Upsets Galore! (a short recap)

Three high profile UFC events, three major upsets. Two champions lost their titles and the lofty expectations for one high profile free agent were violently shattered.

Even those of you who simply skim my lengthy reports on the increasingly popular sport of Mixed Martial Arts are likely to have noticed a common theme recurring. And that theme, my friends, is the major upset. Because MMA is such a multi-faceted sport, victory can come to a competitor in any number of ways and no one competitor can be perfectly trained in all the many disciplines this hybrid sport encompasses. Thus even the fighter who seems most well-rounded, most invincible can be defeated by a far less reputed fighter if the latter man (or woman) happens to be more "on" in just one area of the game than he (or she) is that night.

But these most recent underdogs have been defying the odds in such peculiar and astounding ways that the term "unexpected" is growing bulbously pregnant with new meaning. The fact each upset has come in such rapid succession makes them all the more flabbergasting.




Here's a succinct report of these upsets and why they were especially astounding:



UFC 68: 43 year-old Randy Couture comes out of retirement to challenge UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia who, on paper, is a nightmare matchup for Couture. Sylvia is physically huge, possesses a good sprawl, and is a potent striker. Even many of Randy's most ardent supporters expect that Sylvia will use his size and skill to neutralize Couture's potent wrestling attack and then brutally KO their hero.

RESULT: Couture outstrikes, outmuscles, and altogether dominates his younger foe on the way to capturing his third heavyweight title.


UFC 69: Reality show winner Matt Serra receives a title shot in the 170-lb division against the extremely athletic and well-rounded champion George St. Pierre. He is smaller, older, and boasts a much less impressive resume than the champ. Objective critics generously concede that Serra has a respectable chance of submitting St. Pierre if the challenger can take the fight to the floor. Most likely, however, Matt Serra will die in battle.


RESULT: Serra wins the UFC Welterweight Championship belt by battering St. Pierre with heavy punches on the feet, and secures a technical knockout in the opening round by continuing to pummel his dazed opponent on the ground until the referee pushes him away.


UFC 70: In a Number One Contender's match, prized acquisition Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic faces Gabriel Gonzage, the winner getting a shot at newly crowned heavyweight kingpin Randy Couture. Cro Cop enters the UFC as the #2-ranked heavyweight in the entire sport. Countless world-class fighters have been put to sleep by his powerful punches and vicious high kicks. Little is known about Gonzaga but he is mostly regarded as a token stepping stone for Mirko as the Croation marches his way toward UFC gold. Much as they said about Serra, honest insiders and spectators concede that Gonzaga might actualize his slim chances for success by utilizing his superior ground skills. Unfortunately for him, Mirko Cro Cop has aruably the greatest takedown defense in all of MMA.


RESULT: Gonzaga knocks Cro Cop out with a right high kick at the end of the first round. Mirko is not simply given a dose of his own medicine. Gonzaga's single stirke is so brutal that the unconscious Cro Cop is folded over on himself.



It's still to early to identify what the fallout will be from all this upheaval. Whatever the final consequences, what is clear is that the UFC's plans for the rest of the year are severely wrecked. Hardcore and casual fans alike are befuddled by the colossal unpredictability of MMA. To all this I say: What a beautiful sport!

More in-depth personal commentary shall follow once I've had more time to digest all of these crazy events. The purpose of this post was simply to catch all interested parties up to speed.