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A look back and forward
in the aftermath of MFC 26
MFC Staff
 Leading
up to MFC shows over the past few years, The Z-Files takes an
in-depth look at the card, the fighters themselves, and the
ramifications of each bout, all leading to the Top 10 Questions.
And in the past year, following each show The Z-Files has expanded
its review and added in a rundown of notes, quotes, and fallout.
These are not necessarily answers to the Top 10 Questions that were
posed coming into the event, but some insight into what happened and
what’s in store in the future based upon the results.
So coming out of MFC 26:
It was the most-asked question just hours after the show. Is Douglas
Lima that good or did Ryan Ford have an off night? It’s completely
unfair and false to take anything away from Lima’s performance by
putting the onus back on Ford. Simply put – Lima was that good. He
stayed calm under the expected pressure from Ford, never panicked
when he was on his back, and so smoothly sunk in the fight-finishing
submission. The decisive win begs more questions though including
whom does Lima face in his expected title shot, and what is next for
Ford. And there are questions arising about Ford’s future. Yes he
only has three losses in 15 fights but he’s been submitted twice by
armbar and more notably hasn’t peaked when it’s needed the most (two
failed shots at the title and now dropping a title eliminator).
And how about this from the Lima locker room … so sure was Lima and
his trainer Roan Carneiro that the bout vs. Ford would go five
rounds that because it finished early in Round 2, Lima kept his
gloves on and did a five-minute round on the pads after the fight.
Other than visiting with the doctor, the only acceptable reason for
being last guy to the post-fight press conference is that you’re
still working.
Antonio McKee may be one of the most radically outspoken fighters
around, but for all the doubters who figured he’d fall back on his
“boring” style to pull out another decision, they got a very rude
awakening when he showcased an all-out aggressive attack in
dispatching of Luciano Azevedo inside the opening four minutes of
the fight. And what did McKee get out of the fight? I think not only
did he achieve finding some new-found respect from MMA insiders, but
more importantly, McKee got the love of the crowd at long last. Fans
had always respected his record and longevity but they didn’t care
for his win-at-no-cost style. By adopting a more exciting approach,
McKee was rewarded with the fans’ appreciation.
While McKee went for more entertainment value, Jesse Taylor took a
page out of McKee’s old playbook and used a smothering attack –
though complemented by several submission attempts – to stall Tom
Watson’s climb up the ladder. Taylor was relentless and virtually
mistake-free. Watson wasn’t given any room to pull the trigger while
the fighters were standing and unable to find any groove on the
ground where he struggled against Taylor’s strong swarming.
Though he was unable to finish the fight, it was evident that Ford
Robertson’s wrestling is at a serious level. He controlled nearly
every minute of his test against seasoned pro Andrew Buckland. There
are certainly things to work on if he intends to go further and it
would be interesting to see what kind of stand-up game he can put
together, but there is much to work with.
You have to like both Curtis Demarce and Tyson Steele. Good kids
both who put on a terrific tussle with Demarce coming out on top as
he benefitted from his wealth of experience. There are some good
fights down the road coming for these two.
Best Superman punch knockout ever? Maybe so. Regardless it was a big
splash for David Heath in his 185-pound debut. First he busted open
Solomon Hutcherson from the bottom. Then nearly ended the fight with
beautiful spinning backfist. Then came the supremely executed
smashing blow that turned the lights out on “King” Solomon. Heath
came into the fight declaring it the start of his new career and he
lived up to the touted rebirth. But give both guys credit – it was
the show stealer that everyone predicted it would be.
Speaking of Hutcherson, both he and Luciano Azevedo were walking
wounded after their respective bouts. Hutcherson’s face was busted
up by the assault from Heath while Azevedo suffered what many were
calling the worst cut they’d ever seen in MMA as his forehead was
split open by vicious McKee elbows.
Dwayne Lewis uses the uppercut better than 90% of all fighters in
MMA. For references, check with Ryan McClain, Jay Whitford, Marvin
Eastman, and now, Mike Nickels. |
