“That’s why [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] is the best in the world,” former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia proclaimed after suffering a guillotine submission loss to the Brazilian in the interim heavyweight title main event at UFC 81 Saturday night.
The fight pitted former world champions from the UFC and PRIDE, but was overshadowed by the MMA debut of former NCAA and pro wrestling champion Brock Lesnar.
Significance was also diminished by Randy Couture’s departure from the UFC while holding the title after defeating Sylvia in March 2007.
6′8″ Sylvia pot-shotted the Sao Paulo native from the opening ding and occasionally popped a power shot in Nogueira’s mug, even dropping him with a combo in the first session and again in the second.
The Miletich-trained “Maine-iac” fiercely dominated the opening two rounds.
Stubborn Nogueira had no quit, even as his face began to swell at the end of Sylvia’s tremendous reach.
“Minotauro” attempted takedowns; but, Sylvia’s balance is exceptional for a big man.
The train from Maine derailed in the third when Nogueira’s notorious resilience muscled the battle to the mat.
“He went for the guillotine, which we knew he was going to do,” a distraught Sylvia explained post-fight.
Nogueira became the first fighter to hold both UFC and PRIDE heavyweight titles when Tim Sylvia tapped out at 1:28 of the third round.
“That’s what he does to everybody,” Sylvia echoed the sentiments of MMA faithful who’ve watched a battered Big Nog pull out seemingly impossible victories before.
Nogueira’s victory sets up a possible first defense versus French kickboxer Cheick Kongo, if Kongo can beat Heath Herring in Columbus next month. But, both Fabricio Werdum and Andrei Arlovski have claims to the top contender-ship too.
Sylvia may be headed for a history-loaded rematch with the man who broke his arm: Frank Mir.
Another former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Mir, defended MMA’s honor against powerhouse rookie Brock Lesnar by submitting him in a kneebar at 1:30 of the first round.
Mir got dumped on his ass early by the massive Minnesotan who hovered and hammered fists and elbows.
“He was so strong!” Mir explained in the locker room.
Tactic and technique determined the outcome though. “It wasn’t a textbook, perfect finish, but I ended up doing it 80% right.”
80% is all it takes versus an inexperienced opponent. As Lesnar stood to yank his arm from an armbar attempt, Mir secured a leg and rolled into a kneebar.
“Frank [Mir] and I have some unfinished business,” Tim Sylvia had taunted at a pre-fight press conference.
The high profile “W” for Mir makes that rematch marketable.
At 185-pounds, Nathan Marquardt entered the Octagon off a loss to division champ Anderson Silva to fight 79-17-5 Jeremy Horn, a late replacement opponent.
The veteran Horn absorbed punishment on the mat before nearly catching Marquardt in a gogoplata in the first round.
It was Marquardt, however, who applied a guillotine choke during a scramble and tapped Horn at 1:37 of the second round.
After a four-year hiatus from MMA, Ricardo Almeida invoked nostalgia over his earlier successes by submitting another late replacement, undefeated Alaskan Rob Yundt, in a guillotine choke at 1:08 of round one.
Almeida is a welcome addition to the scant 185-pound division.
Lightweights Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau tussled for three exciting rounds to open the televised card.
The shorter fighter, Griffin, popped Tibau with precise punches while Tibau seemed to take down the wrestler at will.
In the end, the judges saw it unanimously for Tyson Griffin, though Gleison Tibau lost no one’s respect.
“Lights Out” Chris Lytle treated 13-5 Kyle Bradley’s head like a speed bag in a 33-second TKO victory.
Light heavyweight Tim Boetsch reminded MMA fans of “Tank” Abbott in tossing Oklahoman David Heath to the mat and pummelling a TKO out of him at 4:52 of round one.
Terry Martin suffered another disappointing defeat, this time in a unanimous decision to “The Beastman” Marvin Eastman.
The event opened with a spirited lightweight scrap won in split decision by Robert Emerson over Japan’s Keita Nakamura.
