Smark Rant: UFC 22

The Ultimate Fighting Championship 22: There Can Only Be One Champion!

This is UFC’s first really, REALLY big show, with the most anticipated fight in a long time headlining and a stacked card beneath it.

– Live from Lake Charles, LA

– Your hosts are Mike Goldberg & Jeff Blatnick

Heavyweights: Tim Lajcik v. Ron Waterman

Weird that Waterman makes it to the main draw after getting knocked out last time. Waterman shoots in and gets a takedown to start, pounding Lajcik with short fists from the side mount. Waterman actually wraps him up in a sugar hold like a true wrestler, then floats to the back and clumsily tries for a choke. Lajcik easily escapes that and stands it up against the fence and Waterman’s got nothing going on as round one expires. 10-9 Waterman, but he couldn’t finish despite getting an easy opportunity to do so when Lajcik gave up the back. It might even end up 9-9 because Waterman fouled him with a shot to the groin and got warned by Big John.

Round 2 and Lajcik gets his own takedown and Waterman’s in the guard. Lajcik lets him up for some boxing, which is what beat Waterman in his last fight against Andre Roberts, and indeed Waterman is bleeding now. Waterman wants another takedown and it gets stuffed, but Waterman won’t take the hint and keeps trying it. Uh oh, he’s in trouble now. Waterman wants to box now and he’s not great at it, so he tries a takedown AGAIN and Lajcik stops that again. Waterman ends up in the guard and he’s just kind of laying there as the round expires. 10-9 Lajcik, easily. This is the first show where “Octagon control” is getting scored and Lajcik had total control.

Round 3 and Waterman finally gets a takedown, but he still can’t figure out anything to do against the guard. Lajcik is wide open, but Waterman is trying for a headlock or something instead of throwing strikes from the top. Waterman switches to the strategy of showing Lajcik’s head into the fence to prevent him from doing anything, and Blatnick gives a backhanded compliment by noting that for Waterman’s skill level, this is the best idea. Round ends and I guess that’s 10-9 Waterman. So I can finally see if my scoring agrees with the judges! So I’ve got it as a 28-28 draw assuming the foul deducted a point from Waterman. And the judges say…it’s a draw. Started good but turned into a gassed Waterman leaning on Lajcik.

Lightweights: John Lewis v. Lowell Anderson

Two new faces who didn’t stick around, as now we’re getting into the era where notable names are still here. I’m not one to accuse people of being on steroids (OK, I guess it’s mostly my career, but go with me here) but Lewis is practically ready to burst like a balloon. But hey, he could just have really, REALLY good genetics and workout regimes. They kind of dance around as Lewis is having jitters like a meth addict, and he quickly knocks Anderson down but can’t capitalize. Anderson gets a nice high kick for nothing and they trade some shots on the fence, but Anderson desperately wants to take it to the ground and can’t get there. Round one ends and it was Lewis’ game, so 10-9 for him.

Round 2 and Lowell comes out swinging, but they wind up on the fence with Lewis in control and he wants to box again. Back to the fence and Anderson finally manages to pull guard, but you’ve gotta think it’s too little too late. Round expires, 10-9 for Lewis again.

Last round and Anderson needs something big to finish this. So he runs in throwing punches, and Lewis destroys him with knees for the win. Well, you can’t fault Anderson for trying to make it happen there. Dull fight, but an impressive finish for Lewis.

Heavyweights: Jeremy Horn v. Jason Godsey

Horn’s been getting better every show and this is a natural step for him. They fight for a takedown to start and Godsey winds up on top. Horn has a nice attempt at reversing out, but Godsey rides with him and ends up on top again, but Horn sucks him into an armbar to finish at 2:08. That was AWESOME. Even Big John is laughing and giving him props after the fight. That would be an easy submission of the night bonus these days.

Middleweights: Chuck Liddell v. Paul Jones

Apparently they call Liddell the “Iceman”. You don’t say. Jones comes in looking for the takedown and Liddell stuffs it and throws knees from the facelock position. Jones gets out and still wants to take it to the ground, but he’s sucking wind. Liddell throws high kicks every time Jones stops to breathe, so Jones desperately goes for an ankle and gets nowhere. Jones is bleeding, so Big John stops it at 3:53, and we get the first Liddell victory pose. Not exactly the dominating win that Chuck would become known for, but Jones was hugely overmatched here. Plus he wears his mouthpiece on the back of his ear, and that’s just WEIRD.

Heavyweights: Brad Kohler v. Steve Judson

The show is already running short, so we’re into the prelims. Kohler is like a human bulldog and he’s got Pat Miletich in his corner so he might be interesting to watch. Kohler gets the fast takedown and lets him up, then BAM! Right on the chin and Judson is OUT. The technical term is KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT, I believe. Wow.

Middleweight title: Frank Shamrock v. Tito Ortiz

Frank tries to take it to the ground and Tito wants to stand. They end up on the ground anyway and Tito gets some shots in, but lets Frank up. Tito shoots in for the leg and nearly gets wrapped up in an armbar, but slips out and winds up on top. Tito keeps fighting from the top, bringing down blows against the fence, but Frank keeps moving. Shamrock tries to fight up, but Tito brings him back to the ground again for more pounding, and the round expires. 10-9 Tito.

Second round and Frank is throwing kicks, but Tito takes him down and into Frank’s half-guard. He doesn’t get anything substantial and Frank is able to get into the full guard, leaving Tito unable to unleash his ground-and-pound. Nothing else going on for the entire round, and that’s where they end it. I dunno, I guess 10-9 Tito there as well.

Third round and they’re back to the ground again with Tito on top and trying for a headlock, but Frank wriggles out and goes back to the guard. Frank gets out and they stand up, then trade some crazy shots, but end up on the ground again with Tito on top. Frank is bleeding from the side of the head as the round ends. Too close to call but we’ll say 10-9 Shamrock because Tito seemed pretty gassed and not in control.

Fourth round (the first fourth round we’ve seen thus far) and Shamrock is getting more aggressive with the striking, throwing big looping punches until Tito takes him down again to stop it. Tito keeps trying to wrap up the head and throws 12-6 elbows that miss, allowing Shamrock to escape with an awesome reversal and they’re standing again. Shamrock UNLOADS on him against the fence and a reeling Ortiz takes him down again to escape, so Shamrock pounds him from the standing position to finish at 4:49 of the fourth round and retain the title. But man, he didn’t have much left at the end of this one.

Conclusion

Unfortunately for the UFC and us, the triumphant Shamrock retires at 5-0 and vacates the Middleweight title, never fighting in the UFC again. And also unfortunately, this is the last UFC to be commercially available on home video before the Zuffa era begins, as SEG was burning through cash fast and running out of life.

With the Kohler knockout and the amazing Shamrock-Ortiz fight (probably the best technical battle ever in the UFC to that point!) this is a show that is well worth seeking out, even if the ship was sinking at that point.

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