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UFC 99 - Where Do We Go From Here?
Written by Brad Taschuk   
Sunday, 14 June 2009 19:17
UFC 99 Recap & Thoughts

On Saturday afternoon (or night, in Europe), UFC 99 took place, as the Octagon was shipped to Germany for the first time ever.  The card was one that casual fans may have looked at and dismissed, but it was very anticipated by hardcore fans as there were numerous match-ups that had the potential to produce absolute barn-burning fights.

The very first of those fights was Marcus Davis/Dan Hardy, which had an epic build up of trash talk leading to it.  While the fight didn't exactly match the talk, it was still entertaining as Hardy picked up a split decision.  As with any split, there will be controversy over whether the decision was the correct one or not, but at least in these eyes, the right call was made.

Fallout - This fight really doesn't have a huge impact on the welterweight division, as at best these fighters were fringe top 10 UFC WW's heading in to this match.  Hardy isn't quite ready to jump in with the big boys at 170 yet, so I see him getting another striker in his next match.  Someone like Anthony Johnson (when he returns from injury) could make for an interesting fight.


Next up was the return of Caol Uno to the UFC, as he faced Spencer Fisher.  This fight was extremely anticipated, as both fighters have exciting (but contrasting) styles.  However, the fight turned out to be very uneventful until the closing moments, when Uno gained mount on Fisher and rained down some solid ground and pound.  After the fight, Fisher was awarded a rather shocking unanimous decision which has been nearly universally panned by those who actually watched the fight.

Fallout - Fisher has already shown he doesn't have a ton of upward mobility in the UFC LW division, and that isn't about to change.  Uno has a style that is much more conducive to success at LW, but this is a definite setback (however unwarranted it may actually be).  Uno still has the potential to move pretty far up the LW division, but another loss could place him on the chopping block.  There are numerous intriguing match-ups out there for both guys, as LW remains the deepest division top to bottom in the UFC.


Moving a little bit further up the WW ladder (and further down in another respect), we now get to see Mike Swick (the upward part) facing overmatched Ben Saunders (the downward part).  It's amazing what one impressive looking win against a lackluster opponent (yes, I'm looking at you Brandon Wolff) does for your reputation.  Coming in to this fight, some people actually thought Saunders could hang with Swick, but that definitely changed in this fight as even though Swick didn't look terribly impressive, he dispatched Saunders in the second via TKO.

Fallout - With all of the AKA weirdness at WW, Swick may actually be in line for a title shot.  Preferrably, he should have another fight (against the likes of Martin Kampmann, perhaps) to decide the next title contender, as at this point Swick is nowhere near ready for Georges St. Pierre or Thiago Alves, and that showed in his performance against Saunders.  As for Saunders, his first move should be to change his nickname back to 'Killa B', and resume whomping on undercard level WW's for the forseeable future.


Now, for the return that everyone was waiting for.  Mirko Cro Cop going up against the ridiculously outgunned Mustapha Al-Turk.  Much like everyone expected this fight was over in the first, but not without some controversy as Al-Turk was poked in the eye and that started the beginning of the end.  Mirko had already hurt Al-Turk earlier in the round however, and was well on his way to winning the fight anyways, but things just don't seem to go right for him in the UFC, do they?

Fallout - After the event it was discovered that Cro Cop already signed a deal with DREAM to head back to Japan.  From a competitive aspect, this isn't the smartest move for Mirko, as there aren't many relevant fights for him in Japan.  A rematch with Overeem perhaps, but that wouldn't turn out much different from the last one (minus the no contest).  From a marketing perspective, Mirko is a bigger star in Japan than in North America, and there is certainly more money for him to be had in the Far East.  And yes, this is for real.  After all he said, Mirko bolted from the UFC at the first chance.


Relevant match-up time.  Velasquez vs Kongo actually means something to the HW division (which in it's own way is kind of sad).  Despite being rocked early in the first and second rounds, Velasquez really dominated Kongo on the mat en route to a UD.  There really isn't a whole lot to say about this fight, as Kongo did what he does best (strike), and Cain reverted to what he does best (wrestle).  In reality, this was like a more competitive version of Lesnar/Herring.

Fallout - This fight both legitimizes Cain and raises more questions about him at the same time.  His striking clearly needs more work, although Kongo is likely the best striker he will face in the UFC (which must be welcome news to his handlers and fans).  His takedowns and ground control looked fantastic, but: 1) We already knew that, and 2) Whether that would carry over against better grapplers and wrestlers is questionable as well.  Ideally, I'd like to see Cain face off with Shane Carwin, with the winner moving on to a title shot.  Kongo drops down the ladder a little bit, and it could be interesting to see him against someone like Gabriel Gonzaga, as that would definitely be an interesting clash of styles (if Gonzaga has rediscovered his roots, of a solid BJJ game).



http://thefightmafia.comNow, the main event of the evening, Strikeforce style, as legend Wanderlei Silva takes on former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at a 195lb catchweight.  In one of the more entertaining bouts of the evening, Franklin edged out a razor thin decision over Silva.  The decision could be argued for either fighter, but with the UFC's judging emphasis on control rather than damage these days, I can understand Franklin getting the nod whether I agree with it or not.

Fallout - Both fighters are in weird positions.  Silva was supposedly on his way down to 185, however reports are that he struggled even with the cut to 195, so who knows where that is going.  Even going 1-5 in his last 6, Silva still looked competitive against solid competition on Saturday night, and if he can manage the cut down to 185, he still could be primed for one last run before he hangs up the gloves.  Franklin showed that he still has what it takes to beat the majority of fighters at anywhere from 185-205, but he just can't seem to break back into the elite since Anderson Silva performed a couple homemade rhinoplasties on him.  Franklin will continue to climb the ladder at whatever weight class he chooses, and subsequently get knocked down when he gets too high.