Held in Las Vegas, Nevada UFC 155 was a highly anticipated event as we come to the end of 2012 and we see the rematch Heavyweight title match. The aura of the main fight card was definitely filled with determination and heart as the build up events created the perfect atmosphere.
In the 1st of the 3 middleweight matches we saw Derek Brunson dominate Chris Leben with a series of take-downs even though the crowd were not pleased at the energy levels, no-one can deny that Brunson was all over Leben and refusing to let go. The match went to decisions and Brunson was scored as the winner.
Next up was the similar match up between Alan Belcher and Yushin Okami. Although the pair had fought 6 years before, this fight lacked spark and left many of us wanting so much more from both fighters. It had the same monotonous tone throughout yet Okami managed to keep an edge over Belcher giving him the win.
In the final middleweight bout we begin to see the theme of the night reveal itself in the form of Tim Boetsch vs Costa Philippou. From early in the fight Boetsch was opened up with a few good combos from Philippou and we saw that he was going to have to dig deep to get through this fight. Between rounds listeners overheard Boetsch coach discussing a possible injury to his hand and that he would have to ignore the pain and go in for the fight regardless An admirable moment was when he refused to stop the fight. After a number of take-downs and a brutal eye-poke, the match was stopped in the 3rd round after a TKO by Philippou.
Co- Main event
This fight reminded me of why i love UFC as even when the odds are against you and you can still fight until the very end giving it your all. Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller 100% deserved ‘Fight of the Night’ for the amazing sportsmanship shown tonight. Equally match opponents found themselves fighting with similar styles early on and realised they would have to go to decisions as landing a TKO or submission would be difficult. Some deep cuts to Lauzon’s face contributed to the goriness of the fight as he fought smearing blood on the mat trying to hold ankle and leg holds and reversing take-downs but this didnt stop him from putting his heart into it. Miller came out strong from the first bell and even though he got tired, he never let his guard down to much which in the end earned him the match.
Main Event
Just over a year since their 1st title fight, Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez were back in the octagon ready to defend the Heavyweight Championship belt. Due to various injuries and his affected physical position Velasquez lost the title to Dos Santos last year and he had returned today to prove he was it;s rightful owner, and he sure did. Dos Santos is known for his infamous power punches that keep his opponents down for the count however with someone as energetic and consistent as Velasquez, Dos Santos saw he was at a disadvantage. He managed to get some punches and kicks on target but the power behind them was not enough to stun Velazquez. The numerous take-downs and high energy levels tired Dos Santos giving Velasquez the upper hand. Rarely do we imagine a Heavyweight match to last the full 5 rounds but it goes to show how much each fighter wanted to win. In the end, a unanimous decision from the judges returned the Heavyweight title belt back to Cain Velasquez.
UFC 155 was definitely about determination.
IrieWrites 