The MMA Minute – UFC 118 Aftermath

We’ve heard about the “MMA vs Boxing” arguments, which would win and in which scenarios, we finally found out tonight. Here’s your quick hits:

Quick Recaps

• Welterweight bout:  Nate Diaz vs.  Marcus Davis – Diaz defeated Davis via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:02 of round 3.

Diaz was expected to outwork Davis on the ground, the former boxer Davis was supposed to dominate the stand up. Diaz peppered Davis with punches and opened up a nasty cut in the first round. He continued landing punches throughout the second, and finally got him down to the ground and finished him off in round 3.

The rest of the fights after the jump.

• Lightweight bout:  Kenny Florian vs.  Gray Maynard – Maynard defeated Florian via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Gray ‘The Bully’ Maynard lived up to his nickname yet again, even against the great Ken-Flo. After the fight, Maynard said his strategy was to make Florian chase him, because he hadn’t shown that we was good at chasing, and he was right on the money. Maynard got a take down in each round and won the chance to fight for the belt.

• Middleweight bout:  Demian Maia vs.  Mario Miranda – Maia defeated Miranda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Maia dominated this entire fight, but Miranda did just enough to avoid being submitted. At times Miranda looked up to the challenge at hand, but Maia is one of the best Brazillian Jiu-jitsu fighters in the world, and he just totally outclassed Miranda.

• Heavyweight bout:  Randy Couture vs.  James Toney – Couture defeated Toney via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:19 of round 1.

Let’s be honest, a boxer won’t beat an MMA fighter in an MMA match, unless he lands a big punch and gets the KO. An MMA fighter isn’t going to beat a boxer in a boxing match, unless he lands a big bunch to the get KO. Couture wasn’t stupid enough to fight anywhere close to Toney’s world, he took one spin around the ring, shot and took Toney down… and then proceeded to put on a clinic in MMA. Toney didn’t have a clue what to do and eventually tapped. Kudos to him for being the first boxer to step into the octagon though, hopefully more follow his lead and we can get some really interesting matchups.

• Lightweight Championship bout:  Frankie Edgar (c) vs.  B.J. Penn – Edgar defeated Penn via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45).

Penn said he was out to make a point that he didn’t like how the last fight went down. Surprisingly, Edgar took Penn down… big… more than once in the first round! Penn rarely gets taken down, and Edgar accomplished it twice in the first round alone, via slams, not just getting him down. For the entire fight, Penn looked almost disinterested and slow compared to Edgar’s frantic pace. I don’t know why Penn didn’t try more leg kicks or take downs, and his corner did a terrible job between rounds giving him lame pep talks instead of giving him technical advice. Penn was completely outclassed (I never thought I’d say that!) this time around by Frankie Edgar.

The fights tonight didn’t quite have the fireworks of the last two cards, but it was an entertaining night nonetheless. I finished the night 3-2, missing on the two lightweight fights.