I wonder if they actually sell or provide those liquor bottles at Staples Center or did Spade make an alcohol run before the fight then sneak them past arena security.
Thoughts on the fights below the picture.
Obviously the Lyoto Machida decision victory over Shogun Rua was very controversial. I kind of agree that overall Rua did more to win the fight but if all three judges scored it the same then maybe it wasn't a fix and Machida really won three of those rounds. Each of the first two rounds probably could have gone either way. Also, do you judge strikes to the head the same way you judge kicks to the leg. Yes Shogun landed a lot of kicks, and they did damage, but Machida landed many more blows to the head.
I also think the announce team influenced general opinion on this fight (though the in-arena crowd reacted as well). Mike Goldberg was harping on the scoring the whole time and Joe Rogan tried to dismiss him several times by saying basically "who knows what the judges see, forget about it and watch the fight." But Goldberg kept going leading to an argument over Machida's strategy, Goldberg saying he needed to do something desperate, Rogan saying desperation can get you knocked out, and Goldberg saying without desperation you get decisioned out of your title.
I love Machida and I'm glad he won but this is the problem with him sometimes. He's so elusive and so patient that some of his fights lack action. This one was kind of interesting from a technical standpoint, and there was action, there just weren't any decisive moments.
I think whichever way the decision ended up on this one would have been disappointing. Obviously, Rua losing pissed some people off but it would have been kind of hollow for him to take the belt with that performance.
Or it's fixed. They are dangerously thin on main events for the next four or five PPVs, and Lesnar getting the swine flu didn't help.
ReplyDeleteI told everyone halfway through, even though I thought Shogun was working harder and doing more damage, that Machida would get the controversial decision to set up an immediate rematch to fill the February or March PPV.
A second fight is much more marketable now.
No way was it blatantly fixed. Yes, the lack of good fights is a problem but not a major one. No way would Dana risk everything he's built by overtly trying to manipulate the judges.
ReplyDeletePlus, after that fight, even if Shogun won I think people would have wanted to see a rematch.
One reasonable explanation here is what Tim Donaghy alleged about the NBA and David Stern. Officials manipulated games without instruction because they knew what outcome Stern desired.
But in truth I think it was just a questionable decision in a close fight. And I also think the refs were valuing head strikes more than leg kicks.
Yeah, I agree it wasn't deliberately fixed, but they definitely need to refine the scoring system, because when it comes to leg kicks, I feel that each judge does his own thing. Some guys may score a head punch equal to a leg kick...while others may score a head punch at X2 value or something.
ReplyDeleteIn order for the challenger to take the belt via decision, it has to be obvious to everyone that he won. The champ always gets the benefit of the doubt and that is fine. It is the way it should be. You have to earn the belt, not have it handed to you.
ReplyDeleteI do think Dana White is losing his mind though. How could he possibly think the last fight on TUF was any good? They looked like two drunk guys fighting. If it went to a third round, they both might have died.