(You look sleepy, Gabe. Maybe time to grab a quick nap? Photo courtesy of UFC.com)
Who’s up and who’s down? The Potato Index is here to tell you with our post-event wrap-up of arbitrary numerical rankings.
“Rampage” Jackson +121
He won a fight he was supposed to win, even if it took him 2 2/3 rounds longer than many thought it would. Jackson said he needed the work, and he looked good from start to finish. But will he still be glad he went through rounds when he has to get back in the gym and prepare for Rashad Evans in two weeks?
Keith Jardine -15
“The Dean of Mean” fought hard and, if nothing else, proved his chin isn’t so suspect after all. The guy has a lot of heart and he’ll fight anyone (except his Jackson camp buddies). There’s always a place in the UFC for someone like that.
Shane Carwin +154
Didn’t we tell you this guy was a beast? Gonzaga broke his nose in the opening seconds and it barely slowed Carwin down. The knockout blow didn’t even seem like it had all his power behind it, but it didn’t matter. Another first-round KO, and this time against a notable opponent. This guy is headed for big things.
Gabriel Gonzaga -78
He’s quickly becoming the guy who can give hell to the lower-tier fighters and absolutely no one else. He needs a victory over someone who matters, and fast.
Matt Brown +83
Somehow he managed to seem both vicious and merciful in his bizarre fight with Pete Sell. Brown doesn’t want to keep beating on you, but he will if Yves Lavigne makes him.
Pete Sell -32
You can’t say he’s a quitter. You also can’t say that performance helped him any. Just be glad Lavigne’s indecision didn’t get him seriously injured.
Matt Hamill +90
He can outwrestle most good strikers and now looks like he can outstrike good wrestlers. We’re almost ready to believe that his loss to Rich Franklin really was friendship-related. Almost.
Mark Munoz -48
Welcome to the UFC. Now keep your hands up.
Gray Maynard +97
You don’t have to like him, but at least admit that “The Bully” is no joke. He turned into a boxer and battered a very tough opponent like it was an easy sparring session. Still doesn’t finish fights, but doesn’t lose them either.
Jim Miller -40
No one looked as surprised as Miller when it became clear that Maynard wanted to keep it standing. Surprise soon turned to dismay, then to swollen and bloody. Looks like it’s back to Fight Nights.
Kendall Grove +53
It’s always nice to win a must-win, and in definitive fashion. It will keep him hanging around, but for how long?
Jason Day -51
A willingness to fight anyone, anytime is nice, but not if you don’t win some of them.
Tamdan McCrory +42
How can you not like “The Barn Cat”? He needed that win, even if he didn’t get the entrance music he wanted, and he just seems so damn likable. Hope he’s around for a long time.
Brandon Vera +45
Looked like shades of his old self as he leg-kicked the hell out of Patt. Can he do it against someone who matters? His next fight should answer that. Maybe it will even be on the main card.
Referees -189
Yves Lavigne is usually better than that, so we’re willing to believe it was just an off night. That Rick Fike character has earned no such leeway. Aren’t we at the point where we can demand qualified, experienced professionals no matter where the event is?
Main Event Musical Chairs -137
After announcing Mir/Lesnar prematurely, the UFC plays dumb until they’re forced to admit it’s off and then asks Rampage to fight for the third time in four months or else they’ll give it to Machida. Now we’re determining title fights by asking who can get ready on short notice? Bad idea.
Loading ...
Post your comment
Showing 1-25 of comments
comments"Matt Serra, 'it wasnt lucky!!' defense"
What Matt Serra says here is
"I tried to hit him and I did, therefore it wasn't lucky."
"If you try to hit a punching bag, and you hit it, was that a lucky punch?"
I see what hes saying. Apparently if you have the intent to do something and you do it it's not luck.
So, by the same logic... last week I was in the gym and I threw a basketball across half court and happened to make it in the basket. But i suppose that wasn't luck, because I was TRYING to throw it in the basket. Right?
Is it because one fighter is better than the other? Because one fighter made a big mistake? Because one fighter fought better than the other on a particular night?
I think any of these are legitimate ways to win a fight. And I think Carwin won because he capitalized on a big mistake on Gonzaga's part.
When someone wins by submission is it because they got lucky or because the other fighter made a mistake? Are all submissions lucky? Are all one-punch knockouts lucky, or do they happen because one fighter made a mistake and left himself wide open? Carwin's win was not lucky, he took advantage of Gonzaga leaving himself open and won the fight.
Feel free to try to prove me wrong.
enough posts already
-Carwin rules
Props to him for keeping his wits about him after getting pummeled by Gabe, but lets be realistic here. Any other heavyweight would have knocked out Gonzaga with that punch, the guy has no chin. Other than that one punch (yeah, yeah that's all you need) he was getting dominated.
YOU BEOTCHES BETTER RECKOGNIZE!
Carwin is the hero of the week. Get over it haters.
Some of you guys talk like every punch is deliberate, perfect, and effective. How about the notion that they're on the defense at the same time, throw alot of punches in the general direction of the head, and a few of them connect.... if they're not blocked or obstructed by the other three hands also flying in the same small area. If a punch can be that dialed in, why would they bother throwing more than one? They throw as fast and hard as they can. Some graze, some connect, some hit the shoulder... whatever. But you can't say that in the middle of Shane Carwin getting his ass kicked that he just simply decided to stand up and say "I'm tired of getting hit in the face. I'm ending it right now with THIS punch. He started swinging back and got through. And he's lucky he did before getting pummeled any more.
Now I know this is the wrong example because of the Lesnar haters, but it's a perfect example of the difference: Lesnar coming out and knocking Heath Herring back in time with the first shot was not lucky. He wasn't fighting off an attack. He wasn't on the defense. It was a first strike, perfectly placed. Nothing lucky about it. If he'd been getting beat down and thrown that during a flurry, it would have been considered lucky by most people here.
Takes more than luck to stand up with Gonzaga in your guard.
Not all punches instantly daze or KO someone. It's the good ones.
Was he throwing a kick and landed with a fist instead? Was closing his eyes and throwing blindly? Was he aiming for the body and somehow hit the head?
He threw a punch, the punch landed on the target. The target leads to a stunned opponent. He finished. Sure sounds like luck to me.
Would you use that same logic against Rampage's KO on Chuck or Silva? Or Gonzaga's head kick on Cro-Cop? I guess The Hammer's head kick was lucky too?
Sign in
Register | Lost your password?
Register For This Site
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Log in | Lost your password?