First, let me say I am not a die-hard UFC fan. I typically watch the events around 3 times per year, depending upon who is fighting.
Lastnight my wife and I rented the UFC at our home, as I was particularly interested in the Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra fight, as well as the Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans fight. Matt Hughes is a Christian brother, and I admire his work ethic and strong familiy and Christian values. I also read his blog occassionaly.
The fight basically went as I expected. I thought Serra would try to keep the fight stand-up and utilize his fast, powerful hands that he used to demonstrate his knockout power over George St. Pierre. To be honest, Matt Hughes didn't seem very fast in his stand-up game, and was a little heavy on his feet, but a lot of that had to do with the unintentional headbutt he received early in Round 1 which dazed him considerably. In any event, Matt Hughes did what he had to do, and that was get in and tie up Serra. Hughes is very strong and his "ground and pound game" showed that. Hughes showed a lot of heart in his victory, especially after being so hurt in that first round. In all honesty, I wasn't sure which way the decision would go, but I was very glad to see Hughes win.
As for the Machida-Evans fight, all I can say is wow. I expected Machida to win, but yikes, his knockout power is just unbelievable. Particularly impressive for me was his fast and powerful roundhouse kicks, and his ability to "pour it on" once he has his opponent (in this case Evans) in trouble. Machida's ability to stay relaxed and calm during the fight is obvious, as is his great timing. So much for Karate guys not being able to dominate the UFC!
