photo by Josh Hedges/UFC.com
The UFC set an attendance and gate record in Montreal, and Georges St. Pierre set the record straight for arch rival Josh Koscheck. UFC 124 hit every mark, and gave us a whole lot to talk about moving forward.
Jab St-Pierre
The first strike St. Pierre threw was a stiff left jab, one that landed right under Koscheck’s right eye and set the tone for the entire night. Over and over with piston-like precision, St. Pierre lands the jab in the same place, forcing Koscheck’s eye closed by the end of the first round.
For 25 minutes, the welterweight champion put on a clinic against his verbose foe, connecting at will and taking almost no damage in the process. Koscheck was like a student continually trying to solve the same math problem only to get stuck at the same place each time.
See You in Toronto?
Coming off the biggest event in UFC history, the timing would be right for St. Pierre to meet Jake Shields in the main event of the recently announced event in Toronto, a show that will nearly triple Saturday night’s attendance number.
The biggest star in the biggest market for the biggest show in the company’s history makes perfect sense. Shields remains the lone welterweight contender who we haven’t seen picked apart by St. Pierre, so while almost everyone would bet against him at this moment, the element of intrigue is still there.
While most first-time locations get mid-level events, we saw the UFC pull out all the stops for Ahu Dhabi last year (two title fights) and they should do the same in Toronto in April. This is their first foray into one of the biggest markets in North America, and it should be a major show.
No one is more major in Canada than Georges St. Pierre.
Kudos to Koscheck
For a guy who has never beaten a top 5 fighter, Koscheck has done exceptionally well for himself, and others hoping to do the same should take note.
He’s worked his ass off to improve in the cage, and while it didn’t show last night, he has proven it throughout his climb to this point. More importantly, he’s turned himself into the ultimate heel and elevated himself to headliner status in the process.
After getting tagged early and often, Koscheck could have picked up his ball and gone home on Saturday night, but he didn’t; he stepped out after every round and took another five minutes of punishment. That alone is worthy of a round of applause.
Struve Silences McCorkle
Sean McCorkle went all out on the Internet, hyping his pay-per-view debut with Stefan Struve and taking more than a couple pot shots at the Dutch heavyweight. Struve said he would do his talking in the cage, and after enduring an early scare, he did just that.
McCorkle got a quick, early takedown and worked for a kimura almost instantaneously. While it looked dangerous, Struve maintained composure, worked his way out, and eventually hit a sweep that landed him on top of his American opponent. From there, Struve wasted little time working for the finish.
The freakishly tall fighter landed a torrent of heavy shots as McCorkle covered up, leaving the referee little choice but to step in and wave off the bout. With the win, Struve moves to 5-2 in the Octagon and puts himself in a similar position to Brendan Schaub; not quite ready for the big boys, as his earlier losses to Junior dos Santos and Roy Nelson indicate, but too good for the fresh and expired meat in the heavyweight ranks.
With seven UFC fights already under his belt and paired with a big heart and solid all-around skills, Struve has a very bright future.
Jim Miller Makes a Statement
Every time I talk to Jim Miller, we laugh about how he keeps racking up wins without getting a real bump up in competition. He tells me how much he hates winning decisions and wants to face the elite of the lightweight division, and we both agree that a statement victory will speed up the recognition process.
Mission accomplished, Mr. Miller.
The New Jersey native forced up-and-comer Charles Oliveira to submit just prior to the two-minute mark of the opening round, locking on a nasty looking kneebar to give the Brazilian his first professional loss. Miller exploded with emotion after the win, and had shared his thoughts with Joe Silva and Dana White after the bout as well, asking for his long-overdue opportunity.
With an impressive first-round submission pushing his winning streak to six, Miller has definitely positioned himself near the top of the list for lightweight title shots in 2011.
photo by Josh Hedges/UFC.com
Where the Hell Did That Come From?
Joe Stevenson hadn’t been knocked out since 1999. Mac Danzig hadn’t knocked anyone out since a TKO win in 2006.
Saturday night, those streaks quickly came to an end, as Danzig caught Stevenson with a perfectly-timed left hook to the jaw that left Stevenson falling to the canvas unconscious. Coming off a brutal stoppage loss in Vancouver this summer, Danzig needed a victory more than anyone on the card, and now he can rest assured that a pink slip isn’t coming his way.
Incidentally, it’s kind of funny when a guy who has been fighting professionally since 2001 says after the fight that he never knew how to put power in his punches. High-five for improving and always learning, but who were you working with all this time?
Thiago Alves is Still a Threat in the Welterweight Division
Anyone who doubted that was proven wrong on Saturday night, as Alves showed up in tremendous shape and proceeded to put on a striking seminar against John Howard.
After losing two-in-a-row and missing rate in the second of those two bouts, the American Top Team product needed a strong showing, and he delivered just that in Montreal. His boxing looked tremendous – quick, tight hands, countering extremely well – and he brutalize Howard with his trademark leg kicks.
Perhaps most important of all, Alves was off his stool, pacing for the start of the third round, his breathing at a normal rate.
The victory put “The Pitbull” in an interesting position; he seems to have deficiencies against wrestlers, but he’s capable of banging with anyone. He’s still a ways away from a title shot at this point, but at some point, he’s going to have to get a good win over a quality wrestler if he wants to climb back to the top of the welterweight ranks.
Bocek Impresses with Another Slick Submission
Toronto native Mark Bocek showed his elite grappling game in one of the two preliminary fights aired on UFC.com Saturday night, submitting fellow BJJ black belt Dustin Hazelett in the first round.
If not for a close – and somewhat controversial – loss to Jim Miller back in March, Bocek would be riding a five-fight winning streak and probably in the position his UFC 111 opponent is in now. As it stands, he’s earned four wins in five tries, all by way of submission, and he’s ready to prove he belongs amongst the division’s elite.
When speaking with Joe Rogan after the victory, Bocek stated his claim to being the best jiu jitsu player in the division, and lobbied for an opportunity to prove just that against George Sotiropoulos when the company comes to Toronto in April. While the talented Aussie might not be his opponent, expect to see Bocek get a step up when the organization debuts in his hometown next year.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Who’s going to get cut and who’s going to get another chance? Here’s my best guesses:
Joe Stevenson: he’s gone 3-4 since getting strangled by B.J. Penn, and while he’s got a solid track record and a TUF season win under his belt, there are a ton of new ‘55s coming into the division, and I don’t know if Stevenson can survive. A move to 145 might be an option.
John Howard: “Doomsday” isn’t going anywhere; two-fight losing streak or not, he’s hung in there with tough competition and is an exciting part of the welterweight ranks.
Joe Doerksen: I would expect “El Dirte” to get another pink slip, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him back down the road. He’s a gamer, and his willingness to take fights on short notice works in his favor.
Dustin Hazelett: Though he’s now lost three straight, I think “McLovin” will get one more crack as a lightweight before being let go. Bocek is a solid competitor and a one-and-done in a new division for a guy who has shown promise in the past seems hasty.
Raphael Natal: So long, “Sapo.” You don’t go 0-1-1 and get asked back for another fight.
Jesse Bongfeldt: Stepping in on short notice will get him a second chance, but he’ll need to shine because no one likes fights that result in a majority draw.
Pat Audinwood: “Awesomely Awesome” he is not.
Dear Haters…
There are sure to be the usual cavalcade of complaints about GSP not finishing and whatnot, and I’m tired of hearing it before it even starts.
This was a clinical performance by the most complete weapon in the sport, and even though there are always those select few that have to find a reason to complain about everything, don’t listen to them; those guys are idiots.
If the only thing missing is a finish, stop complaining and appreciate the greatness of Georges St. Pierre. And if you can’t do that, I think your “I’m an MMA Fan” card is about to expire.
