By Lee Casebolt
If Dana White got it into his head to start naming Ultimate Fight Nights, this most recent installment might have been called “TUF Alums On Paradeâ€. The four televised fights featured six former reality show participants; no surprise given the show was a lead-in to the season premier of what has become the flagship of the UFC.
Pete Sell vs. Nate Quarry
And we begin with the Rock’em Sock’em Robots fight. Nate Quarry is the most awkward looking professional athlete I’ve ever seen, and that was before major spinal surgery. He plods forward in a horrible looking stance, shows minimal defense, and lashes out with incredibly slow strikes. As a consequence, he spent the first ten minutes of this bout mostly absorbing punishment from the Serra protégé they call “Dragoâ€. I scored the first two rounds for Sell, the second a 10-8 due to the near-knockout. In the third, Quarry comes on. Sell goes down hard, and Quarry shows how well he remembers the first fight and its aftermath by going in after him. He wisely avoids the upkick and hammers the prone Sell for the finish. Sell is visibly upset when he stands up, but there’s no controversy here. Quarry TKO 0:44 R3. Sell gets stopped suddenly in another fight he was winning handily.
Nate always looks awkward and uncoordinated right up til he knocks someone out. He also gives a shockingly coherent post-fight interview. I like Nate Quarry a lot; he seems like a good guy, he clearly loves the sport, and he’s got talent. All the same, he hasn’t got enough talent to be a real contender (watch his title shot again if you’ve got the stomach for it), he’s too old to be an up-and-comer, and he’s undergone surgery that would keep most people from ever engaging in a contact sport again. This makes me wonder if maybe he shouldn’t find a different career. He gives a good interview; could Zuffa find him a broadcast position?
Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao
We move on from the opening brawl to the technical exhibition. Assuncao uses a couple of good inside leg kicks to move into the clinch. Diaz counters with a beautiful Kimura throw, but in doing so lets Junior take his back. It’s ultimately inconsequential as they scramble back to their feet. Junior is dominating clinch position, but Diaz is good enough to stay out of any trouble. Diaz really loves that Kimura. He clings to it seemingly throughout the fight, and it seems to keep Assuncao at bay to some degree. The whole fight is like one long, slow scramble; neither fighter ever seems to settle into a position until Diaz punches (really terrible but nonetheless effective punches) his way into a guillotine for the finish. Diaz submission R1.
I was never a Nick Diaz fan, but I’m taking to his younger brother, who has a similar skill set but is far less abrasive and much more laid back. Maybe he smokes more weed, I don’t know. In any event, Diaz puts a little more shine on the TUF title by winning his first “real†UFC fight.
Chris Leben vs. Terry Martin
Or Mar-Tan, if you prefer Bruce Buffer’s pronunciation. We have our first Herb Dean sighting of the night, too. It should be no surprise to anyone, given the participants, that this bout takes us back into brawl territory. When they hit the ground early in round one, Leben shows off his technical skills with some good guard work. All the same, Martin is not really active on top. The round features lots of clinching, and both men are active without really accomplishing much. Dumb move by Leben to grab the fence; this round is basically dead even, and he can ask Tito what a lost point can do in a close fight. Reason #435 why I love MMA – it’s the only sport where “Nice foot stomps†can be used without irony. I scored it 10-9 Martin; the round would’ve been 10-10 without the lost point, obviously.
Round 2 picks up where 1 left off – a grinding, clinch-based affair. Martin is starting to load up on his punches, looking for the one punch knockout, and he’s looking tired. Could Leben wear him down? Leben is slowing, too, though. They move in and out of the clinch, with Martin loading up to throw bombs every time they separate. He’s clearly tired, and worried about it. Leben, by contrast, is much more relaxed. Martin hits another takedown. I’ve no idea why, as he doesn’t do anything with it. Again, Leben is more active on the bottom, while Martin offers little from the top. Leben throws up a loose triangle. He can’t seem to get his foot in the right position, and he’s doing everything except the right thing to cinch it up. He’ll run out of time before figuring it out. 10-9 Leben, largely on the strength of his work from the bottom.
Round 3 is more of the same, as both fighters bang out a couple punches and fall back to a clinch. Leben’s failed takedown leads to a Martin front headlock and a couple of knees. Martin seems rejuvenated, and is hitting with power again. Leben looks gassed. Again, Martin goes for a takedown but doesn’t follow up with anything. He needs to stop shooting unless he’s going to do something on top. Back on their feet, we have a Rocky-esque finish where Leben starts to eat hard punches and then drops Martin hard with a left “hookâ€. So much for Martin’s title shot. Leben TKO 3:56 R3. Chalk another one up to Leben’s magic button.
Terry Martin is a frustrating fighter to watch. He’s got obvious talent, and he’s clearly a smart guy. So why does he fight so dumb? He doesn’t seem to have a plan outside of “land the big shotâ€. For a former wrestler, he offers nothing on the ground, and he isn’t polished enough to rely on his standup. Martin should be a ferocious ground and pound guy in the Couture mold, instead of a smaller Kevin Randleman.
Kenny Florian vs. Din Thomas
“Ken Floâ€, incidentally, is among my top 3 least favorite MMA nicknames, trailing only “JLau†and “The Dean of Meanâ€. “Dream matchup†is stretching things a bit, but this is an intriguing fight between two talented fighters with a variety of skills. Fun fact – Din Thomas is the reigning ISCF Lightweight champ, a belt he beat Jens Pulver for about a million years ago, has never defended, and exactly no one actually cares about. Din’s trying the hair defense tonight, according to Rogan. Might work, and it doesn’t cost him anything. Why not? An unfortunate early groin kick by Kenny, and a good one. Yee-ouch. Florian slips while kicking, and Din is on him but can’t find a position of advantage. Back up to their feet. Now a takedown by Kenny. Din pushes him away, and Florian reshoots with some authority. Din pushes him away again, counters with his own shot, slips, and Florian tees off on a turtled Thomas. Din needs to move or he’ll get stopped here. Florian goes for the back and keeps punching, then finds the choke, and we’re done. Florian sub R1. Apparently Thomas injured his knee on the shot attempt, which is unfortunate. All the same, if you’re one of those people insisting that this win is somehow tainted because of it, go slap yourself real hard for me, ok? A guy getting injured in a cage fight is not a fluke, and keeping all your body parts functioning is an essential MMA skill.
In what world was Sherk/Florian a close decision? I think Florian is talented and fun to watch, but I’m already sick of the “I’m a finisher†mantra. Yes, Kenny, you’re a finisher. Except when you can’t get off your back and there’s a wrestler punching you in the face for twenty-five minutes. Then you’re a guy who lost a one-sided decision. All the same, I’d watch Sherk/Florian II.
Zuffa couldn’t have scripted a better lead-in Fight Night for the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter. Every fight was won by a former cast member, including Season One poster boys Quarry and Leben, Season One finalist Kenny Florian, and Season Five winner Nate Diaz. Between this broadcast and the last PPV, TUF contestants have had quite a month. As for the fights themselves, they alternated entertaining brawls with interesting technical displays. None of the fights were Fight of the Year candidates, and the main event ended on a disappointing note, but there wasn’t a stinker in the bunch, either. All in all, a very successful show for the UFC and an enjoyable one for the UFC fan.
