So I arrived very early to Buffalo Wild Wings in Niagara
Falls, New York, Saturday night. I reserved a table of ten for myself and some close
friends. It was only 7pm but you could feel the atmosphere shifting already. I
was able to watch my beloved Yankees stomp the life out of the horrid Red Sox
and then starting watching the prelims on FX at 8pm. People were already filing
in and it was almost at capacity already. In every conversation you could hear
the words “Rashad, Jones, UFC, win and lose”. Then my friends started to show
up. My friend and occasional contributor Stephen DeRose, from the beautiful
Ontario, Canada, showed up and said he could feel the tense vibe in the
building as well.
Rashad was born and raised only minutes from where we were.
Most fight nights have cheering and booing but nothing too emotional. But Saturday
night’s atmosphere was electric and filled with emotion. Real emotion. Now I
was rooting for Jones**. I would say the building was 75% for Rashad and 25%
for Jones. Maybe a little more for Jones but around there. After each fight the
noise was getting louder. More people bouncing in their chairs. My brother-in-law
sat in Rashad’s exact chair in college and my other brother-in-law held the exact
job only a few years after Rashad left it and moved to Michicagn. Rashad’s
impact was felt in the community. So, when Rashad made his entrance the building
shook. I was actually very impressed with the noise level. People were pumped.
Then Jones came out and he received cheers but some boos too. So, the fight
started and the whole building went dead silent. When Rashad landed that good
head kick everyone went nuts but when Rashad was hurt badly by that sharp elbow
everyone gasped. This fight was pulling everybody’s heartstrings. But in the
end everyone was somewhat disappointed in Rashad. You could tell he pretty much
gave up after the third round. He kept trying to do the same thing which was
swing wild punches in from far away and decided not to change up his approach
at all. I feel he did not change it up because he knew that what he was doing
was safe and that he would most likely not be KOed. If Rashad really wanted
that belt he should have rushed Jones like a crazy person, go for endless
takedowns or something else to ensure he did all he could do to win. But he
chose to coast to a decision loss because he didn’t want to end up unconscious
in the end. I understand it but the people in Niagara Falls did not like it.
But the night came to a closer and everyone, rather silently,
went home. The talk was mostly about Rory MacDonald and how amazing he was. But
in the end everyone came away with more respect for Jones’ abilities. That’s the
one thing everybody had in common.
But as for the rest of the card. Rory needs to fight top
level competition. He should fight winner or loser or Koscheck vs. Hendricks.
Or he could fight Martin Kampmann if Martin wins against Jake Ellenberger or
Ellenberger if Jake loses to Kampmann. In my mind that’s what is next. No one else
poses a threat.
Big Ben looked ok but will never reach near the top ever.
Schaub’s chin is sadly not good at all. However, he is super athletic and
pretty well rounded. If he can come up with a style and game plan that protects
his chin at all costs then he could be elite but sadly due to only his lack of
being able to handle heavyweight punches he won’t be able to achieve greatness.
Miguel Torres’ chin is also nearing its end. The dude has
had an amazing career and if his chin was better I could see him challenging
for the title but that just doesn’t look possible anymore. Michael McDonald has
endless potential. Last night proved to me that he is only a few years away
from being either champ or #2 for years to come. The kid is only 21….are you
kidding me?!! Very exciting.
And yet another great fighter with a chin issue. I love Mark
Hominick. Every time I met him the guy was a complete gentleman. He put on one
of the best fights I have ever seen and proved he has the ebst ehart in the
sport right in front of me at UFC 129 against Jose Aldo. Then I mourned for him
when he lost his best friend in Shawn Tompkins. And sadly saw him lose in 6.6
seconds to Jung. And now this loss against Yagin. It’s truly gut wrenching. It’s
just so sad. I feel for him so much. I hope he realizes that his chin just is
not up to handling the big dogs anymore and he can either fight smaller guys or
just be a trainer. He has nothing left to prove.
Bocek looked like a stud against Alessio. That fight went
exactly how I said it would. Bocek is one of the top 5 mst underrated fighters
in the UFC. He looks just like a normal person, he is quiet and reserved and
his striking isn’t flashy. But his ground game is topnotch. I could see him
trying to fight Mac Danzig again.
Travis Brown looked great and in my mind makes a case that
he could be close to upper echelon status. Matt Brown looked adequate and is a
tough match for anyone with he heart and grit. But I promise you that this loss
was great for Stephen Thompson and he will use this to become even better. I
still see him being a possible title challenger one day.
Over all great night of fights. I
all hoped you enjoyed them as much as I did. Thanks for reading guys!
**Side Note: I
personally do not dislike Rashad but I am also not really a fan. I appreciate
his abilities and how amazing he is at fighting but I never made that
connection with him that would make me a big fan. But I am a huge Jones fan. I
am originally from outside Rochester, NY. I knew guys who knew him when he
first started training and fighting in smaller promotions and they all talked
about how amazing he is at fighting but also how they hoped he succeeded “because
he is such a nice kid”. I have met Jon Jones 3 times and he was an incredibly
sweet and genuine person. He is the same guy you see in the Primetime series or
during interviews. He is a nice 24 year old kid who is now the best in the
world at what he does. That is crazy and probably difficult to comprehend.
People who say he is cocky must sit back and think about that. He is only 24. When
Anderson Silva was his age he was only 2-1 in MMA. Jones has almost done what
he has already! By the time Jones is Silva’s age (37) think of what he might
have accomplished. It’s crazy but remember All athletes that go through college
and apply to their sports pro draft take courses and seminars on how to talk to
press and handle the spotlight. And they have a coach who has walked the same
road and can give advice but none of this was the case for Jon Jones. He has
handled his crazy life very well in my eyes. I am a huge Bones fan and look
forward to his next 10-15 years of kicking butt.
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