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Lord of The Curry

UFC 89: Bisping vs Leben

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The show honestly didn't do much for me...I think it was because I didn't feel good and was incredibly tired throughout though. I had trouble fully paying attention throughout.

 

In the main event, Bisping had a gameplan and he implemented it...but it didn't earn him any points with me. I don't like the style in MMA of what he did. Namely to hit and run. He just...hid behind his reach and ran around for most of the fight. The fight went pretty much exactly as I predicted. Leben couldn't catch Bisping, and Bisping doesn't have the power to KO someone like Leben. So he just...stayed out range and picked his shots. He also didn't get any points with me by saying that a UD was his plan all along. I fucking *HATE* that. I'm not saying it's not a valid strategy in fighting (Unless you changed decisions to auto draws. Then the shit would disapear), but at the same time it's not something I like to watch for fifteen minutes. Leben looked like a completely different person, but he just couldn't get within range and catch Bisping to land too often.

 

Lytle/Taylor was good...Lytle was deeeead tired by the final round, but Taylor wasn't able to finish him and not for a lack of trying.

 

Cane/Sokoudjou was alright...Rogan pretty much clearly called it when he said that Sokoudjou was gassing due to his power. He needs to learn how to mix his power...Otherwise, the gameplan to beat him is pretty easy.

 

Vera/Jardine was good...but aside from the crazy ass finish to round one, I don't really remember much. I don't know if I didn't pay attention, or nothing made an impression but I just...don't remember much.

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The show honestly didn't do much for me...I think it was because I didn't feel good and was incredibly tired throughout though. I had trouble fully paying attention throughout.

 

In the main event, Bisping had a gameplan and he implemented it...but it didn't earn him any points with me. I don't like the style in MMA of what he did. Namely to hit and run. He just...hid behind his reach and ran around for most of the fight. The fight went pretty much exactly as I predicted. Leben couldn't catch Bisping, and Bisping doesn't have the power to KO someone like Leben. So he just...stayed out range and picked his shots. He also didn't get any points with me by saying that a UD was his plan all along. I fucking *HATE* that. I'm not saying it's not a valid strategy in fighting (Unless you changed decisions to auto draws. Then the shit would disapear), but at the same time it's not something I like to watch for fifteen minutes. Leben looked like a completely different person, but he just couldn't get within range and catch Bisping to land too often.

 

Lytle/Taylor was good...Lytle was deeeead tired by the final round, but Taylor wasn't able to finish him and not for a lack of trying.

 

Cane/Sokoudjou was alright...Rogan pretty much clearly called it when he said that Sokoudjou was gassing due to his power. He needs to learn how to mix his power...Otherwise, the gameplan to beat him is pretty easy.

 

Vera/Jardine was good...but aside from the crazy ass finish to round one, I don't really remember much. I don't know if I didn't pay attention, or nothing made an impression but I just...don't remember much.

Bonuses ($40k) according to MMAJunkie:

Fight: Lytle/Taylor

KO: Luiz Kane

Sub: Jim Miller

 

The thing about Bisping is that he doesn't have the proper tools to finish a guy like Leben. He actually hit Chris in the jaw a couple of times with zero effect. As for the fight, well it was the perfect gameplan since when he engaged, he was able to pick apart Leben and Leben doesn't know how to back down. But I agree - this is fast becoming the neutral zone trap of MMA.

 

I don't think that Lytle/Taylor is a FOTYC as Mik suggested, but you can't deny that both guys gave it their all and earned their bonus. Easily the best fight on the live card.

 

Vera/Jardine seemed like a counterpunch fight at times. There was some nice stuff when they engaged, but a bit too much circling. I wouldn't be surprised if both guys are sent back to the undercard.

 

Davis/Kelly. Back to the old Marcus Davis. Davis/Lytle in Ireland - make it happen!

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It was an all stand-up show, which kinda sucked cause I like variety. Davis was super impressive, though. The switch is definitely moving from blocking to evading in terms of striking defense, which is better for MMA. I enjoyed Sokodjou vs. Cane mainly because it was like watching two horror movie villains fighting each other.

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If Vera was a smidgen more aggressive he might have won that decision. There were points in the fight where he just stood there and pretty much dared Jardine to come to him, waiting for him.

 

I have to agree with Hawk about the Bisping fight. If this is how he is going to win fights, Bisping has no future on this side of the pond. I am not saying that he has to stand and bang, or always try to choke out or submit guys, but what he does is not what I really want to see in MMA. He fights MMA like Floyd Mayweather fights in boxing, and I don't like seeing *that* either. Land jab, score point, evade. Circle, circle, circle. Yawn.

 

I'm not worried about Bisping becoming a threat or making any significant noise (especially considering who is champion right now; Anderson is faster than he is and would quite frankly destroy Bisping), because he is going to run into a guy who can move just as well as he does who can cut off Bisping's avenues of escape and force him out of that weak ass gameplan. Chris is a banger so that immediately was a clash of styles and not a good one in regard to Bisping. But considering Chris was a replacement, beggars can't be choosers, right?

 

The Lytle fight was very entertaining, despite the fact that my girlfriend and I were arguing throughout most of it. And Davis impressed me as well.

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David Baron vs Jim Miller is up for free on UFC.com and I highly recommend it, smooth ground work throughout and Miller looked fantastic. Can't wait to see what's next for him.

 

Bisping is in a weird spot because I think he could handle most of the lower-tier MW's but strong wrestlers like Okami or Henderson would have their way with him quite easily I'd say. I think he fights MacDonald next which should be, if nothing else a good test of where he stands in the division because outpointing Chris Leben and backing up for 15 minutes isn't anything to get excited about.

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I'm not worried about Bisping becoming a threat or making any significant noise (especially considering who is champion right now; Anderson is faster than he is and would quite frankly destroy Bisping), because he is going to run into a guy who can move just as well as he does who can cut off Bisping's avenues of escape and force him out of that weak ass gameplan.

Here's the problem - it's not a weak game plan, it's in fact a very smart (albeit boring) one. If it were poor, Lyoto wouldn't have a 0 in the loss column. I can see just about any fighter who is looking to "protect their spot" using the Lyoto strategy to win a fight they might otherwise lose. It's not desirable from a viewer standpoint, but I could see things heading in that direction.

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Bisping's strategy to get a UD wasn't the only thing he could have done, but it was the smartest. Lets face it here. He wasn't going to be able to finish Leben. In the last 10 seconds of round 1, Leben charged at him, head first and hands down, Bisping threw a right hand straight straight to the jaw and a head kick and Leben didn't even budge.

 

Fighters go in to win. There are many ways to win. But sometimes, you have to give your opponent the benefit of the doubt and go for the decision.

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I think you guys need to cool it with the Bisping = Machida or Bisping = boring talk.

 

What was he supposed to do against a fighter with more power and a tougher chin? Stand and bang?

 

Are the McCarthy and Day fights so far out of your memories already? Yes, it was weaker competition but that doesn't change the fact that Bisping wasn't looking to outpoint anyone in those fights. He went in looking for blood and he delivered brutal beatdowns. Sometimes a smart gameplan is a necessary evil.

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This fight shouldn't have shocked people. Everyone knew that Bisping was going to keep Leben back with jabs and move away from him. I even said so on page one. (except I thought he may clinch)

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Comparing Lyoto to Bisping isn't really fair to either.

 

Machida fights to ensure a decision, but almost always aims to kill the other guy in the final round. Bisping didn't change styles, pace, or anything the entire fight. His goal was to jab and win the UD, which he did. Machida makes sure he gets the decision, but then goes out with full intent to win. It's pretty obvious when you watch Lyoto fight. He almost always fights harder in round three. It generally doesn't work, but it's like he mentally says, "Okay I won two rounds now I hurt him."

 

It's also not fair, because they display totally different styles. Lyoto's a counter-fighter. He doesn't engage early because he wants the opponent to so he can nail a strong counter. Bisping just *RAN* from Leben. Leben makes a motion to charge, and Bisping would leap backwards. Bisping fought like Anderson Silva without the power. Lyoto fights like...well...Lyoto.

 

But in Bisping's defense, it's not fair to compare him to Lyoto. Bisping has obvious weaknesses. Lyoto hasn't really shown any. Lyoto, if he can't win standing will take the fight to the ground. Even if he's winning the fight, if he can't KO someone (Like against Nakamura), he'll atleast try the ground. In this fight, Bisping was not going to win on the ground, and he couldn't finish Leben standing. All he could really do was hit him, do almost no damage aside from some cuts, and get the hell away. And to his credit, it worked. The problem is, when he runs into someone who has speed near his own, the style he's displayed won't work. Nor will his "barrages" that he's shown in his other MW fights because he just doesn't have enough power.

 

Bisping's kind of stuck. He fights Silva, he'll be murdered and exposed as Silva will just hunt him and chase him down. But hey, he might make it past the second round.

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I think you guys need to cool it with the Bisping = Machida or Bisping = boring talk.

 

What was he supposed to do against a fighter with more power and a tougher chin? Stand and bang?

No, you're right, and it was the absolute correct strategy against a guy you're not gonna knock out and not likely to submit. But it doesn't take away from the fact that that style of fight is boring for me. It's very effective, and I can absolutely appreciate it from a strategic standpoint, but at the end of the day - it's still boring. Doesn't mean that Bisping is a boring fighter, but this one fight, at least, doesn't have the fireworks of some of his previous encounters.

 

And I didn't intend to compare Bisping and MAchida, because frankly Machida is years of everyone in this style of counter-fighting. It's brilliant when you take the fight in not live and break it down, but as it happens, it really doesn't do anything for me.

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But who do they feed to Silva in the meantime, assuming that he gets by Cote? I guess it has to be Okami, right? And yes, it's an easy assumption that Silva beats Cote, but shit happens, right?

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