By Joe Ferraro
The UFC’s eighth event on Canadian soil has come and gone, and it was one filled with a myriad of answered questions. It also developed new ones that will be answered in 2012.
Welcome to 2009
Pardon my narcism, but I cannot help but smile ear to ear when I read some of my media brethren finally appreciate what UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones’ brings to the table. In Saturday’ case, the octagon.
When Jon first appeared on our television show (yes, the one that unfortunately cannot be seen outside of Canadian borders), I introduced him to the viewership as “the future of the division, and the future of the sport”. Over the next few years, I continued to try and convince anyone that would watch and listen that he would “not only be a champion soon, he could become the greatest of all time”. Big words, and risky to say, but they are not descriptions I use all the time. They are extremely rare, and so far, have come to fruition.
All the doubters out there have turned into believers, many of which are speaking as if they always knew, while wondering aloud if I am losing my mind when I continue to say that “Jones will one day, be in the UFC Hall of Fame” . I said it after his first successful title defence, which was versus Quinton Rampage Jackson. I won’t stop until he’s in. This guy is on a completely different level than 99% of his peers.
Can he be beaten? Absolutely. Anyone can be beaten. But at this rate, he is doing everything right.
The only person that can defeat him, is himself. Should he get caught up in his own hype and forget what his challengers and competition bring to the table, he will get caught, and his world will come crashing in on him like Georges St-Pierre’s did at UFC 69. That was when GSP was surrounded by “Yes Men”. It was a necessary lesson for Georges to learn. Since then, he has been unstoppable. Hopefully Jon can learn from that valuable lesson.
Jones’ defeat of former champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida was mesmerizing. He answered the questions about his chin and whether he could overcome adversity. He did so in exceptional fashion by rebounding and slaying the dragon, choking him unconscious in the second round. It was the official exclamation point on a year that saw “Bones” enter 2011 as a prospect, and exit as the only man since Chuck Liddell to defend the light heavyweight crown a second time. He competed four times this year, finished off every adversary, three of which were former champions in the division. Hello? Can anybody hear me?
In doing so, Jon has leaped over St-Pierre on my pound for pound rankings.
I disagreed with UFC President Dana White when he stated this very fact at the post fight press conference, but upon further review, I concur. Jones has defeated (and finished) three, recent former champions. Georges has not. Heck, he could be number one, but in looking at what Anderson Silva does to his opponents, I will reserve judgment until mid 2012, when “The Spider” defends his title in Brazil.
Tapping is easier said than done
Fans, media and critics should stop faulting Machida, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tito Ortiz for not tapping out.
It’s easy sitting behind a computer or in your paid seat to say they should have tapped to avoid injury, but you are not the one in there fighting in front of thousands with a massive pay cheque on the line. Ego often overrides sane decisions, and I’m as guilty of it, as everyone else. Heck, in my own days on the mats, I have suffered far more injuries than I care to list, all because I refused to tap to someone I was sparring with, if not for the very reason, that I did not want to lose to them. I’ve rolled with many class mates who, on a personal level, I did not respect, so on the mats, there was no way I was going to allow them the satisfaction of tapping me out. Unfortunately, this often (and frequently) meant a quick trip to the emergency room at Markham General Hospital. I refused to acknowledge that I got caught, and have permanent damage to my rotator cuffs, knees and ankles to prove it. And that’s just in a local gym – imagine if it was in front of millions.
Tapping, sometimes, is not an option.
Sometimes it’s the easy, and the right way out, but other times it’s not. Someway, somehow, you must find a way out of the excruciating submission that is locked onto your limbs. The smallest of adjustments in millimetres can often take you in two directions: one, is tolerable, but excruciating pain. The other, is a flat out break or snapping of the limb, punishment to the body, or an escape from consciousness. If you’ve never been there, you may not be able to understand.
On the surface, it may not be right, but the reality is simple: most guys will not tap and will fight to the bitter end.
Note: This is also why we should always, and only allow trained and certifed officials inside an MMA cage or ring. Their acute eye can often mean the difference between an injury or choke going much further than just a break or someone going to sleep.
Quick Random Thoughts
I’d like to see Ortiz compete one more time. Allow him to honour the final fight of his contract, but win or lose, I sincerely hope it’s his last. He deserves one final swan song.
Mark Hominick was overzealous, made a simple mistake and got caught. He will rebound and return a cerebral fighter. Like my co-host for the week, Frank Trigg stated, his bout vs Chan Sung Jung, will be considered a mulligan. He’ll get to return in 2012 and be allowed to bring his career back in order, and will solidify himself as a top contender.
Claude Patrick should have been declared the winner vs Brian Ebersole. It was a very close fight, but Patrick was never in really in trouble. Ebersole was caught in various submission attempts, and while he did an exceptional job getting out, they ate away at the clock. You cannot grant victory based on defence. You do so, based on attempted offence.
Mistakes happen. As long as you learn from them, never make them again, you become a better person. Krzysztof Soszynski and John Makdessi made tactical errors that they probably would not have made any other time. It happens, and their opponents, Igor Pokrajac and Dennis Hallman, deserve credit for seeing the openings and capitalizing on them. KSos and “The Bull” are much better fighters than what we saw on Saturday night, but it wasn’t meant to be.
For a full recap of UFC 140, make sure you tune into UFC Central tonight, and all week long on Sportsnet. I will also be dissecting the card and bringing you up to speed on all the latest news from the world of MMA on “The Showdown”, this Thursday on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. For up to the minute news and thoughts, make sure you follow me on Twitter, via @ShowdownJoe.
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