UFC 115: Stock Watch

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken a little bit of time off this week because I am working on another project. It’s gonna continue for a while, but I plan on trying to write more this week than I did last week. Nonetheless, I couldn’t rob you of a good stock watch while watching the Post-Fight Presser.

Stock Up

1. Martin Kampmann – It wasn’t long ago that we called Kampmann an also ran in the welterweight division. Now, he just dominated the guy that most people thought should get the next shot at GSP. Not only was Martin dominant on the feet, but tooled Thiago, a BJJ black belt on the ground. A very impressive victory should get him a big fight next.
2. Mirko Cro Cop – Jason, a super heavy PRIDE homer, spent the last 45 seconds of the Cro Cop – Barry fight with me in a bearhug because he was so excited about his boy’s victory. While this fight certainly doesn’t make him a contender of any kind, it does prove that he can still have some entertaining fights. Sigh… I guess he belongs in the UFC.
3. Carlos Condit – “The next five minutes is about war.” That’s what Greg Jackson said in the corner of Carlos Condit before the third round. Condit responded by putting together one of the most dominant rounds that I have ever seen in the history of the UFC. Condit showed some of the aggression that earned him the nickname “The Natural Born Killer.” Next, he should get another top welterweight prospect in John Hathaway.

Stock Down

1. Chuck Liddell – That is likely it for the man that made the UFC what it is today. It’s sad really, because Chuck was winning for most of the first round. He was more diverse now than he had been at any point during his career, and he looked damn good. However, he was over agressive and got tagged and put out by a big shot from Rich Franklin. There is obviously going to be a faction of people who want him to fight Tito Ortiz, but it’s a bad idea. Chuck can walk away happy with legacy intact and money in hand, and that’s just what he should do.
2. Gilbert Yvel and Ben Rothwell – What a terrible fight. It was so bad that I feel like Charles Barkley should come and tell everyone how terrible it was.

   Both showed little to no ground game and moved around the cage like pickup trucks running short on gas. I would love to see both of these guys get cut, but it looks like only Yvel will be on the way out.

3. Paulo Thiago – Did some one forget to tell Paulo to come to the cage today? Instead, we saw a weak, gross replacement who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn and was outclassed on the ground by a guy who isn’t even in his class. It was just a terrible display. He really set himself back tonight. Maybe he should keep his job as a Brazilian special forces agent a little longer.