First of all, I thought the whole StrikeForce card was good. Most of the fights were exciting. Even if all the fights didn't live up to expectation, you can't really complain, because MMA was on network television -- for free!
As for the Fedor/Rogers fight; I thought it was excellent. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It's been while since we've seen a Fedor opponent put up a good fight.
The other reason the fight kept me on the edge of my seat is because, well, Fedor! You never know when he'll end a fight, and in brutal fashion. That's exactly what he did. Just when you thought Emelianenko was going to be in for a long night - possibly a decision victory - he brutally lands a right hand on Brett Rogers's jaw with a devastating right hand that sent him crashing to the floor. Fedor jumped on him immediately after to go for the kill, before Big John stopped the fight.
What better way for StrikeForce and M-1 to introduce Fedor to the American public? The casual MMA fan got acquainted with the Russian killer and were treated to a climatic stoppage.
Fedor Emelianenko definitely lived up to the hype. The hardcore MMA fan already knew what "The Last Emperor" was capable of, but the casual fan might not have. If they didn't know him before, they sure know him now.
The right hand that Fedor connected on Rogers was a thing of beauty; he didn't load up and timed the punch perfectly. Fedor does so many subtle things right inside the ring/octagon it's ridiculous.
Some fans complained that perhaps the fight was stopped prematurely by Big John. I don't think so. After Rogers was knocked to the floor by a monstrous right hand, Fedor connected with a couple of shots, and Rogers had rolled over to his side into the turtle defense. I thought the stoppage was appropriate. Most likely, the people complaining are Fedor-haters.
The card itself was a success for CBS and MMA fans alike. I'm looking forward to the next StrikeForce event and can't wait to see who Emelianenko's next opponent will be.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment