NEWS

Ultimate Smackdown

The view at the biggest MMA event this city's seen.


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Published: Aug 12, 2009

[ quality bloodsport ]

About eight months before Pennsylvania sanctioned mixed martial arts (MMA), former CP managing editor Brian Hickey penned a piece for this paper titled "Fight Schlubs: Do we really want mixed martial arts in Philly?"

It was a fair question. His piece toured a local MMA fight, a low-quality affair aimed at enticing local audiences to empty their pockets to see their friends, family members or gym buddies get their asses kicked in public.

But last Saturday's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC 101) at the Wachovia Center — the first ever in Pennsylvania — was starkly different.

Even before TV cameras were rolling, an unprecedented 11,000 people showed up to the Wachovia Center for the oft-ignored preliminary bouts. By the main event, a capacity crowd of more than 17,000 was in attendance.

And this was no local dustup. In one corner was 205-pound Brazilian champ Anderson Silva, regarded by many as the best fighter in the world. His opponent, meanwhile — Georgia's 205-pound consummate underdog, Forrest Griffin — had built his reputation on overcoming superior talent with pure determination. Griffin's last two bouts had been awarded "fight of the night" honors — even when he lost his title in the last.

It was a contest between two undeniably talented fighters. It was over in under three minutes.

After a short feel-out period, Silva descended, dodging Grffin's attacks with minute movements of his head and countering with quick, dead-on stabs.

After 90 seconds, Griffin had been knocked down multiple times. His punches were empty, and too timid to reach. In desperation, he lunged for his opponent's chin. Silva, eyes open, shimmied efficiently away before counter-punching directly to the left of Griffin's nose, collapsing him.

This was no "fight schlub" match. However inglorious mixed martial arts' local roots, the UFC brought something worth watching to Philadelphia; it delivered two great fighters in a spectacular blowout that no one saw coming — live, in front of a crowd that deserves the best.

(editorial@citypaper.net)