UFC 139 Post Fight Thoughts and Results

In the wake of what may have been the UFC's most

important show in UFC on FOX, may have arguably come its best. UFC 139 wrapped up this weekend at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA leaving stunned eyes and jaws dropped for those who witnessed the amazing night of fights. In a long overdue battle of PRIDE legends, Dan Henderson took a unanimous decision over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in a fight where even calling it an "EPIC WAR" could not do it justice.

Random Thoughts and Analysis from the evening's fights:

-Fight of the year? Fight of the century? Dana White was quoted as calling this main event the "Ali-Frazier 3" of the MMA world. Only time will tell in that regard, but so soon after this fight has ended no amount of hyperbole can seem to accurately describe the action that took place. Looks like some new editions of the UFC's greatest fight dvd's will need to be pressed.

-There is some minor controversy around the unanimous decision that was awarded to Hendo. I personally scored the fight a draw, giving Dan the first three rounds and Shogun the latter two, earning a 10-8 in the fifth frame. It is not inconceivable by any means that someone would award the fight to Hendo, but that all three judges would unanimously agree on the scoring of the fight did come as a surprise. Seems like the most logical solution would be to run it back, Shogun vs Hendo 2 anyone?

-Hindsight being 20/20 of course, one can't help but wonder what would have happened if Hendo/Shogun had been the featured fight on the UFC's Fox debut. Like the Griffin/Bonnar 1 fight before it, this was a match that simply had you on your feet and eyes glued to the action the entire duration of the fight.

-In what was the most anticipated match of the night for the in-house crowd, Wanderlei Silva flashed back to his glory days with power punches and vicious Muay Thai knees from the clinch to take an amazing KO victory against local favorite Cung Le.

-Though able to add another highlight to his storied career, I somewhat hope Silva can find it in himself to walk away from the sport. Sure Silva managed to fight far more tactically than ever in recent memory, but the likelihood of any return to glory is remote, and years of accumulated damage has left him with a highly suspect chin. I want to see the PRIDE legend go out in a vicious blaze of glory, rather than him being forced out after being on the receiving end of a series of knockouts.

-Urijah Faber received arguably the loudest pop of the night in the crowd, and truly has never looked better. Faber's striking looked very crisp as he managed to follow up and capitalize on a stunned Bowles after a dragon punch uppercut, something that Faber looked hesitant to do in his previous fight against champ Dominic Cruz.

-On a disappointing note, as someone who thought Kyle Kingsbury was a nice prospect in the light-heavyweight division, I found myself very surprised how he lost. For a guy who trains at AKA with wrestling luminaries like Josh Koscheck, Cain Velasquez, and Daniel Cormier, I was stunned that he was so easily taken down by reputed brawler, Stephan Bonnar. Just what was Fitch doing exactly while in Kingsbu's corner?

It's MMAzing Staff Predictions for UFC 139

Maurício Rua vs. Dan Henderson:

Doctor Law: Shogun vs Hendo. A hardcore fan’s dream fight. Being that “Decision Dan” hasn’t been seen in years, I expect this fight to be an absolute war. Both of these fighters like to stand up and both have chins that are made out of granite. It’s really a flip of a coin over who is going to take this one. I’m leaning towards Dan because of the fact that it’s a 5 round fight. Shogun has had conditioning issues in the past and I have more confidence in Hendo having energy in the later rounds. Henderson by 4th Round TKO

Kid Presentable: PRIDE never die! A fight fan's dream throwback fight, this fight should definitely lead to some memorable action and at least a few moments that make you jump up on your feet. Hendo, following in the path of Team Quest OG Randy Couture has been undergoing a career revitalization in recent years, but he now runs into a buzz saw who is being very undervalued because he like many before him, was wrecked by the Martian Manhunter Jon Jones, in Shogun Rua. Shogun's technical striking and power should find room to land against the current version of Hendo, who relies more on his power punching than his Olympic caliber wrestling. These two fighters historically have two of the best chins in the business, so I don't look for either fighter to be finished by strikes, but maybe look for Rua to sink in a sub after being able to rock, but not put out Hendo. Shogun by 3rd round Submission

DJ Mark with a “K”:  This is a tough one to call. Both are coming off impressive wins and have the skill sets to beat the other. My gut is telling me to go with Shogun. I think he'll be able to slow down Henderson with low kicks and keep him at a distance. I also have a feeling that Shogun might even take Hendo down if he starts getting aggressive. With that being said, Henderson's right hand is always the wild card and his experience has taught him to be patient with. I'm picking Shogun but it's a tough fight to call. Shogun by Decision

Lavender Gooms: Welcome back to the UFC Hendo! As a reward you got to fight Shogun(from Feijo to Shogun…now that’s a jump in Brazilian competition). Rua looked dominant in knocking out former champion Forrest Griffin. Henderson had an impressive knockout of Fedor, but at this point who doesn’t beat Fedor.  With a combination of leg kicks to set up his hands, Shogun puts Hendo’s geriatric ass away.  Shogun by 3rd round TKO.

Picking Rua: Kid P, DJ Mark, Gooms

Picking Henderson: Dr. Law

Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le

Doctor Law: There are two ways of looking at Wanderlei’s chin: 1) it’s gone 2) it’s completely gone. Wand has been put to sleep in violent fashion in 4 of his last 8 fights. I’ve spent a few days coming up with a way I can justify picking in favor of the Pride Legend. This is what I came up with: Cung Le hasn’t fought in 17 months. The last time he had a lay off near this length, he got tired and KO’d by Scott Smith. Wow, I lack confidence in this pick. Silva by 2nd Round TKO. Pride Never Die!

Kid Presentable: I saw Wand at a churrascaria in Las Vegas. The man is a legend and an eternal favorite of mine in this sport. That said, his last showing against Chris Leben made me want to cry. Cung Le is more known for his flashy kicks than straight ko punching power, but leave no doubts that man can hurt you with his striking. I don't see this ending quite as abrupt as Leben ended it, but look for Le to put down Wand eventually. Oh well, at least I will get to hear Sandstorm in person. Le by 2nd round TKO.

DJ Mark with a “K”: Now this is a fun fight! Two extremely entertaining fighters with drastically different styles. My money is on Le getting his distance and timing down before Silva does. Silva always come straight at his opponents which can leave himself open to counters. I'm thinking Le will angle off and punish Silva with kicks to the body. Even if Le gets reckless and starts brawling I don't know how much Silva's chin can take. Le by 3rd round TKO.

Lavender Gooms: Ladies and gentlemen, we could be seeing the end of a PRIDE legend.  I said hello to Wanderlei at a restaurant once and he waved back with what I’m assuming was skirt steak in his mouth. If I didn’t think he was the man before then, I did afterwards. I think Wanderlei still has something left in the tank and takes care of Cung Le. One way or another, there is no way somebody isn’t kissing canvas.  Silva 2nd round TKO.

Picking Silva: Dr. Law, Gooms

Picking Le: Kid P, DJ Mark

Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles

Doctor Law: This fight will likely determine who gets the next shot at champion Dominick Cruz when he recovers from his broken hand. Faber holds the advantage in every area except punching power. Bowles certainly has dynamite in his fists, the question is: can he catch the California Kid, who will be constantly moving around. Unless Urijah gets caught, expect him to control Bowles on the feet and ground leading to a late submission.  Faber by 3rd round Submission.

Kid Presentable: The California Kid vs. Brian Bowles and the Funky Bunch. Faber has been appearing to slowdown lately as unfortunately the UFC merger came just passed the prime years of his career, though in his defense he has been facing the cream of the lower weight divisions. But coming off a loss against Cruz, and not so strong showing against Eddie Wineland, I look for Bowles, who is one of the few bantamweights that carries legit power in his hands, to score an upset here. I see him rocking Faber a couple times, not enough to finish the infinitely tough Cali kid, but enough to score a close decision in his favor. Bowles by Decision.

DJ Mark with a “K”: This is a fight I think Faber should win. If he can get Bowles to grapple and roll with him I think Faber can catch him in a choke. If he stands with Bowles I still think he'll get the better of him because of his speed, but it’s a much more dangerous game. Bowles is a really strong, heavy-handed fighter, something Faber struggled with when fighting Mike Brown. However, I think Faber has enough skills to confuse and topple Bowles. Faber by 1st round Submission (choke).

Lavender Gooms: Does anyone else think Brian Bowles looks like Mark Walhberg from Boogie Nights? It can’t be just me….anyways, a possible title shot is up for grabs here. The Cali Kid has speed for days and his wrestling and chokes are superb. I see this being a close match. Faber by Decision.

Picking Faber: Dr. Law, DJ Mark, Gooms

Picking Bowles: Kid P