UFC 61: Bitter Rivals Review
Posted by MSD on 07.12.2006
Finally! MSD has the full recap of Saturday's UFC PPV right here in Elysian Fields!
Fools tryin to figure whether he should duck or fucking hide out,
N****z got away so of course we ride out.
Plottin muthaphuckkas, cuz you know I serve ya
And sucka when I see ya – it's gonna be a bloody murder… Master P - "Bloody Murder" (1992)
A few months ago I wrote a piece entitled "Must See Destruction" in which I chronicled my own history with the UFC and wondered aloud if mixed martial arts would ultimately swallow up pro wrestling's fanbase, like it did pro boxing (according to Joe Rogan at least). Heads know I discovered 411Mania over five years ago when it was still "411Wrestling". Since then I've enjoyed reading the wrestling recaps, and now I've decided to jump on the UFC recap bandwagon before there even is one. So here I am again sitting behind another live UFC review, but this time I know the answer to that old question. So follow along as we delve face-first into UFC 61 – Bitter Rivals, and watch as mortal enemies Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock (both fresh off coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter 3) collide for the second time in the center of the octagon. Also, the man who inspired my rhyme "throw knees to the spine, the Joe Stevenson kind" - "Daddy" Stevenson clashes with Yves Edwards, Dan Christison versus Frank Mir and UFC Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia defends the title against Andrei Arlovski in the third match of their epic trilogy. All this, plus we'll finally learn the answer to a question that has WWE sweating in its dreams. Will tried-and-true pro wrestling fans eventually secede their allegiances like those of former pro boxing and karate fans before them? I know the answer to this question because I am one! So come along for the trip that can only be called - LIVE from the depths of Elysian Fields…
Start time 9:30 pm EST with ½ hour of recycled video promos hyping the Ortiz/Shamrock and Sylvia/Arlovski fights. Still screen reading "In Loving Memory Glenn White 1937-2006" opens the show. WWE-style gladiator montage illustrates the event's theme before segueing into black-and-white promos of the four main combatants discussing the destruction they are about to wreak. Classical music breaks into a loud metal riff, while images of each fighters greatest hits blasts the screen. Joe Stevenson – Yves Edwards – Dan Christison – Frank Mir – Ken Shamrock – Tito Ortiz – Andrei Arlovski – Tim Sylvia.
And we're live at the Mandalay Bay in sunny Las Vegas. Crowds file into the sold out event, while inside the place is absolutely unhinged. The voice of the UFC (and WWE-courted announcer) Mike Goldberg opens up the show by summarizing the entire Ortiz/Shamrock feud dating back to 1999. He also reports an incident that occurred at their weigh-in preceding the match. The max for their weight class is 205 lbs, but all fighters are permitted a one pound allowance. Ken Shamrock weighed in first at exactly 206. This outraged Tito Ortiz who stormed onto the stage and loudly berated UFC president Dana White. But here's the kicker - Ortiz takes the scale and weighs in at 206 ½! He's over the weight! So "after jogging around the octagon for ½ hour" asMike Goldberg says, Ortiz takes the scale again and finally weighs in at the proper amount. More WWE-styled dramatics that seem to have permeated the UFC marketing machine as of late. It's even less surprising when you consider each combatant has some prior pro wrestling experience.
Mike Goldberg (no Joe Rogan) introduces retired champion (and recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee) Randy Couture to the home viewers, and the first thing he touches on is the vaguely-manufactured WWE style heat Ortiz and Shamrock have generated together. Is it real or is it an act? He believes the disdain each man shares is completely genuine, they just know how to turn it up for the television cameras. The two announcers move onto the main event, and Couture describes the mentality of fighting the same man three times (as in the case with Randy Couture versus Chuck Liddell for the LW title). This time it's the two big dogs in the yard, Tim "the Maniac" Sylvia versus "The Pitbull" Andrei Arlovski. And it's for the UFC Heavyweight championship.
YVES EDWARDS versus JOE STEVENSON Lightweight battle
Both guys enter the cage to customized rap tracks singing their own name. Yves Edwards wears a black Jim Ross hat on the way down. Veteran announcer Bruce Buffer intros the fighters.
DANNY TREJO!
Fight opens with each guy touching gloves in the center. They take their stances and off we go. Both start with light jabs sizing each other up. Lengthy feeling out process that sees the stocky Joe Stevenson trying to advance but being held at bay by Edwards superior reach. Finally Daddy Stevenson dives in for a takedown but stumbles into the cage. Yves Edwards recoils but gets his leg caught on the rebound. Fighters hit center ring with Stevenson still clutching Edwards' leg, and Yves refusing the takedown. All the way to the other side of the cage where Edwards uses his leverage to remain standing. Joe still won't release him though, and with tenacity he muscles him to the mat. Joe controls the guard position.
Joe uses his grip on Edwards to creep towards the cage, hoping to pin Edwards down further. But Yves Edwards wriggles free and escapes back to his feet. They clench and Joe fires again for Edwards knees but he escapes the takedown again and both fighters break. Separated, they resume their respective stances. Yves suddenly blasts Joe with a high kick to the head, and follows up with a wicked combo that floors the Ultimate Fighter 2 winner. Joe hits the mat hard, but has enough strength left to lock Yves in the guard. Yves Edwards is the expert striker, but Joe is the better grappler so he holds Yves and gives him little to no punching room. Yves tries to maneuver into a better position but still can't find space to let Joe have it – so he lets him to his feet. Both fighters circle. Now Yves Edwards is the clear aggressor, and strikes hard with a knee but Joe catches him in the clinch. Again, little to no room for Yves to throw strikes. Again Stevenson's muscle mass is too much for the skinnier Yves Edwards, and Joe powers him to the mat once more. This time he unleashes a barrage of vicious elbow thrusts. Yves attempts Joe's strategy of keeping his body contained, but Joe is too strong for that and fires punches recklessly. But Yves uses expert maneuverability to escape the guard and regain his feet. Right away Joe dives in for the double-leg takedown. Trapped against the cage, Yves uses balance and leverage to prevent Joe from securing the takedown. Finally Joe gets him off the cage and into the center of the octagon where he drops him to the mat. But on the way down, Yves Edwards traps Daddy Stevenson in a triangle choke with 15 seconds left. Crowd buzzes as Joe twists out of the hold, and both men lay in pretzel form as the 1st round ends.
ROUND TWO
Right out the gate Yves Edwards is the attacker, but still can't hit a solid blow. He even attempts a beautiful stutter punch, but Joe evades it. He forces Daddy Stevenson across the ring with a combination of punches, but Joe catches him with another sturdy takedown. Guard position again. Once more Joe creeps towards the fence, dragging Edwards' body beneath him. Finally feeling he has his opponent in proper position, Joe Stevenson unleashes a flurry of razor-sharp elbows – all of which catch Edwards's exposed face. At the 2:45 mark one of those vicious elbows severs a fuckin artery in Yves' forehead and all the sudden it's the nastiest hard-way bladejob ever. I mean, worse than Bill Alfonso - worse than Great Muta. Within seconds the mat beneath the two fighters is soaked crimson red. Again and again Joe rains down elbows, as Yves struggles to break the guard. A blood trail follows his efforts along the cage wall. More punches, elbows and combinations from Daddy Stevenson as the crowd goes into a feeding frenzy. The blood pool continues to swell around Yves' bald head. Even the announcers are incredulous. At the 1:42 mark the ref calls a timeout to inspect the cut further. Both fighters break position and Yves Edwards gets back to his feet. His face, skull and entire back are covered in his own blood, as is the chest of his opponent Joe Stevenson. Over in his corner they ask if he wants to continue, and without hesitation Yves Edwards says yes. The crowd cheers as he struts back across the ring and gets back on the mat to retain the position – blood still spilling freely from the bullet hole in his forehead.
Match continues with Edwards back on his back and Stevenson in the guard position – both virtually swimming in puddles of blood. Joe is blatantly targeting the wound, and Yves can't manage to break free. Joe seizes side control, which is an even more dangerous position for the damaged Yves Edwards to be in. Joe is absolutely relentless with short grinding forearms and wicked elbow shots. The announcers call the amount of blood spilled an advantage for Edwards, because it makes him a more "slippery opponent". More ground and pound from Daddy Stevenson until the 2nd round ends. Announcers say the beauty of the situation is their great cut and stitch men, who will make this vicious head wound disappear in between rounds. Cameras follow Yves Edwards - still drenched in his own blood – over to his corner, where these professional stitchers await. But after just a few moments, and one or two blood filled rags, the cut men say they can't close the gash and call the fight! Bell rings, crowd goes crazy and Yves Edwards looks pissed sitting on his corner stool (blood seeping through every bandage they put on his head).
WINNER BY TKO - Joe "Daddy" Stevenson
FRANK MIR versus DAN CHRISTISON
Heavyweight clash
The 6'3" Frank Mir is a former UFC Heavyweight champion. But before he could even defend his crown, he was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident that almost ended his career. Out of action for a year, he struggled valiantly to return. His first match back in the octagon was a disaster. UFC 61 is his second match back, and he's facing former Ultimate Fighter 2 standout – the 6'8" Dan "the Sandman" Christison - who uses the Sandman's old ECW entrance theme by Metallica.
Both men tap gloves in the center. Mir takes off with a low kick but Christison catches him simultaneously with a straight punch to the chin. This causes Mir to accidentally realign the kick into Dan's crotch – but the damage is minimal. The ref doesn't even notice it. But Frank Mir recognizes his faux paus and gamely acknowledges it to his opponent – and both men tap gloves again. Back to the action. Christison tries to respond with kicks but seems tepid, and the shorter Frank Mir bullies him with strikes. Christison pulls him into the clinch, and Mir drives him into the cage. Like two bulls locking horns, the gladiators grapple each other along the cage wall.
Mir shows the depth of his arsenal by unloading with knees and short uppercuts while Christison holds on to the clinch. Dan returns fire with a series of body blows. He maneuvers Mir back into the cage, but the former heavyweight champion ultimately drops him to the mat and locks in side control. Mir on top and Christison snares him in the guard. Mir is unloading with thunder punches but Dan luckily manages to avoid the brunt of it. Christison stays in perpetual motion on the mat and almost loses Mir in the guard, but Frank fights to keep his position. Dan keeps it tight but Mir blasts through his defense with solid punches. Close up of Dan eating heavy leather. Dan tries to keep him locked up but Frank Mir finally breaks free with his last flurry of the match before being locked back into the guard. Suddenly, Dan Christison takes control from the bottom and snares the former champion in a picture perfect armbar! Crowd pops big. But Frank Mir wriggles free, and both men are back to their feet. Another clinch, and this time Dan Christison is in control. Frank Mir tries to throw some weak knees but is looking totally gassed. Dan senses his opponent's weariness and releases him from the clutch. He lands a few solid strikes through Mir's lazy one handed defense. Dan even finds time to readjust his kneepad during the match. More punches from Christison forces Mir to grab a clinch and hold on till the round ends.
ROUND TWO
Much of the same thing, as the two behemoths jockey for position. Mir shoots in right away but lacks the strength now to takedown Christison. Dan is feeling spry and separates from Mir to look for the knockout. He lands a series of sharp jabs, but Mir pulls him in again for the clinch. They continue to grapple, release, strike, grapple. At the 2:17 mark Frank Mir uses what energy he has left to execute another diving takedown but gets caught in a triangle lock. He maintains good positioning on Christison, but the "Sandman" is still able to answer with strikes from the bottom. Mir is eating Dan's elbows and gloves. Crowd pops as Dan almost surprises the former champion with another armbar, but Mir escapes. Still caught in an arm triangle though. 2nd round ends with both men in clinch position on the cage.
ROUND THREE Frank Mir is running on fumes, and the two can do little but grapple weakly for position and trade short elbows. Mir manages to ground "The Sandman" and they wrestle in the blood pool left over from the previous match. Mir opens up Christison's nose but the blood flow is minimal compared to the last one. Finally, round three ends with both men once again in the clinch position exchanging tired, weak knees.
LEONARD DAVIS (Arizona Cardinals)!
Winner by unanimous judges decision - FRANK MIR. In his post-match interview with Randy Couture he says he's glad the match went three rounds. Then he went backstage to take a nap.
Behind the curtains, cameras catch the last few moments of preparation for tonight's co-main event. In his locker room, Tito Ortiz trains vigorously while Ken Shamrock remains in quiet contemplation. Announcers call this the most important match of Shamrock's Hall of Fame career. They mention the fighters' stints as coaches in T.U.F. 3, which segues into a plug for The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback.
Outside the ring, Mike Goldberg is joined by UFC president Dana White who discusses the upcoming season and promises "a lot of good action and a lot of good reality". This leads to Mike introducing welterweight warrior and T.U.F. 4 trainer George St. Pierre, who is looking forward to his future title match with welterweight champion Matt Hughes. Backstage again for shots of Tito and Ken warming up as the announcers summarize their feud again. The build for this match is absolutely epic.
We break for a movie trailer of Jet Li's "last martial arts epic", Fearless, scheduled to hit screens September 22nd.
TITO ORTIZ versus KEN SHAMROCK Light Heavy Weight bout
Video montage and promo package by each fighter. Arena blacks out as the crowd builds to a frenzy. Arena light show and main event introduction. Ken Shamrock enters first to a Beastie Boy-ish, Kid Rock, Fatboy Slim-sounding hardrock/rap track. When he enters the octagon he receives a mixed reaction from the crowd. Arena goes black again and the building is absolutely unhinged. Tito Ortiz enters through the curtain repping Team Punishment and brandishing an American flag over his shoulder. Eminem's "Mosh" is bumping in the background and Tito mouths every word.
CHUCK LIDDELL!
Official introductions and the fighters grill each other from across the cage. Crowd starts a strong "Tito" chant. The fight's on and neither opponent taps gloves in the center, illustrating the personal hatred they share. Right out the gate Shamrock instigates the battle with a flurry of punches that drives the unsuspecting Tito backwards. The fighters clinch and jockey for position along the cage wall. Shamrock uses his leverage to resist the takedown, so Tito scoops the 2-inch shorter man into the air and slams him back first to the mat. Big pop from the crowd.
Shamrock hold the guard on his back, as Tito peppers him with stiff body shots and short elbows. But Ken's defense is sticky, so those shots hardly phase him. They grapple along the ground towards the cage, and Tito is just bullying him. From the bottom Ken appears to be looking for an armbar but can't find the right angle. Another "Tito" chant. They're on the fence now, and Tito unloads with a wicked elbow smash that reduces Ken's body to a strand of warm spaghetti. Within a matter of moments he unleashes four more deadly elbows in quick succession, fully unrestrained. Referee Herb Dean propels himself between the two fighters and calls the fight. Crowd is screaming, Tito struts back to his corner with his arms raised and Shamrock shoots of the mat, shoving the referee away in the process. He's absolutely incredulous, acting as if he can't understand why the ref called it.
Tito mocks Shamrock further by mock-digging a grave in the center of the ring and burying Shamrock's career. Ringside agents intervene as Shamrock tries to confront Ortiz further. A dozen men separate the fighters. Crowd is starting to turn on the decision, as Tito gloats and Shamrock is bewildered and pissed. Replay shows that first elbow stunned Shamrock, who didn't defend the subsequent barrage. But we've seen lesser matches go to a more definitive finish, without the referee stopping it at the first pummeling. And for a match with SO much hype you almost expect them to let the fighters go until one ain't moving. But instead, the fight is called at the 3:44 mark in the first round – leading to Mike Goldberg calling it "pandemonium" in the ring and an angry crowd loudly chanting "bullshit!" outside it. Crowd boos throughout Tito's entire post-match speech, even as he tries to explain that Shamrock was unable to "intelligently defend himself" and the ref made the right call. Boos are so loud he has to acknowledge them, and does the only thing he can by publicly stating he would love to have another rematch. But the announcers say he should be gunning for a rematch with Chuck Liddell. Speaking of the LHW champion…
More main event hype breaks into Mike Goldberg cuing UFC president Dana White who stands with a microphone in the center of the octagon. He laughingly addresses the pissed off audience and says maybe he can cheer us up. He then introduces his "good friend" Wanderlei Silva who has an announcement to make. He takes the mic and stumbles through his speech in English including a memorable part when he says "I want to fuck… I want to fight Chuck". The UFC Light Heavyweight champion "Iceman" Chuck Liddell enters the ring and the two engage in a staredown. Both fighters talk shit.
JOSH NEER versus JOSH BURKMAN
We see this because the Shamrock/Ortiz match went short. The irony here is that Josh Neer is a big Tito Ortiz fan while Josh Burkman actually trains with the guy. Fight goes three rounds before landing in the judges hands.
WINNER (by Unanimous Decision) - Josh "the People's Warrior" Burkman
Video hype for UFC 62: Liddell VS. Sobral. Promo package for the main event title match. Arena blacks out again and the main event is underway. Andrei Arlovski enters the ring to some screaming death-metal song, while Tim Silvia rocks to an eerie remixed version of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".
TIM "the Maniac" SILVIA versus "The Pitbull" ANDREI ARLOVSKI UFC Heavyweight Championship
The much discussed, mega-hyped trilogy match between these two bruisers lasts the entire five rounds. Both men remained standing for most of the fight. There were little to no takedown attempts and no grappling. It was a series of punching exchanges, followed by a clinch, a break and again more swinging. Both guys went toe-to-toe for the entire fight, each one looking for the decisive KO. Both seemed hesitant to really commit to a grapple, in fear of getting hit with a lucky strike. Although champion Tim Silvia has only a two inch reach advantage, it seemed like a yard. Andrei Arlovski simply could not breach his defense or penetrate the champ's jabbing range. By the end of the fight, Tim Silvia was winded while Arlovski remained as sharp as when he began. But the two men's faces told a different story. It was Arlovski who came out of those exchanges the worse for the wear, with swelling and bruises all over. Silvia on the other hand suffered nary a scrape. Ultimately it came down to the judges decision, and while Arlovski remained the aggressor for most of the five round – simply put – he didn't beat the champion. So the judges declared that "The Maniac" retains his title.
THE WINNER (and still UFC Heavyweight Champion) - Tim "the Maniac" Silvia
OUTRO
Wow, mixed bag of nuts. The extreme months-long build up to a 75 second match between Ortiz and Shamrock had me feenin for a 45 minute WWE main event. At least when they promote something four months in advance you know you'll be getting your monies worth. And by the third round of the main event match between Silvia and Arlovski I was daydreaming of Kurt Angle back suplexes and RVD 5-star frog splashes. It's really tough to call a MMA event in advance, and know which matches are gonna turn out to be barnburners (or just a steaming pile of bullshit). The best match of the night was the undercard victory of Joe Stevenson over Yves Edwards! I'm old school through-and-through but once again Ken Shamrock has really disappointed me. There's no denying it now, Shamrock sucks. His loss to Ortiz was even worse than the pummeling he took from Don Frye on that episode of PRIDE I saw. It seems all he's good for now is endorsing a match (using his pro-wrestling honed abilities in self promotion) and giving his opponents the rub. He's living off his legend in the octagon like Ric Flair and Mick Foley. I will continue to watch and enjoy the UFC but I don't think my interest in sports entertainment will wane because of it. Matter of fact, I find my love for both strengthened by the other. Which is another reason I find the UFC lead-in to TNA Impact so intriguing, and integral to their popularity. Matter of fact, I think TNA Impact is the best hour long wrestling show on cable (better than ECW on Sci-Fi). Bottom line, it was an aiight PPV – I'm just glad I didn't pay $40 for it. I was able to spend that money on booze and trees instead, which helped me through some of the lulls in the event. I'll be watching for Liddell vs. Sobral for sure. But that definitely doesn't mean I'm gonna miss Saturday Nights Main Event either! Special shout outs to Ashish the HNiC of this internet thing for giving me this opportunity, and to Caleb Newby for holdin it down in "The Tapout" every week, and blessing us with an abbreviated version of this show's results. Peace, holla at your boy. We'll collaborate on the next one. One love from Elysian Fields!
