Reflection, joy and disappointment: UFC 75

First let me say that watching MMA fights with my wife is super cool. She was completely disgusted with the sport the first time she saw a fighter turn into a bloody old faithful about a year ago. She still doesn't like to see a fighter broken, bloodied and bruised, but she seems to take a lot more fun from a solid technical fight these days. I'm sure she would much prefer a girlie show about interior design, but she still sits down with me every time there is a big fight.

We both sat down to watch Saturday's fights with much anticipation for the final bout. The under cards were host to some pretty amazing fights and one mind boggling decision by the judges.

The first fight was between two fighters I had honestly never heard of, but Houston Alexander certainly did impress with his super fast first round knock out. It makes me wonder why Keith Jardine is getting a big fight against Chuck Liddell, when he lost to Houston back in May. Why not give an up and coming fighter like Houston a shot? I guess you have to make a name for your self first or the UFC wants an easy fight to put a big ticket fighter like Liddell back in title contention. The second fight was by far the most thrilling of the night Paul Taylor was striking his way to what I thought would be first round knock out when with only 45 seconds in the round he was countered into a beautiful arm bar submission by Marcus Davis.

Matt Hamill was robbed! Crystal and I both had him winning when the third round ended in his fight against local (UK) legend Michael Bisping. He was very strong for the first two rounds and was clearly gassed by the third. His open mouth and wild hay makers in the third does not a memory wiping first and second round make however. The fight was a clear 29-28 victory for Hamill and some how the judges scored it 29-28 Bisping, 29-28 Bisping and 30-27 Hamill. While it sucks to lose by decision I won't say that Hamill gave a definitive performance. If you leave it up to the judges and you will always face a possible lose from the cards. Finish it on your own terms and there is never a question in the outcome.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is my boy, one of my favorite fighters by far, but he is on a downward slide. I had hoped his trouncing from Gonzaga in April was a fluke. This Saturday's loss to Cheick Kongo makes me think that he may be on his way out, not back. He was bullied from the start of the fight to its boring conclusion. I was screaming at the television for him to just do something. Apparently I wasn't loud enough or Cro Cop was content with playing the counter defense game to a three round decision loss.

The big match of the night ended in the way that any fight between two powerhouses in a sport usually ends, going to the cards. Rampage was hands down the winner, he controlled Henderson on the ground and traded with him blow for blow in the stand up. Henderson seemed out matched and out sized for most of the match and the cards showed it. First it sucks for any match that involves a title to go to the judges, but its expected. Second, while I like Jackson a lot, his post bout interview where he claimed that his hands hurt from hitting Henderson's rock hard face smacked of corny WWE trash talking, instead of the "actual" sport post fight I'd like to see.