The Ground and Pound 8.01.08: You Couldn’t Do it Again!
Posted by John Curry on 12.31.1969
This week the Ground and Pound takes a look at some fights that have ended in a once in a lifetime way.
Every so often a fighter does something during his match that is so phenomenal that it imbeds itself in the memories of MMA fans everywhere and becomes something of a legend. The thing about these fights is that quite often the fighters cannot replicate what they achieve, regardless of how good they are. This week we'll take a look at some of those finishes that cannot be replicated. It is worth noting that I am talking about the way the fight was finished, and not who won. This is not a biggest upsets list but a list of some of the most amazing finishes to a fight that, in my opinion could never be replicated the same way.
Aleksander Emelianenko vs. James Thom2>
Back before "Kid" Yamamoto was THE guy to beat in his weight class, he was just an up and coming fighter who was going against the heavily favored Miyata. After this fight Yamamoto would become one of the most popular and dominant fighters that the U.S. rarely ever has the pleasure of seeing. If you are going to make a name for yourself this is how you do it. Again, this isn't something that we will see even Yamamoto replicate.
Chris Clements vs. Lautaro Tucas
This is the one fight that many people know as the fastest knockout in MMA history. The point of their inclusion on this list really has less to do with the actual knockout than how much it helped propel these two fighters' careers. Oh wait..you haven't seen these guys since. Oh then I take that back. Regardless, in no other fight in MMA could you see this happening again.
Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
This will never happen again. A wrestler knocks out a fighter with a kick to the head. Evans prior to this knockout was often referred to, by me included, as a boring fighter who couldn't finish his fights. After watching Salmon go to sleep before his knees even moved, I said wow. Unfortunately, I don't see Evans ending a fight like this ever again, or any other true wrestler for that matter.
Vitor The Phenom Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva
Yeah that is THE Wanderlei Silva. This isn't about him though, or the fact that he was beaten this way. This is about how the Chute Boxing style was so new to the MMA world that it resulted in this result. Now in this day and age where most fighters are familiar with all styles of MMA in some capacity or another, simply utilizing Chute Boxing will not lead to this kind of defeat.
Until next week don't forget to leave your top ten list with your comments and head over and join my Ground and Pound Army at John Curry's Myspace. NO ONE IS DENIED!! You can also check out my new blog which I discuss wha
