Coming around on UFC…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
This upcoming weekend will mark my 10th anniversary as a diehard boxing fan. It started Dec. 19 in Florida on HBO with a doubleheader of David Tua vs. Hasim Rahman and Angel Manfredy vs. Floyd Mayweather.
Wow, 10 years, I’m getting old. And for 10 years, boxing has been my undisputed king of sports. I don’t care what anyone says when fights Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez happen, nothing needs to be said. That’s why I love boxing.
But this weekend wasn’t one of them times. This weekend saw me throwing my remote control about the garbage I was watching. More on that in a minute.
While I like/follow UFC more than most people I know, I would never say I’m an expert. But after watching the latest installment of the Ultimate Fighter, again, I might be changing my tune as to where it falls on the Boneman’s favorites.
That was some great stuff Saturday night, especially with Ryan Bader and his first-round KO to win TUF 8. I remember Bader with Arizona State. The Sun Devils are producing a lot of UFC potential stars. Add Bader to C.B. Dollaway and Cain Velasquez, and it’s becoming an ASU reunion in the Octagon.
And how about that high kick KO by Anthony Johnson on Kevin Burns? That was a thing of beauty. I thought Burns was ripe for the takin’ in the third, but I never saw it happening like that.
And of course, kudos to Efrain Escudero on winning the TUF 8 at lightweight. I may have not been in love with that match as most, but it was still quality.
Boxing, on the other hand, ugh. Saturday saw Rahman get his umpteenth chance to prove he is more than a one-punch wonder. And it gave Demetrius Hopkins an opportunity to enter as a substitute opponent and leave as the light welterweight champion.
Both men didn’t fail because they didn’t try. It’s harsh, but I didn’t see the world-class commitment you would expect from two guys looking to win a championship.
Not like the heart and drive I saw all night with the UFC. Rahman didn’t even attempt to touch Wladimir Klitschko all night. I know Dr. K is a beast, but why sign for the fight if you have no intention on trying to do anything? It was mercifully stopped in the seventh, and I believe Rahman landed 30 punches in seven rounds. Yep, a blistering four punches per round.
Over on Showtime was supposed to be the rubber match between Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres. Torres pulled out Monday because of illness and in stepped Hopkins.
Through nine rounds, I had it 6-3 Holt. Not an insurmountable deficit to overcome, especially since Holt wasn’t hurting D-Hop at all.
But during the final nine minutes, Hopkins did nothing. NOTHING. He was more than happy to smile and hug Holt after the fight but didn’t do anything to try to win it.
Why are some of the modern boxers content to just say “I went the distance.” You’d never see an MMA fighter do that. One, because their opponent would pressure them to submission and two, because their pride wouldn’t allow it. That’s why even when people like Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson, etc. lose, all is forgotten by their next fight. They give so much that you gloss over the L.
Not all MMA fighters are fight til you do die warriors and not all boxers are safety-first. Take the Steve Cunningham/Tomasz Adamek fight Thursday. Cunningham had every reason to throw in the towel after being knocked down three times in the first eight rounds. Not just knocked down but badly hurt.
He didn’t. In fact, he easily won the final three rounds and made it a split decision. So Cunningham lost, big deal? His spirited effort will definitely earn him another payday and another shot on TV.
And because I had to work Sunday, I taped an eight-hour UFC Unleashed marathon on Spike. And yes, I intend to watch all eight hours within the next 24 hours.
There are rumblings of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd “Money” Mayweather. I get giddy just thinking about it. And then confused about who I’d want to win. I love and respect both guys so much. So who should PacMan take on, Hatton or Mayweather?
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