Rampage Jackson was a winner in more ways than one. BJ Penn is still a beast. Gerald Harris is no Phil Davis. These and more hot talking points coming out of UFC 123.
1. Rampage Jackson was a winner in more ways than one – When Quinton Jackson made the promotional rounds before this fight, I, like many other observers, thought he was lowering expectations in anticipation of a decisive defeat at the hands of Lyoto Machida, and setting up the narrative of “elusiveness” on the part of Machida being an impediment to having a “real fight” that would be entertaining to fans. However, Rampage was being more savvy than I expected; he was actually working the officials and fans, and lowering the bar, such that aggressiveness became the crucial determinant. No doubt it was Rampage’s adept footwork and ring generalship that led two judges to rule close rounds in favor of him, rather than Machida, who was in fact performing better on the feet. However, the coup de grace was a Rampage who we expected to be surly in defeat giving tons of credit to a superior foe, and graciously campaigning for a rematch. If the Twitter trends are any indication, this card did quite well on PPV, largely through the force of Jackson’s star power. By securing that win, undeserving as it might be, Rampage was able to stave off the criticism that he was no longer taking fighting seriously, and preserve his drawing power. And furthermore, the contentious nature of the decision can only make the rematch more anticipated. So big ups to Quinton Jackson, as the payoffs from this fight are probably something to howl about.
2. BJ Penn is still a beast – Just in case we forgot why we love the Prodigy so much, BJ Penn gave us a 22 second refresher, pasting Matt Hughes with superior boxing, and running around with exuberance and elation, while simultaneously offering respect to a fallen opponent. That whirlwind of energy, skill, and enthusiasm is infectious, and despite his willingness to wear the black hat, BJ is at his best when he is relishing in the glory, and embodying what mixed martial arts fans want to see. Presumably, we can hear more at bjpenn.com.
3. Phil Davis and the “WonderWing” – The line of the night in the spot where I watched the fight was, “Leave it to the Black man to go for the Chicken Wing.” But racial politics aside, in his main card coming out party, Davis wasn’t content to just be an “athletic & explosive” physical specimen against Tim Boetsch. He demonstrated solid leg kicks to control the standup, quality clinch grappling to control positioning, and a stellar wrestling base on the ground, such that victory was an inevitability. However, where he previously proved adept at the kind of front chokes that every good wrestler should have in his repetoire, this fight saw “Mr. Wonderful” employ a catch wrestling style armlock to finish “The Barbarian,” a move that I’ve chosen to call the “WonderWing.” Davis also showed personality and flair in his post-fight interview, a crucial component of getting noticed by fans, and generating momentum for their support. All in all, Davis continues to improve, and I hope that in a few months time, we’ll be able to see the next step in his career’s progression, most likely in an even higher-profile spot.
4. Gerald Harris is not Phil Davis – As one prospect’s coming out party went swimmingly, another was pulled into the undertow, drowning in the pressure of the main card lights. “Hurricane” Harris was riding a big winning streak, and developing undercard buzz after winning his last fight with a highlight reel worthy spinebuster slam. However, his fight against Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves was disastrous. By all rights, he should have lost in the First Round, where apparently a clock malfunction led to him being saved by the premature bell. However, he fought through to a Unanimous Decision loss, as the fight was never in doubt after the opening round. A shame for Harris, but hopefully he can get it together, and get back on the winning track.
5. George Soriropolis won big – After an opening round flurry by Joe Lauzon, his well-documented cardio issues presented themselves, and a calm and poised Sotiropolis weathered the storm, and finished the fight easily. He is certainly in the Contenders’ Circle at 155, and might be one fight away from a title shot. Who’d have thought that the most credible prospect to emerge from The Ultimate Fighter in recent memory would be a guy who lost to Tommy “Bloomfield Event Center Furniture” Spears on the show?
6. Poor Karo Parysian – “The Heat” is no longer hot. He looked like a shadow of his former self, and was definitively handled by Dennis Hallman, who didn’t need to be superheroic to stop him in the first round. Maybe he’ll get another UFC fight, but he doesn’t deserve one at the moment. His personal demons need exorcising, and I’d rather see him on the smaller card circuit than getting TKO’d inside of 90 seconds.
