Before we get started, a quick note on my criteria: for one, I place emphasis on how close to being defeated the eventual winner was. It’s not much of a comeback without being close to losing, right? Another important thing is how quick and dramatic the swing of momentum is. What we saw last night was a great comeback because in literally just a few seconds, the tables turned. Finally, there’s the all-important aspect of my own impartiality. That’s right, overruling even the first two criteria will be my own vague reasons and personal opinion. That’s the criterion I’ll be pointing you too if you write me an e-mail to disagree, by the way. We MMA writers are nothing if not fully accountable for our opinions, after all!

10. Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef (Strikeforce: Miami, Jan. 2010)

The Setup

Everyone expected the proverbial sparks to fly in this matchup between two of the most powerful and aggressive strikers in the sport. However, early on it was Manhoef’s stinging leg kicks that made Lawler uncomfortable as the fight started to look like Lawler’s doomed effort against Pete Spratt at UFC 42.

It Was “Over” When…

Lawler was backed up into the cage with 2:15 remaining by repeated leg kicks that sent his lead leg flying out from under him. As Manhoef started looking for the kill with powerful hooks to the head and body, all Lawler could do was put his guard up and try to block the punches as well as possible. Naysayers may say that Lawler was never that close to being put away in this one, but I beg to differ. He couldn’t have taken many more of those leg kicks (“[Manhoef] tore my legs up,” he said afterward) and it was about as one-sided a round as you’ll see. Right before Lawler changed everything, Manhoef had landed 24 of 38 strikes while Lawler had only even thrown three strikes total.

It was Really Over When…

With 1:31 left, Lawler ate yet another hard kick to the inside of his lead leg while backup up to the cage. Immediately after, he ducked and threw a massive overhand right that connected perfectly and dropped Manhoef. As Manhoef was falling, Lawler followed him to the floor and landed a follow-up left that put Manhoef completely left. Another right landed just after Lawler fell down on top of Manhoef, but it was unnecessary and the fight was being broken up anyway. Lawler landed just three strikes the entire fight- the punch that dropped Manhoef, the left that put him out completely, and the follow-up right on the ground.

9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Everyone (Various, 2002-2008)

The Setup

It’s hard to leave any Nogueira fights out, so I have three choices. And yes, that makes this a Top 12 instead of a Top 10, but I’m okay with that and you should be too, dear reader. The three fights would be Nogueira’s wins over Bob Sapp (Pride-Shockwave), Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Pride-Final Conflict 2003), and Tim Sylvia (UFC 81). Sapp isn’t the most talented fighter, but had over 100 pounds on Nogueira, while Cro Cop was one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world and Sylvia was an unpopular but effective former UFC champion.

It Was “Over” When…

Sapp literally dropped Nogueira on his head with a piledriver, Cro Cop finished a dominating ten-minute opening round with a head kick that knocked Nogueira on his backside at the bell, and Sylvia hurt Nogueira multiple times with punches en route to winning the first two rounds of their bout.

It was Really Over When…

Nogueira took advantage of Sapp’s lack of ground skills and cardio by locking in an armbar from side control, finally got Cro Cop to the mat and beat him by armbar, and pulled guard on Sylvia, swept him and guillotined him from side control as the bigger man attempted to get up. In MMA history, no one has turned imminent defeat into victory via submissions like Nogueira has.

8. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Kestutis Smirnovas (K-1 Hero’s 6, Aug. 2006)

The Setup

Sakuraba was making his K-1 Hero’s [sic] debut against Smirnovas, a Lituanian fighter who had compiled an 18-5 career record but hadn’t done anything of note before their fateful matchup. Sakuraba, of course, was a legend in Pride whose career was only marred by Pride’s repeated decision to put him up against much larger fighters. He then debuted in the grammatically incorrect K-1 Hero’s with high hopes of returning to his former glory.

It Was “Over” When…

Smirnovas dropped Saku with a left hook, then right hook during a wild exchange just forty seconds into the fight. Saku fell to his hands and knees and Smirnovas straddled him, turning him to his back and landing eight stiff right hands in a row right on Saku’s chin as he alternately appeared to be out of it or just plain dazed. There was a quick restart as Saku’s head had gone under the bottom rope and Sakuraba was dragged back into the ring quickly, and an impatient Smirnovas landed another right before the fight was even restarted. When it was resumed just a couple of seconds later, Smirnovas went back to work with left-handed hammerfists and more rights as Saku struggled to get to his hands and knees and escape. He took several shots to the back of the head as well, as this bout wasn’t exactly an example of great refereeing, to put it incredibly lightly.

It was Really Over When…

Saku finally overwhelmed a completely gassed Smirnovas with punches standing up, prompting the Lithuanian to roll to the mat. Sakuraba sloooowwwwly pushed Smirnovas’ legs aside almost casually and settled into side control. From there, it was just a moment before he spun for the armbar and got it, ending a fight that 99.9% of MMA referees would have stopped minutes earlier, and with good cause. Still, though you wouldn’t have blamed the referee for stopping it when Smirnovas was playing the conga drums on poor Saku’s head and face, you also can’t argue with the fact that Sakuraba obviously was able to continue and finish the fight in his own favor. Sadly, Sakuraba was already a shell of his former self and has been even worse since this fight, putting up a mediocre 6-6 record since then.

7. Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee (UFC 114, May 2010)

The Setup

You couldn’t find a better antithesis to Duffee than Russow. Duffee was the new, marketable prospect in the UFC’s heavyweight division with a chiseled body and intimidating look. Russow was the doughy, hype-less wrestler with a workmanlike attitude that was supposed to provide more material for Duffee’s highlight reel.

It Was “Over” When…

Halfway through the third round, Duffee had dominated Russow, outstriking him 45-10 while thwarting all of his takedown attempts easily. Duffee had used his reach and superior striking technique to frustrate and hurt Russow, though Russow’s sturdy chin had kept him conscious through it all. With a couple of minutes to go, a tiring Duffee was cruising to a unanimous decision victory.

It was Really Over When…

Literally out of nowhere, a Russow right hand landed flush on the temple of Duffee, sending him down to the canvas. A follow-up shot forced Josh Rosenthal to jump in and stop the fight at 2:32 of the third round as fans reacted in disbelief and awe. The punches were just the 14th and 15th strikes that Russow landed in the entire 12 1/2 minute fight, and Russow was 0 for 9 on takedown attempts, to boot. Duffee had injuries and other issues push him out of his scheduled bouts after that before the UFC finally just released him from his contract after a 1-1 record in the UFC.

6. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (UFC 117, Aug. 2010)

The Setup

After months of trash talking, Chael Sonnen was finally going to face Anderson Silva for Silva’s UFC Middleweight Championship. Few believed that Sonnen could actually back up the epic levels of verbal vomit he had spewed at anyone who would listen for months before the matchup.

It Was “Over” When…

The fifth and final round began and Silva had barely put up a fight through four full rounds of action. Sonnen had taken Silva down at will and even out-struck him in several exchanges, and even though the majority of the fight had taken place on the mat, Silva had not even attempted a submission other than a short-lived kimura attempt in round two. Sonnen had landed more strikes in every single round and with 2 1/2 minutes to go, he was on top of Silva again and looking at not only a win, but a possible 50-45 or even 50-44 result on the judges’ scorecards.

It was Really Over When…

Sonnen allowed Silva to control his left wrist for about 45 seconds while he simply continued punching away with his right hand, and then Silva suddenly went for the triangle choke, which was obviously trouble for Sonnen from the get-go. Sonnen fought it off as well as he could, but when Silva torqued his arm as well, Sonnen had to tap to the triangle/armbar combination to end the fight in stunning fashion.

5. Scott Smith vs. Cung Le (Strikeforce: Evolution, Dec. 2009)

The Setup

This fight was a striker’s delight on paper between the tough and powerful Smith and the technically proficient and flashy Le, who hadn’t fought in almost two years after his one-sided win over Frank Shamrock, but also hadn’t lost in 6 professional MMA bouts.

It Was “Over” When…

Le had battered Smith for three straight rounds, landing just about any kick he could imagine with apparent ease and hurting Smith multiple times with kicks and punches to the head and body. Smith had dropped both rounds, with the first being a likely 10-8 for Le as Smith was nearly finished in the opening stanza. With just two minutes left, Le was picking his spots while closing out what was surely a one-sided decision victory.

It was Really Over When…

Smith followed up a short left hook that clipped Le with a desperation rally that concluded when a right cross dropped Le to his stomach. Smith finished with right hands on the ground to force intervention from “Big” John McCarthy to complete the stunning and sudden comeback.

4. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (UFC 116, July 2010)

The Setup

Billed as a fight that couldn’t possibly go the distance, everyone expected this one to be finished within one round. Carwin, the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, had never gone past the first round in his career- a career in which all of his fights had ended in KOs or TKOs in his favor. Meanwhile, Lesnar was possibly the only man in the UFC or elsewhere that could match Carwin in size, power, and wrestling ability, making Lesnar’s title defense a much anticipated one. The fact that Lesnar was returning from a lengthy layoff due to a career-threatening bout with diverticulitis just hyped fans for the fight even more.

It Was “Over” When…

Carwin swarmed on Lesnar after clipping him in the first round, landing 52 strikes on the mat as Lesnar just tried to stay alive however he could. Several times during the one-sided beating it appeared as if referee Josh Rosenthal was about the stop the fight, but he wisely did not even as Carwin continued punishing the champ.

It was Really Over When…

Well, when Lesnar took a fatigued Carwin down in the second round, but it was really over much earlier than that. I would almost say that it was a done deal when Carwin wasn’t able to finish Lesnar in the first and Lesnar popped up and finished the first round with a takedown attempt of his own. Carwin was seriously exhausted and had nothing left in him, as Lesnar easily took him down early in the second and finished him with an arm triangle from starting from the mount, then side control shortly after.

3. Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell (The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale, Nov. 2006)

The Setup

Neither fighter was in reach of a title shot, nor was either fighter any kind of household name, the fight was just a fun matchup between two pretty good strikers at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter 4. If not for the finish, this fight would have simply been another good fight and nothing more.

It Was “Over” When…

As Smith circled away with 1:41 left in the second round, Sell reached out with a left and landed a hook to Smith’s body that immediately hurt him. Smith winced and started to double over in pain and Sell moved in for the kill.

It was Really Over When…

Smith pulled himself together just long enough to launch a perfect straight right that instantly dropped Sell (and another look in slow-mo). Another right followed, but it was unnecessary as Sell had already been beaten and the fight was being stopped. Smith couldn’t even celebrate the victory, as he immediately went back to being doubled over in pain after the fight was stopped. It was one of the most incredible sequences in MMA history.

2. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52, Apr. 2005)

The Setup

Trigg had previously challenged Hughes for his title at UFC 45, but fell to a rear naked choke in the first round. Humbled, he TKO’d both Dennis Hallman and Renato Verissimo to earn another shot at Hughes at UFC 52. Trigg was determined to make sure that this one didn’t end up like their first fight.

It Was “Over” When…

Referee Mario Yamasaki didn’t see Trigg land a knee right to Hughes’ twig-and-berries early in the first round. Hughes winced in pain and circled away to get some space to recover, but Trigg was all over him. He swarmed Hughes with punches and ended up mounting, then attempting a rear naked choke of his own on Hughes.

It was Really Over When…

Hughes escaped the choke as Trigg had gotten too far off onto Hughes’ left side when he took his back. He turned into Trigg against the cage to escape, and as Trigg went to stand he picked him up and carried him quickly across to the other side of the cage before slamming him down. After gaining the mount, he peppered Trigg with punches and elbows before Trigg was forced to give up his back. From there, Hughes sank in a rear naked choke to get another submission win over his rival. It was possibly the greatest momentum change in MMA history and was even Dana White’s favorite fight of all-time for many years (and possibly still is).

1. Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry (UFC Live 4, June 2011)

The Setup

Two heavyweights needing a win to move towards the upper echelon of the division were facing off. Both were accomplished strikers, but many expected Kongo to use his improved wrestling to get an extra edge against the flashy and powerful Barry.

It Was “Over” When…

Barry clipped Kongo with a right hand with 2:47 left in the first round, setting off an unbelievable 26 seconds of MMA. The right hook landed behind Kongo’s ear and wobbled him to the mat, and Barry was all over him. You could make very compelling cases for a referee stoppage with 2:41 and 2:34 remaining, and Miragliotta even made contact with the fighters at one point when he had moved in for a stoppage but decided against it as Kongo suddenly showed signs of life. Kongo was stumbling around and trying to get to his feet however he could, as he was dropped two seperate times.

It was Really Over When…

After getting up for the second time, Kongo stumbled back to the fence with Barry swinging aggressively at him. Suddenly, Kongo landed a right that gave Barry pause for just an instant, and then a perfect right uppercut that knocked Barry out cold as he continued trying to put Kongo away. Barry flopped limply to his back as Kongo gave a couple of extra shots for good measure, prompting Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight officially at 2:39 of the first round.

Honorable Mentions:

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (Pride 26, June 2003)
–”The Last Emperor” got nailed early with a right hand that had him wobbling around the ring, but hung with it long enough to land some big shots of his own and finish the powerful Fujita with a rear naked choke.

Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida (The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale, Dec. 2007)
–Huerta was down two rounds to none going into the third round and Guida looked as fresh as ever going into the final stanza. An epic staredown before the third round came just a half-minute before the finish as a suddenly-reinvigorated Huerta landed a head kick and submitted Guida with a rear naked choke to complete the sudden comeback.

Scott Smith vs. Benji Radach (Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz, Apr. 2009)
–Similar to the Cung Le fight in that Radach had dominated the action early on, winning the first two rounds. Radach notched a 10-8 second round in the opinions of many as he cut Smith open and rocked him badly, as well. Then, Smith landed a right hand just after being tossed on his head that changed the fight. Radach tried to rally in return, but another right put him out cold and completed yet another comeback for Smith.

Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski (UFC 59, Apr. 2006)
–Think Smith vs. Sell, except that Arlovski hurt Sylvia by going to the head, not to the body, and the whole thing was quite a bit more lumbering and sloppy-looking. Arlovski hurt Sylvia early in their fight with a big right hand, but when he moved in for the kill, Sylvia clipped him with a short right that ended his night suddenly and brutally. This actually gets knocked down a notch simply because the two were so overly respectful in their following fight (the rubber match between the two) that they laid one of the all-time stinkers in the cage at UFC 61 in a five-round snoozefest.

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Actually, watching the whole thing in the wee hours of the night helped make their mock fight, luchadore masks and banter that much more palatable. Anyway, let’s get on with the show.

What the–?

Really, though, that’s the best place to begin. There is something slightly surreal about watching Japanese MMA shows, with all of their eccentricity, when you’re already sleep-deprived. Some of my favorite parts of the show (luchadore masks notwithstanding) would include:

–The use of Prince’s “Sexy MF” in Michihiro Omigawa’s pre-fight hype video.

–Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s dance routine as he made his way to the ring to face his idol.

–Sakuraba’s homage to a Japanese cartoon, as well as all the night’s samurai drummer appearances.

Great stuff. It makes you hope Dream has what it takes to keep on truckin’, doesn’t it?

But then again, there’s that…

Not all of Dream’s quirks are as endearing as “Crazy Screaming Lady” or samurai drummers, though. Take the yellow cards, for example. We heard Frank Trigg address the suspicions that Dream’s yellow cards (and Pride’s yellow cards, before) were given a bit more freely to foreigners. Trigg even jokingly called it a tax.

Then, what happens in the Aoki-Aurelio fight? Aoki, who spent the majority of the fight on top of Aurelio, doing not much of anything, gets the fight stood up from inactivity. The ref stands up the fighters, and gives a yellow card to…Aurelio. Nothing for Aoki.

So let me get this straight: Aoki is mounted on Aurelio and actually has Aurelio’s legs triangled with his own so he can’t move, and Aurelio is supposed to somehow push the action from that position? Furthermore, Aurelio is doing what he can, throwing punches when possible, and Aoki gets stood up from the mount for inactivity, but there’s no punishment for Aoki himself?

The yellow card may sometimes serve its purpose, but it’s the alternative purchase that has always bothered me: ripping off fighters of sizable portions of their hard-earned money for no good reason. Aoki should have been given the yellow card, if anything, but we knew that wasn’t going to happen, didn’t we?

Aoki doesn’t bring the goods

Speaking of Aoki, I can’t be the only person who was disappointed with his performance. I have to give credit where credit is due: Aoki showed great ability to pass Aurelio’s guard, and the technique of triangling his opponent’s legs while in the mount so that he can’t escape was certainly pretty cool to see (for the first minute or two, anyway).

However, this seems to be a theme nowadays when Aoki faces another competent grappler: he plays a conservative game and just doesn’t really bring the goods. Remember against Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, where we all hoped for a great fight between two good grapplers and instead got Aoki out-pointing Ribeiro from a standing position? Hey, Aoki won the fight against Aurelio, so I guess you can’t fault him. However, maybe Aoki should keep his criticisms of wrestlers who simply stall their way to wins to himself in the future, since he joined their ranks, if only for a night.

What can we take from Mayhem’s win over Sakuraba?

Early in the night, Schiavello and Trigg astutely wondered whether Miller could really punch his idol in the face, and when Miller forced Sakuraba to the mat, we got the answer loud and clear.

Miller threw some brutally stiff punches right into Sakuraba’s mush, which allowed him to soften up the Japanese legend enough to sink in an arm triangle for the submission. What can we really take away from such a victory, though?

I don’t want to disrespect Miller, as I’m a fan of his and think he’s a very talented fighter. It must have been a big night for Miller to not only beat a fighter he has always looked up to, but to submit him. Submitting Sakuraba is no small task, after all. However, there really isn’t a whole lot we can take from this in terms of what it means for Miller’s career. Who really thought that Sakuraba would win this fight? He hasn’t looked like himself since the old Pride days, right?

The only thing we can truly take away from this fight is that Sakuraba needs to retire. He won’t, as he says he wants to keep competing for a few more years, but he can’t keep up with top competition anymore, and watching him have competitive contests with middling fighters is not exactly a great proposition. I wouldn’t even call the fight a “passing of the torch” moment, because generally passing the torch happens when the passer still has something left to give, and the passee is simply better. Hughes-St. Pierre II was a passing of the torch. In the case of Sakuraba, he had stumbled and dropped the torch long ago, and it’s not his to pass.

Quick Shots

–You’ve got to feel for Hideo Tokoro. The poor guy gets kicked in the balls twice by Joachim Hansen, and continues to fight at the peril of his pebbles, only to be submitted within a couple of minutes. Talk about a bad night. It’s good to see Hansen get back into the “W” column, though.

–If we couldn’t take much away from Mayhem-Sakuraba, we can take even less away from Satoshi Ishii’s win over Ikuhisa Minowa. Minowa was simply swamped by the former Olympic judo gold medalist, who overwhelmed him and controlled him from the opening bell. It appeared as if Ishii was 100 pounds heavier than Minowa at times, though the actual discrepancy was much less. Often, it was like watching a grizzly bear maul Justin Bieber, though without the satisfaction.

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Despite all of this, UFC fans got only one moment in that entire span to celebrate Ken Shamrock, to turn back the clock a little bit.  That was UFC 48, when Shamrock faced Kimo, a fellow veteran from the early days of the sport.  Then, Shamrock was able to knock out his supposed rival with a knee, then strut around the octagon like the Shamrock of old, while the fans went crazy.  It was like 1994 all over again, and it was hard not to smile at the time.

Now, why didn’t this happen more often?  Why did Shamrock get put in the cage time and time again with fighters that he had no real chance of beating?  After all, only the least educated of fans would be tricked into believing that the Ken Shamrock of 2005 had a legitimate shot at beating Rich Franklin.  By the time Shamrock faced Ortiz the last two times, his credibility with even nostalgic fans was all but gone, and the wins did absolutely nothing for Ortiz as a result.  Unfortunately, this kind of match-making is more the rule than the exception when it comes to fighters who have moved past their respective primes.

I have long thought that, while some of the aspects of mixed martial arts that can be compared to professional wrestling (like pre-fight interviews, entrance music and gaudy title belts) work quite well, some of the other elements are not so positive.  One such element is the way that the sport in general and the UFC in particular has utilized fighters that were once top-level and have since moved past their prime due to age or any other factor.

What is my comparison, exactly?  Well, without getting too far into the wrestling business, when a younger wrestler that hasn’t caught on with the fans as much as the company would like needs to do so, one good way to have this happen is to have him feud with an established superstar.  When an older wrestler that perhaps is not as relevant as before, but still has a good reputation with fans loses to a younger one, some of that credibility (funny term for use in a talk about a scripted “sport”, I know) transfers to the winner.

The UFC has long used many of the booking techniques that professional wrestling is famous for, including the “passing of the torch” fight between the fighter who is high in the rankings but not legendary yet in the eyes of casual fans and the fighter who is seen as a legend, but hasn’t fought at their highest level for years.  The examples are numerous.  Pretty much Shamrock vs. everyone over the last years of his UFC tenure.  Ken’s brother Frank’s fights in Strikeforce have not always been much better, as Strikeforce wants to maintain the illusion that Frank is still a relevant fighter in the sport, even though he doesn’t perform well against high-level talent.  Japan’s promotions are certainly no exception, as the treatment of Kazushi Sakuraba (who should never be featured in fights against young, talented opponents at this point) proves.

Also, to a lesser extent, Frank Trigg and Mark Coleman were brought back in order to be fed to younger and at this point, better versions of themselves.  (Coleman, if you recall, was supposed to face Brock Lesnar originally in his UFC return)  No one was wondering what would happen with Trigg vs. Josh Koscheck.  However, Trigg vs. Matt Serra made for a fun fight.  See the difference?

Now, I’m not going to say that the UFC or MMA in general should have some sort of “senior” division (though, honestly, I would love it).  I know that it’s not realistic.  However, I really don’t see the point in the UFC either not using fighters who have gotten past their prime at all, or using them incorrectly if they do sign them.  For instance, the only time that Coleman was used in the right way was when he faced Randy Couture, even though Couture is exempt to most of this discussion, since he is the rare specimen over 40 years old that is still relevant as a top ten fighter.

Still, seeing fighters like Ken Shamrock, Coleman, Royce Gracie (who was lucratively, but also pointlessly brought back to lose to Matt Hughes at UFC 60), Gilbert Yvel, Frank Shamrock and now Chuck Liddell being put up against fighters who were in (or are in) the title picture of their respective divisions is silly.  Not only that, but it misses out on a great opportunity.

Does the UFC really think that a Gracie-Shamrock rematch at a catch weight, even now, wouldn’t arouse interest?  How come no one has put together the Shamrock-Tank Abbott fight that was endlessly hinted at?  Who wouldn’t want to see Don Frye take on Shamrock again?  Why is Frank Shamrock fighting Nick Diaz when he should be facing Bas Rutten one last time?  For that matter, I understand the Liddell-Tito Ortiz angle, but if Dana White and company really think Liddell’s days of relevancy are over, can we get Liddell-Cro Cop?

The list of fighters who the sport was built on and who are not what they once were, but still in shape and wanting to compete is not a short one.  Why not pit them against one another?  Let’s not pretend that this sport is purely about the rankings.  This is a sport that featured Butterbean against Genki Sudo, for God’s sake.  I long accepted that freak show fights have at least some appeal, and promoters need to learn that nostalgia does, as well.  Why ruin any appeal that a fighter fans think of as a legend has by putting him up against today’s best, rather than just using “legend vs. legend” fights that could be more competitive?

Sure, a guy like Liddell may not accept being featured this way in the long run.  For many, such as current middleweight Anderson Silva, you can sense that they would rather not fight than fight at a level lower than what they’ve always performed at.  However, for every fighter who wants to go out on top, there are several Ken Shamrocks and (yikes) Dan Severns who love competing and want to continue to do so.  Instead of forcing them out the door, why not put together some fun matchups that allow these guys to chance to compete and the fans an extra chance or two to see them in action?

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Title Shots for Couture, Sonnen?

The talk lately has been that Randy Couture is right on the cusp of a title shot following his controversial decision victory over Brandon Vera and now his dominating submission win over fellow Hall of Famer Mark Coleman.  Is that realistic, though?  And what about Chael Sonnen, who defeated Nate Marquardt to derail Marquardt’s quest for a second shot at Anderson Silva?

In Couture’s case, it wouldn’t be outrageous if he got a shot at the title, but I’m not a huge fan of the idea.  I don’t think Couture has done enough in the division, and in two of his last three fights overall, he hasn’t exactly looked outstanding.  However, if Lyoto Machida is able to ward off Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in their rematch, I wouldn’t mind seeing a match-up between him and Couture just to see how the style differences play out.  Can a great game-planner like Couture come up with a way to stifle Machida for five rounds?

I’m less interested in a Couture title shot if Shogun wins, however.  Still, Couture may just get one because no one else in the division is really stepping up to claim the next spot.  “Minotoro” Nogueira may be right in the running with a win over Forrest Griffin, and the winner of Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson could get a shot in the late summer or early fall, too.  In the meantime, Couture would provide the UFC with a bankable opponent for the winner of Machida/Rua II.

In the case of Sonnen, it was made clear that the winner of his battle with Marquardt would be the next top contender, and that’s fine.  There is no clear cut top contender outside of those two at middleweight, anyway.  Plus, Sonnen’s hilarious- and quite frankly, insane- decision to trash talk Anderson Silva has me hoping for a fight between the two.  Sonnen’s latest exploits include saying that he hopes Silva beats Belfort because he believes Silva is the easier fight for him.

Yes.  He actually said that.

Tito Ortiz: Stupid, Brilliant, or Both?

It was just another post-fight interview until Mark Coleman inexplicably turned around and walked away from Joe Rogan.  As it turned out, Coleman had been rudely interrupted by his former would-be opponent, Tito Ortiz.  If you remember correctly, things got ugly between those two when Coleman had to pull out of the fight, prompting Ortiz to run his mouth about Coleman’s injuries.  Coleman’s manager responded with some not-so-nice remarks about Ortiz and his significant other (Jenna Jameson)- in specific, her background in pornographic movies.  Coleman squashed it all, Ortiz went on to fight Forrest Griffin, and we all moved on…until Saturday night.

Dana White took it all in stride, but what surprised me is that he wasn’t quite sure why Ortiz even bothered to mess with Coleman.  To me, it makes perfect sense and is a typically shrewd move from the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.  I’m sure we all remember when Ortiz manufactured a continuing feud (that should have been long dead) with Ken Shamrock, eventually banking wins number 2 and 3 against the aging fighter in one-sided affairs as a result of the hyped-up resentment between them.

Fast forward to February, 2010.  Ortiz just came back to the UFC after an uneventful time in free agency, and has already lost a close decision to Griffin.  Now, he’s looking at a third fight with Chuck Liddell, who has defeated him handily in their first two matchups.  Ortiz knows as well as any of us that if he loses that fight (which is likely), he’s 0-2 in his return and on shaky ground, as he has very few credible wins over the last several years of his career.  So what does he do?  Ignites a feud with Mark Coleman.  If it plays out right, the public will be interested in Ortiz-Coleman, Ortiz will get a much-needed win after a possible 0-2 start to his latest UFC stint, and he will be assured another fight after the Liddell bout.  It even works out nicely for Coleman, if it in fact goes down that way.

Alas, though: White stated that he was pretty sure Coleman had his last UFC fight Saturday night.  Still, you can’t fault Ortiz for trying, and his ability to consistently call out fighters that he believes he matches up well with is humorous, really.  He reminds me of the MMA version of Eminem.  Eminem, who gained his start by being a battle rapper who tore other rappers to shreds verbally, has spent his career feuding with such hip hop luminaries as Moby, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon and Chris Kirkpatrick of the gangsta rap group N-Sync.  Never has Eminem intentionally feuded with a rapper who could even compete with him, and Ortiz has very rarely feuded with a fighter that posed a real threat to him in the cage.

Where Does Serra Go From Here?

Whether Frank Trigg is done in the UFC now is unclear at this point, but it is also not immediately clear what the company will do with Matt Serra after his scintillating knockout of Trigg a couple of nights ago.  I wondered about Trigg’s gameplan from the start, as I thought his best chance was to take Serra down and be methodical about his ground and pound while wearing Serra out.

Serra is not exactly in title contention, but I could see him facing the loser of Jon Fitch-Thiago Alves (or the winner, if the winner doesn’t get a title shot).  Even someone like Diego Sanchez would be an interesting fight for the veteran.  As for Trigg, I really hope the UFC keeps the veteran fighter.  I understand their thinking if they don’t, but I like having some long-time UFC fighters actively competing.  Sure, he may not be a title contender, but who wouldn’t want to see Trigg fight on a UFC Fight Night card against some young, cocky fighter?

Quick Shots

–I know I already talked a bit about Sonnen, but I have to mention him again and give him tons of credit for his gutsy effort in the last round of his fight with Marquardt.  Marquardt had a deep guillotine attempt and Sonnen simply refused to tap.  I had no doubt while watching that Sonnen would pass out rather than tap, especially knowing he was up two rounds to none, and Sonnen confirmed as much after the fight.  I think he’s biting off way more than he can chew by calling out Anderson Silva the way that he has, but you have to respect his confidence in himself.

–Besides the fighters we already talked about, whose stock rose the most Saturday night?  Paulo Thiago comes to mind, with a very nice submission win over former title contender Mike Swick.  I think Dan Miller also gave a very good account of himself by surviving on the mat against Demian Maia, who has seen his stock fall over his last two fights for sure.  Meanwhile, Swick is now going to be fighting for his career over his next fight or two, when he was fighting for a title shot not too long ago, and Rolles Gracie couldn’t even get started on the road to UFC stardom, completely gassing out after just five minutes of action and giving a very poor account of himself while losing to Joey Beltran.

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Matt Serra talks about his victory over Frank Trigg and the impending opening of his new gym on Long Island.

The main event, of course, features Mark Coleman, who at 45 years of age will continue his career resurgence inside the UFC’s octagon. He’ll face Randy Couture, the 46-year old fighter who has become the epitome of an athlete competing at a high level well past his supposed “expiration date”. The fight is unique in that, despite its billing as the first-ever bout between two UFC Hall of Famers, it is not simply a nostalgia fight or an attempt to put two big names together. These guys, particularly Couture, can still compete and are very much in the thick of perhaps the most competitive division in all of MMA.

Couture has proven himself time and time again, as now it’s safe to say that the majority of his biggest accomplishments have taken place after he turned 40 years old. Meanwhile, Coleman hasn’t set the world on fire in recent years, but did pull out a suffocating decision win against Stephan Bonnar, who is no slouch himself. He also took everything Mauricio “Shogun” Rua could dish out for almost a full 15 minutes, which looks considerably more impressive now that Rua, in the eyes of many, should be the UFC’s light heavyweight champion.

Meanwhile, the fight between 35-year old Matt Serra and 37-year old Frank Trigg carries a little more urgency for both competitors. Both seem to believe that this is the UFC’s equivalent to what is known in the professional wrestling world as a “loser leaves town” match. Though both have only lost recently to fighters that are either legends in the division, top competitors or both, the UFC is never shy about cutting fighters who are deemed to have their best days behind them.

Of course, the UFC also brought back Coleman and Trigg when neither seemed to have really done anything to warrant the sudden interest, too…so who knows?

Still, the presence of these four on the “Relentless” card Saturday night solidifies an important truth about mixed martial arts: savvy and experience really can level the playing field against youth and athleticism.

To me, the idea that someone like Randy Couture could compete at such a high level against competitors nearly half his age should really be a big selling point of the sport in general and the UFC in particular. First of all, Randy’s success (and his tactics) provide indisputable proof that the sport is not about brute strength, how stereotypically “tough” you are, or how mean you look. Since the majority of those who will watch the UFC at home or in a sports bar somewhere lack brute strength, extreme toughness or a Wanderlei Silva-staredown, this should attract people to find out what this sport’s all about, right? After all, Couture shows people the same thing that Royce Gracie showed them almost 20 years ago: that fighting is not what most people think it is.

Furthermore, what better of a message can a sport have than that you can succeed with hard work, effort and a smart strategy? Again, most of us who comprise the fanbase of mixed martial arts are not world-class athletes. Many are north of 40 years old, like Couture. We can identify with fighters like him (and, for the younger crowd, Forrest Griffin), who have obtained nearly all of their success through hard work.

Finally, Couture and company provide a ready-made counter to common criticisms of the sport- such as that it is merely two muscleheads duking it out, or that it is like a “sanctioned street fight”. When athletes such as these can remain competitive against younger, faster and stronger fighters, it proves that there is much more to the sport than meets the eye.

In closing, though I made an age joke to kick off this column, this event is as good a time as any to be in awe of the select few fighters who have the dedication and ability to compete at a world-class level in such a demanding sport. Who cares if there are any titles on the line? UFC 109 will be great viewing for other reasons.

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