UFC 84: Animal Kingdom, Starring Sharks, Dragons and….Sporting Goods?
Jardine vs. Silva
May 24, 2008
Keith
Jardine (Pictures) vs. Wanderlei Silva (Pictures)
An already critical bout in the light heavyweight division takes on even greater importance when UFC import Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) takes on surprise contender Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine. That greater importance comes thanks to the UFC's reality juggernaut, "The Ultimate Fighter," which has current champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and number one contender Forrest Griffin (Pictures) tied up for the immediate future.
With no clear contender waiting in the wings, every bout in this
division means a chance to position for a title shot. Much has been
made lately of a possible move down to middleweight for Silva
(31-8-1, 1 NC) but a poor showing here would mean a fourth loss in
a row for a fighter who once seemed unbeatable in the Pride
ring.
No one has ever made any such proclamations about Jardine(13-3-1) as his UFC ledger remains tainted by a disastrous knockout loss to Houston Alexander (Pictures), who has since been exposed more often than Pam Anderson's lady parts.
This bout boils down to whether or not Silva can rediscover his inner "Axe Murderer" and how Jardine's disciplined style holds up in the face of such relentless aggression.
Either way, this bout doesn't favor Silva in the least. The Brazilian has looked flat lately and seems physically overmatched in the UFC's light heavyweight division. The truth is that Silva's best hope is to score with an all-out blitz but he's never had the chin to survive a firefight and Jardine has the benefit of being able to control the tempo with his reach and crippling leg kicks.
The sands of the hourglass are running out for Silva, who will struggle to get any offense going while Jardine picks him apart from a distance. If he gets down on the cards or senses he is running out of options, Silva will go for one of his trademark rushes and end up flat on his back early in the third round.
No worries for Silva though, if he does go down to middleweight it's not like there are any terrifying strikers waiting for him or anything.
Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) vs. Goran Reljic
On a main card loaded with short-term light heavyweight implications, the clash between American Top Team product Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) and UFC neophyte Goran Reljic is easy to overlook but the winner is likely to end up playing a big role in the division sooner rather than later.
It's an unusual opportunity for Reljic (6-0), whose appearance on the main card is likely to create more confusion than a David Lynch movie. His undefeated record is built on wins over fighters who only pose a threat to people who can't pronounce eastern European names.
With that said, we've seen unknowns make a splash before and Reljic is considered one of the best prospects to come out of the Gracie Barra camp in some time.
Then again, for every stud grappling prospect that makes good on the pre-fight hype there are about a dozen more whose post-fight "celebration" consists of an appointment for some reconstructive dental work.
Getting matched against Gouveia (10-4) makes the latter a distinct possibility as the pride of Fortaleza, Brazil has finished his last four opponents in a row since dropping a hotly contested decision to Jardine. Clearly, the talent is there but what remains a question is Gouveia's commitment, specifically his commitment to showing up in better shape than the competitors on BET's "Iron Ring." Entering the octagon in less than stellar shape is asking for trouble but as long as Gouveia is being fed the likes of Reljic, he'll continue getting away with his indiscretions like JFK in a strip club.
The fact is that most of the converted grapplers we see in MMA are sorely lacking in the wrestling department and even if Reljic manages a takedown, Gouveia is a savvy grappler who has shown that he is perfectly comfortable working on the mat. Either way, Reljic will be short on options eventually end up on the receiving end of a thorough dissection on his feet.
With another stoppage win in tow, bank on Gouveia completing his UFC journey by picking up a completely superfluous nickname. Wilson "Sporting Goods" Gouveia anyone?
Thiago Silva (Pictures) vs. Antonio Mendes
The other supposed showcase fight on this card features new American Top Team star Thiago Silva (Pictures) taking on his Europe Top Team counterpart, Antonio "Samuray" Mendes.
Bizarro world inspired matchmaking aside, Silva (12-0) enters this bout with a world of expectations resting on his shoulders thanks to his undefeated mark and recent decision to leave the legendary Chute Boxe gym in favor of his new stomping grounds in Coconut Creek, Florida under the ATT banner.
While many have expected much of Silva from the word go, his initial forays into the octagon weren't exactly the stuff of legend as Silva's bout with James Irvin (Pictures) was interrupted when Irvin's knee decided to try pop without the locking.
Throw in a glorified slop-fest against Tomasz Drwal (Pictures) and Silva was starting to look like a bigger bust than Michael Olowokandi. Thankfully, Curitiba's latest export got his act together with a dominant win over Houston Alexander (Pictures).
A return to past form, however, may be all it takes for Silva to lose his footing in the UFC and his place to someone like Mendes. Already a veteran of the sport, Mendes (14-2) is riding a nearly four-year winning streak against mostly anonymous opposition which is kind of like taking credit for batting practice homeruns.
This is Mendes' biggest step up in competition and while he does bring a versatile mix of skills to the table, Silva is simply better at every facet of MMA than Mendes.
Despite coming from the hyperactive Chute Boxe Muay Thai camp, Silva is a grappler at heart and is starting to show the discipline it takes to impose a game plan tailored to his strengths.
Count on Silva playing it safe from the opening bell and scoring an early takedown before taking control on the canvas and notching another TKO stoppage with strikes from mount.
All that's left for Silva is to file formal paperwork adopting the double Mongolian chop. Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) can't be expected to take care of it forever.
An already critical bout in the light heavyweight division takes on even greater importance when UFC import Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) takes on surprise contender Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine. That greater importance comes thanks to the UFC's reality juggernaut, "The Ultimate Fighter," which has current champion Quinton Jackson (Pictures) and number one contender Forrest Griffin (Pictures) tied up for the immediate future.
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No one has ever made any such proclamations about Jardine(13-3-1) as his UFC ledger remains tainted by a disastrous knockout loss to Houston Alexander (Pictures), who has since been exposed more often than Pam Anderson's lady parts.
Sandwiched between that disaster of course are wins over Forrest Griffin (Pictures) and Chuck Liddell (Pictures) which have kept Jardine in the
mix but, much like Silva, a loss would put a quick end to any
illusions of a title shot.
This bout boils down to whether or not Silva can rediscover his inner "Axe Murderer" and how Jardine's disciplined style holds up in the face of such relentless aggression.
Either way, this bout doesn't favor Silva in the least. The Brazilian has looked flat lately and seems physically overmatched in the UFC's light heavyweight division. The truth is that Silva's best hope is to score with an all-out blitz but he's never had the chin to survive a firefight and Jardine has the benefit of being able to control the tempo with his reach and crippling leg kicks.
The sands of the hourglass are running out for Silva, who will struggle to get any offense going while Jardine picks him apart from a distance. If he gets down on the cards or senses he is running out of options, Silva will go for one of his trademark rushes and end up flat on his back early in the third round.
No worries for Silva though, if he does go down to middleweight it's not like there are any terrifying strikers waiting for him or anything.
Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) vs. Goran Reljic
On a main card loaded with short-term light heavyweight implications, the clash between American Top Team product Wilson Gouveia (Pictures) and UFC neophyte Goran Reljic is easy to overlook but the winner is likely to end up playing a big role in the division sooner rather than later.
It's an unusual opportunity for Reljic (6-0), whose appearance on the main card is likely to create more confusion than a David Lynch movie. His undefeated record is built on wins over fighters who only pose a threat to people who can't pronounce eastern European names.
With that said, we've seen unknowns make a splash before and Reljic is considered one of the best prospects to come out of the Gracie Barra camp in some time.
Then again, for every stud grappling prospect that makes good on the pre-fight hype there are about a dozen more whose post-fight "celebration" consists of an appointment for some reconstructive dental work.
Getting matched against Gouveia (10-4) makes the latter a distinct possibility as the pride of Fortaleza, Brazil has finished his last four opponents in a row since dropping a hotly contested decision to Jardine. Clearly, the talent is there but what remains a question is Gouveia's commitment, specifically his commitment to showing up in better shape than the competitors on BET's "Iron Ring." Entering the octagon in less than stellar shape is asking for trouble but as long as Gouveia is being fed the likes of Reljic, he'll continue getting away with his indiscretions like JFK in a strip club.
The fact is that most of the converted grapplers we see in MMA are sorely lacking in the wrestling department and even if Reljic manages a takedown, Gouveia is a savvy grappler who has shown that he is perfectly comfortable working on the mat. Either way, Reljic will be short on options eventually end up on the receiving end of a thorough dissection on his feet.
With another stoppage win in tow, bank on Gouveia completing his UFC journey by picking up a completely superfluous nickname. Wilson "Sporting Goods" Gouveia anyone?
Thiago Silva (Pictures) vs. Antonio Mendes
The other supposed showcase fight on this card features new American Top Team star Thiago Silva (Pictures) taking on his Europe Top Team counterpart, Antonio "Samuray" Mendes.
Bizarro world inspired matchmaking aside, Silva (12-0) enters this bout with a world of expectations resting on his shoulders thanks to his undefeated mark and recent decision to leave the legendary Chute Boxe gym in favor of his new stomping grounds in Coconut Creek, Florida under the ATT banner.
While many have expected much of Silva from the word go, his initial forays into the octagon weren't exactly the stuff of legend as Silva's bout with James Irvin (Pictures) was interrupted when Irvin's knee decided to try pop without the locking.
Throw in a glorified slop-fest against Tomasz Drwal (Pictures) and Silva was starting to look like a bigger bust than Michael Olowokandi. Thankfully, Curitiba's latest export got his act together with a dominant win over Houston Alexander (Pictures).
A return to past form, however, may be all it takes for Silva to lose his footing in the UFC and his place to someone like Mendes. Already a veteran of the sport, Mendes (14-2) is riding a nearly four-year winning streak against mostly anonymous opposition which is kind of like taking credit for batting practice homeruns.
This is Mendes' biggest step up in competition and while he does bring a versatile mix of skills to the table, Silva is simply better at every facet of MMA than Mendes.
Despite coming from the hyperactive Chute Boxe Muay Thai camp, Silva is a grappler at heart and is starting to show the discipline it takes to impose a game plan tailored to his strengths.
Count on Silva playing it safe from the opening bell and scoring an early takedown before taking control on the canvas and notching another TKO stoppage with strikes from mount.
All that's left for Silva is to file formal paperwork adopting the double Mongolian chop. Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) can't be expected to take care of it forever.
