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Cain Velasquez gets his TKO finish on a UFC Houston show with brutal fights & officiating

By Zach Arnold | October 18, 2013

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Date: Saturday, October 19th (UFC 166 in Houston at the Toyota Center)
TV: Fox Sports 1/PPV

Aftermath/fallout

What a horrible showing for Dickie Cole’s Texas athletic commission. However, that apparently is a feature and not a bug for the Austin tax collectors. Business friendly.

Cain Velasquez took years off the life of Junior dos Santos and probably damaged his brain in the process. This fight and the beatdown Diego Sanchez took from Gilbert Melendez should be reminders about the recent Cleveland Clinic study on how MMA fighters suffer from a different type of brain damage than boxers. The damage MMA fighters receive shows up faster because of the part of the brain that is impacted (the part that controls speech & pain).

It’s time for Nate Marquardt to retire. He’s taken a lot of damage as well. The immediate reason a lot of testosterone users want T is because they are past or current steroid users. Some abuse pain killers and some damage their bodies through bad weight cuts. The fourth reason is accumulated brain damage. I hope the man is OK. It’s time for his manager to have a serious sit down with him. When I saw the punches Lombard inflicted on Nate’s head on the mat, the CC study popped into my head because the ground punching is really what adds to the risk that these fighters take. Much more vulnerable.

Junior dos Santos made it past round four but what a beating. Herb Dean did a poor job as an official when it came to preventing the further beatdown. The shine is starting to fade on Herb as an official. The TKO finish was what everyone expected but the one-sided nature of the fight was sad to watch.

Roy Nelson dropping an Uncle Tom reference on Daniel Cormier a few months ago earned him a prime & well-deserved thrashing. He got what was coming to him. Cormier is super-smart and the real deal. American Kickboxing Academy really should be proud of the job they’ve done with both Cain & Cormier. Cormier is not going to be a fun fight for Jon Jones if DC can make it to 205.

The story of the night was the awful officiating by Dickie Coles’ commission, both with the referee & judge selection. Talk about a dog’s breakfast. Texas is currently battling Florida for the mantle of worst big state AC in the country. Nevada & New York are right near them with California also doing some occasional run-ins.

The lowlight of the night featured Jon Schorle, former California top official, and Ruben Najera (first-time working a UFC show). Tim Boetsch vs. CB Dollaway was a giant mess. Dollaway taunted Boetsch, then poked him in the eye once to the point where he was bleeding and the Texas AC doctor did nothing to stop the fight. Then came the second eye poke from Dollaway right after he got warned. Dollaway won at least two of the three rounds, so the worst case scenario should have been a draw after a point was taken away. Nope. Schorle & Najera both scored the fight 30-26, meaning they gave Boetsch all three rounds. The third judge scored the fight 29-27, meaning he gave Dollaway all three rounds.

If you took the prop bet of John Dodson winning by KO/TKO, you got lucky. +200. Other than Mighty Mouse, JD is on a roll.

You should have taken the under on how long the Shawn Jordan/Gabriel Gonzaga fight was going to last. There went any shot of Jordan becoming a title contender a couple of years from now.

Sarah Kaufman decided to throw out the game plan against Jessica Eye and paid the price on the score cards. Eye winning by decision was the correct score. Under the 10-point must system, Eye won the first two rounds. Under PRIDE scoring, Kaufman would have won. Ruben Najera gave R3 to Eye when he scored that fight. Thanks, Texas. Bottom line? Sarah didn’t fight a smart fight and way too many fighters on the UFC Houston card either threw away their game plans, had no game plan, or else brought the worst people to give corner advice in between rounds that you could possibly find.

Ugly main event & uglier night for officials at latest UFC Brazil show

Date: Wednesday, October 9th (at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Brazil)
TV: Fox Sports 1

Date: Saturday, October 26th (in Manchester, England at Phones 4U Arena)
TV: Fox Sports 1/FS2

Topics: Brazil, Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 37 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |

37 Responses to “Cain Velasquez gets his TKO finish on a UFC Houston show with brutal fights & officiating”

  1. 45 Huddle says:

    FS1 Card – 4 Solid fights on it. No complaints.

    UFC 166 – Both the PPV and the FS1 are great.

    FS2 Card – 1 good fight (Munoz/Machida) and the rest is skip worthy.

    • Chris says:

      That Uk card has more than one fight, I think Ross/Melvin is a good fight.

      You also have a few good prospects on it, Parke, Al, Manuwa, Lineker.

      Not the greatest fights but decent prospects.

      166 is great.

      Brazil fight night I like 7 fights on that card.

  2. Bix says:

    So what’s the current rule of thumb for putting live cards on FS2/Fuel: Everything west of the Atlantic Ocean is on FS1, with only cards in Europe, Asia, and Australia on FS2? I thought that they had decided to move everything to FS1 when it became clear they needed as much UFC programming on the network as they could get.

    Also: Why even do it when, aside from post-game shows, all of the other “first run” UFC programming (weekly and otherwise) is on FS1 now? UFC Tonight, Ultimate Insider, Unleashed, Reloaded, Prime Time, and Countdown are all on FS1 now. FS2 is just reruns of FS1 programming and TV cards from the last year or so.

  3. David m says:

    I enjoyed the main event, it was mma grappling at the highest level. I’m sure casual fans were bored by it though.

    Hamill needs to retire again.

    • Zach Arnold says:

      I’d enjoy the main event more if there was more of an emphasis on going for a submission finish.

      I thought Jake did everything he needed to do to win the fight, including that position reversal on the ground (I think R3) that was super impressive. But it was, at times, a frustrating watch to know that there was no chance of a finish in the fight.

      • Nottheface says:

        Really enjoyed most of the first 3 round but the lack of submission attempts, which you cited, and the gassing in the last 2 round really detracted from it.

        • edub says:

          I don’t mind the lack of submission attempts as both are so high caliber in JJ/grappling. Going just a little too far would cost position for each everytime.

          Instead of stand ups in this fight they should have just been reset on the ground. But each time somebody stalls the other fighter is reset in advantageous position.

      • Megatherium says:

        Well submission has now been permanently de-emphasized with the banning of Paul Harris so wish and worry no longer. And as luck would have it, GLORY 11 hits free cable tonight, lets hope fans get a taste for real martial arts skill on display in the ring tonight. UFC is dead.

  4. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    paul harris? im sorry but after screwing his knee well after the tap, I would have stuck a thumb in his eye if I were Pierce. Or at least throw a bottle at him later, what a POS. Very few of these fighters should be fighting, let alone “at the highest level” what an low rate event. I’d never fallen asleep during a show, until the Shields snoozer.

  5. 45 Huddle says:

    The main event wasn’t too bad. At least it was back and forth and came down to the last round.

    There should be 4 to 6 guys being cut after this card is over.

    In 2013, the UFC is putting on 33 events. They are holding 7 events in Brazil and 3 European Events.

    They are now saying they will hold 13 Brazil Events and 6 European Events in 2014. If everything else stays even, they will have put on 42 events in 2014…. Working their way up towards a weekly show…

  6. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    Maybe the ref should have a cattle prod for when a fighter wont let go of the sub? That would be ok.

  7. edub says:

    Palhares’s history with Bustamante (and Murillo’s own history of getting screwed when a fighter fake taps) doesn’t give him an excuse anymore. I think a year suspension is appropriate this time.

    • 45 Huddle says:

      He has already been suspended once for holding a submission too long. And he got popped for roids before too.

      They need to cut him.

      And it looks like they did the right thing. They are releasing him.

  8. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    Good firing! Nothing less than that would have satisfied me.
    Try that BS in the states…At the very least, Harris would get a bottle to the head and most likely mugged and beaten as he tries to leave the country.

  9. Jonathan says:

    Not only are they releasing him, but they have “banned” him from the Octagon.

    I’m assuming this means as a fighter and a cornerman and anything else really?

  10. klown says:

    Jake Shields’ striking is a little sad. Slow, weak, poor form, bad aim. Maia should have struck with him. I’m disappointed he didn’t go down that route.

    I’m horrified by Palhares. I never want to see him again.

    I enjoyed Kim-Silva, even though they gassed early.

  11. Thank God this fight is in Texas and not corrupt California where the corrupt and out of control CSAC has control.

  12. david m says:

    I am picking Dos by KO

    • Diaz's cashed bowl says:

      Yeah i’m betting on the underdogs so jr by ko in round 1. Also going with roy for the ko in the later rounds, i think dc will bust his hand again, and try too hard to please his massuh and get ko’d I hope.
      Also Gonz by sub, and CB by decision.
      And gilbert by decision

  13. 45 Huddle says:

    Wow, what an awesome event so far.

    I was VERY worried on the Melendez/Sanchez decision. I thought Melendez was going to get screwed, especially with one judge saying it was 30-27…. But they got it right. And man, what an awesome fight.

    I have watched every fight on the card (including the facebook prelims) and outside of KJ/Soto, the entire card has been great.

  14. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    that was a nitty gritty show, except for noons

  15. 45 Huddle says:

    Cain is scary good. He is just a complete beast. Cain/Werdum makes the most sense, but Cain is going to wreck him.

    The winner of that fight should fight the winner of Barnett/Browne. That will bring be the two Heavyweight Title Fights for 2014, and then give the division a little more time to reset and get some more future contenders.

    If Cain doesn’t get a long suspension and he is healthy, my guess if that the UFC will push for Cain/Werdum for Super Bowl Weekend.

  16. Tradition Rules says:

    Yes it’s time for Marquart to retire. Physically he is stiil in great shape. But he just doesn’t seem to have any explosiveness in his movement anymore-like he is just warming up when he is in there.

    Was sad to see him get KO’d…

    If Cormier really does drop to 205 and his cardio improves he can be really fun to watch. I couldn’t believe how many kicks he used and the variety…if he really trains in submissions and catches on like his boxing and kickboxing he can really become impressive. Considering he comes from a pure wrestling background. Joe Rogan is right when he says “Cormier is a special kind of athlete.”

    The Melendez/Sanchez fight was fun. If Diego was more technical and not so reckless in his…”boxing” it could have gone better for him.

  17. david m says:

    I think Cormier would beat Jon Jones at 205. He is uber strong, fast, an exceptional wrestler, and a smart fighter.

    Diego was badly slurring his speech post-fight. That was sad.

    Main even was emotional to watch; J2S was so game, and clearly had worked his ass off to get in great shape and get his defensive wrestling up to snuff. In the 5th round he was landing a bunch, elbows and punches and looking good generally. It was a shame the fight ended the way it did, with him hitting his head DDT style after the failed choke attempt. What a brutal war.

    Diego v Melendez round 3 may have been the most fun round I can remember. Diego is an absolute lunatic.

    Some of the hyperbole from Goldberg and Rogan is over the top. Rogan called Melendez v Sanchez the best fight he had ever seen. Rogan says everything Cain does is perfect. Goldberg said GSP is best WW ever, said Cain is best HW ever, kept making references to “all-time”, as if this sport is like 100 years old or something. 15 years ago it was Tito Ortiz vs Jerry Bohlander for God’s sake. I agree with the GSP statement, but not with anything else said. And whether or not that kind of stuff is true, it loses its efficacy when it is repeated ad nauseum.

  18. david m says:

    Also, for the UFC fanboys who defend fighter pay (embarrassingly), NOTA BENE: Ruslan Provodnikov got 600k tonight and Mike Alvarado got 1.3 million tonight for a fight on HBO, not on PPV. Johnny Hendricks got 26k to show and 26k to win in his last fight. What an unbelievable disgrace. Alvarado got 900k more to lose than GSP, the biggest star in mma history, got to WIN (200k to show, 200k to win) in his last fight. Obviously GSP gets PPV points, but that doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.

    There are maybe 14 people who aren’t hardcore boxing fans on Earth who could pick Mike Alvarado out of a lineup, and he got paid as much tonight as the entire disclosed UFC 158 card put together, which was the most recent fight of GSP, Diaz, Hendricks, etc.

    1,345,000 was entire UFC 158 disclosed payroll, including 150k in KO of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses. Mike fucking Alvarado.

    Next time someone tells you MMA fighter pay is ok, punch that person in the face.

    • nottheface says:

      The reason we see those kind of purses in boxing is because there are several promoters competing for boxers who can sell to one of two different cable companies competing for draws in the sport. We can blame the UFC all we want for pay but until there’s someone else out there competing with them for the fighters then there’s no reason for the UFC or anyone in MMA to pay Aldo and Lamas as much as Alvarado and Ruslan.

    • Zach Arnold says:

      Changing the way fighters get paid means changing the whole business model for modern MMA. That compromise would mean the promoters as secondary figures with the TV suits as the real promoters. Right now, it’s Stephen Espinoza (former Golden Boy lawyer) on top with Ken Hershman doing what Ken Hershman does, irregardless of bankroll, on HBO.

      If UFC had accepted a deal with HBO & Chris Albrecht, your scenario would have played out. Now that David Hill & Lorenzo are married at the hip, the model is here to stay and not changing.

    • 45 Huddle says:

      David M,

      And yet we know disclosed fighter pay does not give all of the information. No UFC has been disclosed to making over $1 Million per fight. Yet we know the top guy makes $5 Million per fight (GSP). We know Jon Jones makes more then both of his brothers combined. We know that Chris Weidman was disclosed to get under $100,000 for the Silva fight and yet he has said numerous times Zuffa has more then taken care of him.

      So when you use disclosed fighter pay to make your point, you have already lost the argument.

      And Boxings model pays less TV fees then the UFC’s model. So the UFC is doing something right.

      At the end of the day… the fighters who prove themselves and can draw money get paid. And if Jon Fitch, Cheick Kongo and others have proven… the UFC ofteb pays far beyond market value for talent.

      • 45 Huddle says:

        And don’t even tell me that there is no other market because of Zuffa.

        Zuffa can’t touch the Asian Market and nobody has given them competition from there. Bellator has a SpikeTV platform and they are hurting.

        There is no market for MMA outside of the UFC because there are not enough fans to support it.

        And despite this… the UFC is constantly paying far beyond marlet value for fighters who are not bringing in more then a few bucks worth of revenue.

        And one last point… we get about 40 fights a year on HBO. We will get that many fights on FS1/2 in the next month. Please stop comparing MMA to boxing. Boxing has the worst system in sports.

        • 45 Huddle says:

          My response to your comment posted above.

          Who said Weidman only got paid $100k? I said his disclosed pay was under $100k. When asked on the MMA Hour after the fight he said multiple times that Zuffa very much took care of him. And like I said before, the actual pay is not disclosed, and every time a fighter lets it out, it is really good.

          And you really are disputing Jon Jones not making more then both of his brothers combined? Now you are really grasping at straws. There is no reason for this to be a lie.

          And I don’t think boxing is good to compare to because:

          1) Boxing has put itself behind a paywall of HBO & Showtime that has stunted the sport.

          2) If you look at all of the successful sports in America, even the most popular athletes don’t get as high of a percentage of the pay compared to boxing. And I’m not talking about the cut to the owners. I’m am talking about each athlete compared to the pool of money being paid to all of the players. In boxing, it is so out of wack that it hurts the sport.

          As an example, I quickly found Marquez/Pacquiao payouts from Dec. 2012 card.

          The bottom 5 fighters got paid: $4,500…. $4,000…. $2,500…. $1,200…. $1,200.

          The worst stat…. 97.7% of the money being paid out…. Was going to exactly TWO fighters on the card.

          This is why boxing has such issues. No money goes back into the sport. None of it goes back into creating prospects.

          ***********

          What you see with the UFC right now is the money being put back into the foundation of the sport. They are using the money to build up markets around the world. They are using the money to slowly build things until most likely we are headed towards a weekly fight series.

          What do you see being built towards in boxing? They put random fights on premium cable and it’s one big clusterf#ck.

      • david m says:

        Wow, Chris Weidman beat the 3rd best fighter in mma history and got 100k! That IS generous on Zuffa’s behalf. Do you think he would rather have gotten 1.3 million for beating Anderson Silva, or the 48k he made (24 + 24) AND the GENEROUS bonus from Zuffa?

        It is an absolute disgrace that guys on the top get paid fucking peanuts.

        You say that Jon Jones gets more than his 2 brothers combined. How do you know that? Because his brother said so? Maybe he is telling the truth, maybe he isn’t. As long as Zuffa intentionally does not reveal their bonus structure (so as to take away leverage from fighters), we will just be guessing without any real knowledge.

        I can’t wait until there is a viable option against UFC; the downfall of Pride was the single saddest even in the history of the sport. Now the fighters have no leverage at all to negotiate, which I know sits fine with you, but it shouldn’t.

        Please stop comparing mma to boxing? Um, no. You don’t want to compare the two because you know how horrid the UFC looks when compared to boxing paychecks.

  19. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    I have no problem with Herb, he always moved in close when Jr was staggered, and was 1″ away from stopping it. It may have been right or kind to stop it earlier, but herb did the “fair” thing in allowing Jr to right his ship.
    And when he did stop it, it was quick. Unlike baldy’s late stoppages in the Nate, TJ and Jordan fights! Instead of moving closer to the fighters when they were almost out he moved away!

  20. klown says:

    From Fighters Only:

    “Junior Dos Santos does not remember most of the UFC 166 fight with Cain Velasquez. Afterwards he was under the impression he had been knocked out in the second round. His corner believe he fought from round two onwards “on autopilot”.”

    • Diaz's cashed bowl says:

      I just read that… “jr also did not remember having talked with host Joe Rogan after the fight.”

      That’s just not right. But you can’t really blame herb when its the shady doctors who let the fight continue.
      i’m not sure if herb is a brain specialist, but he is a great ref.
      The doc should have asked Jr where he was who he is fighting when his birthday etc… a concussion test.

      Also last time I looked, corners are not allowed to throw in the towel as per the rules. Dana’s suggestion that jrs corner should have thrown in the towel is just him deflecting the blame from the docs, Herb and the uFC in general.

  21. klown says:

    Is there really a rule against throwing in the towel? Where and since when?

    • Nepal says:

      Many years ago, they ruled corners couldn’t stop the fight. Only the fighters or the refs. That’s what the ref’s are for.

  22. Diaz's cashed bowl says:

    I remember that black handler guy telling the fighters and team at the pre fight rules meeting, no throwing in the towel, to keep the sport clean and controversy free is what he was saying. 😉

    But if you read this horrifying interview with his corner…

    http://www.mmafighting.com/2013/10/23/4867222/junior-dos-santos-coach-never-considered-throwing-in-towel-ufc-166

    you see its a moot point with friends like that…there’s a real need for better doctor stoppages.
    You remember Jr vs Mir? Mir gave the wrong answer when the “doctor” asked him where he was! He thought he was in an entirely different venue!

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