I have many opinions on the UFC and mixed martial arts. I think they are the best and worst thing to happen to the martial arts. Having said that, I am, and have always been, a fan. I have watched since the beginning, when there were no time limits, no weight limits and very few rules to speak of. It's come a long way since the early 90's and is a fantastic sport today. In my mind, it is just that, a sport. This is its strength and its weakness. But it is entertaining...
Like many topics, there will later be a longer discussion on the pros and cons of mixed martial arts. For now, I will discuss two fights I watched from UFC 111. St-Pierre vs. Hardy and Mir vs. Carwin.
I missed the event but managed to see both these fights on the internet.
St-Pierre dominated Hardy. I have to say I was very impressed with how well St-Pierre had prepared and fought. He outclassed Hardy, shutting him down at every turn. I felt bad for Hardy, who just wanted to fight but couldn't mount any offense against St-Pierre. Hardy can take a hit, but that's all he could prove that night. St-Pierre was technically superb the whole fight. The fight was great, but it sure was a snoozer. I appreciate how well it was fought but it was boring to watch.
How about Mir vs. Carwin?
I find Frank Mir fascinating. He came out looking fantastic. He's put on muscle and looked tight. I've always felt there are two Frank Mirs. One is nearly unstoppable, technically sound and a force to be reckoned with. The other is some sort of a punching bag. Sadly, he resembled the latter in UFC 111. It seems to me he was not prepared or didn't take Carwin as seriously as he should have. The road back to Brock must be distracting. Maybe Mir only saw Carwin as a bump on the road, but clearly Carwin was prepared to fight it out. Well done Carwin. Your chance against Brock? I don't know.
My prediction? (and you heard it here first). Roy (big country) Nelson takes Brock down. There's just something about a guy who's not that into the elite athlete aspect of UFC and just wants to fight that's appealing. Time will tell.
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