UFC Fight Night - Florian vs. Lauzon

[Gopher]

Actually a really good card (for free), considering some PPV cards are not as stacked (at nearly $50 a pop). Some of the fights left something to be desired, but I think a lot of that had to do with the altitude. Guys who are normally in great condition just weren't able to go 100% for 15 minutes.

 

Perfect example was Boetsch in the light heavyweight fight. The guy is a beast when it comes to punching... fists like sledge hammers. But, after the first round, he was spent. Looked like he was fighting the second round in slow motion. Then, when he went to the ground, it looked like he was just content to give up and lay there until the ref called it. Pretty pathetic way to end the fight, halfway through the second round, considering he probably won the first round easily.

 

In what was probably the most exciting fight of the night, Nate Diaz proved once again that you can never count him out. First of all, he's so wire-thin that it's hard to believe that he's a fighter by looking at him. The guy has about a 26-inch waist. Last night, he was cut BADLY, and bleeding all over the place. Joe Rogan actually said that he was bleeding out of his ear, but I think it was just that so much blood had "pooled" into his ear from his right eye, just because of the way he was laying on his back. Defensively, he is about as solid as they get on his back, and his submissions are scary. The double-fist pump while lying on his back, with his opponent locked between his legs, was pretty cool/funny. I guess he just knew it was over when he locked it in.

 

Houston Alexander, as ripped as he is, has had some really good and really bad showings in UFC. His debut a few months ago (I forget who he beat) was a very short, impressive knockout. Last night, he tied the UFC record for being knocked out in like 8 seconds. First punch of the fight. Done.

 

Tommy Speer, runner-up from the last Ultimate Fighter show, looked like a high school girls team trying to go against the North Carolina Tarheels in this weekend's final four. Outmatched completely. Fight was over before it even started. Dude was twice as ripped, faster, stronger, 7-inch reach advantage, and made Tommy look like he'd never been in the ring before. Just goes to show how deep the sport is becoming, when a guy who pretty much was able to push around anybody on the show is made to look like a complete amatuer in his first post-show fight.

 

In the finale, Kenny Florian did about what I expected.... Lauzon kept it close for a round and a half, but once Florian got control, he was just too dominant. It's too bad Lauzon was cut so badly on what was definitely an elbow to the back of the head, but I don't think that made much of a difference. Florian has NASTY elbows that cut people bad. Only a matter of time before he's at the top of the 155 lb. class. Might not actually take the belt, but he definitely deserves a shot, the way he's marched through his competition the last year plus.

 

Even though there were 3-4 fights where the losers claimed that they were ended prematurely, I don't think any of them really were. When the ref sees your knees buckle and you fall into a cross-legged position, eyes rolling into the back of your head, they're ususally not going to let the other guy punch you too many times after when you're not really defending yourself. Too bad for Karo Parisyan, but the guy that beat him looks pretty good as well.

 

Anybody else watch?

[theprofessor]

Actually a really good card (for free), considering some PPV cards are not as stacked (at nearly $50 a pop). Some of the fights left something to be desired, but I think a lot of that had to do with the altitude. Guys who are normally in great condition just weren't able to go 100% for 15 minutes.

 

Perfect example was Boetsch in the light heavyweight fight. The guy is a beast when it comes to punching... fists like sledge hammers. But, after the first round, he was spent. Looked like he was fighting the second round in slow motion. Then, when he went to the ground, it looked like he was just content to give up and lay there until the ref called it. Pretty pathetic way to end the fight, halfway through the second round, considering he probably won the first round easily.

 

In what was probably the most exciting fight of the night, Nate Diaz proved once again that you can never count him out. First of all, he's so wire-thin that it's hard to believe that he's a fighter by looking at him. The guy has about a 26-inch waist. Last night, he was cut BADLY, and bleeding all over the place. Joe Rogan actually said that he was bleeding out of his ear, but I think it was just that so much blood had "pooled" into his ear from his right eye, just because of the way he was laying on his back. Defensively, he is about as solid as they get on his back, and his submissions are scary. The double-fist pump while lying on his back, with his opponent locked between his legs, was pretty cool/funny. I guess he just knew it was over when he locked it in.

 

Houston Alexander, as ripped as he is, has had some really good and really bad showings in UFC. His debut a few months ago (I forget who he beat) was a very short, impressive knockout. Last night, he tied the UFC record for being knocked out in like 8 seconds. First punch of the fight. Done.

 

Tommy Speer, runner-up from the last Ultimate Fighter show, looked like a high school girls team trying to go against the North Carolina Tarheels in this weekend's final four. Outmatched completely. Fight was over before it even started. Dude was twice as ripped, faster, stronger, 7-inch reach advantage, and made Tommy look like he'd never been in the ring before. Just goes to show how deep the sport is becoming, when a guy who pretty much was able to push around anybody on the show is made to look like a complete amatuer in his first post-show fight.

 

In the finale, Kenny Florian did about what I expected.... Lauzon kept it close for a round and a half, but once Florian got control, he was just too dominant. It's too bad Lauzon was cut so badly on what was definitely an elbow to the back of the head, but I don't think that made much of a difference. Florian has NASTY elbows that cut people bad. Only a matter of time before he's at the top of the 155 lb. class. Might not actually take the belt, but he definitely deserves a shot, the way he's marched through his competition the last year plus.

 

Even though there were 3-4 fights where the losers claimed that they were ended prematurely, I don't think any of them really were. When the ref sees your knees buckle and you fall into a cross-legged position, eyes rolling into the back of your head, they're ususally not going to let the other guy punch you too many times after when you're not really defending yourself. Too bad for Karo Parisyan, but the guy that beat him looks pretty good as well.

 

Anybody else watch?

 

I saw most of the card and rarely miss a UFC or WEC event. I agree with you that the altitude got the best of some of the guys last night. I was shocked that Alexander and Karo got knocked out and felt that the referee might have stopped both fights a little prematurely? Have you seen Uriah Faber fight in the WEC? The guys a freak and looks unbeatable. He has a title fight on June 1st with a guy that made his name in the UFC. I can't remember his name but it should be a good one!

[Gopher]

I saw most of the card and rarely miss a UFC or WEC event. I agree with you that the altitude got the best of some of the guys last night. I was shocked that Alexander and Karo got knocked out and felt that the referee might have stopped both fights a little prematurely? Have you seen Uriah Faber fight in the WEC? The guys a freak and looks unbeatable. He has a title fight on June 1st with a guy that made his name in the UFC. I can't remember his name but it should be a good one!

Jens Pulver, I believe. Pulver lost to B.J. Penn after they coached against each other in the Ultimate Fighter two seasons ago. If Faber is as good as advertised, he should beat Pulver easily, but Pulver is one of those guys who is a bit unpredictable. Kind of a free-wheeling fighter similar to Chris Leben in that he seems to get stronger when the odds are against him.

 

Yeah, when I saw the fights initially last night, a couple did appear to be stopped prematurely. But, like I said earlier, I think it's awfully hard for a ref to let the fight continue when you see a guy get absolutely rocked and his knees buckle in a way that just is not normal. Both Alexander and Karo were out before they hit the ground, even if it was just for a couple of seconds. Long enough for the other guy to get in a couple of point-blank punches against a pretty much defenseless opponent.