What we take from UFC 92

[Fedor Em]

Wandy needs to retire. He has been in far too many wars, kinda like Morales. He is simply not as durable as he once was. That was a perfect shot but he had been fading for a couple years. I would even go as far as to say he could have ate that punch a few years ago. He would have been hurt but would have survived. I think he can still bring it offensively he just can't take it.

The same goes with Nog but Nog can't even pull the trigger anymore. The reflexes are gone. He is in the same boat as DLH. Mir vs. Lesnar should be a very good rematch. Mir's standup was very solid tonight. Then again he didn't see any punches coming back at him

We knew Rashad Evans was a very talented fighter but he helped solidify that tonight. Forrest keeps improving and I am very impressed with his kick boxing. He stunned Evans a few times but Rashad showed a good chin with some heart. He was the better man tonight.

Hang em up Wand and Nog. 2 great carrers that should come to a close. Even though I wouldn't be against Silva vs Liddell 2 for a final curtain call.

Jackson vs Evans should be a great fight. I see Evans outboxing Rampage to a decision. Maybe even stopping him late on a GnP but Rampage is so heavy handed he is definately a live underdog.

I would like to see Griffin vs Machida. It would give the talented Lyoto much needed exposure plus a chance for Forrest to bounce back with a very nice win.

[AJAX]

I don't think Wand is done yet, he can still dropp to 185. Besides he is still fast,strong and sharp but like Chuck his style has been blueprinted and is beatable. Nog on the other hand is only 32 but looked 42 and I'm not sure what else he has left. He was lucky not to get finished by HH and Tim before mir finished him.

[Fedor Em]

I don't think Wand is done yet, he can still dropp to 185. Besides he is still fast,strong and sharp but like Chuck his style has been blueprinted and is beatable. Nog on the other hand is only 32 but looked 42 and I'm not sure what else he has left. He was lucky not to get finished by HH and Tim before mir finished him.

I just think the 2nd Cro Cop fight took so much out of Wand. His durability has been fading since then. In the past we saw how he went after Rampage and took the best Q had to offer. Tonight he was hesitant from the opening bell. The first Liddell fight might have been a last hurrah for him as far as taking punishment.

That punch was wicked though. There might not be a fighter who could even survive a shot like that at 205 today. That was a Marciano like KO.

Offensively you are spot on though. He completely walked through Jardine. If he looks fresh at 185 then why not. I don't wanna see him take purmanent damage though.

[chimba]

Ive been saying this about Nog.. The UFC can try all they want to market him. He is a walking corpse. Ive posted this many times on the Nog vs Lesnar thread. People picked Nog:patsch. I mean cmon.

Mir looked good tonight. Wandy looked good till he got drop. Im not sold on Rampage still. Rashad is the winner tonight

[AJAX]

he is still an exiting fighter, but has become one dimentional and beatable. Give him fresh life at a new weight class and maybe a different gameplan as well. But let's be honest he's really not done yet.......not quite yet.

[ShadowWorks]

Nog is getting old, look at his face and body when Saap slammed him, he looked like a young man, he looks like an old one now, the one fight everybody loses is against free radicals.

[sugarngold]

Out with the old - in with the new. Mir looked very good tonight.

[jimmie]

I agree on Wanderlei and Nog these guys have took alot of abuse especially recently I suppose its time for them to atleast start considering hanging it up. That said I was impressed with Rampage a bit you gotta give props to a man who fights a guy who violently KOed him twice and has the firepower to finally get revenge and in a devestating way. Mir looked fantastic hes never displayed striking skills like that or anything close to it ever im very impressed and he deserved it hes right hes living proof there aint shit you cant do that guy is a real inspiration. Congrats to Rashad hes a legit Champ but I was alittle disapointed with Forrest I thought he was doing everything he needed to do in the 1st 2 rounds exept throw a few more leg kicks when he threw them it effected Rashad but there where just to few and that may have been a big mistake.

[scurlaruntings]

I don't think Wand is done yet, he can still dropp to 185. Besides he is still fast,strong and sharp but like Chuck his style has been blueprinted and is beatable. Nog on the other hand is only 32 but looked 42 and I'm not sure what else he has left. He was lucky not to get finished by HH and Tim before mir finished him.
Your going to have to change the tune Ajax. Wandy is finished. He isnt making 185 either so you can forget about that. The guy hasnt been the same since he fought Mark Hunt. He got raped at the OWGP and beat up again by Dan Henderson. The fact he caught Jardine cold is fairly immaterial as Houston Alexander and Travis Wiuff did exactly the same to him. they all caught him cold out of the gate. Either way against the top tier Wandys a goner all he has left is his pride.

[Griip]

Wand is FINISHED! The only thing that the Jardine win proves is that Jardine was a bum all along. Silva should've changed his style or career years ago man

[bachatu]

The Griffin / Evans fight was the best fight of the night IMO - it was the most competitive, and it was the one that revealed the most.

Rashad seems to throw everyone off their game and lures his opponents into attacking him. He has good movement and is a bit random. What impressed me the most about Evans is that he took advantage of the only opening Forrest gave him... once he had it, he exploded and finished him.

I am not too taken away by the Mir performance. It was good, but Minatauro was like a mummy walking around. Either way, with Mir's experience and his new found dedication, the rematch with Lesnar should be interesting.

Wanderlai's punch resistance is shot. He is still an animal and very athletic and explosive offensively. I was surprised on how fast he was, he kind of made Rampage look slow for a bit, til he got caught with the left hook counter. It was a pretty brutal one punch ko and the follow-up punches were unnecessary, I am sure Rampage got some of his resentment towards him out on it. This fight didn't reveal too much about Rampage's state of being. Actually, he appeared a bit nervous and shaky. Also, his reaction after winning seemed a bit out of his character, he seemed a bit too happy almost like he had doubted himself.

[Griip]

You think he had doubts just because he was more happy than he usually is after a win? Ofcourse he is, if he would've lost this fight he would have never ever gotten a chance to redeem himself against Silva. A bit nervous and shaky my ass. The follow ups was unnecessary? Do I fucking have to point out that Rampage have knocked down Silva before without finishing? Silva has/had a great recovery from hard punches, so ofcourse he will be there to make sure he's out.

[LB3000]

Sad to see the way in which Wand and Nog lost. Mir did a good job but Nog looked really really bad. He looked very slow and to get dropped a good few times by a guy like Mir says it all. Wand on the other hand, I don't think his skills have gone but more his punch resistance/recovery. However his recovery was a key of his success, especially due to his style. I remember he use to even get dropped/rocked by guys like Tamura but he would take it and get straight back up and then beat the crap out of them. As most Pride fans know it was the brutal beating he took in the 2nd Cro Cop fight which seemed to be the turning point. I was worried about Jackson mentally but he proved me wrong. I don't think Jackson deserves the title shot just yet. The winner of Machida vs T.Silva would be more deserving.

Congrats to Rashad he pulled it off again. He always looks looks calm and as bachatu pointed how he just seems to explode as of a sudden. Also quick mention about Hamill, thought he did a good job too and showed Vera how its done. He can take a shot and has heart but he still needs to keep his hands up. Bring on UFC 93!!!

[Rattler]

I agree on Wanderlei and Nog these guys have took alot of abuse especially recently I suppose its time for them to atleast start considering hanging it up. That said I was impressed with Rampage a bit you gotta give props to a man who fights a guy who violently KOed him twice and has the firepower to finally get revenge and in a devestating way. Mir looked fantastic hes never displayed striking skills like that or anything close to it ever im very impressed and he deserved it hes right hes living proof there aint shit you cant do that guy is a real inspiration. Congrats to Rashad hes a legit Champ but I was alittle disapointed with Forrest I thought he was doing everything he needed to do in the 1st 2 rounds exept throw a few more leg kicks when he threw them it effected Rashad but there where just to few and that may have been a big mistake.

I think Forrest got too comfortable. He used the same gameplan as he did against Rampage, but I don't think he was a sharp as then, though. He fought the entire fight against Jackson like he was waiting for a KO punch. When he went to kick and he wasn't comfortable with it, he pulled it.

Against Jackson, Griffin's kicks weren't checked in any way - there was no effort on Rampage's part to make Forrest hesitate. I think Griffin simply got comfortable and didn't expect Rashad to take his leg... and Evans didn't do much to make him worry about it happening until he finally did. Evans simply flipped the script and Griffin wasn't expecting it - plus, I think he felt that even if Rashad kept him down, he'd be able to control from his back like he did against Rampage.

[scurlaruntings]

Case in point: Griffin just simply wasnt/isnt good enough. The guy caught life against Jackson who himself walked into the cage and thought he had a gimme. He was given a dubious decision but lets be very honest here. Griffin achieved much with the limited skillset he has. He can hold his head high. But he was never going to be a champ with a long reign. Personally i dont think Rashads reign will be that much longer either although he does pose an very interesting enigma because of his loose style. One thing is certain 205 is stacked!

[québecwarrior]

Case in point: Griffin just simply wasnt/isnt good enough. The guy caught life against Jackson who himself walked into the cage and thought he had a gimme. He was given a dubious decision but lets be very honest here. Griffin achieved much with the limited skillset he has. He can hold his head high. But he was never going to be a champ with a long reign. Personally i dont think Rashads reign will be that much longer either although he does pose an very interesting enigma because of his loose style. One thing is certain 205 is stacked!
I dont think he has limited skill...he just lacks power, he is like Sven Ottke, he just dont have power.

[MellowChimp]

I think griffin looked good till he looked bad lol. But i mean he was working well with the leg kicks and then when he seemed to go in hurriedly it looked more worrying. Without having devastating punching power definitely needs to fight smart against people who can take his head off even though the boy can take a punch. When he was using his reach advantage looked the better fighter though Evans looked the more dangerous.

Personally would be interested in rematch. Not sure why he was favourite though.

Think title going to flip hands a fair bit though in a division where a lot of people can have their day.

[bachatu]

The follow ups was unnecessary? Do I fucking have to point out that Rampage have knocked down Silva before without finishing? Silva has/had a great recovery from hard punches, so ofcourse he will be there to make sure he's out.

Silva was laid out cold and flat. When Rampage went over to follow-up, it was obvious Silva was out cold as his arms were laid back over his head, flat on the canvas without attempting to defend himself. in addition, the ref had already began to wrestle Jackson off Silva after the first punch, but Jackson continued and punched him two more times.

[MellowChimp]

Silva was laid out cold and flat. When Rampage went over to follow-up, it was obvious Silva was out cold as his arms were laid back over his head, flat on the canvas without attempting to defend himself. in addition, the ref had already began to wrestle Jackson off Silva after the first punch, but Jackson continued and punched him two more times.

Kind of agree though I guess as a fighter you gotta make sure of the win though it did look fairly obvious he was out cold.

Wonder what the liability issues would be if the ref is pushing a fighter off who is still punching and the losing fighter takes serious damage.

[scurlaruntings]

Kind of agree though I guess as a fighter you gotta make sure of the win though it did look fairly obvious he was out cold.

Wonder what the liability issues would be if the ref is pushing a fighter off who is still punching and the losing fighter takes serious damage.None. You can forget about it. BJ held Jens Pulver in a deep submission when he didnt need to. Babalu did the same and got ejected from the UFC. Nothing more than sensationalism. This is the fight game. Those 2 guys hated each other. Wandy got his.

[Scotty321]

Griffin did well when he kept the fight at distance, but as soon as he got into trading range, I always felt he would get nailed badly by Rashad. Rampage looked excellent as well and I fancy it will be a quick bout when he fights Rashad. Both great strikers who like to get in close and unload.
Performance of the night was Mir though. He blew away Nog with his stand up skills. It has to be said, Nog was poor and put in a performance like that of De La Hoyas v Paccy!

[Griip]

Silva was laid out cold and flat. When Rampage went over to follow-up, it was obvious Silva was out cold as his arms were laid back over his head, flat on the canvas without attempting to defend himself. in addition, the ref had already began to wrestle Jackson off Silva after the first punch, but Jackson continued and punched him two more times.


That's not my point. When you're in a fight with someone you've lost 2 times to, 1 of them because you weren't fast enough to pummel his knocked down ass you're not going to wait a second to see if he's already out or not.

[Dostoevsky]

What we learned from 92.

Rampage is now finally better than Wanderlei. Wanderlei looked to be just as fast with his wild combinations. Page has improved, in his standup, he is now far more technical and throws punches properly unlike before. Wanderlei is just as sloppy as ever and has little defense.

Nog is a fucking walking mummy. He needs to lose at least 10lbs and go back to Anderson Silvas camp and learn how to strike. He looked like a robot out there.
Mir has improved his striking dramatically, he also is more powerful than I thought, dropped Nog 3 times.

Forrest looked OK and was winning the fight until he got knocked down. His problems are lack of power, he just can't intimidate people with it. I guess he just got caught with some gretat punches while being lazy in the guard. He's still a great fighter and will be back.
Rashad! WOW!! I used to think he was a boring bum but jeeze....he has improved leaps and bounds. Very hard hitter, very fast and elusive. However he is still very small for a LHW (yes, even though he did fight at HW, where he was teenie) I could see some fighters overpowering him on the ground.
I'm not sure how long he'll be a champion for though.

Ago so where does everyone go from here.
Wanderlei is now a gatekeeper, he shoulkd still beat up the Jardines of the world but his days at the elite are done imo.
Jackson is back on top, that KO will have given him a huge boost in confidence and he looked like a beast in that Wanderlei fight. He should get a title shot either next or after one other fighter (Machida)

Nog vs Couture. That is all.
Mir vs Lesnar, thats obviously going to happen, I'm going with Lesnar.

Forrest still a great fighter, should fight Jardine again or Vera, maybe hook him up with Wanderlei.

Rashad, he should fight either Machida who deserves a shot at the title or Rampage who impressed tonight.

[LB3000]

Dana White has said it makes sense that Rampage gets the title shot. If that turns out to be the case it would be disappointing. The winner of Machida vs T.Silva getting the title shot is what makes sense. One fight I would love to see Rampage in next would be against Luiz Cane. I think that has a potential to be a great fight. :yep

[Tyga]

Im not sold on Rampage still.

How can you not be sold on Rampage?

[jimmie]

How can you not be sold on Rampage?

Yeah its not like hes some prospect on anything hes fought and beat most of the top guys out there im pretty damn sold on him just ask Arona,Chuck a couple times,Wanderlei,Henderson,Lindland,Randleman if the guys any good.

[Dostoevsky]

Rampage has the one of the best resumes in the whole LHW division. Top 3. :nod

[phonk]

Anyone else think that the referees, Herb Dean apart, were quite poor.

A couple of fights could have been stopped before they were.

Kong was pounding on Al-Turk. Fight could easily have been stopped however the ref allowed it to continue and Kongo split Al-Turk's head open with an elbow followed it up with some more punches before the ref decided that he'd seen enough.

Jackson landed three blows when Wandi was clearly out. The ref just kinda waved Jackson away as he was delivering the first and second of the blows. Push him the fuck away ref. The guy he's hitting is out cold. FFS.

Evans was pounding on Griffin while Griffin was tapping yet the ref allowed another half dozen or so punches to land.

Piss poor refereeing.

[jimmie]

Anyone else think that the referees, Heb Dean apart, were quite poor.

A couple of fights could have been stopped before they were.

Kong was pounding on Al-Turk. Fight could easily have been stopped however the ref allowed it to continue and Kongo split Al-Turks head open with an elbow followed it up with some more punches before the ref decided that he'd seen enough.

Jackson landed three blows when Wandi was clearly out. The ref just kinda waved Jackson away as he was delivering the first and second of the blows. Push him the fuck away ref. The guy he's hitting is out cold. FFS.

Evans was pounding on Griffen while Griffen was tapping yet the ref allowed another half dozen or so punches to land.

Piss poor refeering.

Griffin was not tapping anyone who knows anything about fighting can see that. The guy was getting his head hammered it does things to your body man do you really think while his head and the rest of his upperbody is bobbling around his arms are going to just stay still ?

[phonk]

Griffin was not tapping anyone who knows anything about fighting can see that. The guy was getting his head hammered it does things to your body man do you really think while his head and the rest of his upperbody is bobbling around his arms are going to just stay still ?

He was tapping.

[Tyga]

Anyone else think that the referees, Heb Dean apart, were quite poor.

I thought the Hamill fight could've been stopped sooner. But there were a lot of KOs and TKOs last night. In fact, I don't think any televised fight went the distance.

[scurlaruntings]

Griffin was not tapping anyone who knows anything about fighting can see that. The guy was getting his head hammered it does things to your body man do you really think while his head and the rest of his upperbody is bobbling around his arms are going to just stay still ?Jimmie rewatch the fight. Even Ray Charles could see he was tapping the mat and i believe he acknowledged this after the fight.

[scurlaruntings]

I thought the Hamill fight could've been stopped sooner. But there were a lot of KOs and TKOs last night. In fact, I don't think any televised fight went the distance.Thats because Hamills striking is so poor. He`s improved leaps and bounds since coming to the UFC when his striking was just simply useless. But the guy doesnt know how to finish his dinner.

[MaliSlamusrex]

i more or less agree.

Wandy needs to retire. He has been in far too many wars, kinda like Morales. He is simply not as durable as he once was. That was a perfect shot but he had been fading for a couple years. I would even go as far as to say he could have ate that punch a few years ago. He would have been hurt but would have survived. I think he can still bring it offensively he just can't take it.

The same goes with Nog but Nog can't even pull the trigger anymore. The reflexes are gone. He is in the same boat as DLH. Mir vs. Lesnar should be a very good rematch. Mir's standup was very solid tonight. Then again he didn't see any punches coming back at him

We knew Rashad Evans was a very talented fighter but he helped solidify that tonight. Forrest keeps improving and I am very impressed with his kick boxing. He stunned Evans a few times but Rashad showed a good chin with some heart. He was the better man tonight.

Hang em up Wand and Nog. 2 great carrers that should come to a close. Even though I wouldn't be against Silva vs Liddell 2 for a final curtain call.

Jackson vs Evans should be a great fight. I see Evans outboxing Rampage to a decision. Maybe even stopping him late on a GnP but Rampage is so heavy handed he is definately a live underdog.

I would like to see Griffin vs Machida. It would give the talented Lyoto much needed exposure plus a chance for Forrest to bounce back with a very nice win.

[phonk]

Jimmie rewatch the fight. Even Ray Charles could see he was tapping the mat and i believe he acknowledged this after the fight.

Yeah Jimmie anyone who knows anything about fighting could clearly see that Griffen was tapping.

[LB3000]

Jimmie rewatch the fight. Even Ray Charles could see he was tapping the mat and i believe he acknowledged this after the fight. I'm sure he said he wasn't tapping and that his body was just moving all over the place as he was getting hammered. But it did look like he was tapping.

[scurlaruntings]

Anyone else think that the referees, Herb Dean apart, were quite poor.

A couple of fights could have been stopped before they were.

Kong was pounding on Al-Turk. Fight could easily have been stopped however the ref allowed it to continue and Kongo split Al-Turk's head open with an elbow followed it up with some more punches before the ref decided that he'd seen enough.

Jackson landed three blows when Wandi was clearly out. The ref just kinda waved Jackson away as he was delivering the first and second of the blows. Push him the fuck away ref. The guy he's hitting is out cold. FFS.

Evans was pounding on Griffin while Griffin was tapping yet the ref allowed another half dozen or so punches to land.

Piss poor refereeing.
Mustapha didnt need his head beat on like that. Kongo opened up a wide cut and it was clear he was hurt and not capable of defending himself. The stoppage could have come sooner.

The Ref did try to stop Wand Jackson but hey Jackson was in the heat of the moment and punctuation his work.

As for Griffin despite the ref being so close he couldnt see the poor guy tapping. Maybe he needs some new specs.

[scurlaruntings]

I'm sure he said he wasn't tapping and that his body was just moving all over the place as he was getting hammered. But it did look like he was tapping.He was definitly tapping. Rashads corner saw it and commented on it in the replay. Plus its very evident to see as he taps the mat at least 4 times. Griffin was too hurt to know what was going on but he defintly tapped.

[Rattler]

Jimmie rewatch the fight. Even Ray Charles could see he was tapping the mat and i believe he acknowledged this after the fight.

Griffin said it was an involuntary body movement; that he wasn't tapping.

[Tyga]

Thats because Hamills striking is so poor. He`s improved leaps and bounds since coming to the UFC when his striking was just simply useless. But the guy doesnt know how to finish his dinner.

Reese was doing nothing! Sure, Matt wasn't hurting him too bad. But Andy was not defending himself at all. I would like to see Matt step up, but not too much, yet. I think he fought Franklin too soon.

[scurlaruntings]

Griffin lied.

[Tyga]

Griffin said it was an involuntary body movement; that he wasn't tapping.

I thought he was being sarcastic. But maybe not.

[scurlaruntings]

Reese was doing nothing! Sure, Matt wasn't hurting him too bad. But Andy was not defending himself at all. I would like to see Matt step up, but not too much, yet. I think he fought Franklin too soon.The guy was fucked. He was spent by the end of the 1st round. He was quite soft and looked to me like he could make 185 in a blink.