UFC series finale / The World's Least-Dangerous Punching Bag
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The Ancient Enemy
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UFC series finale / The World's Least-Dangerous Punching Bag
Last night started out okay. I watched Delta Force 2, and then Single White Female, and I am not ashamed to say I have a celebrity crush right now on Bridget Fonda. Other than watching Chuck Norris kick hell all over Billy Drago, and Bridget do battle with Jennifer Jason Leigh thereafter, I patiently waited for the Spike TV season finale of "The Ultimate Fighter". The Ultimate Fighter is a reality series sponsored by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) which has pay per views about once every 3 months. Mixed martial artists do battle with one another for blood and glory. Well, the basis of the television series was that a bunch of kids that wanted to be fighters would be locked in a house basically with no TV or anything and they would fight eachother every show in a tournament-style format, one fight per show or something, where a guy went home every week until 2 guys remained. Those two guys would do battle at the season finale event, live in Vegas on live television, to see who received a hearty UFC contract. Well, because of weight-classes, 4 guys would remain, two sets of one-on-one combat at the event. Cool idea, right?
Enter The World's Most Dangerous Man. Shamrock fought in UFC 1, and UFC 52 is next weekend. He did not fight in all of those, but he is still around hangin' and bangin' after all these years. The UFC set this up pretty well for themselves. The TV series is already being heralded as an enormous success, and is going to do exactly what they set out to do: attract more fans, and finally find a couple fighters who actually are hungry enough to want to win. (The UFC is currently plagued by nobodies who seem less than skilled and less than motivated to get said skill. Obviously there are a few exceptions).
With a major pay per view the following weekend, the UFC decided to put the posterboy of the UFC on live television against a very underappreciated up-and-coming fighter. This would be the main event of the night, after the 2 battles for the UFC contracts. Posterboy Ken Shamrock versus Rich Franklin.
Shamrock has been around for years, as earlier stated. Rich Franklin was 3-0 going into last night while fighting for the UFC, but has many fights in other federations. He has 1 over-all loss, which happened in the early part of his professional career. He was a realtive no-namer but some people took him pretty seriously. Evidence of why they should have, is becaus Franklin knocked-out Evan Tanner in the first round. Tanner is one of the better fighters currently in the UFC, and is actually right now the champion at 185. Maybe 188, I forget. I never get those dang weight classes correct. I mean, what the heck is 3 pounds in these wrestling classifications? I'll never understand it, but that's besides the point. Point is: Franklin had the potential to pull off a big one last night.
The show was 3 hours in length and was hard to sit through for the most part, except the fights of course. There were excessively long recaps of the series, and all that bull****. But that is expected.
The first fight was over in the first round. I don't even know what the other guy's name was, and he was a finalist. Diego Flores, however, is a force to be reckoned with, and beat his opponent in the first round. It wasn't much of a contest. Diego Flores, as a friend of mine put it, is a "Beast".
There aren't many things sweeter than an arrogant fellow that backs it up.
The second fight was between the heavier fighters. And by heavier I by no means insinuate "flab". Forrest Griffin (Griffith?) just comes off as this semi white trash toughguy ***hole who seemed like he probably was a great high school wrestler badboy that ended up knocking up some broad and working at the lumber yard. He is from Columbus, Ohio, and after meeting a number of the esteemed residents of that very strange village, I think the argument can be made that OF COURSE he was from Columbus, where else? His opponent was Stephan Bonnar, a guy from Indiana with a very lazy drawl and lazy face. I wanted him to get his *** kicked because I couldn't stand the way he talked. I didn't take him serious enough, I reckon, even after he beat Mick Zwick last week, whom I thought was a very solid fighter that would win the whole thing. Griffin(ith) and Bonnar battled it out for the entire 3 rounds, 5 minutes each, and with no exaggeration I can say this was the best fight I've ever seen in my life. It was like Rocky and Apollo, and instead of Apollo being obviously the better fighter technically, these two dudez were incredibly well matched. One guy landed a punch, the other smacked him right back, for 15 very long and bloody minutes.
The UFC gave both guys contracts because the fans were so into it and because of the incredible display by both fighters. The decision, though, went to Forrest, despite the UFC giving both men contracts for their efforts.
Then came the anticipated main event. Shamrock versus Franklin. Franklin comes out first and he looks incredible, especially given the fact that he jumped up 20 dang pounds for this fight. He was still ripped as hell. Kenny came down, and for being 41 years old, Shamrock looked in fantastic shape. Ken just made a comeback to the UFC after getting his rear kicked by Tito Ortiz a little while back. In Ken's last fight he knocked-out an old foe, steroid-bound Kimo, with a knee to the face. Jackasses everywhere proclaimed that Ken Shamrock was back. UFC commentator and Fear Factor dunce Joe Rogan repeatedly said all night long that the current Shamrock would beat the old Shamrock circa '93, in his "hey day". Joe Rogan is a genius. About 20 seconds later they stopped the fight because Rich Franklin beat the **** out of Ken Shamrock.
At one point it looked like Ken had him in a submission, but he somehow got out, and then they were back on their feet and the fun began. Ken went for kick, unusually slow and off the mark, and fell on his own *** in the process. Franklin pounced and started swinging for the fences. Apparently, when Shamrock changed his coaching staff, they taught him the secret Japanese art of not covering your face when some ***hole is pounding on you with every ounce he has in his body.
Shamrock getting pummeled on live television is exactly what the UFC needed to have happen. They need new stars, and fast. Rich Franklin is very possibly the top dog of that new class. Ken looked in rare form to say the least. I hope that if the fight was thrown for the sake of the company, Frankin won't hear of it. That was the biggest win of his life.
Controversy already abounds, but I dunno how big of a scale it is on. Clearly there are motives for taking a dive last night. Although it would kind of make me feel bad if I found out my favorite fighter took a dive, there is something nice about turning over the reigns for the company's sake. The company that made Shamrock what he was, and paid him hansomely for it. So if he took a dive, I'm okay with that, and maybe he's even a bigger man for doing it. But to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't think Shamrock looked too awesome in that Kimo fight, and if Franklin knocked out Evan Tanner that quick... I'm hard pressed to say that a guy 15 years younger and faster and with more drive couldn't have beaten Ken to begin with. But there's no need to take the chance, I suppose, when we have bigger things at stake.
But why would Shamrock take a dive, other than to elevate the new guy to a live, television audience? Because Ken Shamrock was humiliated by Tito Ortiz. He beat Kenny so bad his face looked like they stuck a bee's nest on him and let them sting his face for 5 hours. Ortiz then wore a t-shirt, in one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen, that said "I Killed Kenny".
Ortiz refuses to fight Shamrock at Shamrock's weight. They've been talking trash back and forth for awhile now, often, and it does seem like Tito is somewhat ducking Ken Shamrock. There were rumors at even a Shamrock - Couture (champion) contest down the road, as both are legends in the sport and never met before in combat. But Ken has no real, recent track record to justify a title shot right now. Why not make a deal with the UFC to bow to the new guy and get a rematch against Tito, the man he hates with a burning passion? Tito Ortiz is about as smart as a jelly doughnut. Seeing a guy get his *** kicked, whenever he is constantly calling you out, leads one to maybe take that fight since the guy is possibly a pushover that won't shut his mouth.
So was it a work? I don't know. I would love to see Shamrock and Ortiz again, because I think Ortiz is possibly the most over-rated fighter in UFC history, and Ken seems to have a burning NEED to beat the hell out of Ortiz before he retires. I would like to see Shamrock win a big one and retire. I think Ortiz is the fight he wants to end on, and I think Shamrock has the history to be able to "get up" for that one. Either way, Rich Franklin for president.
Enter The World's Most Dangerous Man. Shamrock fought in UFC 1, and UFC 52 is next weekend. He did not fight in all of those, but he is still around hangin' and bangin' after all these years. The UFC set this up pretty well for themselves. The TV series is already being heralded as an enormous success, and is going to do exactly what they set out to do: attract more fans, and finally find a couple fighters who actually are hungry enough to want to win. (The UFC is currently plagued by nobodies who seem less than skilled and less than motivated to get said skill. Obviously there are a few exceptions).
With a major pay per view the following weekend, the UFC decided to put the posterboy of the UFC on live television against a very underappreciated up-and-coming fighter. This would be the main event of the night, after the 2 battles for the UFC contracts. Posterboy Ken Shamrock versus Rich Franklin.
Shamrock has been around for years, as earlier stated. Rich Franklin was 3-0 going into last night while fighting for the UFC, but has many fights in other federations. He has 1 over-all loss, which happened in the early part of his professional career. He was a realtive no-namer but some people took him pretty seriously. Evidence of why they should have, is becaus Franklin knocked-out Evan Tanner in the first round. Tanner is one of the better fighters currently in the UFC, and is actually right now the champion at 185. Maybe 188, I forget. I never get those dang weight classes correct. I mean, what the heck is 3 pounds in these wrestling classifications? I'll never understand it, but that's besides the point. Point is: Franklin had the potential to pull off a big one last night.
The show was 3 hours in length and was hard to sit through for the most part, except the fights of course. There were excessively long recaps of the series, and all that bull****. But that is expected.
The first fight was over in the first round. I don't even know what the other guy's name was, and he was a finalist. Diego Flores, however, is a force to be reckoned with, and beat his opponent in the first round. It wasn't much of a contest. Diego Flores, as a friend of mine put it, is a "Beast".
There aren't many things sweeter than an arrogant fellow that backs it up.
The second fight was between the heavier fighters. And by heavier I by no means insinuate "flab". Forrest Griffin (Griffith?) just comes off as this semi white trash toughguy ***hole who seemed like he probably was a great high school wrestler badboy that ended up knocking up some broad and working at the lumber yard. He is from Columbus, Ohio, and after meeting a number of the esteemed residents of that very strange village, I think the argument can be made that OF COURSE he was from Columbus, where else? His opponent was Stephan Bonnar, a guy from Indiana with a very lazy drawl and lazy face. I wanted him to get his *** kicked because I couldn't stand the way he talked. I didn't take him serious enough, I reckon, even after he beat Mick Zwick last week, whom I thought was a very solid fighter that would win the whole thing. Griffin(ith) and Bonnar battled it out for the entire 3 rounds, 5 minutes each, and with no exaggeration I can say this was the best fight I've ever seen in my life. It was like Rocky and Apollo, and instead of Apollo being obviously the better fighter technically, these two dudez were incredibly well matched. One guy landed a punch, the other smacked him right back, for 15 very long and bloody minutes.
The UFC gave both guys contracts because the fans were so into it and because of the incredible display by both fighters. The decision, though, went to Forrest, despite the UFC giving both men contracts for their efforts.
Then came the anticipated main event. Shamrock versus Franklin. Franklin comes out first and he looks incredible, especially given the fact that he jumped up 20 dang pounds for this fight. He was still ripped as hell. Kenny came down, and for being 41 years old, Shamrock looked in fantastic shape. Ken just made a comeback to the UFC after getting his rear kicked by Tito Ortiz a little while back. In Ken's last fight he knocked-out an old foe, steroid-bound Kimo, with a knee to the face. Jackasses everywhere proclaimed that Ken Shamrock was back. UFC commentator and Fear Factor dunce Joe Rogan repeatedly said all night long that the current Shamrock would beat the old Shamrock circa '93, in his "hey day". Joe Rogan is a genius. About 20 seconds later they stopped the fight because Rich Franklin beat the **** out of Ken Shamrock.
At one point it looked like Ken had him in a submission, but he somehow got out, and then they were back on their feet and the fun began. Ken went for kick, unusually slow and off the mark, and fell on his own *** in the process. Franklin pounced and started swinging for the fences. Apparently, when Shamrock changed his coaching staff, they taught him the secret Japanese art of not covering your face when some ***hole is pounding on you with every ounce he has in his body.
Shamrock getting pummeled on live television is exactly what the UFC needed to have happen. They need new stars, and fast. Rich Franklin is very possibly the top dog of that new class. Ken looked in rare form to say the least. I hope that if the fight was thrown for the sake of the company, Frankin won't hear of it. That was the biggest win of his life.
Controversy already abounds, but I dunno how big of a scale it is on. Clearly there are motives for taking a dive last night. Although it would kind of make me feel bad if I found out my favorite fighter took a dive, there is something nice about turning over the reigns for the company's sake. The company that made Shamrock what he was, and paid him hansomely for it. So if he took a dive, I'm okay with that, and maybe he's even a bigger man for doing it. But to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't think Shamrock looked too awesome in that Kimo fight, and if Franklin knocked out Evan Tanner that quick... I'm hard pressed to say that a guy 15 years younger and faster and with more drive couldn't have beaten Ken to begin with. But there's no need to take the chance, I suppose, when we have bigger things at stake.
But why would Shamrock take a dive, other than to elevate the new guy to a live, television audience? Because Ken Shamrock was humiliated by Tito Ortiz. He beat Kenny so bad his face looked like they stuck a bee's nest on him and let them sting his face for 5 hours. Ortiz then wore a t-shirt, in one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen, that said "I Killed Kenny".
Ortiz refuses to fight Shamrock at Shamrock's weight. They've been talking trash back and forth for awhile now, often, and it does seem like Tito is somewhat ducking Ken Shamrock. There were rumors at even a Shamrock - Couture (champion) contest down the road, as both are legends in the sport and never met before in combat. But Ken has no real, recent track record to justify a title shot right now. Why not make a deal with the UFC to bow to the new guy and get a rematch against Tito, the man he hates with a burning passion? Tito Ortiz is about as smart as a jelly doughnut. Seeing a guy get his *** kicked, whenever he is constantly calling you out, leads one to maybe take that fight since the guy is possibly a pushover that won't shut his mouth.
So was it a work? I don't know. I would love to see Shamrock and Ortiz again, because I think Ortiz is possibly the most over-rated fighter in UFC history, and Ken seems to have a burning NEED to beat the hell out of Ortiz before he retires. I would like to see Shamrock win a big one and retire. I think Ortiz is the fight he wants to end on, and I think Shamrock has the history to be able to "get up" for that one. Either way, Rich Franklin for president.