8 Winning Losers of 2008
1 - 4
Jan 9, 2009
Borrowing from a favorite Karate High School song, fighters can
either believe “no one remembers second place” or “winning isn’t
everything” when they fall short of victory. In a sport where
defeat afflicts everyone not named Fedor
Emelianenko, it seems wise to believe the latter.
Leonard Garcia made his name smiling under a barrage of punches from Roger Huerta at UFC 69, some 19 months before he became known for waylaying Jens Pulver. Every year, a select group of mixed martial artists experiences victory in defeat. Here’s the graduating class of 2008.
1. Ben
Rothwell
Stepping into the ring against a former champion is never an easy task. Rothwell proved it when he took on former UFC heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski at Affliction “Banned” on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. But he did not just step through the ropes; he walked through them -- and Arlovski’s punches. And kicks. And knees.
He entered the third round battered by any normal fighter’s standards and still lasted a minute with someone who had earned “The Pitbull” moniker. The toughness Rothwell displayed in defeat may have done more to solidify his spot in the top 10 than his entire IFL career. He rebounded with a first-round win over Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA 2 in December and expects to battle Arlovski-caliber fighters with more “Terminator”-like results.
2. Paul Taylor
Viewed as one of MMA’s dangerous veterans, Chris Lytle loves to punch and get punched. Taylor got his chance to make war with “Lights Out” at UFC 89 “Bisping vs. Leben” on Oct. 18 in Birmingham, England.
Paul Taylor lived up to
his "Relentless" moniker.
The former professional kickboxer stood across from the former
professional boxer and lived up to his “Relentless” nickname. For
the first 30 seconds of the bout, both fighters threw leather at
each other without stepping out of the Bud Light logo in the center
of the Octagon. The two repeated slight variations of the process
in rounds two and three in a fight that saw Taylor’s combinations
matched against Lytle’s power shots.
Ultimately, Lytle’s clinch game won him a unanimous decision. Taylor, however, enjoyed the support of his English countrymen and undoubtedly won over fans abroad after the telecast aired free on Spike TV. Picking up a hefty $40,000 bonus with his third “Fight of the Night” honor in five UFC outings likely dulled the sting of defeat.
3. Matt Brown
Betting on a gritty “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran against a well-respected international fighter seemed silly at the time. Yet Brown, a season seven cast member, gave gamblers a scare against Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta.
The Korean impressed at UFC 84, as he brutalized Jason Tan with enough elbows to enter an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” dance contest. His judo and ground-and-pound, however, failed to find their marks against Brown. The Jorge Gurgel protégé had a defense and escape for most of the undefeated Deep veteran’s offerings.
Striking and aggression found Brown favor on the scorecards, even though he lost a split decision in a fight he entered as a heavy underdog. The bout made the main card, and everyone saw Brown was not just another TUF throwaway.
“The Immortal” picked up a submission win over Ryan Thomas at UFC 91, where his toughness earned him his second win in three UFC tries on a week’s notice.
4. Luke Stewart
Stewart’s cutting demeanor and heavily tattooed body make him look like a fighter, but like all jiu-jitsu players entering MMA, questions about his grit were less likely to go away than Uwe Boll movies.
Enter Joe Riggs at Strikeforce “Destruction” on Nov. 21 in San Jose, Calif. The UFC veteran had a reputation for retaining heavyweight power at 170 pounds and having a punishing brand of ground-and-pound; he represented the gravest threat in the grappler’s young career. Stewart closed the distance on “Diesel” at will, working his game and nullifying Riggs when the fight hit the mat. Stewart looked nothing like a fighter who was at a 30-fight experience deficit, as he dictated the pace and place of the fight.
However, Riggs found his mark in the second round and turned Stewart’s nose into a bloodied Rich Franklin double. Despite the break, Stewart did not cower and cover up like many other jiu-jitsu players. He pushed Riggs’ hips, returned to his feet and continued to look for the ankle pick after being dropped to the mat, signaling in heated competition that his days of taking and dishing out punishment will be on more than just jiu-jitsu mats.
To Riggs’ credit, he broke his hand to start the fight. Stewart’s confidence, execution of an important gamelan and the 10 he earned in the first round colored a home loss green.
Leonard Garcia made his name smiling under a barrage of punches from Roger Huerta at UFC 69, some 19 months before he became known for waylaying Jens Pulver. Every year, a select group of mixed martial artists experiences victory in defeat. Here’s the graduating class of 2008.
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Stepping into the ring against a former champion is never an easy task. Rothwell proved it when he took on former UFC heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski at Affliction “Banned” on July 19 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. But he did not just step through the ropes; he walked through them -- and Arlovski’s punches. And kicks. And knees.
The Belarusian punished Rothwell for the first 10 minutes of the
fight. The International Fight League veteran had little success
standing but continued to exchange. He showcased “Robocop”-like
resistance in his first major step up in competition. The fight was
not a complete loss cause, however, as Rothwell put Arlovski on his
back and delivered effective ground-and-pound.
He entered the third round battered by any normal fighter’s standards and still lasted a minute with someone who had earned “The Pitbull” moniker. The toughness Rothwell displayed in defeat may have done more to solidify his spot in the top 10 than his entire IFL career. He rebounded with a first-round win over Chris Guillen at Adrenaline MMA 2 in December and expects to battle Arlovski-caliber fighters with more “Terminator”-like results.
2. Paul Taylor
Viewed as one of MMA’s dangerous veterans, Chris Lytle loves to punch and get punched. Taylor got his chance to make war with “Lights Out” at UFC 89 “Bisping vs. Leben” on Oct. 18 in Birmingham, England.
Photo by
Sherdog.com
his "Relentless" moniker.
Ultimately, Lytle’s clinch game won him a unanimous decision. Taylor, however, enjoyed the support of his English countrymen and undoubtedly won over fans abroad after the telecast aired free on Spike TV. Picking up a hefty $40,000 bonus with his third “Fight of the Night” honor in five UFC outings likely dulled the sting of defeat.
3. Matt Brown
Betting on a gritty “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran against a well-respected international fighter seemed silly at the time. Yet Brown, a season seven cast member, gave gamblers a scare against Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta.
The Korean impressed at UFC 84, as he brutalized Jason Tan with enough elbows to enter an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” dance contest. His judo and ground-and-pound, however, failed to find their marks against Brown. The Jorge Gurgel protégé had a defense and escape for most of the undefeated Deep veteran’s offerings.
Striking and aggression found Brown favor on the scorecards, even though he lost a split decision in a fight he entered as a heavy underdog. The bout made the main card, and everyone saw Brown was not just another TUF throwaway.
“The Immortal” picked up a submission win over Ryan Thomas at UFC 91, where his toughness earned him his second win in three UFC tries on a week’s notice.
4. Luke Stewart
Stewart’s cutting demeanor and heavily tattooed body make him look like a fighter, but like all jiu-jitsu players entering MMA, questions about his grit were less likely to go away than Uwe Boll movies.
Enter Joe Riggs at Strikeforce “Destruction” on Nov. 21 in San Jose, Calif. The UFC veteran had a reputation for retaining heavyweight power at 170 pounds and having a punishing brand of ground-and-pound; he represented the gravest threat in the grappler’s young career. Stewart closed the distance on “Diesel” at will, working his game and nullifying Riggs when the fight hit the mat. Stewart looked nothing like a fighter who was at a 30-fight experience deficit, as he dictated the pace and place of the fight.
However, Riggs found his mark in the second round and turned Stewart’s nose into a bloodied Rich Franklin double. Despite the break, Stewart did not cower and cover up like many other jiu-jitsu players. He pushed Riggs’ hips, returned to his feet and continued to look for the ankle pick after being dropped to the mat, signaling in heated competition that his days of taking and dishing out punishment will be on more than just jiu-jitsu mats.
To Riggs’ credit, he broke his hand to start the fight. Stewart’s confidence, execution of an important gamelan and the 10 he earned in the first round colored a home loss green.
