UFC 77 - Put It in the Books!

A pretty good night of fights overall, unless, of course, you were rooting for the hometown favorites.

Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin: This time around, Franklin managed to actually mount some offense. He avoided the Thai clinch at times, scored a takedown, and escaped the first round...barely; with just seconds left in the opening round, Silva connected with a hard right hand that dropped Franklin, whose legs gave out from under him. That's when you kind of knew it was over.

Round 2 was virtually a carbon copy of their first fight, capped off once again by Silva ruining Franklin's night with an overwhelmingly strong clinch and a couple of very nasty knees that busted up Franklin's nose (yes, again). Silva punished Ace with about a dozen unanswered shots and left the former champion battered and defenseless next to the cage, forcing Big John to step in and call the fight. Silva's striking, once again, was too strong and too precise for Ace.

The always professional Silva seemed almost apologetic for winning the way he did in Franklin's hometown. In fact, just before Bruce Buffer officially declared Silva the winner, you could see Silva say to Franklin, "I'm sorry," before the two embraced. Nice guy.

My prediction: Silva, TKO Rd. 3

Actual result: Siva, TKO Rd. 2

Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera: Vera has all the tools to have won this fight. I knew that and his coaches knew that. Unfortunately, Vera didn't listen to them and lost the unanimous decision to a less than stellar performance by Sylvia.

In Round One, Vera immediately got inside of Sylvia's reach but didn't do any real damage from the clinch and wasn't able to get the big fella down to the ground. Vera scored a takedown about 3 minutes into the second round but again couldn't get good position for ground-n-pound or for a submission. Late in the round, Vera landed a huge knee to the head as Sylvia climbed back to his feet. Sylvia, however, still had a knee down, so referee Yves Levigne issued a warning to Vera. With just seconds left in the round, the action resumed and Vera conneted with some big-time kicks that rattled the former champion and fired up the crowd.

Vera looked tired in the third, which is when Sylvia started to let his hands go and stole the fight. Vera, who clearly doesn't like getting hit, suffered a broken left hand in the first and resorted to close-range elbows, none of which really connected.

I expected Vera to feed Sylvia a healthy dose of leg kicks and overhand rights throughout this fight- and it sounds like his coaches did also - but what do I know.

Two things about Tim Sylvia: 1) All the talk about him looking to knock guys out now that his back is healthy is all bullshit. He once again showed little urgency n going for the KO, this time against a smaller, weaker opponent with a busted hand. 2) Why is he calling out Cheick Kongo? Be gracious in victory, thank the armed forces men and women like you always do, thank the crowd, and then leave. Instead, he goes on about how Kongo has been "picking on people." Picking on people? Kongo? Stupid.

Up next for big Timmy is Big Nog for the title.

My prediction: Vera, unanimous decision

Actual result: Sylvia, unanimous decision

Jorge Gurgel vs. Alvin Robinson: Heading into this fight, I said that I'd never been impressed - not even a little bit - with Gurgel, and he did nothing last night to change my mind.

As expected, Robinson came out strong and aggressive, but after an early scramble, Gurgel wound up on top and controlled the rest of the round from side control and half-guard. Gurgel's jiu-jitsu looked strong (no surprise there), but Robinson managed to keep Gurgel from attempting any real submissions and suffered no damage otherwise.

Gurgel and Robinson traded some shots to kick off Round 2 before Robinson secured a takedown and starting pounding on a tired Gurgel. Round 3 brought more of the same - a very strong Robinson smashing away at Gurgel's mangled face.

I know Gurgel is from Cincinnati and he trains Franklin and everything else, but enough is enough already. He's had trouble stopping some of the lower-tier lightweights and proved to be no match for the powerful Kid Robinson.

My prediction: Robinson, TKO Rd. 1, 2

Actual result: Robinson, unanimous decision

Stephan Bonnar vs. Eric Schafer: Bonnar escaped a couple of choke attempts and a near kimura in the first round before getting dominant position on Schafer in the second. Bonnar seemed to have a hard time passing Schafer's guard but managed to maintain superior position and unleashed a series of furious strikes to pick up the TKO win in the second round. Despite the loss, Schafer impressed me with his relentless submission attempts.

The highlight of this fight for me was when a victorious Bonnar forgot the name of the bar/club where his after-party was held.

My prediction: Bonnar, TKO Rd. 2

Actual result: Bonnar, TKO, Rd. 2

Kalib Starnes vs. Alan Belcher: Round 1 brought plenty of action. Belcher fired off some knees, popped right back up after being taken down by Starnes, and kept attacking. Belcher smiled off some hard shots from Starnes in Round 2 and smacked him with some big elbows, one of which opened a crevasse on Starnes' head that prompted the ringside physician to wave this one off. Belcher's Muay Thai looked strong, Starnes was enjoying some success with the jab, and I would have liked to see this fight continue (not that I have a problem with the stoppage).

My prediction: Belcher, TKO Rd. 2
Actual result: Belcher, TKO, Rd. 2

Demian Maia vs. Ryan Jensen: No surprise here really. Maia got Jensen's back in the first round,worked to get his hooks in, secured the rear naked choke, and forced an overmatched Jensen to tap.

My prediction: Maia, submission, Rd. 1

Actual result: Maia, submission, Rd. 1

Other Undercard Fights:

Yushin Okami def. Jason MacDonald via unanimous decision

Josh Burkman def. Forrest Petz via split decision

Matt Grice def. Jason Black via unanimous decision

Vera-Sylvia Winner Gets Nog for the Title

According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports:

The winner of the Brandon Vera-Tim Sylvia fight on Saturday at UFC 77 in Cincinnati will meet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the vacant heavyweight title sometime early next year.

Expect Big Nog to be wearing the belt by next spring.

It's Official: Vera vs. Sylvia at UFC 77

The following is an excerpt from a UFC 77 press release that was issued today:

"Also on the UFC 77 card will be a heavyweight matchup between former UFC Champion Tim 'The Maine-iac' Sylvia and unbeaten Brandon 'The Truth' Vera. This fight will mark the first fight for Vera since a contract dispute with former management sidelined him for almost a year. The dynamic Vera (8-0) is excited to get back in the Octagon, and he expects to pick up where he left off last year by defeating Sylvia and every opponent afterward until he becomes the UFC heavyweight champion. The 6 foot 8 Sylvia (25-3), only the second man in UFC history to win the heavyweight title twice, would like to eventually join the man he lost the crown to in March, Randy Couture, as the only fighters in history to win the title three times. A win over Vera will push him firmly in that positive direction."

Anderson vs. Rich Franklin. Tim Sylvia vs. Brandon Vera. The UFC 77 card is looking gooooood.

Dana White's UFC 74 Conference Call

Sam Caplan of FiveOuncesOfPain.com participated in a conference call earlier today conducted by UFC president Dana White in an effort to promote UFC 74. Among other things, White touched upon the following points:

- Brandon Vera has signed a new deal with the UFC, and Tim Sylvia will "probably" be his next opponent. The contract issues that kept Vera out of the UFC were between Vera and his management, not Vera and the UFC.

- Andrei Arlovski will be fighting soon. Because so many matches are being put together at the moment, White could not say when or against whom Arlovski would fight next.

- Wanderlei Silva is not yet signed, and White did not want to comment any further on deals that have not been finalized.

- No developments with Fedor Emelianenko seem to have been made, but White said that if he were signed, he'd be competing right away for the title.

To read more of Caplan's UFC 74 conference call recap, click here.

Pick on Someone Your Own Size

I understand that the subsequent statement is in stark contrast to what many MMA fans feel, but here goes:

I don't like how Tim Sylvia is vilified, and I am looking forward to his UFC octagon return.

Sylvia announced on his web site a few days ago that he has rehabilitated his back after surgery in May and is training for a return to the Octagon in October, when the UFC will most likely be hosting the card in Cincinnati.

Now, I know what you're thinking: Who cares? I do.

I really believe that Tim Sylvia, if healthy and determined, could be as formidable a foe as any in the division. Unfortunately, most UFC and MMA fans only know the Tim Sylvia from 2006 to the present, but lets take a quick look back to yesteryear.

Do you remember Sylvia's early UFC fights? Sylvia beat Cabbage so bad, Cabbage's corner threw in the towel. Then Ricco Rodriguez, riding a twelve-fight win strwak, was knocked out in the first round. Then Gan McGee was knocked out in the first round. Then Tra Telligman was knocked out cold by a left head kick in the first round. All were dangerous heavyweights, and all were punished with highlight-reel assaults. Tim Sylvia was a (somewhat) lean, mean, ass-beating machine.

Now let's look at the current state of the division. Today, the upper echelon of the heavyweight class boasts a storybook champion in Randy Couture, top-three fighters in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, former champ Andrei Arlovski, and top contender Gabriel Gonzaga. Despite Sylvia's recent loss, it'd be foolish to think that he doesn't belong in this company.

Think about it: Tim's a monster of a heavyweight (6'8", 265 lbs.) who's demonstrated awesome power with his hands and feet. He's dismantled highly-touted MMA and grappling champions, and he lost his title to Randy Couture, the quintessential man. One of the biggest knocks on Sylvia has been that he fights "not to lose." In fairness, he did embrace a "safer" fighting style once he had the belt, but now that he's been supplanted atop the UFC heavyweight division, I'm not ready to dismiss the notion that the old Tim Sylvia -- the exciting, aggressive Tim Sylvia --won't be coming back. Why should I? What's he got to lose?!?!

I've visited the message boards and asked some of my fight fan buddies why they loathe Tim Sylvia so much, and having heard/read several responses, I'm not at all convinced that he's the anti-Christ prick he's made out to be. Let's take a look at why he doesn't get the respect that someone with 11 octagon wins - 7 by way of devastating KO - should get.

He doesn't fight to win; he fights not to lose: After regaining the heavyweight belt (and, in turn, avenging an earlier loss) from Andrei Arlovski, he did fight a bit more conservatively in his title defenses against Arlovski in their third and final match, and then against Jeff Monson. Even before those two fights, he was underwhelming against Aussuerio Silva. I agree that these three matches were indeed lackluster, but I don't exactly recall Silva, Arlovski, or Monson ever really taking the fight to Sylvia, do you?

He always wore that stupid championship belt outside the ring: Granted, he did look a bit awkward at times wearing the belt, but so do Rampage Jackson, Sean Sherk, Dan Henderson, and (gasp!) Fedor Emelianenko, who are regularly photographed wearing their belts. But I guess it's OK when they do it.

He's a doofy loser: This is a brilliant argument. He may not have the imposing physique of an Arlovski -- or even a Jeff Monson -- but why does that even matter? It's fine to root for the underdog, the little guy, but do we need to hate on the big guy?

He crapped his pants against Aussuerio Silva: This actually is 100% true and is quite embarrassing, BUT he managed to win the fight, even with a bucket of pudding in his shorts. That should count for something, no?

He took steroids / He's a cheater: Sylvia did test positive after his 2003 match with Gan McGee, I believe, and was then stripped of the heavyweight title, fined $7,500, and suspended from fighting in Nevada (and everywhere else) for four months. And his $60,000 purse for beating McGee was surrendered. He was busted and served his punishment. If you want to talk steroids, let's also talk about the beloved Josh Barnett, Kevin Randleman, Royce Gracie, Nate Marquardt, and Stephan Bonnar, all of whom also tested positive.

He's arrogant/rude to fans: Do you realize how much crap this guys has had to eat from live audiences and message board assassins? Through hard work and focus, he realized his dream of becoming heavyweight champion. Not too many people can say that. He received little praise for his efforts and was often the victim of personal attacks. Simply put, I think he's just a big, easy target for lots of folks.

I think it's important for you to know that Tim Sylvia is by no means one of my favorite fighters. He's not even one of my favorite heavyweights. In fact, I'm a staunch Andrei Arlovski supporter. I do, however, respect Sylvia's accomplishments, and I resent fans who take cheap shots at him. Had he beaten Randy at UFC 68 and retained his belt, people would be talking about how he's only fit to take on over-the-hill retirees and how it's just a matter of time before Cro-Cop or Big Nog takes his belt. I have a hard time bashing anyone who steps into the combat sports arena.

Like all mixed martial artists, Tim Sylvia wants to be the best and is willing to put in the work and take his lumps to be the best. Why is it that so many fans don't even want to give him a chance? It just seems that no matter what he does, the guy can't seem to win in the eyes of the fans -- at least those who aren't from Maine.

I've never seen a champion lose and be written off so quickly the way Tim has. He lost a decision to Couture, but Chuck Liddell, who was knocked out silly by Rampage Jackson, is still a major celebrity. Even Arlovski's name pops up during heavyweight title talks, despite two losses to Sylvia, a controversial win over Marcio Cruz, and a dreadfully dull fight against Fabricio Werdum! Sylvia, after just one loss, has become a non-entity to many. Something's not right with this.

Sylvia has three fights left on his UFC contract. I don't know what plans UFC brass has for their former champ, but if Tim Sylvia the contender starts knocking people out like he used to, it'll be hard not to give him respect. Even just a little.