Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
- Edgar vs. Maynard II will go down as one of, if not the best title fight in UFC history. Frankie Edgar showed that he continues to improve by leaps and bounds every time he steps in the cage, shrugging off most of Maynard's takedowns while landing a few of his own. On the feet, Edgar showed the heart of a champion, rebounding from a brutal beating in the first round to push the pace the rest of the fight. Maynard, meanwhile, checked his 'boring' reputation at the door, blitzing Edgar with vicious left hooks and almost finishing the fight early. Both fighters put forth a championship effort Saturday, and the immediate rematch is well deserved.
- Wrestlers are taught to only shoot if you are close enough to touch your opponent. Of course, being close enough to touch your opponent in MMA means you are close enough to get hit. In order to shoot for a takedown in MMA, you must close the distance, or take a shot from far away. We saw the importance of this Saturday night. Edgar and Maynard both succeeded on takedown attempts when they chained their takedowns with strikes, or when they ducked under their opponent's strikes. When they shot from the outside, their takedowns were easily stuffed.
- Maynard's lead left hooks were devastating in the first round. As a result, Edgar's corner instructed him to circle towards Maynard's right. While it's typically taught to not circle towards your opponent's power hand, Edgar was able to use this movement to jam Maynard up and take away his best punch.
- To learn how to throw the lead left hook, check out Dan Hardy's pro training modules on TapouTVTC.com.
Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
- Chris Leben has built a successful career on his toughness. You can hit him, hit him again, and hit him some more, but he still keeps coming forward. The only problem with this strategy is that, eventually, you will fight someone that hits hard enough to put you out. This happened Saturday, when Brian Stann pulled off the shocking upset and knocked Leben out in the first round -- something that hadn't happened since Anderson Silva's UFC debut in 2006.
- If you want to learn to strike like Brian Stann, check out his coach Mike Winkeljohn's pro training modules.
Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
- What impressed me most about Thiago Silva's performance was that he dominated Vera in the clinch, no easy task against an Olympic-level Greo-Roman wrestler. The UFC broadcast team repeatedly pointed out that this is the first time we've seen a healthy Silva in over a year, and he truly looked like a different fighter. Still just 28, Silva's only two career losses have come to former UFC light-heavyweight champions, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans.
- Vera has always been a dynamic striker, and he showed those features in brief spurts during the fight, even knocking Silva down with a body kick. Unfortunately, Vera showed little urgency on the ground, and seemed content to ball up and hold on rather than exploding and working to a scramble.
Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
- Nick Diaz and his brother Nate have both had problems against wrestlers in their careers. This was the case Saturday, where Dong Hyun Kim used his superior takedowns and top control to grind out a decision. Diaz was able to mount some offense on the feet in the third round, but by that point it was too little, too late. Kim is a big and strong welterweight, but I would like to see his limited striking game improve before he really makes waves in the division.
- I love Diaz's guard game, where he is constantly searching for sweeps and submissions. Every time Diaz elevated one of his legs to look for a triangle, though, Kim controlled his opposite hip, essentially nullifying the submission attempt. Kim might have looked like he was near giving up a submission, but as long as he controlled one of Diaz's hips, he was safe.
Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
- Clay Guida used some of the most bizarre movements I have ever seen in order to confuse Takaori Gomi, and it worked. Gomi was absolutely stifled on the feet and never looked comfortable. Guida also threw some unorthodox striking combinations, like following up a level change with a head kick. This is the most impressed I have been with Guida, who has now won three straight fights.
- To train with Guida's coach, Greg Jackson, click HERE.
