UFC 61: Bitter Audiences

Wow, did the fans shit all over that or what? By the end of the main event, I thought I was watching a German scheisse video.

• I guess you could say that Joe Stephenson won. But he really didn't show anything, and winning because your opponent couldn't clot isn't much of a victory. Once again, a TUF champion showed that he's not ready for the big time.
• Yves Edwards head was a thing of beauty at the end of that match. Is it wrong that I said that?
• Okay, so the first guy they fed to Frank Mir beat him. The second guy they fed to Mir lost a controversial decision that in all reality, he probably should have won. Is UFC going to feed another guy to Mir in the hopes of making him championship material, or are they going to cut their losses?
• Should Herb Dean have stopped the Shamrock/Ortiz fight, probably. But why did they give this fight to Dean and not Big John McCarthy? Dean has a history of making controversial decisions, and he didn't seem like the guy to ref a fight this big. I think Meltzer put it best when he said, "This was not what the UFC needed with this kind of momentum." This match, after all the hype, all the anticipation, needed a decisive ending.
• Then again, I doubt Shamrock would have conceded defeat unless he had been knocked unconscious. But watching Tito celebrate was good times.
• Burkman/Neer was the kind of fight that you don't mind going to see go to a decision. Next fight, Neer should consider backing up his taunting with some actual fighting.
• Arlovski/Sylvia was everything a main event shouldn't be. It was dull, it was plodding. Arlovski seemed to have forgotten that he was allowed to throw kicks, or even take it to the mat, if he so desired. Sylvia seemed content to wait for the big punch. After that match, Arlovski didn't deserve to win the belt, but Sylvia didn't deserve to keep it. Hopefully Monson will pound the crap out of Sylvia, because right now, the UFC Heavyweight division is the most boring division in the UFC. My suggestion, give us the Arlovski/Mir fight that people were clamouring for before Mir's return. It'll force Mir to step up his game, and may get Arlovski out of his funk.

Other Thoughts:

• The booth was missing Joe Rogan. As methodical as Randy Couture is in the octagon, he is just as methodical on the microphone. Hopefully Joe isn't on the outs with UFC and will be back for the next PPV.
• Shock of the night was Dana announcing "his friend," Wanderlei Silva. That shock was followed closely by Silva wearing a Pride shirt. The only thing I don't like is the fact that Liddell has to beat Sobral to get to Silva. If Liddell loses, does Sobral fight Silva? Is the match between Liddell and Silva a title match?
• Does this mean we're going to see some kind of partnership between Pride and UFC? Does this mean that Dana has realized the TUF fighters aren't main event calibre?
• Has there been a Dana White edict not to use the name Miletich? I know Randy and Goldberg used the name, but Goldberg wasn't exactly on his game last night (did I really hear him say Tito and Shamrock won?) But they're announcing guys as being MFS fighters, not Miletich System fighters. Just seems that Miletich has become persona non grata in Danaland.

Advice On Watching UFC At A Bar

• If you're going to watch UFC at a bar, and the show starts at 10, don't show up at 9:30 expecting to find a seat. And certainly don't show up at 9:55 expecting to find a seat.
• If you're going to wear a hat, turn it around so the brim doesn't block people's view.
• If you're a couple, don't cudde. A) Public Displays of Affection are nauseating, and B) your two heads together blocks the television. If you want to cuddle, do it on your couch at home. Especially if one of you is pregnant. Pregnant women shouldn't be out in public, let alone cuddling.
• I could rant about the drunken morons shouting at the screen during the Arlovski/Sylvia, but damn if they weren't the most interesting thing about that damn fight. The best was that they were each cheering for a different guy, and were arguing about who should win. And then it broke down into calling the guys 'pussies' and telling them to stop dancing while pounding on the silverware laden table. They almost made the match bearable.