The Good, Bad and Strange from UFC 198
The Good, Bad and Strange from UFC 198
The roots of mixed martial arts run deep in Brazil.Nearly 23 years have passed since Royce Gracie introduced his legendary family’s brand of jiu-jitsu to th
The roots of mixed martial arts run deep in Brazil.
Nearly 23 years have passed since Royce Gracie introduced his legendary family’s brand of jiu-jitsu to the world at UFC 1. On that November night back in 1993, fans watching live at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver or around world on pay-per-view, not only witnessed Gracie’s tournament-winning run, but the first look of a global phenomenon that would come to be known as MMA.
Over the next two decades many of Brazil’s best carved out memorable careers inside the Octagon, but several became legends under the bright lights.
Fighters like Anderson Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Fabricio Werdum inspired younger generations with their impressive skill sets as they collected championship gold around the globe. On Saturday night at UFC 198 those fighters came home.
Although “The Spider” would be forced out of his highly anticipated bout against Uriah Hall due to a medical emergency, the pound-for-pound great’s injury didn’t stop the passionate Brazilian fanbase from showing up in droves to Arena de Baixada in Curitiba. The event featured a collection of high stakes affairs, but none was bigger--both literally and figuratively--than the main event tilt between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.
Where “Vai Cavalho” was once cut from the UFC and cast off to the discount rack where unfulfilled potential resides, Werdum in his current form is a much different animal.
The 38-year-old has experienced an incredible resurgence over the past four years and silenced his critics every step of the way. Werdum came into UFC 198 amidst a decorated run where he’s built a six-fight winning streak and unified the heavyweight title.
Although those are lofty accomplishments by any measure, Werdum has been quietly making a case to be recognized as the greatest heavyweight of all-time. In order to keep that campaign alive Werdum would have to emerge victorious from UFC 198, and the man standing across from him inside the Octagon had plans of his own.
Stipe Miocic has been aiming at gold since arriving to the sport’s biggest stage in 2011. Saturday night at UFC 198, Miocic’s long awaited attempt to make his championship dreams a reality. The proud Cleveland native looked to bring his hometown’s longstanding championship curse to a halt down in Brazil and he did so in spectacular fashion. Miocic threw a straight right hand that sent the champion crashing to the canvas.
Seconds after Werdum's lifeless body hit the floor, Miocic flung his over the top rail of the Octagon as insanity took over in hectic post-fight celebration with his coaches and family. Miocic's journey to become champion and his impressive knockout to earn the belt taken in scope, it seems his maniacal rant aimed at UFC President Dana White where he demanded his title shot doesn't seem so crazy.
Well, slightly less crazy in the way crazy really means.
It was a solid night of fights from Curitiba, Brazil. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 198
The Good
It may have taken some twists and turns, but ladies and gentlemen Stipe Miocic has arrived.
The former Cleveland State University baseball and wrestling standout showed obvious signs of talent upon arrival to the UFC as he picked up victories in his first three bouts, but a setback in his inaugural main event against Stefan Struve cast doubt upon him. Miocic's movement, wrestling chops and power appeared to line him up--at least from a skill set aspect--with the best the division had to offer, but cardio failure that led to getting TKO'd by Struve spun the story in a different direction.
The fight game is a weird beast where some times a loss carries more than just a checkmark in a category, and Miocic had work to do if he wanted to build momentum toward a future title shot. Fortunately for Miocic, his blue-collar "Industrial Belt" roots allowed him to jump right back into the fray, and Saturday night at UFC 198 all of his hard work paid off in one perfect shot.
As champion Fabricio Werdum pressed the action and chased him around the cage, Miocic planted to unleash a crisp right hand mid-back pedal that sent the Brazilian toppling to the canvas. it was a perfect shot. Dead on the proverbial button that cut off Werdum's lights upon impact.
And while his post-fight celebration will be highlight reel material for years to come, the same could be said for Miocic's reign as the new heavyweight king. Just as his movement, wrestling and power led many to believe he could compete with the best in his division, Miocic's determination to stick to his strengths is what made him a champion.
On Saturday night he knocked a man out cold who whose resume had him in the argument for the greatest heavyweight of all time, and while the loss at UFC 198 won't change that for Werdum, Miocic's impressive victory shows he's not ready to line up with the best in his weight class. He simply is the best in his weight class.
There may not have been a shiny gold belt on the line, but the pound-for-pound best fighter in women's MMA made her promotional debut at UFC 198.
Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino may have waited a long time for the opportunity to compete inside the Octagon, but the Brazilian wrecking machine didn't waste a second doing what she came there to do.
The former Strikeforce champion and current Invicta titleholder put here signature brand of destruction on as she blistered Leslie Smith via knockout at the 1:20 mark of the opening frame. While Smith was certainly game to exchange, Justino's power was simply too much from jump street. The Chute Boxe product unleashed her aggression as she charged forward, and it wasn't long before the referee stepped in to waive off the action.
While Smith appeared to still have her senses, and the stoppage could be deemed questionable, it could just as easily be posed Smith would have only taken more damage had the action continued. That's just a guess but a strong one.
For a fighter who has dealt with so much turmoil on her quest to reach the top of the sport, Justino's performance on Saturday night was one to remember. She looked almost flawless in her official UFC debut and showcased the power that has come to be expected. In fact, the only misstep Justino registered during her triumphant homecoming to her native Curitiba was her failure to claim the spotlight in her post-fight interview.
Justino has long been a target of former women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, and with the former Olympian still on the shelf without an official opponent, "Cyborg" should have seized the moment by calling out her rival in front of 42,000 plus Brazilians.
Staying on the topic of things Brazilians appreciate, Demian Maia just may be the best jiu-jitsu practitioner to ever step inside the Octagon.
The grappling ace has spent the past seven years forcing fighters across two weight classes to tap or nap. And from the strength of his performance at UFC 198, he isn't going to stop any time soon.
The former middleweight title challenger turned welterweight contender put on a performance equal parts calculated and precise as the 38-year-old submitted Matt Brown in the final round of their bout to cap off the coverage on Fox Sports 1. "The Immortal's" ground game has a glaring weakness for the duration of his career, but Brown played with fire and survived as he successfully fought off Maia's submission attempts for the opening 10 minutes.
Nevertheless,The Ultimate Fighter alum would not see the finish line. Even though he knew he was in trouble and most likely stuck, Brown considered going out on his shield before he ultimately tapped to a rear-naked choke.
With his submission victory over Brown at UFC 198, Maia has now strung five-straight wins together for the first time since his initial arrival to the UFC back in 2007. The biggest difference between Demian Maia of then and now? The current form of Maia has ice-cold Anaconda blood running through his veins.
It doesn't matter how long it takes, Maia will wait.
Then he will eat.
Then he will win.
Victory may be the ultimate goal when a fighter steps into the cage, but Bryan Barberena wants to keep proving to his doubters how capable he is of doing it.
While the MMA Lab fighter could have certainly lost traction following his first UFC loss against Chad Laprise back in April of 2015, "Bam Bam" would have nothing of the sort. Much like the way he fights inside the cage, Barberena pushed forward and has rebounded in the strongest possible fashion. The 27-year-old Californian overcame a short notice turn and the trappings of a heavy underdog status to derail the super-fueled hype train of Sage Northcutt.
Barberena went from middling journeyman to hype killer in one arm triangle choke. That's impressive, but it would be even more impressive if he could keep the momentum rolling. And that's exactly what he did against Warlley Alves at UFC 198.
Although Barberena wasn't able to work the same magic that put away the chipper young Texan, his aggressive was effective and consistent. Barberena battled the hard-nosed Brazilian and took the unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards to pick up his second consecutive victor inside the Octagon. In his post-fight interview with Brian Stann, Barberena asked the MMA community to please keep doubting him because he loves proving them wrong.
Here's to hoping they do.
The Bad
It's difficult for anyone to suggest a fighter should hang up the gloves, but there were a pair of performances at UFC 198 which made that particular conversation a priority for two combatants.
Vitor Belfort and Nate Marquardt have both notched careers where success used to come at the expense of their opposition, and most of the time the currency issued to pay those prices was brutality. Unfortunately for Belfort and Marquardt, the two seasoned veterans have shifted to the other side of the counter in the current stages of their respective careers.
Granted, it wasn't all too long ago that "The Phenom" was the one handing out highlight reel knockouts to top-ranked fighters like Michael Bisping and the man who would become middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, but those wins came at a time when asterisks were in the air. And while knocking out "The Count" and the former Strikeforce middleweight champion are impressive feathers to have in one's cap, a then 36-year-old Belfort dusting men 10 years his junior, and looking like he's carved from marble served to put the spotlight on the murky waters of the TRT era.
Fast forward two years to a time when the UFC brought in USADA to clean up the sport, and Belfort resembles an aging lion whose best days on the battlefield are reflected in stories he shares with his cubs. And just like the other lion kings, Belfort has elements about him that resemble his warrior days, but quick-twitch muscles and devastating power he once had just doesn't come to him as it once did.
Belfort enthusiasts could point to his recent knockout victory over Dan Henderson as proof he still has what it takes, but that take is a bit tilted seeing as Henderson too could be chilling in the shade and living off legend. Then again it's very possible Belfort doesn't like the way his career narrative would read and is trying to do what he can in order to shape the all-important final chapter the way former light heavyweight king Chuck Liddell used his victory over Wanderlei Silva to catapult him into several more violent knockouts before the UFC had to step in and force him over beneath the shade trees.
While Belfort will have championship runs to dull the sharp edges of undesired results toward the end of his career, Marquardt will not have the same luxuries. Make no mistake about it, there were two different stretches where "Nate the Great" appeared to be living up to his nickname, but those runs were sandwiched between career-altering mistakes and the empty tank that comes with physical decline.
The latter is a reality destined for all who compete, but it will be the prior that haunts Marquardt long after his career is over.
After making a run at the UFC middleweight title the Wyoming native hit a rough spell that promoted him to try his hand as a welterweight. Marquardt's size and power were going to make him an immediate player at 170-pounds, and talk of an eventual showdown with friend Georges St-Pierre was brought up in interviews before he ever competed in the division.
Therefore, when Marquardt was finally slated to make his debut in the weight class in Pittsburgh, it was supposed to be a launchpad moment for a stalled career, but that's not how things would shake out. Marquardt failed a pre-fight for elevated levels of testosterone that led to his removal from his main event bout with Rick Story and his termination from the UFC as the offense was his second under Zuffa contract.
While Marquardt would return and blast Tyron Woodley into highlight reel land to win the Strikeforce welterweight title, he would hand the hardware over in his very next fight against Tarec Saffiedine. And things would not get better down the line.
With his knockout loss to Santos at UFC 198, Marquadt has now dropped six of his last eight showings--four of which have come by knockout. Those results are typically telling sings that a once elite level fighter has been pulled under the carriage, but for lack of a better term, the men and women who fight other human beings for a living or usually too tough for their own good.
Also...here's hoping Jon Jones performs better in his next bout than he does betting on the game he's looking to rule once more.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/731653884700020736" hide_media="1" hide_thread="1"]
The Strange
When John Lineker steps into the Octagon to throw his "hands of stone" the MMA world waits with baited breath. They wait because they know violence--powerful Brazilian violence--is on deck. Then again, there are times when Lineker's superhuman powers aren't summoned. Saturday night at UFC 198 was one of those nights.
The 26-year-old bantamweight squared off with Rob Font to kick off the Fox Sports 1 portion of the card in a bout that was figured bring the proverbial ruckus. Font, who came into UFC 198 having won 11-straight showings, saw a matchup with the heavy-handed sniper as a big opportunity to go up the divisional ladder. Lineker on the other hand, was more about smashing something in front of his countrymen and women. Unfortunately for all who watched, neither man got their wish on Saturday.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/RJcliffordMMA/status/731642832025329664" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Lineker stalked Font for the entirety of the 15-minute tilt and paused from time to time to launch furious leather in the Massachusetts native's direction. Lineker landed enough to keep Font on the move, and it's safe to say he got a good workout at UFC 198. Lineker picked up his second consecutive win since returning to the bantamweight division, and bumped his current winning streak to four-straight victories.
While there weren't a ton of strange happenings for a Saturday night in Curitiba, there was a moment during UFC 198 where pop culture and gladiator lifestyle came to a crossroads. And when unicorns from different neighborhoods spring up and run into one another just chilling at the same stream it's always worth noting.
When Matt Brown was contacted by the UFC regarding his next fight, matchmaker Joe Silva offered him three names. Of the three only one stood out and that was Demian Maia. While facing the jiu-jitsu phenom may be a tall order for anyone inside the Octagon, Brown's track record against submission fighters hasn't been the best.
Yet, "The Immortal" is as game as they come in the fight business, and the Ohio native told FloCombat he equated the matchup with Maia as climbing a mountain.
Although Mr. Brown was ultimately caught in a landslide and pulled into a deep crevice, there was a moment captured by Sherdog's Jordan Breen that served as commentary to a much larger issue in the world beyond the cage. As Brown realized he was in the clutches of a rear-naked defeat at the hands of Maia, and there was no escaping, his eyes told the story.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/jordanbreen/status/731664196207837184" hide_media="1" hide_thread="1"]
Brown's eyes widened as he prepared for the darkness to capture him, but then decided to take the other available option and tapped. What Breen so brilliantly captured in the moment was the heavy-metal welterweight deciding whether or not he would take the loss or run the risk of becoming internet fodder for the masses. Brown ultimately chose to take the "L" and exit the Octagon a bruised ego rather than a viral video.
Nearly 23 years have passed since Royce Gracie introduced his legendary family’s brand of jiu-jitsu to the world at UFC 1. On that November night back in 1993, fans watching live at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver or around world on pay-per-view, not only witnessed Gracie’s tournament-winning run, but the first look of a global phenomenon that would come to be known as MMA.
Over the next two decades many of Brazil’s best carved out memorable careers inside the Octagon, but several became legends under the bright lights.
Fighters like Anderson Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Fabricio Werdum inspired younger generations with their impressive skill sets as they collected championship gold around the globe. On Saturday night at UFC 198 those fighters came home.
Although “The Spider” would be forced out of his highly anticipated bout against Uriah Hall due to a medical emergency, the pound-for-pound great’s injury didn’t stop the passionate Brazilian fanbase from showing up in droves to Arena de Baixada in Curitiba. The event featured a collection of high stakes affairs, but none was bigger--both literally and figuratively--than the main event tilt between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.
Where “Vai Cavalho” was once cut from the UFC and cast off to the discount rack where unfulfilled potential resides, Werdum in his current form is a much different animal.
The 38-year-old has experienced an incredible resurgence over the past four years and silenced his critics every step of the way. Werdum came into UFC 198 amidst a decorated run where he’s built a six-fight winning streak and unified the heavyweight title.
Although those are lofty accomplishments by any measure, Werdum has been quietly making a case to be recognized as the greatest heavyweight of all-time. In order to keep that campaign alive Werdum would have to emerge victorious from UFC 198, and the man standing across from him inside the Octagon had plans of his own.
Stipe Miocic has been aiming at gold since arriving to the sport’s biggest stage in 2011. Saturday night at UFC 198, Miocic’s long awaited attempt to make his championship dreams a reality. The proud Cleveland native looked to bring his hometown’s longstanding championship curse to a halt down in Brazil and he did so in spectacular fashion. Miocic threw a straight right hand that sent the champion crashing to the canvas.
Seconds after Werdum's lifeless body hit the floor, Miocic flung his over the top rail of the Octagon as insanity took over in hectic post-fight celebration with his coaches and family. Miocic's journey to become champion and his impressive knockout to earn the belt taken in scope, it seems his maniacal rant aimed at UFC President Dana White where he demanded his title shot doesn't seem so crazy.
Well, slightly less crazy in the way crazy really means.
It was a solid night of fights from Curitiba, Brazil. Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 198
The Good
It may have taken some twists and turns, but ladies and gentlemen Stipe Miocic has arrived.
The former Cleveland State University baseball and wrestling standout showed obvious signs of talent upon arrival to the UFC as he picked up victories in his first three bouts, but a setback in his inaugural main event against Stefan Struve cast doubt upon him. Miocic's movement, wrestling chops and power appeared to line him up--at least from a skill set aspect--with the best the division had to offer, but cardio failure that led to getting TKO'd by Struve spun the story in a different direction.
The fight game is a weird beast where some times a loss carries more than just a checkmark in a category, and Miocic had work to do if he wanted to build momentum toward a future title shot. Fortunately for Miocic, his blue-collar "Industrial Belt" roots allowed him to jump right back into the fray, and Saturday night at UFC 198 all of his hard work paid off in one perfect shot.
As champion Fabricio Werdum pressed the action and chased him around the cage, Miocic planted to unleash a crisp right hand mid-back pedal that sent the Brazilian toppling to the canvas. it was a perfect shot. Dead on the proverbial button that cut off Werdum's lights upon impact.
And while his post-fight celebration will be highlight reel material for years to come, the same could be said for Miocic's reign as the new heavyweight king. Just as his movement, wrestling and power led many to believe he could compete with the best in his division, Miocic's determination to stick to his strengths is what made him a champion.
On Saturday night he knocked a man out cold who whose resume had him in the argument for the greatest heavyweight of all time, and while the loss at UFC 198 won't change that for Werdum, Miocic's impressive victory shows he's not ready to line up with the best in his weight class. He simply is the best in his weight class.
There may not have been a shiny gold belt on the line, but the pound-for-pound best fighter in women's MMA made her promotional debut at UFC 198.
Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino may have waited a long time for the opportunity to compete inside the Octagon, but the Brazilian wrecking machine didn't waste a second doing what she came there to do.
The former Strikeforce champion and current Invicta titleholder put here signature brand of destruction on as she blistered Leslie Smith via knockout at the 1:20 mark of the opening frame. While Smith was certainly game to exchange, Justino's power was simply too much from jump street. The Chute Boxe product unleashed her aggression as she charged forward, and it wasn't long before the referee stepped in to waive off the action.
While Smith appeared to still have her senses, and the stoppage could be deemed questionable, it could just as easily be posed Smith would have only taken more damage had the action continued. That's just a guess but a strong one.
For a fighter who has dealt with so much turmoil on her quest to reach the top of the sport, Justino's performance on Saturday night was one to remember. She looked almost flawless in her official UFC debut and showcased the power that has come to be expected. In fact, the only misstep Justino registered during her triumphant homecoming to her native Curitiba was her failure to claim the spotlight in her post-fight interview.
Justino has long been a target of former women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, and with the former Olympian still on the shelf without an official opponent, "Cyborg" should have seized the moment by calling out her rival in front of 42,000 plus Brazilians.
Staying on the topic of things Brazilians appreciate, Demian Maia just may be the best jiu-jitsu practitioner to ever step inside the Octagon.
The grappling ace has spent the past seven years forcing fighters across two weight classes to tap or nap. And from the strength of his performance at UFC 198, he isn't going to stop any time soon.
The former middleweight title challenger turned welterweight contender put on a performance equal parts calculated and precise as the 38-year-old submitted Matt Brown in the final round of their bout to cap off the coverage on Fox Sports 1. "The Immortal's" ground game has a glaring weakness for the duration of his career, but Brown played with fire and survived as he successfully fought off Maia's submission attempts for the opening 10 minutes.
Nevertheless,The Ultimate Fighter alum would not see the finish line. Even though he knew he was in trouble and most likely stuck, Brown considered going out on his shield before he ultimately tapped to a rear-naked choke.
With his submission victory over Brown at UFC 198, Maia has now strung five-straight wins together for the first time since his initial arrival to the UFC back in 2007. The biggest difference between Demian Maia of then and now? The current form of Maia has ice-cold Anaconda blood running through his veins.
It doesn't matter how long it takes, Maia will wait.
Then he will eat.
Then he will win.
Victory may be the ultimate goal when a fighter steps into the cage, but Bryan Barberena wants to keep proving to his doubters how capable he is of doing it.
While the MMA Lab fighter could have certainly lost traction following his first UFC loss against Chad Laprise back in April of 2015, "Bam Bam" would have nothing of the sort. Much like the way he fights inside the cage, Barberena pushed forward and has rebounded in the strongest possible fashion. The 27-year-old Californian overcame a short notice turn and the trappings of a heavy underdog status to derail the super-fueled hype train of Sage Northcutt.
Barberena went from middling journeyman to hype killer in one arm triangle choke. That's impressive, but it would be even more impressive if he could keep the momentum rolling. And that's exactly what he did against Warlley Alves at UFC 198.
Although Barberena wasn't able to work the same magic that put away the chipper young Texan, his aggressive was effective and consistent. Barberena battled the hard-nosed Brazilian and took the unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards to pick up his second consecutive victor inside the Octagon. In his post-fight interview with Brian Stann, Barberena asked the MMA community to please keep doubting him because he loves proving them wrong.
Here's to hoping they do.
The Bad
It's difficult for anyone to suggest a fighter should hang up the gloves, but there were a pair of performances at UFC 198 which made that particular conversation a priority for two combatants.
Vitor Belfort and Nate Marquardt have both notched careers where success used to come at the expense of their opposition, and most of the time the currency issued to pay those prices was brutality. Unfortunately for Belfort and Marquardt, the two seasoned veterans have shifted to the other side of the counter in the current stages of their respective careers.
Granted, it wasn't all too long ago that "The Phenom" was the one handing out highlight reel knockouts to top-ranked fighters like Michael Bisping and the man who would become middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, but those wins came at a time when asterisks were in the air. And while knocking out "The Count" and the former Strikeforce middleweight champion are impressive feathers to have in one's cap, a then 36-year-old Belfort dusting men 10 years his junior, and looking like he's carved from marble served to put the spotlight on the murky waters of the TRT era.
Fast forward two years to a time when the UFC brought in USADA to clean up the sport, and Belfort resembles an aging lion whose best days on the battlefield are reflected in stories he shares with his cubs. And just like the other lion kings, Belfort has elements about him that resemble his warrior days, but quick-twitch muscles and devastating power he once had just doesn't come to him as it once did.
Belfort enthusiasts could point to his recent knockout victory over Dan Henderson as proof he still has what it takes, but that take is a bit tilted seeing as Henderson too could be chilling in the shade and living off legend. Then again it's very possible Belfort doesn't like the way his career narrative would read and is trying to do what he can in order to shape the all-important final chapter the way former light heavyweight king Chuck Liddell used his victory over Wanderlei Silva to catapult him into several more violent knockouts before the UFC had to step in and force him over beneath the shade trees.
While Belfort will have championship runs to dull the sharp edges of undesired results toward the end of his career, Marquardt will not have the same luxuries. Make no mistake about it, there were two different stretches where "Nate the Great" appeared to be living up to his nickname, but those runs were sandwiched between career-altering mistakes and the empty tank that comes with physical decline.
The latter is a reality destined for all who compete, but it will be the prior that haunts Marquardt long after his career is over.
After making a run at the UFC middleweight title the Wyoming native hit a rough spell that promoted him to try his hand as a welterweight. Marquardt's size and power were going to make him an immediate player at 170-pounds, and talk of an eventual showdown with friend Georges St-Pierre was brought up in interviews before he ever competed in the division.
Therefore, when Marquardt was finally slated to make his debut in the weight class in Pittsburgh, it was supposed to be a launchpad moment for a stalled career, but that's not how things would shake out. Marquardt failed a pre-fight for elevated levels of testosterone that led to his removal from his main event bout with Rick Story and his termination from the UFC as the offense was his second under Zuffa contract.
While Marquardt would return and blast Tyron Woodley into highlight reel land to win the Strikeforce welterweight title, he would hand the hardware over in his very next fight against Tarec Saffiedine. And things would not get better down the line.
With his knockout loss to Santos at UFC 198, Marquadt has now dropped six of his last eight showings--four of which have come by knockout. Those results are typically telling sings that a once elite level fighter has been pulled under the carriage, but for lack of a better term, the men and women who fight other human beings for a living or usually too tough for their own good.
Also...here's hoping Jon Jones performs better in his next bout than he does betting on the game he's looking to rule once more.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/731653884700020736" hide_media="1" hide_thread="1"]
The Strange
When John Lineker steps into the Octagon to throw his "hands of stone" the MMA world waits with baited breath. They wait because they know violence--powerful Brazilian violence--is on deck. Then again, there are times when Lineker's superhuman powers aren't summoned. Saturday night at UFC 198 was one of those nights.
The 26-year-old bantamweight squared off with Rob Font to kick off the Fox Sports 1 portion of the card in a bout that was figured bring the proverbial ruckus. Font, who came into UFC 198 having won 11-straight showings, saw a matchup with the heavy-handed sniper as a big opportunity to go up the divisional ladder. Lineker on the other hand, was more about smashing something in front of his countrymen and women. Unfortunately for all who watched, neither man got their wish on Saturday.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/RJcliffordMMA/status/731642832025329664" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Lineker stalked Font for the entirety of the 15-minute tilt and paused from time to time to launch furious leather in the Massachusetts native's direction. Lineker landed enough to keep Font on the move, and it's safe to say he got a good workout at UFC 198. Lineker picked up his second consecutive win since returning to the bantamweight division, and bumped his current winning streak to four-straight victories.
While there weren't a ton of strange happenings for a Saturday night in Curitiba, there was a moment during UFC 198 where pop culture and gladiator lifestyle came to a crossroads. And when unicorns from different neighborhoods spring up and run into one another just chilling at the same stream it's always worth noting.
When Matt Brown was contacted by the UFC regarding his next fight, matchmaker Joe Silva offered him three names. Of the three only one stood out and that was Demian Maia. While facing the jiu-jitsu phenom may be a tall order for anyone inside the Octagon, Brown's track record against submission fighters hasn't been the best.
Yet, "The Immortal" is as game as they come in the fight business, and the Ohio native told FloCombat he equated the matchup with Maia as climbing a mountain.
Although Mr. Brown was ultimately caught in a landslide and pulled into a deep crevice, there was a moment captured by Sherdog's Jordan Breen that served as commentary to a much larger issue in the world beyond the cage. As Brown realized he was in the clutches of a rear-naked defeat at the hands of Maia, and there was no escaping, his eyes told the story.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/jordanbreen/status/731664196207837184" hide_media="1" hide_thread="1"]
Brown's eyes widened as he prepared for the darkness to capture him, but then decided to take the other available option and tapped. What Breen so brilliantly captured in the moment was the heavy-metal welterweight deciding whether or not he would take the loss or run the risk of becoming internet fodder for the masses. Brown ultimately chose to take the "L" and exit the Octagon a bruised ego rather than a viral video.