CHAPTER 213: Reviewing UFC 89

“Well, I think the boos were unfortunately unnecessary, but you know, that’s what happens when people start drinking. What you gonna do?.....oouuuu " – Joe Rogan

Marcus Davis vs Paul Kelly

Marcus Davis was the better fighter. He imposed the better and more effective striking (especially the punches). In the end of the fight, he made that great guillotine choke that Kelly rushed into.

I believe that Kelly was unable to hit/strike Davis effectively. The takedown that he made unfortunately played into a guillotine submission from Davis. As the commentators mentioned, it’s probably due to Kelly’s lesser experiences of fights.
Davis’s excellent guillotine adds up to my fight rating for this fight.

My Fight Rating: 3 stars out of 5


Chris Lytle vs Paul Taylor

The entire fight is a standup contest (a punching duel), and I found that the fight had less of other MMA aspects such as neither ground game nor grappling.

My Fight Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5


Thierry Sokoudjou vs Luiz Cane

Another disappointing outing and defeat from Sokoudjou, yet again (in the UFC). The Cameroonian always seems to be an explosive fighter (especially in the first round) but also seems to gas quickly as the fight furthers on into the next rounds).
On Cane’s point of view, an excellent win, in which bid his time in withering attack of Sokoudjou in the first round. He also made the more strategic fight, and at the end it was Cane’s combination of connecting a knee and following up with a straight right and a left hook drops Sokoudjou down. The ensuing ground and pound was just a matter of time before the ref stopped the fight.
Cane surely moves up the LHW staircase whereas for Sokoudjou, this loss will definitely hurt his chances in the LHW division.
I am not sure where Sokoudjou goes from here (he has to get back to the fighting plans with Team Quest). As for Cane, perhaps a match up with Keith Jardine next?.....

My Fight Rating: 3 stars out of 5


Shane Carwin vs Neil Wain

Carwin simply dominated Wain. He was quicker in probably everything; striking, controlling the ground game, and eventually moving into mount and punishing Wain with ground and pound. Carwin’s display adds up to the fight rating.

My Fight Rating: 3 stars out of 5


Keith Jardine vs Brandon Vera


This fight ended up in a split decision.
The first round I thought was more on Jardine as he had brought Vera on the ground and gained more as he spent more on top of Vera and punishing him.
The second round Vera bringing Jardine to the ground but jardine did managed to stood back as the fight went on and tried to impose himself again for the fight. Hiwever, one must be noted that Vera landed that kick on Jardine’s knee that seemed to bucked him, but Jardine managed to continue. Vera ended the second round with more kicks against Jardine.
The final round of the fight was more on standup duel (more punch up exchanges).
I think that the split decision given for the outcome of the fight was fitting with the way the fight happened.

My Fight Rating: 3 stars out of 5


Michael Bisping vs Chris Leben

In the first round, Bisping landed more combos and was striking within range. Leben got hurt more, but he was always pressing against Bisping (as he would in the later rounds as well, and he fought more aggressively in the second round).
But anyhow, Bisping won this fight as stuck to a plan of striking (with combos) against Leben and when he got some damages done, moved out of range and then came in against Leben again, always staying in a safe, distanced range. This also made him unscathed from any heavy damages from Leben himself (who is regarded as a heavy hitter). As Joe Rogan mentioned, Bisping “countered Leben’s aggressiveness”.

My Fight Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5