Smark Rant: UFC 35 Throwdown

(photo by Susumu)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship 35:  Throwdown!

– Live from the Mohegan Sun Arena.

– Your hosts are Mike Goldberg & Jeff Osborne.

Middleweights:  Ricardo Almedia v. Andrei Semenov

We don’t even get ring intros on the version I have!  Almeida throws a pair of good high kicks and shoots for the takedown, but Semenov blocks it.  Almeida completes the takedown, but Semenov stays busy and fights to his feet again.  He tries his own takedown, but Almeida counters with a choke attempt and then nearly gets a hanging armbar.  I’m thinking that going to the ground isn’t a real smart move for the Russian.  Almeida keeps wrapping him up and trying crazy submissions, so Semenov finally backs off.  They fighting standing again and Almeida wants that takedown, but Semenov holds him off until the end of the round, when he gets a big judo throw to impress the judges.  That’s a close one to call, but Almeida had the takedowns and general control, so 10-9 for him.

Second round and now Semenov is throwing down, but Almeida pulls guard and nearly gets a flying armbar on the way down.  Semenov doesn’t want to be down there, so they stand it up and Semenov nearly knocks him out.  He goes in for the kill and Almeida POUNCES on him with an armbar, then switches to a kneebar and then a heel hook, all of which Semenov escapes.  And then, as they stand it up, Semenov KNOCKS HIM THE FUCK OUT at 2:07.  Wow, what a great fight that turned into!  Not sure what happened to Semenov that we didn’t hear from him again, but this was a killer debut.