Any body surprised there? From the training videos I'd seen of the two preparing, it went down pretty much as I'd have expected. Gotta give Gracie kudos on his pain threshold though...
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
The fight was up on youtube.com but has been taken down. Damn Dana.
Basically Royce hasn't changed, still sticking to BJJ only while the rest of the MMA world has evolved. Royce wouldn't have much of a chance with anyone in the UFC's top five in my opinion.
And yes, the UFC listing Royce's record as 11-0 is very misleading. He's gotten his ass kicked in Japan more than once, but the UFC doesn't count those losses as that would hamper PR, but they do count fights outside the UFC for other fighters.
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Yeah, it's funny reading some people talking about Gracie like he's the second coming - they obviously have't seen anything after his carefully managed first few appearences in UFC.
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
I don't think many people actually expected Royce to win, except for maybe a few diehard fans. He was never in great physical condition, and in the past relied on his BJJ to submit people who had never seen it before... now, every MMA fighter (or most, at least) study his style to some degree.
I think he should retire, but he said he still had "a few more in him." It can be painful to see legends go down that path... painful for him and me both...
The fight was up on youtube.com but has been taken down. Damn Dana.
Basically Royce hasn't changed, still sticking to BJJ only while the rest of the MMA world has evolved. Royce wouldn't have much of a chance with anyone in the UFC's top five in my opinion.
And yes, the UFC listing Royce's record as 11-0 is very misleading. He's gotten his ass kicked in Japan more than once, but the UFC doesn't count those losses as that would hamper PR, but they do count fights outside the UFC for other fighters.
Re;Evolving.
I think its interesting that Gracie JJ, which came from an older more rigid background, 'evolved' into the flexible applicable martial art it is, yet the decision to further, or continue to evolve stopped, and it became, that which it borrowed from.
Of course this is due to some pride and the commercial decision to 'box a style for the masses' and sell it like a big mac.
I was really disappointed that the fight wasn't more competitive, even though most people didn't seem to think it would be. People talk about a good striker always having a puncher's chance -- the ability to land a fight-ending shot at any time. I was hoping that Royce would have a submission guy's chance and find a way to choke out Hughes.
But Hughes was very smart and professional about the fight. He was clearly much stronger and realized soon that he'd be able to assert his will on the ground. I liked Hughes before, but I thought during and after the fight he was pretty classy. Maybe Dana White was hoping the fight would increase public recognition for Hughes, and so for the UFC.
Nevertheless, I don't think this was a good match for the UFC to put on. Sure, it probably made them a ton of money, but it was an exhibition more than a fight. The whole card was pretty mediocre, and I get PPV to see wars. There weren't a whole lot of wars in UFC 60 (or UFC 58 or UFC 57).
Things don't look better for UFC 61. Is there anyone who thinks that Ken Shamrock will win against Tito Ortiz? Shamrock's totally washed up, and without those Wolverine sideburns there's nothing interesting about him.
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If warped values are the price of a vicarious thrill, so be it! - Calvin and Hobbes
Have any of you watched UFCs Ultimate Fighter, it was kinda funny at times when Tito and Shamrock would get into it. Mostly it was Shamrock being pissed that his fighters were sucking it up. I would still like to see Tito and Shamrock go again, probably wont pay for it but would definitly like to see it.
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Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
Nobody gonna talk about Hughs/Gracie?
Hughes vs. Gracie
Linear Mode
