UFC 92 Breakdown: The Undercard

Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn

Ryon “Piranha” Chonan Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’9/170 lbs.
Age: 32
Hometown: Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
Fighting out of: Yamagata City, Japan
Record: 15-8

The stakes: After a solid middleweight run in Japan with Pride Fighting Championships and Deep, Chonan’s arrival in the UFC as a welterweight ushered in with it “Great Expectations” that have yet to be realized; think of it like the Ethan Hawke remake, only not as bad. A dismal debut loss against Karo Parisyan at UFC 78 was followed by an equally dismal split decision win over Roan Carneiro at UFC 88 and has many wondering why Chonan even bothered dropping classes. If Chonan’s going to silence those critics, he needs to start by proving he’s something more than a serviceable gatekeeper.

The breakdown: The main problem with Chonan as a welterweight has been his seeming inability to decide exactly what he wants to do inside the cage. At times appearing content to passively wait out striking exchanges, Chonan can suddenly go into takedown mode and seem equally content to wait out action on the mat. That approach needs to go by the wayside against Blackburn. In its place, Chonan must opt for a more aggressive approach on the feet, where his smooth and sound striking can pose problems for the often wild Blackburn.

Brad “Bad” Blackburn Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’10/170 lbs.
Age: 31
Hometown: Los Angeles
Fighting out of: Olympia, Wash.
Record: 12-9-1

The stakes: One of several fighters who migrated to the UFC following the International Fight League’s Titanic reenactment, Blackburn made his presence known immediately with a spectacular TKO win against an overmatched James Giboo at UFC Fight Night 14. While it was not enough to get him on the main card, handling Chonan in similar fashion may be all Blackburn needs to raise his stock.

The breakdown: If Chonan’s going to stand pat and let the action come to him, this is Blackburn’s fight to lose, as his athleticism and explosiveness makes him a constant threat on the feet. Of course, his takedown defense would hardly be mistaken for the Berlin Wall, but it should be enough to force the issue with Chonan. As long as Blackburn can remain accurate and under control, he should leave Chonan’s mug looking like something from Garth Ennis’ imagination.


* * * The bottom line: Wait around for Chonan to snap out of his transcontinental daze if you like, but do not sleep on Blackburn, who realizes he has nothing to lose by going for broke, since no one expects much from him anyway. Meanwhile, Chonan will keep acting like Keanu Reeves in any movie in which he’s starred. Being a hollow shell devoid of emotion may work in Hollywood, but it does not fly in the cage. Blackburn notches another impressive win.