Sorting out a Lackluster UFC Fight Night 36
I can’t say I enjoyed myself on this particular fight night, with more lackluster decisions than quality fights taking place at UFC Fight night 36. It might have made the night drag on more than we’d like, but there was some serious intel to absorb and valuable lessons across the board, both in victory and defeat.
Here’s what caught my eye at last night’s UFC Fight Night 36 from Brazil.
Maximo Blanco: I remember hearing about this guy in the early days of WVR/Sengoku and thinking he could turn into something amazing. A raw natural product during his crash course into the world of MMA, Blanco’s killer instinct and athletic potential spelled doom for the Lightweight world within a handful of years. Sadly, Blanco simply never panned out to be what I thought. People with Blanco’s natural ability are one in a million, yet those are the people who have the hardest time learning a craft from the basics to mastery. Often their own innate talent allows them to squash competition without having those fundamentals to build upon, yet it’s when facing true elite talent that these attributes aren’t enough.
Blanco just hasn’t turned that corner in his career, having all the ferocity he needs, but lacking the discipline to learn proper form and timing. It leaves his punches falling short, his feet skewed under his base, his pursuits wobbly and his grappling a thing of raw physicality. The difference between a Blanco and a Penn or a Faber is that ability to admit your body can only take you so far and that mastery of a craft occurs in the mind just as much as the body. Until Blanco works on the basics, he’ll always fail when the spectacular falls short.
Jesse Ronson: A great example of someone who can’t fire on all cylinders under the big show lights, Ronson dropped his second split decision loss and likely finds himself out of the organization. Ronson was someone to watch as he tore apart the Canadian MMA world, operating like a double-time Machida against the best Canada had to offer. A murderous striking with perfect time and kick placement, Ronson effectively ended Ryan Healy’s career in one of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen before coming into the UFC, yet something changed upon that transition.
Tonight against Trinaldo, Ronson appeared to have lost his confidence to dictate a fight, and instead worked off his back foot far too often against the larger man. With a style build on being unpredictable and impeccable in execution, constantly working the counter will rarely get anything going for the karateka. It’s a sad state of affairs, but here’s to hoping Ronson can regroup under less strenuous circumstances and get his head right before taking another stab at the big show.
Erick Silva
Erick Silva: Much like Maximo Blanco, Erick Silva is a wonderment in terms of physical ability, but unlike Blanco, we’ve seen him really turn the corner in his career. The true test of a champion is to face defeat, accept it, and move on, and Silva has done that under two painful circumstances, both with is thrashing by Fitch and his brutal KO by Kim.
While Soto wasn’t exactly a world-class opponent, Silva literally fought a perfect fight, with 100% connection on his strikes, and having given up nothing to the Japanese submission wrestler. The ability to not only land every single strike from every angle, but pack KO power into them speaks volumes of both his natural abilities, as well as his time in the gym. Another epic talent in a division teeming with life, Silva can conceivably defeat anyone at this stage of his career, and his matchmaking will be of the utmost interest moving forward.
Lyoto Machida: The second test for Machida at 185lbs, the former Light Heavyweight champ pulled off a vintage game plan with a twist against Mousasi, beating his man soundly to the decision. This time out, we saw Machida battle five full rounds after a weight cut, and showed limited wear for the exertion, moving well late in the fight and carrying his speed into deep waters.
Machida is clearly faster at Middleweight and can pack a nasty punch, but I was most impressed with is break from rigid karate to incorporate a more diverse pattern of movement; hand faking, changing levels and being more frustrating than he’s ever managed. The pattern worked like a charm and the only thing that kept Mousasi in the fight was a stiff chin and the drive to advance towards the belt. While Machida isn’t going to win over reluctant fans with his style, he’s making subtle progress in his career and appears to be a real threat at this new weight.
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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