WEC knocks out Elite XC in T.V. matchup

I have to admit it, I thought a lot of the online blogging community was crazy. A lot of sites were saying that the Elite XC card was not going to be a good showing for the inaugural telecast on prime time television. I was certain that by putting together a fight card full of punchers that the show would deliver. I knew they couldn't possibly screw this up. I was wrong.

The instant I saw the dancers lining the runway to the stage, I knew we were in trouble. It reminded me of the old WCW Nitro Girls. The smoke machines and dancing girls only further went to feed the stereotype that MMA fans carry. Now, not only are we blood thirsty savages who enjoy watching "human cockfighting", but we also aren't able to be entertained without seeing scantily clad woman display their dancing abilities between fights. Thanks for nothing Gary Shaw. To top it off, he came across like Vince McMahon in an interview with MMARATED. I'm not sure if anyone else caught this, but after the Joey Villasenor vs Phil Baroni fight, Shaw can be heard in the ring instructing Villasenor on his post fight interview.

"If he asks you who you want to fight next, tell him........(inaudible)"

What?! Why not just do the interview for him? What is next, cue cards for the fighters to answer off of? I rewound this several times on my DVR to make sure it was Shaw. I hope he realizes that for every causal fan he converted to MMA, he lost two real ones. We want to see fighting at its best. Leave the theatrics and the disco party aesthetics to professional wrestling.

All in all, with the exception of the main event, the fights were not all that bad. The early fights showcased a couple of knockouts that got the night started off on the right foot. The Carano/Young fight was entertaining with Young showing a great chin against a fighter that was obviously better than her. Then came two real disappointments. I thought the Lawler/Smith fight was one of the better fights I have seen in a long time. The fight doctor erred on the side of caution and stopped the fight due to a poke in the eye. I thought it was a ridiculous stoppage myself, but remember who has to answer to the state athletic commission if a fighter is injured in a fight they should not have been allowed to continue. Granted, the full compliment of MMA skills were not shown, but you had two very tough guys stand and beat each other up with kicks and punches. I thought each fighter showed tremendous grit and heart. I would love to see these two square off again.

The Kimbo/Thompson fight was good...........for the under card. The lesson here should be that just because a guy has a big name, that does not mean he should be a headliner. The fight was mildly entertaining. James Thompson showed a very effective ground and pound albeit against a rookie fighter on the ground. Kimbo was able to get reversals, but showed nothing technical, using brut force to get himself out of tough spots. Once he got tired, he was not even able to defend himself on the ground. We can argue all day about fight fixing, dirty officiating, and owner collusion. The bottom line is this fight should have never seen the light of day. Not because the fighters didn't try hard or put on a sub par show, but quite honestly because Kimbo is not ready to fight in the top slot.

I hope that deep down in his heart of hearts, Shaw knows that he dropped the ball. I hold out hope that for those of us that love this sport, the next time Elite XC runs a card on television, they produce quality match ups that expose the true art form of the sport and protect the sanctity and history that surround it.

Alternatively, the WEC event was absolutely entertaining. The two title fights delivered on every angle. The Maeda/Torres fight was incredible. I don't think I have ever seen both fighters locked into leg submissions at the same time. Both holds were deep and neither fighter would give up. Maeda was not able to answer the bell for the third round due to a swollen eye, but he certainly showed toughness and determination against a tough champion. I'm sure we will see these two fight for the title again before long.

For all accounts the Faber/Pulver match lived up to the bill. It was obvious to anyone who knows fighting that Faber won the fight from bell to bell. He ate a few punches that hurt, but he was in control of the entire fight. He displayed lightning quickness and a stiff right hand that found a home on Pulver's cheek time after time. Despite never really gaining momentum and not being able to score, Pulver showed the heart of a champion. Every time he got rocked with a punch he gave that famous "hit me again" smile and stepped forward. Pulver showed what being a fighter is all about. Any aspiring MMA fighter should watch that fight as a lesson on what it means to have the privelage of stepping in the cage. He was extremely humble and courageous in defeat, thanking the once hostile crowd and crowning Faber the greatest in the world. I hope that Pulver continues his MMA career and we get to see these two trade leather a second time. To me he is a role model, not some guy who gets paid 7 million a year to hit a fastball then goes on the DL for two weeks with a hang nail.