, but it still leaves a sinking feeling of illegitimacy.
9:36 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: I don't know about the knees, but targeting the brain stem will always be en vogue.
9:35 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Am I crazy or have the knee-initiated knockouts been making a serious comeback?
9:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Yeah, maybe he landed all those strikes, but look at his face, man! Courtesy of Guilherme Cruz on Twitter:
Tim Gorman is going to the hotel bar, baby. Tim Gorman is not defeated.
9:26 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Final tally, per FightMetric.com: Thomas Almeida landed 120 significant strikes at a 55 percent rate; Tim Gorman landed 67 significant strikes at a 35 percent clip. Almeida’s output increased in each round, too. Not bad for a guy accustomed to finishing inside the distance.
9:23 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Pardon me. I left out Cody McKenzie fighting with a price tag on his board shorts with friggin' pockets on them.
9:22 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: All the wacky stuff I've seen in MMA, including your boy JZ Cavalcante fighting in Japan with a tongue ring in and Ben Henderson fighting with a toothpick in his mouth, and I've never seen someone with a dermal implant like that do MMA. I've seen midgets fight in the midwest. I've seen Kyle Bradley's fight. This surely must have happened.
9:19 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: It looked like one of those rad dermal implants, but his modder forgot to add the second horn.
9:19 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, the combination of Silva's enormous, radiating hematoma and his oversized chiclets with talk show host-style overbite make him look like an insane cartoon character.
Buscape easily put away Brenneman.
9:16 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Beat me to it,
TJ. Not only that, after he realized Silva was locking the choke
up, he froze completely. He didn't try to slide the elbow, peel the
hand or anything; he got snagged, froze and tapped. Unfortunate way
for Brenneman's second UFC run to end. On the bright side, I think
Leandro
Silva is finally the "good 'Buscape'" now. All due apologies to
Luiz
Firmino.
9:15 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Brenneman fought the legs with the arms. You can't do that, see Penn-Hughes 1 for a more historical reference.
9:12 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Leandro Silva channeling his inner Mark Hominick here, thanks to a Brenneman elbow.
9:12p.m. ET TJ De Santis: If that hematoma gets any bigger I am going to start getting light-headed.
9:11 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: What a moment in the history of violence, that was. I had to listen to "Blue Suede" for the HBK reference, as a accompaniment.
9:12 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Leandro Silva channeling his inner Mark Hominick here, thanks to a Brenneman elbow.
9:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I've never seen this flick. When you said "Hard Ticket to Hawaii," I assumed that's what Louis Smolka was calling his new superkick finisher.
9:06 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: You know how that awful NOS ad says to "bring a rocket launcher"? Well, any of you chaps seen Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
9:04 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: He could beat Ken Shamrock if Dan Severn throws the towel in for him, like he did with Owen Hart.
Almeida was too much for Gormon.
9:03 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Depends on the
UFC 1 matchup for Gorman. Teila Tuli might
have just sat on him.
9:00 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: I love the thought Breen. I bet he could win UFC. But I don't think he could beat a a 1994 era Dan Severn.
8:59 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: The pacing does get rough here though. Two fights in to "prelims" and we're an hour deep. This is why I eat 2 pizzas on fight night.
8:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Just since TJ jogged my mind on a classic MMA hypothetical: would Tim Gorman win UFC 1? Props for the most thoughtful answer.
8:59 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Something about seeing Tim Gorman waving to the crowd and crawling to his stool invoked an emotional reaction from me. Here is this guy, who just got pummeled, still seeking the approval of the audience, just reminds me how much these athletes give to this sport. Win or lose.
8:57 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Midwesterners stick together. I'm definitely interested in the Brazilian as well. Gorman just reminds me of a Battle At The Barn type of fighter. His is far more polished than the guys working the circuit back in 2004. But it does bring me back to my days of traveling to small towns and posting on Sherdog.net.
8:55 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Gorman is on his way to losing this fight. However, I'm more inclined to want to see him fight again than I am Almeida. Is that wrong?
8:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: That might be a little extreme, but I didn't think much of Gorman against Mitch Gagnon, and he's actually getting to show some of his virtues here. It's not just that he's the first guy to force Almeida to a decision (though Vinicius Zani fought him into round four in a title fight in Brazil), but the fact he took the whole arsenal of head and body strikes, hardly got rocked and kept slugging back valiantly without looking like a desperate Leonard Garcia. Hopefully those first 15 minutes of Octagon work were formative for Almeida, and if so, we'll have Gorman to thank.
8:54 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: That's just your realist side kicking in, TJ, Almeida might be an offensive force, but his defense is too porous to have any sustained success in the division.
8:52 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Tough as nails as nails AND coming out with a sense of urgency? Tim Gorman is out to, win some hearts.
8:53p.m. ETTJ De Santis:Gorman is on his way to losing this fight. However, I'm more inclined to want to see him fight again than I am Almeida. Is that wrong?
8:49 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Tim Gorman must have a bowling ball for a head.
8:50 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: He is tough as nails; it's rare to see a guy take shots like that to the head and to the body. If he makes it the full 15 minutes, I'd like to see him attempt a gauntlet run of bantamweight's biggest hitters. Get Francisco Rivera on deck.
8:48p.m. ET TJ De Santis:Maybe I am a terrible human being. But, if I knock a man's mouthpiece out I am not stopping, let alone telling the ref to pick it up and give it back to my opponent.
8:47 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Gorman's jab has actually been his best offense, so far. He's asking for an uppercut with that head dip, though.
8:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Gorman's jab isn't bad, but after he throws it, he drops his hands and doesn't come back with punches and Almeida goes to work. Plus, Almeida has an awesome sense of body positioning and setting up his opponent's movement, so he's just timing Gorman now every time he ducks his head and drops his mitts.
8:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: How often does a guy start hot, land power strikes against a better striker, take the back for two minutes and still clearly lose the round? I love that Gorman isn't afraid on the feet and is getting in his face, as if he stands there patiently, he'll get ripped apart. But, you see how fast Almeida can turn the fight around with his left hook to the body. Gorman has already taken seven or eight hard ones, now is getting smashed with knees.
8:44 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Thomas Almeida = violencia. That round just epitomized everything I want to see in a striker, including killer instinct.
8:43p.m. ET TJ De Santis:Gorman is a throwback fighter in many ways. When I say that, I mean it as a compliment. He is a tough Iowan that just comes forward and hits you. When that doesn't work, he comes forward and hits you. If that still doesn't work, he will come forward and hit you.
8:36 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Almeida seemed to wake up midway through the round, then hit Gorman with everything but the kitchen sink, which he's likely saving for this round.
8:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: If Brenneman breaks the streak by outwrestling Leandro Silva, who would knock Brenneman's Shirley Temple wig clean off standing for 15 minutes, I won't be upset. If Brenneman doesn't get his man to the mat, he gets iced. He's cut with another loss. Do your thing, Charles.
8:35 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Charlie will always have the Pros vs. Joes memories. 8:35 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Since "The Spaniard" is coming up already, someone should keep a running tab of the amount of times Brenneman's lack of Chia-pet hair gets mentioned.
8:36 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright, fight freaks. It's time for Thomas Almeida to make his UFC debut. We could have a brutal revelation on our hands, could be the start of something special for years to come. Worst case scenario, we at least have a technical, violent fighter who could be a 135-pound Edson Barboza. Pour some liquor out for Tim Gorman and his ribcage, probably.
8:36 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Favorite Charlie Brenneman memory? Tweeting Jon Jones his P.O. Box addy, for payment, after the UFC 151 cancellation.
8:30 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I think Clevelanders could get behind Shogun. They’re always hungry for a champion, even one with former attached to his name.
8:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Better hire as head coach: Andre Dida or Mike Brown the second time?
8:32 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: If not Smith-Magalhaes, I think Charlie Brenneman-Leandro Silva is a strong candidate to snap the violence streak.
8:28 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Caio Magalhaes-Trevor Smith could be pretty dire in the cardiovascular department and might look even worse since Magalhaes will probably gas first, yet keep winning, which is often a rough look. Would also be my guess to Nelson's question of who will be the turd in the hamper that ruins the finish streak.
Covington put in work.
8:27 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: He's moving
to Cleveland?
8:27 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Colby Covington keeps the carnage coming and makes the UFC a perfect 12-for-12 on finishes for the weekend so far. Any bets on who will be the first to break the streak?
8:23 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Good workmanlike stuff from Covington. He wore Silva out for 10 minutes without a ton of ground-and-pound, but once his pressure exhausted Silva, he easily got the rear-naked choke. Good stuff from the still-embryonic American Top Team prospect.
More importantly, has there been a less Brazilian-looking Brazilian than Wagner Silva in recent memory? I know Brazil has a complex and varied ethnic identities and I know that as you get more and more southern in the country, you get more Germanic blood and fairer skin. However, if I didn't know either guy and I saw this, I would've assumed that Covington was the Brazilian dude (apart from his wrestling advantage). Silva looks like a guy that trains with Steve Carl.
8:20 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: While it isn't the prettiest fight, I enjoy Covington's work. He is always throwing strikes on the floor and is looking to pass and advance. This is one of those fights where I think people will say it sucks, but he is working ... And now he just sunk in the RNC.
8:14 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: as someone who lives in a similar climate, that sounds like a nightmare.
8:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's 8:13 p.m. in the Eastern time zone and we've got our first low blow of the night as Covington goes knee-to-cup on Silva. If this was One FC, though, he would've ran up and KO'd him with knees and an elbow before Peterson could do anything.
8:12 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: With this round starting with another Covington takedown, I have to assume we're approaching rinse and repeat territory. Anik just mentioned that the venue has no AC and seems to be about 90 degrees. That might be a factor if this fight gets a bit scrambled.
8:12 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I agree, TJ. I actually like it for some of the prelim fights, though. If you don't have a ton of stuff to say, just let the fight breathe. You don't have to sell these guys as being "killers" or anything like that yet. Just let them do their thing and remark on what happens. Good, organic commentary.
8:11p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Looks like Wagner Silva came out looking to help the booth with their ennui, with the way he started that round.
8:10 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I've got 10-9 Covington in the first, but a close round and Silva is getting good cornering from his team, who didn't mince words and told him he got taken down and lost the round. Don't lie to your guys, folks.
8:10 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Was it just me or did it feel like Anik and Florian didn't have a lot to say that round. It felt like there were giant gaps with little commentary between the two guys.
8:06 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Has anyone notified Tom Speer's corpse?
8:04 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: On a competely unrelated note, get ready for a romantic evening of Xyience and Corn Nuts on Feb. 14, 2015. The UFC just recently announced that it is holding a Fight Night event in Broomfield, Colo., on Valentine’s Day.
8:04 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jon Anik starts the fight by calling referee Keith Peterson "the no-nonsense Keith Peterson," perpetuating Peterson's visual stereotype as an irascible punk with a Napoleon complex. Also, awesome Peterson was brought to Brazil here. He's looking fleshier in the face, too, perhaps from all these international wrestling gigs. Keith Punkerson is eatin'.
8:04 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: 14:59
8:03 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Without the flexing, though, more silly faces.
8:03 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Colby Covington and Wagner Silva up now in the cage to get us kicking in Uberlandia. How long does the Brazilian last with American Top Team's tough-wrasslin' bad boy? Closest without going over in seconds wins a spot in the showcase!
8:02p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I was thinking that'd look something like Lineker's fight with Ali Bagautinov.
8:02 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: I took Lineker on radio against @thesherdoggy's pick of Mccall. While I thought "Uncle Creepy" would take the W, I figured it was a close enough fight to look like a genius if there was an upset.
8:02 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I’ll take this gem from 2013 against a man by the name of Valdines Silva, Jordan.
8:01 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: In all seriousness, prelims are something we should still be excited about. It wasn't long ago where I would be pre-ordering UFC dvds from the Sherdog.com store. Now we get to park it in front of the TV and see every bit of action.
8:00 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Was anyone taking Lineker for the upset before McCall pulled out? I saw McCall potentially subbing him if he didn't win on points, but I will admit, Lineker won my heart further with his "he was going to the hospital anyway" comment today.
7:57 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Fear not, Chris. I will abandon my post to bring you some chicken noodle soup, nyquil, and a link to the on-demand files for Tachi Palace Fights 21.
7:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: On a rosier note, does anyone have a favorite Thomas Almeida stoppage? If we're ruing (or RUA-ing? lololol) the fact that Shogun is a faded force, let's all get excited about another hype 23-year-old on this card and the most worthy man to fly the Chute Boxe since Rua himself.
For me, I'll take this Cody Williams joint. The precision and destruction of the standing clinch elbow simply overwhelm my senses.
7:51 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Oh, trust me, Jordan, I know how bad Shogun's takedown defense is; I re-watched to Coleman fight, recently, for no other reason than needing to see a train wreck.
7:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It has to be a platform distribution-rights sort of deal on the Fox side. Realistically, the UFC should always have the prelims on Fight Pass just in case something wicked or awful happens to your local TV feed or a particular network or whatever the case might be. I know personally, I was saved multiple times in the past when the UFC would be on Rogers Sportsnet, as when one of the regional affiliates got finicky, I could flip to another one.
7:52 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Just how maligned is Fox Sports 2? I know a large contingent of mixed martial arts fans who are always complaining about cards airing on Fox Sports 1’s sister channel because they don’t receive it in their cable or dish package. Why doesn’t the UFC just put all prelims on Fight Pass?
7:51 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Guys, I... [cough, cough]... I think I must be coming down with whatever Ian McCall has. I don’t know if I can watch this awesome card tonight.
7:51 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: It almost seems as though Ian McCall's seen nothing but tumult since signing on the dotted line. This man came into the UFC to be met with a colossal judging blunder, suffered injuries between several outings, had his wife overdose on him the night before a fight, then cheat on him with a friend (which led to a divorce), and lost one of his best friends in Shane del Rosario. Now, he was set for what was ostensibly a title eliminator and he suffers some sort of blood infection. It's never coming easy for Ian McCall, apparently.
7:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jesse, as much as I'd like to make fun of a hype video for overstating St. Preux's takedowns, Michael Carroll from FightMetric pointed out on Twitter this week that among UFC light heavyweights with at least five fights and 20 opposition attempts, Rua's 37.5% is the second worst takedown defense in divisional history. May our souls (and eyeballs) all be saved.
7:41 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: "OSP can take almost anybody down." Meanwhile it's a video of the Krylov fight. Brilliant.
7:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I can feel that vibe. Very, very few fighters in MMA inspire passion in their fan base like Shogun, other than maybe Penn or Fedor. People always feel some type of way when he fights, for better and often for worse.
7:38 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I agree that “inspiring” is not the correct word to describe the main event. Still, something about a “Shogun” fight -- even a faded version of the man -- just gets me. Either that or I’ve been brainwashed by Joe Rogan’s promos. All these killers, destroyers and monsters have me hyped.
7:37 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Being that there were 11 fights and 11 finishes just last night, how much do you gentlemen think that will help or hurt the general opinion for tonight’s event from Uberlandia?
7:33 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: In that mindset Tristen, it leaves me trying to find some viable storylines heading into the second half of this weekend doubleheader. I’m looking forward to seeing Warlley Alves return to the Octagon after an impressive debut. While Alan Jouban is getting a good amount of the hype heading into the fight (for multiple reasons), I’m curious to see if Alves can steal the limelight in the newly acquired co-main event slot.
7:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Warlley Alves is one of the very best prospects in all of MMA for me. He's 23 years old, is a physical specimen, natural power, striking versatility, great at hurting guys then finishing them with an array of clean submissions, he's got great training partners and teammates at X-Gym. Honestly -- and this is no slight to Jouban -- Alves might've already been a better fighter in the Octagon in his TUF Brazil finale, Marcio Alexandre Jr. Also, Alves has one of the best names in MMA to have fun with. I'd call him Wario if that wasn't already Fernando Yamasaki's code name.
7:24 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I'd rather toss a banana peel at your feet: you said the event is uninspiring until the main event? What do you think is so inspiring about a dilapidated Shogun, who is either going to end a sloppy fight with a brutal KO of a would-be challenger in a no-stakes fight, or get smashed on by a younger, fresher athlete. I think Rua is probably going to stop OSP, but even if he does, it could very well look like the Brandon Vera horror show, and maybe even worse, the Mark Coleman rematch. Don't lose your footing there, Tristen.
7:14 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: A fight card already short on depth took a serious hit earlier today when Ian McCall withdrew from his co-main event scrap with John Lineker due to illness. Not only does the removal of a flyweight bout with serious title implications increase the likelihood that UFC brass reverts to drawing names out of a hat to determine Demetrious Johnson’s next challenger, it also gives me one less thing to look forward to this evening.
All told, six fighters will be making their Octagon debuts at the Tancredo Neves Municipal Gymnasium in Uberlandia, Brazil. Of those six, unbeaten Brazilian Thomas Almedia’s maiden UFC voyage excites me the most. American Top Team’s Colby Covington and “TUF: Brazil 3” winner Warlley Alves are also prospects worth watching. Outside of that, the lineup is pretty uninspiring until we get to the main event. Somebody talk me off the ledge.
1:00 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Ovince St. Preux calls out Anthony friggin' Perosh in front of the remaining 51 people inside the arena, and with that this surreal international UFC weekend comes full circle. Pride never die, but sometimes it sure feels like it.
Advertisement
1:01 a.m ET Jesse Denis: the eerie silence at the end pretty much summed that one up. Now would be an ideal time for Shogun to retire.
12:58 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: Sorry
for doubting your promo, Mr. Rogan. St. Preux is definitely a
killer-destroyer-monster or whatever.
12:57 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Oh my goodness. OSP just caught Rua with a left hook and ripped him apart in 30 seconds flat. The entire crowd is dead silent and it's not because they're asleep due it being 4 a.m. in Uberlandia. Shogun goes down in brutal, stunning fashion and he is most certainly done as an option to face elite MMA fighters. Whatever he had left in him, it looked like it left after round two of the Henderson fight.
12:56 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: Like I said, OSP all day.
12:56 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jesse, that's exactly what I did whether I realized it. Mousasi has had some awful choices before he got spooky with "Hate or Glory" before Jacare took him apart.
12:54 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Breen, are you forgiving Mousasi for his sins just because he walked out to Gesaffelstein for his last fight?
12:55 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: OSP’s signature win during his vaunted four-fight winning streak was….Ryan Jimmo? Gian Villante? I can’t endorse the ex-Tennesse Volunteer with any type of confidence even against a past-his-prime Shogun.
12:55 a.m. ETTJ De Santis Tristen, I'm part Brazilian. Ok, no, I guess I dropped the ball. I will go back and see where I went wrong.
12:54 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: loll at Tristen firing shots at TJ's scorecard. Did people on Twitter put you up to this?
12:51 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Shogun's been walking to Armin Van Buuren for a long, long time now. Never caught that spark that his Chute Boxe brother Wanderlei Silva did with Darude.
12:52 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: That said, 11 of 12 virtual judges tracked by MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Jouban. The lone dissenting vote? Our own TJ De Santis.
12:53 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Only Alistair Overeem compares to Shogun when it comes to using horrendous techno for entrance music, though the one time Rua came into "Goa'n Mad" for the Antonio Rogerio Nogueria fight was dope. Anyway, anyone calling the OSP upset? Speak now or shut the hell up forever.
12:50 a.m. ETTristen Critchfield: Let’s be real guys. The only fighter capable of winning a decision like that against a Brazilian in Brazil is Diego Sanchez. Jouban just didn't do enough wild swinging and mean mugging to win the judges' hearts.
12:48 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: It is pretty intriguing how intensely Jon Anik and Kenny Florian reacted to that decision. Florian sounded like he was gonna throw his cue cards in the air, then they basically suggested there was no upside for any American trying to fight in Brazil. Pretty visceral, critical reaction. Also, what about Phil Davis? Also, it's almost 4 a.m. in Uberlandia. Man.
12:44 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Even though he got jobbed on that decision, Alan Jouban has come a long ass way from the model-sorta-MMA-fighter I saw get wasted by Chidi Njokuani at Tachi Palace. He's fearless, he's tough, he's an underrated athlete and has really become a damn good striker. Even though Alves, the hyped prospect, showed deficiencies, Jouban did his best to expose them.
Alves didn't look bad, he looked like a fighter who was struggling to respond to Jouban's tempo and body attack. The liver kick at the end of the first round really seemed to have a resonance throughout the fight. Alves never stopped fighting and was still landing in round three, but Jouban's ability to break guys down after taking their best Sunday punch is delightful.
12:45 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Horrendous decision. Product of judging incompetence? The 10-9 must system? If that fight takes place in One FC, who wins?
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Alves took a close one over Jouban.
12:42 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: For a couple minutes, it appeared that Warlley Alves was going to single-handedly flip the script on what had been an otherwise lackluster main card. However, when his furious opening salvo wasn’t enough to put away the resilient Alan Jouban, Alves’ pace began to look more than a little Diego Brandao-esque as the bout progressed. While the Brazilian put forth enough output to get the win, a little more conditioning and a little less ref-baiting and clock watching would be ideal as “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” winner continues to develop.
12:34 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Add another to your groin shot tally Jordan.
12:27 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: And he landed a crushing liver kick that has forced Alves to a wrestling and top position game in round two. Fortunately for Jouban, it gives him the chance to show off his Eddie Bravo-approved 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as he gets to mission control quickly.
12:26 a.m ET C.J. Tuttle: Absolutely love the elbows Alan Jouban was throwing towards the end of the opening round. Why throw punches, when you can throw 'bows?
12:21 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Yes, CJ, I also think it's amplified by the fact that yesterday's card was basically a pile of bodies.
12:18 a.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: The topic is old and trying, but it’s hard to argue that since there are so many fights over the course of just one weekend, the ones that stink are especially taxing to watch.
12:18 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright. Alan Jouban and Warlley Alves are here to hopefully breathe some necessary life back into this poor card. Jouban is a guy who goes down swinging when he loses, too, so we're liable to see some real fireworks here and either get a look at a great prospect in Alves or another dramatic upset for a fun underdog like Jouban.
12:14 a.m ET Jesse Denis: Yes, CJ, I also think it's amplified by the fact that yesterday's card was basically a pile of bodies.
12:14 a.m ET Jesse Denis: I love how the narrative in the ads and the booth for next week's card is basically, "Mark Hunt can finally do it! Never mind that other guy that was supposed to be fighting for the title anyway."
12:10 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: One-arm guillotine? Yes. How about the end of round 1, where he woke up and came trill with the volume kicking, high and low? My heart melts.
12:09 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright guys. This card is starting to tank. I can feel the life starting to leave y'all. Can we all reminisce briefly on Luke Rockhold getting another "Submission of the Year" contender against Michael Bisping and Al Iaquinta's synergy with the Iron Sheik?
12:07 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: And there's the judging we've missed so much over the weekend…
12:02 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's 3 a.m. on Sunday morning in Uberlandia, and it's still 400 degrees inside the venue. Things are suboptimal. On the other hand, Claudio Silva is having a great third round after eating a lot of shots from Leon Edwards and may steal this fight with a dominant final salvo here.
11:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Mario Yamasaki is in tough cop mode tonight, threatening to take a point from Silva quite quickly after he grabs Leon Edwards' shorts. An uncharacteristic change from a ref that would normally let you get away with a felony before taking a point.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Silva slipped by Edwards.
11:51 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Unfortunately, with a Brit and a Brazilian in the Octagon, we've got two men who don't necessarily understand the urgency for this fight to end, so we can enjoy LSU-Alabama going into overtime.
11:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jokes aside, Leon Edwards is potentially one of the best UK additions they've had in a while. He's fairly well-rounded, he's a fast-twitch dude for sure, and most importantly, he's got some sharp, deadly serious boxing. I think he's about to tune up da Silva and his can-infested record.
11:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Another interesting note: Claudio Henrique da Silva has fought infamous UKMMA jobbers Shaun Lomas (15-46) AND Aurelijus Kerpe (11-22). Kerpe is basically a Lithuanian construction worker who shows up on two hours notice, throws haymakers and lets the chips fall in hilarious fashion. And da Silva fought him twice.
11:37 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Interesting note ahead of this Claudio Henrique da Silva-Leon Edwards bout. Both men tasted defeat for the first and only time by getting themselves disqualified. Here’s looking at you Matt Thorpe and Delroy McDowell. I think I ran into a Delroy when I went to watch Kyle Maynard fight in that open-air barn in Alabama. The floor was a radioactive mixture of dirt, hay, horse manure, snuff spit, beer bottle shards, French fry crumbs and cigarette butts. Looking back, I probably should have given the ole tetanus shot a little more consideration.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Lima took a decision from Oliveira.
11:25 p.m. ET Chirs Nelson:
11:24 p.m. ET Jesse Denis:Never going to forget Junior dos Santos asking for a stream during a Jon Jones fight, only to be met with a wall of people tweeting him that video. The internet delivered big.
11:17 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: OK, maybe add "cage awareness" to that list as Lima winds up and cracks Oliveira with a knee to the head while he's clearly grounded. What the hell was that?
11:17 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I want to believe in Dhiego Lima as a prospect, but very few brother tandems in MMA are equal ones. Someone's Fedor, and someone is Aleksander. Someone is Michael McDonald, someone is Brad McDonald. I want to see him show the sudden, extreme gains in standup ability and overall MMA proficiency that his older brother had, but he doesn't seem like the same guy. In addition to more natural power, Douglas just seems to have a better knack for the standup and real killer instinct.
11:11 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Dhiego Lima might very well be the happiest fighter I’ve ever interviewed in person. For that reason alone, I hope he has an extended stay in the Octagon. The return to welterweight should serve him well in that regard.
11:09 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Ovince St. Preux looks like he’s struggling to stay awake as he shadow-boxes backstage at 2:00 a.m. local time.
10:59 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Despite the first decision of the weekend being a hard man contest between Thomas Almeida and Time Gorman, the last pair of bouts in Brazil pretty much kicked the momentum out of this slate of UFC fights.
10:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Round three was all Ansaroff, apart from Lima's creative hair grab-to-clinch knee. I have it 29-28 Ansaroff, but fully expect at least two judges to side with Lima. Ansaroff might not have needed it, though, if she didn't run into the clinch against Lima after stinging her with punches and kicks in the final round.
10:58 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: This fight, paired with the last, have lost my interest. So my thoughts have drifted to how would Doug Marshall look in both of these women's getups.
10:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Someone tell me why that's not Ansaroff's round. Lima did absolutely nothing on top, Ansaroff threw up a decent armbar and actually landed a great spinning back kick at the end. I know no judges will give her the round, but the only real MMA offense was from Ansaroff.
10:46 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I was convinced Peterson was about to let that upkick from Ansaroff slide, for a moment.
10:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: No slight to either of these women, as Ansaroff is a genuine hitter on the feet and Lima is tough, but I'd rather be watching a rematch between Mizuki Inoue and Karolina Kowalkiewicz from Invicta FC 9 last weekend, who will both factor into the UFC's 115-pound division more formatively than either of these two.
10:40 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Take a second and try to imagine Keith Peterson speaking Portuguese.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Carneiro took two rounds from Ansaroff.
10:24 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: In a perfect world, we could combine the best from all three events into one card.
10:22 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I'll actually be at World Series of Fighting, wish I could catch Chandler-Brooks 2, though.
10:21 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Also, there’s still a World Series of Fighting Card on Nov. 15?
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Rivas decisioned Rubio with ease.
10:15 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: If I had to nail down a legacy quote for Jon Murphy it would most certainly pertain to his ground prowess in “raising the bar.”
10:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Did you say “no-arm armbar,” Dave? Well, look what I've got to share! I love how Mauro Ranallo and Stephen Quadros play it off like it's not an absolute gaffe of epic proportions.
10:10 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: Don't feel bad Rubio, the no-arm armbar is always difficult to finish.
10:10 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I think I speak for the group when I say we all probably feel like we're on the bottom as far as this fight goes.
10:08 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Rubio finding success by latching onto a cradle and kneeing the side of the body was so surprisingly pleasant to see, as it's not done often. He did, however, wind up on the bottom at the end.
9:58 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Cibernetico could roll up behind him for the save, though.
9:58 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I'm hoping for a Mortis run-in personally, but La Parka would suffice.
9:57 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Hopefully La Parka comes out, whacks everyone with a chair and puts us all out of our misery.
9:54 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's time for TUF Latin America fighters Rodolfo Rubio and Diego Rivas to mix it up. To say this seems out of place is an understatement. It's like when you're watching a WCW card in 1996 and they trot out the luchadores and Mike Tenay. Unfortunately in this metaphor, the luchadores are Silver King and whichever the worst Villano was.
9:49 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: Yes. Yes I have.
9:44 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Clay Morrow via TKO. Put it on a T-shirt.
9:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Shaq had some bars, compared to your average NBA player. He killed this, as the Fu-Schnickens are the perfect foil for his weirdness:
9:48 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Of course he loses to her. Have you seen Ronda hit mitts?
9:47 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Shaq is always wearing short sleeve shirts under his suits during the NBA on TNT studio shows, so Ronda might have less fabric to grip and throw him with. Difficult sleeve tactics.
9:45 p.m. ET Dave Mandel: I don't know how well he'd do against Ron Perlman but Shaq would definitely lose to Ronda Rousey in a street fight.
9:40 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I will die happy when Choi Hong Man gets a UFC fight against Shaq, assuming they let him perform his smash hit on the way to the cage. Hell, let Shaq rap his way to the cage, too, on some Adrien Broner stuff.
9:42 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Speaking of Hellboy and superheroes, Shaq is always talking about wanting to fight in the UFC. Who wins, team: Shaquille O'Neal or Ron Perlman?
9:42 p.m. ETC.J. Tuttle: With that performance, Caio Magalhaes just sparked the rewatchability of this cruddy 2004 flick.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Magalhaes was too spicy for "Hot Sauce."
9:38 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Unless you're Erick Silva, Brian, then Charlie Brenneman (happy coincidence) gets a win over you.
9:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: OK, I think Keith Peterson is a fantastic referee -- literally, one of the best -- and Trevor Smith was clearly toast after that massive knee. But, how does Magalhaes get away with a giant standing hammerfist which is actually aimed at the back of Smith's head, then follow-up ones to the brainstem?
I think a lot of fans freak out unnecessarily over back-of-the-head shots, not realizing the practical interpretation of the rule: unless you're in a dominant position, aiming deliberate shots at direct back of the skull and neck, you won't be called, especially against a thrashing, scrambling foe. But Magalhaes did a standing whack-a-mole, then got a few extra ones in. Smith was brown bread, but it still leaves a sinking feeling of illegitimacy.
9:36 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: I don't know about the knees, but targeting the brain stem will always be en vogue.
9:35 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Am I crazy or have the knee-initiated knockouts been making a serious comeback?
9:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Yeah, maybe he landed all those strikes, but look at his face, man! Courtesy of Guilherme Cruz on Twitter:
Thomas
Almeida's eye. pic.twitter.com/fJhApQwTBt
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) November
9, 2014
Tim Gorman is going to the hotel bar, baby. Tim Gorman is not defeated.
9:26 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Final tally, per FightMetric.com: Thomas Almeida landed 120 significant strikes at a 55 percent rate; Tim Gorman landed 67 significant strikes at a 35 percent clip. Almeida’s output increased in each round, too. Not bad for a guy accustomed to finishing inside the distance.
9:23 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Pardon me. I left out Cody McKenzie fighting with a price tag on his board shorts with friggin' pockets on them.
9:22 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: All the wacky stuff I've seen in MMA, including your boy JZ Cavalcante fighting in Japan with a tongue ring in and Ben Henderson fighting with a toothpick in his mouth, and I've never seen someone with a dermal implant like that do MMA. I've seen midgets fight in the midwest. I've seen Kyle Bradley's fight. This surely must have happened.
9:19 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: It looked like one of those rad dermal implants, but his modder forgot to add the second horn.
9:19 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, the combination of Silva's enormous, radiating hematoma and his oversized chiclets with talk show host-style overbite make him look like an insane cartoon character.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Buscape easily put away Brenneman.
9:15 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Brenneman fought the legs with the arms. You can't do that, see Penn-Hughes 1 for a more historical reference.
9:12 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Leandro Silva channeling his inner Mark Hominick here, thanks to a Brenneman elbow.
9:12p.m. ET TJ De Santis: If that hematoma gets any bigger I am going to start getting light-headed.
9:11 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: What a moment in the history of violence, that was. I had to listen to "Blue Suede" for the HBK reference, as a accompaniment.
9:12 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Leandro Silva channeling his inner Mark Hominick here, thanks to a Brenneman elbow.
9:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I've never seen this flick. When you said "Hard Ticket to Hawaii," I assumed that's what Louis Smolka was calling his new superkick finisher.
9:06 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: You know how that awful NOS ad says to "bring a rocket launcher"? Well, any of you chaps seen Hard Ticket to Hawaii?
9:04 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: He could beat Ken Shamrock if Dan Severn throws the towel in for him, like he did with Owen Hart.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: L. Fabri/Sherdog.com
Almeida was too much for Gormon.
9:00 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: I love the thought Breen. I bet he could win UFC. But I don't think he could beat a a 1994 era Dan Severn.
8:59 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: The pacing does get rough here though. Two fights in to "prelims" and we're an hour deep. This is why I eat 2 pizzas on fight night.
8:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Just since TJ jogged my mind on a classic MMA hypothetical: would Tim Gorman win UFC 1? Props for the most thoughtful answer.
8:59 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Something about seeing Tim Gorman waving to the crowd and crawling to his stool invoked an emotional reaction from me. Here is this guy, who just got pummeled, still seeking the approval of the audience, just reminds me how much these athletes give to this sport. Win or lose.
8:57 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Midwesterners stick together. I'm definitely interested in the Brazilian as well. Gorman just reminds me of a Battle At The Barn type of fighter. His is far more polished than the guys working the circuit back in 2004. But it does bring me back to my days of traveling to small towns and posting on Sherdog.net.
8:55 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Gorman is on his way to losing this fight. However, I'm more inclined to want to see him fight again than I am Almeida. Is that wrong?
8:55 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: That might be a little extreme, but I didn't think much of Gorman against Mitch Gagnon, and he's actually getting to show some of his virtues here. It's not just that he's the first guy to force Almeida to a decision (though Vinicius Zani fought him into round four in a title fight in Brazil), but the fact he took the whole arsenal of head and body strikes, hardly got rocked and kept slugging back valiantly without looking like a desperate Leonard Garcia. Hopefully those first 15 minutes of Octagon work were formative for Almeida, and if so, we'll have Gorman to thank.
8:54 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: That's just your realist side kicking in, TJ, Almeida might be an offensive force, but his defense is too porous to have any sustained success in the division.
8:52 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Tough as nails as nails AND coming out with a sense of urgency? Tim Gorman is out to, win some hearts.
8:53p.m. ETTJ De Santis:Gorman is on his way to losing this fight. However, I'm more inclined to want to see him fight again than I am Almeida. Is that wrong?
8:49 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Tim Gorman must have a bowling ball for a head.
8:50 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: He is tough as nails; it's rare to see a guy take shots like that to the head and to the body. If he makes it the full 15 minutes, I'd like to see him attempt a gauntlet run of bantamweight's biggest hitters. Get Francisco Rivera on deck.
8:48p.m. ET TJ De Santis:Maybe I am a terrible human being. But, if I knock a man's mouthpiece out I am not stopping, let alone telling the ref to pick it up and give it back to my opponent.
8:47 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Gorman's jab has actually been his best offense, so far. He's asking for an uppercut with that head dip, though.
8:45 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Gorman's jab isn't bad, but after he throws it, he drops his hands and doesn't come back with punches and Almeida goes to work. Plus, Almeida has an awesome sense of body positioning and setting up his opponent's movement, so he's just timing Gorman now every time he ducks his head and drops his mitts.
8:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: How often does a guy start hot, land power strikes against a better striker, take the back for two minutes and still clearly lose the round? I love that Gorman isn't afraid on the feet and is getting in his face, as if he stands there patiently, he'll get ripped apart. But, you see how fast Almeida can turn the fight around with his left hook to the body. Gorman has already taken seven or eight hard ones, now is getting smashed with knees.
8:44 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Thomas Almeida = violencia. That round just epitomized everything I want to see in a striker, including killer instinct.
8:43p.m. ET TJ De Santis:Gorman is a throwback fighter in many ways. When I say that, I mean it as a compliment. He is a tough Iowan that just comes forward and hits you. When that doesn't work, he comes forward and hits you. If that still doesn't work, he will come forward and hit you.
8:36 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Almeida seemed to wake up midway through the round, then hit Gorman with everything but the kitchen sink, which he's likely saving for this round.
8:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: If Brenneman breaks the streak by outwrestling Leandro Silva, who would knock Brenneman's Shirley Temple wig clean off standing for 15 minutes, I won't be upset. If Brenneman doesn't get his man to the mat, he gets iced. He's cut with another loss. Do your thing, Charles.
8:35 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Charlie will always have the Pros vs. Joes memories. 8:35 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Since "The Spaniard" is coming up already, someone should keep a running tab of the amount of times Brenneman's lack of Chia-pet hair gets mentioned.
8:36 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright, fight freaks. It's time for Thomas Almeida to make his UFC debut. We could have a brutal revelation on our hands, could be the start of something special for years to come. Worst case scenario, we at least have a technical, violent fighter who could be a 135-pound Edson Barboza. Pour some liquor out for Tim Gorman and his ribcage, probably.
8:36 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Favorite Charlie Brenneman memory? Tweeting Jon Jones his P.O. Box addy, for payment, after the UFC 151 cancellation.
8:30 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I think Clevelanders could get behind Shogun. They’re always hungry for a champion, even one with former attached to his name.
8:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Better hire as head coach: Andre Dida or Mike Brown the second time?
8:32 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: If not Smith-Magalhaes, I think Charlie Brenneman-Leandro Silva is a strong candidate to snap the violence streak.
8:28 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Caio Magalhaes-Trevor Smith could be pretty dire in the cardiovascular department and might look even worse since Magalhaes will probably gas first, yet keep winning, which is often a rough look. Would also be my guess to Nelson's question of who will be the turd in the hamper that ruins the finish streak.
(+ Enlarge) | Photo: Leonardo
Fabri/Sherdog.com
Covington put in work.
8:27 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Colby Covington keeps the carnage coming and makes the UFC a perfect 12-for-12 on finishes for the weekend so far. Any bets on who will be the first to break the streak?
8:23 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Good workmanlike stuff from Covington. He wore Silva out for 10 minutes without a ton of ground-and-pound, but once his pressure exhausted Silva, he easily got the rear-naked choke. Good stuff from the still-embryonic American Top Team prospect.
More importantly, has there been a less Brazilian-looking Brazilian than Wagner Silva in recent memory? I know Brazil has a complex and varied ethnic identities and I know that as you get more and more southern in the country, you get more Germanic blood and fairer skin. However, if I didn't know either guy and I saw this, I would've assumed that Covington was the Brazilian dude (apart from his wrestling advantage). Silva looks like a guy that trains with Steve Carl.
8:20 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: While it isn't the prettiest fight, I enjoy Covington's work. He is always throwing strikes on the floor and is looking to pass and advance. This is one of those fights where I think people will say it sucks, but he is working ... And now he just sunk in the RNC.
8:14 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: as someone who lives in a similar climate, that sounds like a nightmare.
8:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's 8:13 p.m. in the Eastern time zone and we've got our first low blow of the night as Covington goes knee-to-cup on Silva. If this was One FC, though, he would've ran up and KO'd him with knees and an elbow before Peterson could do anything.
8:12 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: With this round starting with another Covington takedown, I have to assume we're approaching rinse and repeat territory. Anik just mentioned that the venue has no AC and seems to be about 90 degrees. That might be a factor if this fight gets a bit scrambled.
8:12 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I agree, TJ. I actually like it for some of the prelim fights, though. If you don't have a ton of stuff to say, just let the fight breathe. You don't have to sell these guys as being "killers" or anything like that yet. Just let them do their thing and remark on what happens. Good, organic commentary.
8:11p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Looks like Wagner Silva came out looking to help the booth with their ennui, with the way he started that round.
8:10 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I've got 10-9 Covington in the first, but a close round and Silva is getting good cornering from his team, who didn't mince words and told him he got taken down and lost the round. Don't lie to your guys, folks.
8:10 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Was it just me or did it feel like Anik and Florian didn't have a lot to say that round. It felt like there were giant gaps with little commentary between the two guys.
8:06 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Has anyone notified Tom Speer's corpse?
8:04 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: On a competely unrelated note, get ready for a romantic evening of Xyience and Corn Nuts on Feb. 14, 2015. The UFC just recently announced that it is holding a Fight Night event in Broomfield, Colo., on Valentine’s Day.
8:04 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jon Anik starts the fight by calling referee Keith Peterson "the no-nonsense Keith Peterson," perpetuating Peterson's visual stereotype as an irascible punk with a Napoleon complex. Also, awesome Peterson was brought to Brazil here. He's looking fleshier in the face, too, perhaps from all these international wrestling gigs. Keith Punkerson is eatin'.
8:04 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: 14:59
8:03 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Without the flexing, though, more silly faces.
8:03 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Colby Covington and Wagner Silva up now in the cage to get us kicking in Uberlandia. How long does the Brazilian last with American Top Team's tough-wrasslin' bad boy? Closest without going over in seconds wins a spot in the showcase!
8:02p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I was thinking that'd look something like Lineker's fight with Ali Bagautinov.
8:02 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: I took Lineker on radio against @thesherdoggy's pick of Mccall. While I thought "Uncle Creepy" would take the W, I figured it was a close enough fight to look like a genius if there was an upset.
8:02 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I’ll take this gem from 2013 against a man by the name of Valdines Silva, Jordan.
8:01 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: In all seriousness, prelims are something we should still be excited about. It wasn't long ago where I would be pre-ordering UFC dvds from the Sherdog.com store. Now we get to park it in front of the TV and see every bit of action.
8:00 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Was anyone taking Lineker for the upset before McCall pulled out? I saw McCall potentially subbing him if he didn't win on points, but I will admit, Lineker won my heart further with his "he was going to the hospital anyway" comment today.
7:57 p.m. ET TJ De Santis: Fear not, Chris. I will abandon my post to bring you some chicken noodle soup, nyquil, and a link to the on-demand files for Tachi Palace Fights 21.
7:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: On a rosier note, does anyone have a favorite Thomas Almeida stoppage? If we're ruing (or RUA-ing? lololol) the fact that Shogun is a faded force, let's all get excited about another hype 23-year-old on this card and the most worthy man to fly the Chute Boxe since Rua himself.
For me, I'll take this Cody Williams joint. The precision and destruction of the standing clinch elbow simply overwhelm my senses.
7:51 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Oh, trust me, Jordan, I know how bad Shogun's takedown defense is; I re-watched to Coleman fight, recently, for no other reason than needing to see a train wreck.
7:53 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It has to be a platform distribution-rights sort of deal on the Fox side. Realistically, the UFC should always have the prelims on Fight Pass just in case something wicked or awful happens to your local TV feed or a particular network or whatever the case might be. I know personally, I was saved multiple times in the past when the UFC would be on Rogers Sportsnet, as when one of the regional affiliates got finicky, I could flip to another one.
7:52 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Just how maligned is Fox Sports 2? I know a large contingent of mixed martial arts fans who are always complaining about cards airing on Fox Sports 1’s sister channel because they don’t receive it in their cable or dish package. Why doesn’t the UFC just put all prelims on Fight Pass?
7:51 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Guys, I... [cough, cough]... I think I must be coming down with whatever Ian McCall has. I don’t know if I can watch this awesome card tonight.
7:51 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: It almost seems as though Ian McCall's seen nothing but tumult since signing on the dotted line. This man came into the UFC to be met with a colossal judging blunder, suffered injuries between several outings, had his wife overdose on him the night before a fight, then cheat on him with a friend (which led to a divorce), and lost one of his best friends in Shane del Rosario. Now, he was set for what was ostensibly a title eliminator and he suffers some sort of blood infection. It's never coming easy for Ian McCall, apparently.
7:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Jesse, as much as I'd like to make fun of a hype video for overstating St. Preux's takedowns, Michael Carroll from FightMetric pointed out on Twitter this week that among UFC light heavyweights with at least five fights and 20 opposition attempts, Rua's 37.5% is the second worst takedown defense in divisional history. May our souls (and eyeballs) all be saved.
7:41 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: "OSP can take almost anybody down." Meanwhile it's a video of the Krylov fight. Brilliant.
7:40 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I can feel that vibe. Very, very few fighters in MMA inspire passion in their fan base like Shogun, other than maybe Penn or Fedor. People always feel some type of way when he fights, for better and often for worse.
7:38 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I agree that “inspiring” is not the correct word to describe the main event. Still, something about a “Shogun” fight -- even a faded version of the man -- just gets me. Either that or I’ve been brainwashed by Joe Rogan’s promos. All these killers, destroyers and monsters have me hyped.
7:37 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Being that there were 11 fights and 11 finishes just last night, how much do you gentlemen think that will help or hurt the general opinion for tonight’s event from Uberlandia?
7:33 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: In that mindset Tristen, it leaves me trying to find some viable storylines heading into the second half of this weekend doubleheader. I’m looking forward to seeing Warlley Alves return to the Octagon after an impressive debut. While Alan Jouban is getting a good amount of the hype heading into the fight (for multiple reasons), I’m curious to see if Alves can steal the limelight in the newly acquired co-main event slot.
7:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Warlley Alves is one of the very best prospects in all of MMA for me. He's 23 years old, is a physical specimen, natural power, striking versatility, great at hurting guys then finishing them with an array of clean submissions, he's got great training partners and teammates at X-Gym. Honestly -- and this is no slight to Jouban -- Alves might've already been a better fighter in the Octagon in his TUF Brazil finale, Marcio Alexandre Jr. Also, Alves has one of the best names in MMA to have fun with. I'd call him Wario if that wasn't already Fernando Yamasaki's code name.
7:24 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I'd rather toss a banana peel at your feet: you said the event is uninspiring until the main event? What do you think is so inspiring about a dilapidated Shogun, who is either going to end a sloppy fight with a brutal KO of a would-be challenger in a no-stakes fight, or get smashed on by a younger, fresher athlete. I think Rua is probably going to stop OSP, but even if he does, it could very well look like the Brandon Vera horror show, and maybe even worse, the Mark Coleman rematch. Don't lose your footing there, Tristen.
7:14 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: A fight card already short on depth took a serious hit earlier today when Ian McCall withdrew from his co-main event scrap with John Lineker due to illness. Not only does the removal of a flyweight bout with serious title implications increase the likelihood that UFC brass reverts to drawing names out of a hat to determine Demetrious Johnson’s next challenger, it also gives me one less thing to look forward to this evening.
All told, six fighters will be making their Octagon debuts at the Tancredo Neves Municipal Gymnasium in Uberlandia, Brazil. Of those six, unbeaten Brazilian Thomas Almedia’s maiden UFC voyage excites me the most. American Top Team’s Colby Covington and “TUF: Brazil 3” winner Warlley Alves are also prospects worth watching. Outside of that, the lineup is pretty uninspiring until we get to the main event. Somebody talk me off the ledge.
Related Articles
