Tomorrow’s UFC on Fox 7 card is so stacked that if I had the time I would’ve done two GIFathons. I have no complaints about this show on paper and I have the utmost confidence in this being a great event tomorrow night. But before we watch the UFC live from the Shank Tark Shark Tank, yours truly, Zombie Prophet, and Dallas Winston will bring you another fight week edition of the Bloody Elbow GIFathon.
In this episode of GIFathon, you’ll see:
- Daniel Cormier’s submission win at King of the Cage, one week before a Strikeforce fight in 2010.
- Chad Mendes showing off accurate and powerful boxing against Steven Siler.
- Lorenz Larkin channeling his inner Slampage.
…..and more!
Daniel Cormier vs. Tony Johnson (2010)
Mookie: We can only show so much in a GIF before it becomes too big a file to upload, but before Daniel Cormier choked out Tony Johnson to win the KOTC HW title, Johnson tried to take Cormier down, but Cormier kept his balance and clowned Tony from there. He took his back at least twice before he finally ended the bout. One week later Cormier stopped Jason Riley with punches at Strikeforce: Houston, giving him 3 wins in a 4 week span.
Dallas: Tony Johnson (6-1) is no slouch either: Cormier is his only loss and he holds wins over KOTC’s Tony Lopez, LFC’s Derrick Lewis and M-1’s Kenny Garner. This entire sequence is a pivotal chess match to get hooks in — you can see Cormier trying to dig in his left hook and Johnson fighting it off, then Cormier almost gets the “Superman rear-naked choke” (I just made that up) whilst surfing on Johnson’s back before securing both hooks to finish.
Chad Mendes vs. Steven Siler (2009)
Mookie: Chad Mendes has built up a reputation as not being a “crowd pleaser”, but he’s recorded finishes in his last two fights and has done so with his boxing. Before Mendes ever entered the WEC, he fought current UFC featherweight Steven Siler at Tachi Palace Fights. In less than one minute Mendes showcased his superiority and sent Siler to the floor with a right hand followed by a Bad Left Hook.
Dallas: I never understood how a guy who pulls off a front-flip guard pass (on an elite BJJ black belt) and then gets himself out of the rear waist cinch with a forward somersault in the same sequence wouldn’t be considered a “crowd pleaser.” The way Mendes has developed his boxing is really quite special. Historically, wrestling crossovers struggle the most in the journey to improve their striking — some take the “basic but effective” route, like Dan Henderson or Joseph Benavidez, but “Money” Mendes’ striking is replete with balance, footwork, technique, speed and effectiveness, and his stand up is now almost as fearsome as his wrestling. And I expect that to be his biggest advantage over Darren Elkins on Saturday.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Olaf Alfonso (2004)
Mookie: Did you know that Gilbert Melendez was the very first WEC lightweight champion? If Ben Henderson had beaten Anthony Pettis this could’ve been a battle between the first and last of the WEC champs. With seconds remaining in the 3rd round against Olaf Alfonso, Melendez finished with some brutal ground-and-pound from full mount.
Dallas: Melendez is just so damn scrappy; the catchy phrase “Tough Bastard” comes to mind. His ground-and-pound was his first standout weapon and is probably still his best tool. Some fighters are calm and collected when they get full mount, and others … well, they do this. Gil bases down heavy and thumps a short elbow to break Olaf’s control of his posture and then blasts away to disrupt the bump/shrimp escape.
Jordan Mein vs. Keto Allen (2011)
Mookie: You’re smart enough to figure out what happened here. I’d just like to point out that in watching this video, the clock continues to run after the referee stopped the fight. The official time given is :42, which is … not even close to correct. Consider this Mein’s equivalent of Duane Ludwig versus Jonathan Goulet.
Dallas: Besides the absence of gleaming wrestling credentials, there’s not much missing from Mein’s arsenal. While his striking rightfully gets all the attentions, this is textbook use of the over-under clinch to stay afoot and then a simple but smart transition to the guillotine.
Jorge Masvidal vs. Yves Edwards (2007)
Mookie: It was painful watching Yves Edwards get walloped with a head kick by Jorge Masvidal, but my goodness I love that celebration by Jorge. There’s also no doubt that this stoppage was justified. Yves got up and flopped back down just after the referee pulled Jorge off of him.
Dallas: This is an option that I wish Jorge would exercise more often. His boxing is incredible but he relies on it so often that his opponents can get a read on his range and rhythm, leaving this no-set-up high kick and his leaping knee as lucrative alternatives. This one is all shin too.
Lorenz Larkin vs. Joao Assis (2010)
Mookie: Abandon. The. Submission. Oops, too late.
Dallas: Larkin’s Kung Fu take on armbar defense is very Hughes-Newtonesque.
Many thanks to Dallas and Zombie Prophet as always. Next week you’ll have two GIFathons leading up to UFC 159. There will be the usual Friday afternoon one featuring several fighters from the card, but be on the look out for a special one (written by Chris Hall) dedicated to the pre-UFC career of Jon Jones.
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