(Melvin learned the hard way that "rope-a-dope" only works when your opponent can't pull you to the ground and choke you out)
My Picks Results: 7-3 (4-0 main card)
Where I was right
- Thank you, Melvin Guillard, for doing exactly what I knew you would and making me look like a genius. He was doing much better than I figured he would by establishing good striking distance, avoid extended clinch work, and backing out of Diaz's guard after flooring him in the first. But, he got cocky and that's when everything fell into place for me. After taking a couple of shots from Diaz that not one person believed hurt Guillard, he feigned by falling back into the cage before shooting in for a takedown. Problem was his distancing was terrible, and by the time Melvin reached Diaz he had a guillotine choke waiting to greet him. I had a feeling his overconfidence in his hands would get him submitted, it just took a bit longer than expected.
- I'm not real sure what fight Chris Lee was watching ringside, but it clearly wasn't the same Maynard-Huerta fight I was watching. There's a pretty good chance that Mr. Lee was within earshot of the UFC commentary team because they spent the majority of the 3 rounds completely overlooking the quality strikes Maynard was landing to pump up the flashy strikes that the Huerta whiffed on most of the time. Other than a Huerta flurry that Goldberg and Kenny Florian harped on for a good 2 minutes in the first round, he had no real offense on Maynard. It was very difficult to listen to those two sing the praises of a fighter when just about every strike he threw was slipped and countered. Come on Kenny, you're a fighter, you should be able to tell when strikes are landing flush and when a fighter is damaged. A clear cut 30-27 decision for Maynard turned in a nail biting split decision for Maynard. When two other judges score the bout 30-27 for Maynard, there's a good chance Chris Lee was so hypnotized by Huerta's Forrest Griffin style haircut, he had to score the fight for him.
- Carlos Condit is a warrior, and performed as such against Jake Ellenberger. Rocked and almost finished early in the first, Condit survived and persevered en route to a split decision win. There is a reason Condit was a champion in the WEC. He is a tough kid with a ton of heart and skill to back him up. That said, Ellenberger surprised the hell out of me. He has some serious power in his hands and knows his way around on the ground. If he had a full training camp to prepare for this fight, the outcome may have been much different. It was clear that the extended grappling in the second round took its toll on Ellenberger, and allowed Condit to take over in the waning minutes of the fight. I can't wait to see both of these fighters back in action. Carlos Condit vs. Mike Swick needs to be booked for the New Year's Eve show, NOW!
Where I was wrong
- Nate Quarry won, like I said he would. Awesome, but if I've never felt physically ill watching a fight before tonight. Tim Credeur completely outclassed Quarry on the feet in the first, even dropping "Rock", before gassing out in the second and showing nothing in the third. It was like watching a fight from opening round of the "Ultimate Fighter" at 1/4 speed. The sloppy action in the cage was only intensified by Goldberg's insufferable clamoring that this was a slam dunk for the "Fight of the Night" bonus check. Carlos Condit and Jake Ellenberger would like to speak to you about that. This fight probably did more to help the career of Tim Credeur than Nate Quarry, which a sad statement to make about the winner of a fight.
- A couple cases of playing down to your opponent were on display in Oklahoma City last night with Steve Cantwell and Brock Larson. Cantwell, who was considered a top prospect even after losing a tough fight to top light-heavyweight contender Luis Cane, struggled in his trilogy fight with Brian Stann. I haven't gotten a chance to see the fight yet but from all indications, the fight could have gone either way. Several play-by-plays at the event claim that Stann spent the majority of time back peddling and avoiding prolonged engagements but did enough to earn a decision. I can't really make an educated statement about the fight until I see it, but as much as Cantwell has improved since his first loss to Stann, he really had no business letting this fight go to the judges. Same goes for Larson, who apparently was involved in a hug-fest that earned the ire of the fans in attendance. For a man who has only lost to Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch in his career, I would have liked to have thought that Larson was a lock against a man with only 10 professional fights. I thought wrong.
- Plain and simple, I don't like C.B. Dollaway. He should be 1-3 in the UFC, but is 2-2 courtesy of a phantom tap against Mike Massenzio. He's been one of Dana White's more hyped prospects ever since TUF 7, but has shown little to back that hype up. Plus, Jay Silva has some brutal knockout power and was making his debut in the UFC. Fighters like that are always dangerous, but C.B. must have done enough to win the unanimous decision. From the sounds of things though, Silva may put on a Tim Credeur performance and showed more than Dollaway in his loss.
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