Overall, it’s hard to argue the UFC 71 will be a better mixed martial arts event than UFC 73. The star-power of UFC 71 was a little stronger, but in terms of fights, UFC 73 is pretty tough to beat.
But were spectators of UFC 71 really that disappointed by the Jackson vs. Liddell fight? Apparently so:
What on earth is he talking about? “Awkward” right hook? Were we watching the same fight? This writer identifies himself as a “true fan”, yet can’t seem to come to terms with how MMA fights are fought.
For starters, there was nothing awkward about the right hook that sent Liddell crumbling. Rampage hits with a ton of power and the punch landed clean. Second, the right hook was brilliant. Liddell threw an off-balanced left hook to the body. Boxing 101 tells you when someone throws a left hook, you duck and roll, then throw a left hook of your own. Go to any boxing gym; they’ll say the same thing. If you watch the fight, Jackson ducks and rolls and makes Liddell think he’s coming over the top with a left, but crosses him with the right instead. It was clever, timed, and brilliant.
Third, stop bitching about that fight. NOW. MMA fighting is unique and part of that uniqueness is the way they end. Sometimes fights go long, sometimes they end quickly; sometimes there are decisions, sometimes there are finishes. The point is that while slug fests and jiu-jitsu battles are fun, there is no “one” way a fight should go to be entertaining. And had “true fans” been following the saga of Rampage Jackson, there was plenty in that fight to keep someone entertained.
UFC 73 has excellent fights and will be a lot of fun to watch. But for the record, I had a blast watching UFC 71 as well. Check this blog’s archives for proof.
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