MMA Brawl

A chronological review of the fights that made 2008

Brock Lesnar Vs. Frank Mir – UFC 81 – Breaking Point – February 2, 2008

Brock Lesnar, the new big thing in MMA made his UFC debut against Frank Mir, a former UFC champion.

He started the fight really well, dominating and overpowering him, using his massive size. It looked like an easy win but the experienced Mir made the difference with his world class BJJ.

Despite losing, Lesnar showed great abilities and a great hope for future fights. He could secure a takedown at 0,05 of the first round, but immediately followed by a fool, punching Mir in the back of the head. After a series of hammer fist strikes, Mir could capitalize on Lesnar first mistake and could secure a kneebar, forcing Lesnar to tap.

*****

kimbo slice vs. tank abbott – EliteXC – Street Certified – February 16, 2008

That was the second certified MMA fight for Kimbo Slice, and he was the main event of the night already. Every so-called MMA specialist was pissed off by this new superstar status, arguing that he didn’t deserve that spot. On a sportsmanship side, they were right, but on a commercial aspect, Kimbo was the only available fighter who could bring butts into seats.

That fight against Tank is the best fight ever for Kimbo. Tank was taylor made for him. No ground technique, undertrained and no more punching power. Tank still had this frightening reputation that was needed to sell the fight but wasn’t a dangerous opponent anymore. Therefore, he represented everything EliteXc needed to make Kimbo looks good without risking anything.

Nice Flury of punches from Kimbo and a good looking straight right to the jaw that floored Tank for the count. Everybody was happy. The competition against the UFC was on.

kimbo slice vs. tank abbott

*****

kimbo slice vs. James Thompson – EliteXC – Primetime – May 31, 2008

The problems started to show in this fight, James Thompson was robbed in this one. Normally, the fight should have been stopped at the end of round two, when Tompson was elbowing Kimbo at will with no response from Slice.

Some people even argue that Kimbo tapped in that episode. Normally, the fight must have been stopped, even near the end of round one the fight should have been stopped also.

Things started to smell fishy, and it was obvious that Kimbo received a big help from the referee because he was the EliteXc cash cow. Competition against UFC started to stink a little…

Round 1	Round 2

*****

Quinton Rampage Jackson vs Forrest Griffin – UFC 86 – Jackson vs. Griffin – July 5, 2008

This is the fight that turned Rampage insane and causes his pathetic hit and run with his lifted vehicle. Rampage was escorted to a mental health institution for observances.

Actually, everybody agrees that Rampage was robbed in this fight. It may be suspicious that the UFC wanted a white champion and a fighter from the Ultimate Fighter reality show instead of a black man.

This is the last round of the fight, but even if we could discuss the outcome, never in a million year this fight could have been called an unanimous decision win.

*****

Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia – Affliction – Banned – July 19, 2008

That was the first Affliction card ever, and strangely they had a championship fight at the first event…

Anyway, that fight proved to the north American audience that Fedor is by far the best pound for pound actual MMA fighter.

The fight was for the Affliction Wamma HeavyWeight Championship and the poor Silvia had no chance to do anything against Fedor. Emelianenko said prior to this fight that he will try to finish the fight as fast as possible, pretending that he took his time in his earlier fights… what a better example of his saying?… Silvia looked really bad and slow in that fight…

*****

Brock Lesnar Vs Heat Herring – UFC 87 – Seek and Destroy – August 9, 2008

The second UFC fight for Brock Lesnar had a better outcome for him. Right from the start, he broke the orbital bone of Herring with an amazing straight right that forces Herring to flip over to reduce the impact of the punch!

The rest of the fight was a rought and painful ground and pound that demolished Herring completly. Lesnar was mocking Herring near the end of the fight because of the remark herring made about him in pre-fight promo.

*****

Rashad Evans vs Chuck Liddell – UFC 88 – Breakthrough September 6, 2008

This is the lastest and only Chuck Liddell fight in 2008. 2007 saw him losing 2 fights out of 3 getting the win against Wanderlei Silva and losing his title against Rampage Jackson. The UFC poster boy is slowing down and his career looks close to an end.

Rashad Evans is on the rise and, in this fight, used the same style that Liddell was famous for. Counterpunching and punching while backpedaling. Rashad Evans thrown an over right hand that knocked out cold the Iceman at 2:30 of round 2. Lets hope Liddell comes back strong in 2009…

*****

Kimbo Slice vs Seth Petruzelli – EliteXC – Heat – October 4, 2008

That was it! The story stopped right there. The Kimbo Slice fame lasted less than a year. In 19 seconds he went from the feared street phenom to a complete joke.

Petruzelli not only knocked him out with a discussable sissy punch, but he also claimed the day after that he was bribed to keep the fight standing up. ( Not a wise move, we never heard from him since).

For the gossips, Pertruzelli has the reputation to dress with women clothes and to be gay… Not really good for Kimbo who tried to play the tough man up to that fight! Lol!

For the few people who don’t know the story, Ken Shamrock was supposed to face Kimbo, but hurt himself warming up the morning of the fight. Seth Petruzelli, an Ultimate Fighter and UFC drop out, who was scheduled to fight in the under-card stepped in to replace Shamrock at the last minute…

*****

Brock Lesnar Vs Randy Couture UFC 91 – Couture vs. Lesnar November 15, 2008

One of the biggest upsets of the year in MMA. Everybody expected Couture to win easily against that inexperienced colossus pro-wrestler.

Fans were taking the Silvia fight as example of Couture abilities against much bigger fighters. Well… It didn’t work that way. In the first round Randy Couture was a little better than Lesnar, but it was obvious already that he couldn’t do much harm to his monstrous opponent.

Early in round 2, Lesnar lend a right hook to the side of Couture’s head, and it was all over. Followed an endless series of hammer fist to a grounded opponent, Couture was out and Lesnar new UFC heavyweight champion after only 4 fights in MMA…

2009 will certainly see a fight between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir for the title. We’ll see if Mir can win another time against a much improved Lesnar. It probably won’t pass round 2.

*****

Quinton Jackson VS Wanderlei Silva – UFC 92 – The Ultimate 2008 – December 27, 2008

Not really a great fight but the outcome is sweet. Rampage avenges his 2 humiliating lost to Wanderlei in Pride with a great left hook to the jaw that knocked him out cold, letting him sleeping with his right leg freakingly shacking on the floor.

Rampage came back from a tuff year with his crazy driving antic right after he lost his title against Griffin earlier that year. Changing his trainer and training camp was definitely a good move. War Rampage.

Frank Mir VS Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – UFC 92 – The Ultimate 2008 – December 27, 2008

That was the biggest upset of the year. Everyone thought that Nogueira was unbeatable, they were already planning a fight versus Brock Lesnar and seeing an easy Minautorau win… Well that was without counting on Frank Mir…

The strangest thing was that not only Mir won easily, but he won the fight standing up, boxing, and not using his world class BJJ. He simply knocked out the man considered having a granite chin, a man considered unknockable! Even Mir himself couldn’t believe it! Anyway, 2009 will see a heavyweight championship title fight between Brock Lesnar Vs. Frank Mir. All the aficionados are calling an easy Mir victory but according to the recent upset, I won’t risk any comment!… Mir by submission late in round 1!