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UFC 69: Shootout
Arianny ©
Marc Wickert All
photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC Coming
live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, this was another big MMA
show with a number of surprise results. As
with UFC 68, this event showed a few valuable lessons: The taller
fighters don’t always win, and the younger fighter isn’t always
victorious. With the lifespan of athletes’ careers, at a competitive
level, continuing to extend into the forties age group, it’s now
possible for younger fighters to be up against opponents twice their
age. On
November 12, 1993, martial arts entered a new era with the dawning of
the first UFC, where the gap was closed between the different fighting
styles. Now the MMA generation gap is closing. MMA has never been more
exciting. The Battles Kendall
Grove (6’6” 185.5 lb) vs. Alan Belcher (6’2” 184 lb) Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round
One 4.40:
Alan landed a solid shin-kick to Kendall’s lead leg. 4.28:
They clinched. Alan took Kendall down and assumed side control. 3.59:
Big John told Alan to let go of Kendall’s trunks as he tried to use
the grip to better his positioning. Belcher didn’t seem to take
advantage of having side control. 3.50:
Grove rolled Belcher, then they climbed to their feet whilst
still in the clinch, and Grove used his height to catch Belcher with
Thai knees. 3.41:
They broke free, then clinched again. Belcher failed with a
takedown. 3.21:
Kendall had Alan against the fence and kept him on his toes with foot
stomps. In the audience Tito Ortiz looked like ZZ Top’s sharp-dressed
man, yelling instructions to Kendall. 2.48:
The fighters separated again. 2.43:
While standing at center ring, Alan delivered a body kick. Kendall
replied with front kicks. He then scored well with Thai knees before the
pair fell to the canvas, then quickly got to their feet. 0.25:
Big John separated them. The towering Kendall launched a front
high-kick that sailed over Alan’s head.
Round
Two Grove
moved in with a leaping knee attack that Belcher avoided. Grove
dispatched another knee and Belcher tried for the takedown, but
Grove’s takedown defense won out. 3.57:
Kendall ended up falling down on top of Alan and attacked him
with left elbows – some caught Alan’s head, others were blocked by
his forearms. 3.47:
Kendall took side control and continued to elbow Alan’s noggin. 3.11:
Belcher rolled off his back and climbed to his feet. 3.05:
The fighters broke free. Alan attempted a right shin-kick and Kendall
countered with a right fist, before getting Alan with a shin kick of his
own. Alan replied with another shin kick, but missed with a high kick.
Kendall closed in and launched a kick to the body, then clinched and
poured on a series of Thai knees, followed with elbows and an uppercut. 2.26:
Alan looked to Big John and told him he was okay to continue
fighting. 2.22:
Grove seized Belcher’s thighs, picked him up like a sack of
spuds and slammed him into the floor. He proceeded to work from a loose
half-guard while Belcher attempted to tie Grove up and muffle his
g’n’p assault. 1.04:
Kendall landed a powerful right fist before latching on a choke
that included Alan’s left arm in the package. 0.25:
After readjusting the choke, Alan’s left arm drooped limply and Big
John intervened. Alan was unconscious. Result:
Kendall Grove by darce choke – 4.42, Round Two.
Yushin
Ikami (6’1” 184 lb) vs. Mike Swick (6’2” 184 lb) Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Round
One The
bout opened with a lot of tentative jabbing that continued throughout
most of the match. 4.38:
With his guard down low, Mike went for a low kick to Yushin’s front
right leg, then shot up a high kick. 4.13:
Mike attacked Yushin’s lead leg again. 3.45:
Yushin decided to start dispatching his own leg kicks. 3.40:
Mike shot up another high kick. 3.06:
Swick then scored with a right high kick. 3.03:
Ikami tried his own high kick but the Yushin model packed less sting. 2.54:
Swick rushed in for a flying knee that Ikami was able to back
away from. 2.34:
Southpaw Yushin touched base with a right jab. 2.28:
Mike came back, unloading a high kick and flying knee that did little
damage, but it enabled him to clinch. However, Yushin was able to
overpower Mike and waltzed him to the fence. 2.00:
Rather than employing a sophisticated takedown technique, Yushin used
brute strength to merely pull Mike to the ground. 1.36:
Ikami had Swick on his back and attacked from the half guard, scoring
with elbows and fists. 0.35:
Ikami snapped up Swick’s left arm and went for a kimura. Swick was
able to survive until the round’s end, then walked back to his corner
and said of Ikami, “He’s strong, man.” Round
Two 4.52:
Mike missed with a back spinning kick. 4.42:
Yushin landed a body kick. Both men were still showing respect for the
other’s strikes. 4.10:
Mike got in a leg kick and a high kick. He tried for a big uppercut that
Yushin avoided. 3.18:
They clinched. 2.47:
Yushin took Mike down and fought from Mike’s guard. 1.52:
Not much was achieved, so Mario stood them up. 1.28:
Mike advanced with fists afire and Yushin clinched. 1.01:
Ikami took Swick down and was back in his guard. 0.27:
Mario ordered them up. 0.15:
Swick unloaded a salvo of fists that rattled Ikami in the final
seconds of the round. Mike’s Houston hometown crowd erupted. Round
Three More
toe-to-toe combat. Mike started to rekindle the spark he ignited at the
end of round two; Yushin shot in and took him down at 3.23, fighting
from Mike’s half-guard. 3.03:
Yushin secured the mount. From here on, he sat on top of Mike and
proceeded to pat him rather than unloading any serious g’n’p-ing
damage. A few times Swick offered his back, but once again Ikami
didn’t capitalize. 1.00:
Swick rolled over and into Ikami’s guard. Ikami was able to
muffle Swick’s attack up to the hooter. Result: Yushin Ikami by unanimous decision.
Roger
Huerta (5’9” 155 lb) vs Leonard Garcia (5’10” 154.5 lb) Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Round
One In
true lightweight fashion, these two speedballs came out with fists and
feet flying. 4.35:
Roger took Leonard down from the clinch, but they sprang back up
like Mexican jumping beans. 4.23:
They clinched again after more inked arms exchanged strikes and Roger
bombarded Leonard with consecutive high kicks. He then proceeded to work
Leonard over whilst pinning him against the fence. 3.33:
Roger took Leonard down. 3.10:
Leonard managed to find an escape hatch and got to his feet. 3.02:
Huerta opted for the shoot and Garcia latched on a guillotine. Huerta
slammed Garcia to the floor, but Garcia maintained his hold. 2.44:
Huerta had his head free and pounded from Garcia’s guard. 1.44:
They were standing against the cage, still in the clinch. 1.14:
Roger took Leonard down. Leonard lay there smiling to show he was
okay, but smiles don’t win fights. 0.20:
Leonard rolled Roger and the round ended.
Round
Two More
feet and fists were exchanged. 4.30:
Huerta took Garcia down. He was pounding from Garcia’s
half-guard, then working from the full guard, hammering away. 3.47:
Back on their feet, Garcia caught Huerta with a loaded knee. 3.34:
Huerta fired off a right kick and Garcia countered with a solid jab. 3.11:
They were slugging it out with bad intentions when Huerta landed his own
damaging knee. 2.26:
Roger took Leonard to the floor, leaving elbow and fist tracks
all over Leonard’s face. 1.26:
The pair was back standing and Leonard delivered a slinging uppercut. He
was getting in early after each clinch broke up. The two fighters just
kept pounding. It was a battlefield. 0.57:
They clinched. 0.50:
Roger took Leonard down and mounted him at 0.36, then moved back to the
guard. The hooter sounded. Round
Three Garcia
attempted a takedown that didn’t come off and ate a high kick from
Huerta. 4.38:
Huerta caught a Garcia kick, before taking him down. 2.33:
Leonard got Roger’s back, but Roger flipped him off and went in for
the kill. With 30 seconds to go, it was apparent Leonard would go the
distance. Both men had made this a great battle. Result: Roger Huerta by unanimous decision.
Josh
Koscheck (5’10” 170.5 lb) vs. Diego Sanchez (5’11” 168.5
lb) Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round
One Diego
was putting his impeccable 19-0 record on the line here against Josh who
carried his own impressive 10-1 credentials into the Octagon. Josh came
out cocky and smart, adopting a hit’n’run game plan. He moved in
with super precision, unloaded big hits, then withdrew from the line of
fire before Diego could respond. It was a very clinical fight from Josh.
Diego was unloading, but his strikes were going where Josh had been –
not where he was. 0.23:
Koscheck shot in and slammed Sanchez with a double-leg takedown,
chalking up extra points just as the round ended. This was a smart five
minutes from Koscheck.
Round
Two The
fight was turning into a Josh Koscheck MMA clinic. He was totally cool,
methodical and in control. Josh was a master with his left hand and a
demolition man with the right. Diego’s southpaw jabs were short and
less effective. This was another Koscheck round – Diego having little
to show for the last 10 minutes. Round
Three There
was less action in the final round, but Josh remained the ringmaster. He
shut Diego out of this bout from the word go. Mike Goldberg said, “It
won’t go down as the greatest fight in UFC history…” But it will
go down as a great instructional fight. Result:
Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision.
Matt
Serra (5’6” 169.5 lb) vs. Georges St. Pierre (5’10” 169.5
lb) Referee:
Big John McCarthy
Round One Matt
moves in with a jab to start proceedings. 4.39:
He opts for a left and right that don’t impact. Georges misses with a
left high kick, then follows with a left body kick that Matt blocks,
then fires off a right fist. But Georges is out of its path. 4.14:
Matt takes another left kick on the gloves. 4.10:
Serra goes for a leg kick and St. Pierre counters with the jab. 4.03:
St. Pierre air-kicks. 3.57:
In the middle of some trading, Serra appears to slip to his right
knee and pops straight back up. 3.46:
St. Pierre does another air-kick. 3.36:
Serra kicks St. Pierre’s left leg. 3.26:
After another rapid-fire exchange, Georges sends up an air-kick,
which Serra is prepared for, however they help to keep him at bay. 3.22:
Georges gets Matt backing up with three spitfire jabs. He then
backs off from finishing a half-completed high kick, and Matt slams the
leg with another shin kick. The pair continues to test each other with
brief flutters until 2.51, when Matt ups the intensity, lunging in with
a superman punch. The strike doesn’t have too big an impact, but it
shows Matt is ready to raise the stakes. 2.34:
Georges intercepts Matt’s leg kick with his own kick and follows up
with a high kick that narrowly misses its target. St. Pierre then shoots
out a low right kick that Serra briefly catches and counters with a
right fist. The punch misses and St. Pierre misses with a slinging left
hook. 2.15:
Georges jabs, but Matt isn’t there. Despite appearing to be
flat-footed, Matt is deceivingly hard to tag. 2.08:
Georges fires a left high kick into the air. 2.05:
They close in. Matt throws a left that doesn’t quite make it,
follows with a looping right which Georges ducks under, then bops
Georges with a left hook on the back of the temple. St. Pierre does a
bit of a spread eagle and works to gather his footing. At first it looks
like a slip, however his feet are still deserting him as he scrambles
from center ring to the fence. In desperation, he flicks out a looping
fist that lacks sting. Matt charges in and dispatches a left-right,
left-right volley. It’s hard to tell what actually lands, but some are
definitely finding their mark. Georges
gallantly gets back to his feet under fire of Matt’s bombs. One big
right lands and Georges legs are jelly. He tries to latch onto Matt’s
right leg. Matt shrugs him off. He mounts Georges and thumps down with
lefts and rights, then switches to his right jackhammers until Big John
rushes in waving his black gloves. Matt Hughes yells from the crowd,
“I love it.” The look on Serra’s face is the same as when he
entered the arena. In defeat, Georges speaks with great integrity and
honor. Result: Matt Serra by TKO – 3.25, Round One
Knucklepit’s Fighter of the Night: Matt Serra.
Ali
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