UFC 134 was an impressive and enjoyable event as a fan of mixed martial arts. The UFC returned to Brazil, widely recognized as the homeland of modern MMA, and the land of the Gracie family. The crowd in Rio de Janeiro seemed to be on their feet from the first fight of the evening all the way through the final bell. At the end of the show, fight fans witnessed a number of important events:
The Brazilian Team Held Home Court Advantage
Ten fights on the card placed a Brazilian fighter against a combatant from another country. Brazil went 9-1 in these contests, and did so in dominating fashion. Three of those victories were vicious knockouts during the main card, and these victories were important to the success of the event. Now the UFC is more likely to return to the country and find a way to put on an even bigger event. Giving the Brazilian fans something to cheer about was just as much a victory for the UFC as it was for any fighter who had his hand raised in the Octagon.
The Crowd Never Died Down
I’m willing to bet that Paulo Thiago has never heard such a reaction to the announcement of his name. Even though this was a preliminary bout, the fans were screaming as if they were watching the main event. This is the type of crowd I wished was watching mixed martial artists in the United States. Instead of being quick to boo (though there were moments of booing) the fans seemed to be excited to cheer the fighters on. Neither soccer chants nor the dreaded vuvuzela horn would have seemed out of place for this raucous crowd; American MMA fans could learn a lot from the fans of South America.
More Cement Poured on the Statue
Anderson Silva embarrassed yet another world class athlete as he dispatched Yushin Okami under a barrage of strikes on the ground. At the end of the first round, a high kick that snapped against the back of Okami’s head seemed to let the world know that the end was coming. One hundred and twenty-four seconds later Okami was laying in the fetal position, as Silva blasted him with strikes through his high guard. Referee Herb Dean was forced to bring the bout to a close, as Silva pushed his Octagon streak to 14 wins and 9 title defenses. This was an amazing accomplishment, and one that may not be equaled for quite some time. That Silva was able to do it in front of thousands of screaming countrymen probably made it all the more rewarding for the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
The Reestablishment of Legends
Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira were both coming off of defeats at the hands of upstarts within their divisions. Cain Velasquez and Jon Jones made their claim to UFC greatness by defeating two of the biggest names in Brazilian MMA. At UFC 134, both Rua and Nogueira reminded the world why they are two of the best at what they do when they took out Forrest Griffin and Brendan Schaub. Neither of their opponents was able to make it out of the first round, as they were battered across the cage. With these wins, both fighters have brought back some legitimacy to their careers in the UFC, which may have been under question, whether justified or not.
UFC 134 was a momentous event from start to finish. While the bar was set extremely high, the hope is that the UFC will continue to create big events such as this one when the organization visits other countries. Up next is Japan in 2012, and I’m sure that Zuffa is up to the challenge.
