My Take On MMA 8.05.08: Final WEC 35 (8.03.08) Thoughts

Posted by Larry Csonka on 08.05.2008

WEC 35 has come and gone, and not only do we have a new champion but the promotion delivers another quality show.



WELCOME~!:
Welcome back to another edition of My Take On MMA! Didn't we just do this? It is a CRAZY time to be an MMA fan kids, events coming out the ass recently! August will give us a little rest. We began with WEC on Sunday, we will have UFC on Saturday, and then ShowXC on the 15th. I will be glad when the rest comes, I'll tell you that. But right now we have to discuss the show that was, WEC 35! Three title matches, one title change and Brock Larson KILLING a man! Let's get to work.



Final W.E.C 35 (8.03.08) Thoughts~!:

The Fight: Bantamweight Bout - Brian Bowles (5-0) vs. Damacio Page (10-3):
My Pick: Damacio Page, Decision
The Result: Brian Bowles via RD1 (3:30) Submission
Final Thoughts: I really expected a longer battle between these two guys. I figure Page would cause all kinds of trouble for Bowles and that he could eek out a decision victory. Place that one in the "Larry was wrong folder." Bowles did a great job of controlling the fight, and almost won it early with the guillotine. Page was able to escape that, but fell to that same hold later on as Bowles jumped onto him and got the hanging guillotine. Page had a chance to slam him and break it, but he waited too long, the arm got trapped and Bowles got the submission victory. He is on his way to becoming a viable contender for Torres, but I think he needs some more experience before stepping into the cage with such a dominant fighter. This was a fun opening fight.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.5

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The Fight: WEC Lightweight Title Bout: Jamie Varner © (14-2-1NC) vs. Marcus Hicks (8-0):
My Pick: Marcus Hicks, SUB, RD2
The Result: Jamie Varner via RD1 (2:08) TKO
Final Thoughts: This was a fight I was really looking forward too. Varner is damn good, but Hicks had really impressed me and I thought that he could dominate and get a submission victory here. "Wrong folder." For the first minute of the match Hicks looked awesome, taking down Varner with relative ease and almost getting the guillotine. Unfortunately for Hicks it was all down hill from there. For the next minute he took a SAVAGE beating from Varner. A barrage of rights and knees by Varner destroyed Hicks, who didn't want to give up and showed church bell like balls as he continued to battle. But you can only take so much punishment, and Varner would take the victory. I give Hicks credit for taking so much punishment, he had a game plan that worked for a moment, but that was all he had. Once Varner figured it out, Hicks was done. In the end Varner looked like a bad man, and I don't know who WEC has right now at Lightweight, but I wouldn't want to be first in line anytime soon.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 8.0

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The Fight: Welterweight Bout - Brock Larson (24-2) vs. Carlo Prater (23-6-1):
My Pick: Brock Larson, TKO, RD3
The Result: Brock Larson via RD1 (0:37) KO
Final Thoughts: Short and sweet here. Brock Larson KILLED a bitch, he is 3-0 since losing to Condit and since Condit won, so make the match while you can. I saw bring on Larson vs. Condit II. Gorilla Ju Jitsu for the win!
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.0

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The Fight: WEC Light Heavyweight Title Bout: Brian Stann © (6-0) vs. Steve Cantwell (5-1):
My Pick: Brian Stann, STRIKES, RD1
The Result: NEW CHAMPION Steve Cantwell via RD2 (4:01) TKO
Final Thoughts:This was a rematch, as Stann had given Cantwell his only loss. And with Stann winning the title, it was natural to do the rematch. If properly promoted, rematches are good things. Cantwell claimed that he had improved and was a new fighter, and that history would not repeat itself and he was right. Stann had been impressive in his 6-fights, nothing lasting past round one and he used his size and striking ability to dominate his opponents. As he would admit after the fight he is still a baby in MMA, and he has a lot to learn. Cantwell looked like a complete fighter with god conditioning, while Stann was content to throw jabs and lazy hooks; hoping that a door would open for him to pounce through. He never got that door as Cantwell countered about everything he did, was way more aggressive and controlled the fight. Stann says he hopes to learn from this and come back stronger, and he has the raw talent to do so, but on this night he was exposed (as far as his inexperience goes) and he has to go back to the drawing board. Not a bad fight, but compared to the other battles, it was the "worst" of the night.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 6.0

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The Fight: Featherweight Bout - Josh Grispi (11-1) vs. Micah Miller (11-1):
My Pick: Miller, SUB, RD2
The Result: Josh Grispi via RD1 (0:50) TKO
Final Thoughts: In another added bout on the show, we got to see a featherweight battle between two men that had excellent records and that are looking for a title shot. Josh Grispi, who is only 19-years old went out there like a seasoned pro and took out who many referred to as "the better Miller brother." He may be just that, but Josh Grispi was the better fighter on this night. Strong leg kicks took Miller down, and then some hard ground and pound ended it. Some thought the stoppage was premature, but after going back and checking the DVR I think it was fine because Miller likely would have just taken more unanswered shots from that position. Grispi looked great, and if he can secure another strong victory he could be a contender for Faber down the line. This was a fun fight.
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 7.0

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The Fight: WEC Welterweight Title Bout: Carlos Condit © (22-4) vs. Hiromitsu Miura (9-4):
My Pick: Condit, SUB, RD2
The Result: Carlos Condit via RD4 (4:43) TKO
Final Thoughts: I have to admit, I didn't exactly have high hopes for the fight. I was really into Varner vs. Hicks, and when it came to this fight I just didn't care like I did for that fight. In the roundtable I said, "there may not be a Welterweight in the WEC that can match up skill wise with Condit. There is always a chance for him to lose but I just don't see Miura giving him that much of a challenge here." WRONG FOLDER. Hell, bust out the epic fail if you wish. Round one went about how I expected, Miura was able to get numerous throws and utilize his judo background. Condit would figure it out, took it to the ground and kept it there for a while and did good damage. Scoring is an odd one, some will score for Miura due to a lot of control and the throws, which are memorable. But Condit controlled, had good riding time and did better damage, which is why I gave him the round. Round two also went as I expected, well, almost. Condit controlled the ground yet again, almost got the submission I predicted, but Miura survived the round. Round three is where it got very interesting. Miura came close to finishing Condit at one point and was dominating. Condit would again get the ground control and almost finished himself. This is a toss up round, I went with Condit but could easily see someone going with Miura. Depending on how round one was scored by the Judges, the fight could have been 30-27 for Condit, 29-28 for Condit or even 29-28 for Miura. In theory. Which is why I was so excited for round four. Both men were extremely tired here, and while he didn't have the power he did early, Condit's knees ended up doing Miura in near the end of round 4. Condit was unexpectedly tested here, and survived. It was a hell of a fight, exciting from beginning to end. What is even better is that I didn't expect much, so it was a pleasant surprise. Condit escaped a potential loss here, Larson looked like a beast. Bring on Larson vs. Condit II and hype the hell out of it for the card after the September one. BOOK IT!
Larry's Enjoyment Index: 9.5

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The Overall:
Best Fight(s): WEC Welterweight Title Bout: Carlos Condit © (22-4) vs. Hiromitsu Miura (9-4) 9.5
Worst Fight: Nothing Bad.
Final Thoughts: Once again the WEC delivers. Since I started covering the company I cannot remember a show I was disappointed with. They put together good match ups, deliver title fights and the shows run smooth. We got our four TV bouts, two extra prelim bouts and were still finished in the time set aside for them. WEC is consistently, and unfortunately quietly putting on the best shows in MMA. If you're not watching, you really need to be. They replay this stuff on Vs. all the time. Do yourself a favor and check them out, you won't be disappointed.

Show Score: 8.0