Korean Job Discussion Forums

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Roger Huerta vs Clay Guida

(no spoiler)

http://mmafightvideos.blogspot.com/

normalcyispasse · Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject:

Oh man, that fight was GREAT. Absolutely amazing.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Hmmm ... There used to be many more MMA fans on this forum not that long ago - Have they really all left Korea? ...

Anyway, I agree with "normalcyispasse" that this match was outstanding. Although the heavier divisions get the most attention, the lighter weight classes often provide more impressive action.

I haven't watched the UFC sponsored "Ultimate Fighter" series which this match was the season finale of, but I guess that fans who do watch it (on Spike TV) get more of the human background stories behind the action.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:21 am Post subject:

I agree in that the lighter weight-class fights are often way more fun too watch. Frequently the heavyweights get the attention, but the real action is in the other weight classes.

I myself fight in the heavyweight class (by UFC/MMA criteria; superheavyweight by other sport criteria). In this division fights tend to be slower, with heavier strikes and more emphasis on power and method. Rarely do you see the same frenetic level of energy as with lighter fighters; only infrequently do you see the type of amazing reversals and fast transitions like those in the Guida/Huerta fight.

I'm reminded of the Castillo/Corrales fight back in May of '05. These guys were in the lightweight class (boxing) and just went back and forth for 10 rounds. INSANE. Heavyweights just can't do this; it takes so much more energy to MOVE!

I love fighting in this division but if I'm going to pay to watch a fight I'm much more interested in light/bantam/welter/middle weight classes.

FUBAR · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: The Y.C.

Loved the fight, but thought that the War Machine-J-Rock bout stole the show. Much more dramatic and slug 'em out.

All in all, there wasn't a boring fight on the card. Much better having the young guys go at it, all eager to get a contract with UFC, than seeing two middle of the road guys afraid to go for it all in fear that they could lose the fight.

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

This is a personal opinion, but flame away if you feel the need to do so. I've grown to like MMA since coming here as my workmates are very into it, but after seeing Hatton Mayweather on Sunday it reminded me that none of this will ever come close to boxing.

Don Gately · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:00 pm Post subject:

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Yeah, Hattan-Mayweather was a great fight, but it also had a great promotional build-up to it generating human interest in the fighters as people (along with the national pride angle...)

Practically all the prelimary fights, though (mostly featuring younger fighters) were boring as hell.

Although Floyd made a million-dollar challenge for any MMA champ to defeat a top-ten boxer according to Marquis of Queensbury rules, it's pretty obvious that boxing is more specialized, and the boxer would have a big advantage under the rules of boxing - but would be at a big disadvantage in MMA.

Of course, boxing has a great tradition to draw from, while MMA is still in its formative years. Yet it still has its legends (eg: Royce Gracie, Sakuraba, Couture, Coleman, Shamrock, Fedor....) and a lot of up-and-coming great talent.

A big sociological difference between boxing and MMA is that boxing has always been a means for poor ethnic minorities to literally fight to raise their status in the world, while MMA participants for the most part are pretty well educated and middle class..

normalcyispasse · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:59 am Post subject:

Can we post spoilers yet?

I just watched the Hatton/Mayweather fight and was really impressed by the way Mayweather handled himself in the later rounds. The first rounds were pretty awful on his behalf; he had a bad case of the falling-downs. Then again, the refereeing in the first three rounds was ****-poor.

I was pretty surprised at the very end. I mean, crap, did he really knock himself out on the turnbuckle or what?!

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Well, it takes two to make a great fight, and contrasting styles helps a lot ... Referees should only step in when necessary, but in the Mayweather fight Hatton was willing to employ any roughouse tactics to win (because he had such a big reach disadvantage and was not nearly as skilled a boxer ...) Also, Mayweather was more subtly fighting dirty, so the referee had to keep giving warnings.

In the Huerta-Guida fight the action was fast and clean, but the ref was probably extra-attentive when submissions were applied since MMA just had it's first fatality as a result of injuries sustained in a bout...http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-fighterdeath120207&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

You can see the other great match (noted by "Fubar") on the Ultimate Fighter show - "War Machine" v. "J-Rock" Rollins - if you scroll down this website, which also has some recent K-1 videos (including Choi-LeBanner)

The "War Machine" match is about 5 videos down from a clip of the Mayweather-Hatton fight...
http://mmafightvideos.blogspot.com/

normalcyispasse · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:15 pm Post subject:

That was a good fight. WM had a lot more class than I expected, and that reversal was definitely an example of pushing the match.

FUBAR · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: The Y.C.