UFC 158 put Montreal’s own Georges St-Pierre up against Nick Diaz. Finally. It is a fight that mma fans have been waiting for ever since Diaz started mowing down opponents in Strikeforce back in 2008. It is a fight that was announced to the fans, hyped, and later scrapped due to typical Nick Diaz unprofessional behavior in October of 2011. The true story of the night however was the talent of the UFC welterweight division on display.
This all started with Jake Ellenberger against Nate Marquart. What can I say about Jake Ellenberger’s power. He got Marquart up against the cage in round 1 and waited for Nate to throw something. What Nate threw was a left kick to the body which might have been ok, but he did it with his hands at his own waist. What followed was a nasty left hook-right hook combination to the jaw dropping Marquart and ultimately leading to the finish.
What followed the Ellenberger KO may have been the best fight I have ever seen. Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks put it all on the line for a shot at the championship. Regardless of who won the fight, the real winner was the fans. Hendricks was relentless with takedowns, securing 12 by my count. These takedowns were greatly assisted by the complete and total aggression of Carlos Condit. The “Natural Born Killer” may be the most well rounded fighter in the UFC outside of Jon Jones. When he puts together striking combinations with his hands and feet, then throws flying knees without fear of getting taken down, he truly is a sight to see. When he gets taken down, he does more damage from the bottom than his opponent and attempts a variety of submissions. This ultimately results in Condit getting back to his feet to deliver even more punishment. Hendricks won the fight according to the judges, and I don’t want to take anything away from him because he fought well with great energy and excitement, but should takedowns without damage win fights? Clearly the fight of the night at UFC 158 and an early candidate for fight of the year.
The main event between GSP and Nick Diaz was a solid fight with a lot of emotion involved. It was more of the same however for Georges as he held his own on the feet and ultimately controlled the entire fight by staying at kick boxing range and securing numerous takedowns. GSP wins it 50-45 on all scorecards. Whether you love him or hate him, GSP truly is one of the greats of all time in MMA. In every single fight he is in, he dictates where the fight takes place and his opponents appear helpless against him.
Some thoughts, observations and humor from UFC 158:
- Colin Fletcher should walk to the Octagon with Insane Clown Posse playing in the background if he decides to continue wearing those creepy masks
- The most significant strike in the entire Ricci vs. Fletcher fight was the kick to the groin in round 1.
- Best line of night: “Fletcher may very well be the whitest human being I have seen in my life.” Thanks Rogan.
- Ring vs. Camozzi was about as exciting as folding socks, which is what I did while it was going on
- Ellenberger went into the fight with Marquart ranked #6 in the UFC Welterweight division, and came out of it with in my opinion, a rematch against Carlos Condit with title implications
- GSP tossing Diaz around like a rag doll in round 1 was a lot of fun, but it appeared to tire him out which took away from the fight quality in the later rounds