Quote Originally Posted by bobsticks
Interestingly enough you were right on a couple of calls. Arlovski's boxing and sambo did payoff. He was clearly well on the way to winning the first round on points. From a technical standpoint he looked outstanding...hands up and tight, using his reach advantage to the fullest extent and using a variety of lowkicks to keep Fedor honest...

...and then he tries to finish with a high knee?! His overconfidence brought him too close to a looping overhand paw that pummeled him into unconsciousness before his body hit the ground.

For the first time I think the combination of physical gift and technique brought something against Fedor that, if only for a moment, puzzled him. To Arlovski's credit he was able to back The Last Emperor up, which even CroCop (who took him to a rare decision) was unable to do.

What occured to me most was that Arlovski looked like a phenomenally trained athlete who had been conditioned to fight while Fedor moved, breathed, and reacted more like an animal. The coup de grāce was so vicious and feral I imagine it would actually confound a trained fighter more than it would a layman. To the uninitiated it would seem a lightning-fast strike from nowhere whereas those in the know will marvel at the unconventional angle that appeared as nothing more than muscle-memory reaction.

Presumably, Barnett's dismantling of Yvel puts him as the number one contender. It'll be interesting to see how the next title bout develops.
Arlovski looked a bit "off" to me. Maybe I'm seeing things but he looked, well not himself. There were a few exchanges and spots where he did the right thing of course, but he seemed to be lacking that predatory instinct that made him so good a few years ago. Maybe he's thinking too much for his own good? I dunno. Easy for me to say when I don't have to worry about a knuckle sandwich from hell knocking my chin down my throat.

Fedor looked very mortal to me. Maybe he's getting old or something. Didn't he just lose a match at Sambo? Funny how a single fight can affect perception. Maybe it was the production value or something but these guys both dropped big time on my top 10 lists. I'm starting to wonder if Fedor really is talking tough but dodging the real contenders like his critics so often suggest?

Yvel is still the guy everyone loves to hate, including me.. I agree, Barnett must be #1 contender now.

GSP vs Penn is the one I'm drooling over. My 2 favs. I love how the UFC is marketing GSP to be the underdog "good guy" and Penn to be the cocky badass playboy type. Ridiculous. Both are decent human beings and both are pretty classy as far as that goes. I think Penn has more sense on what's good for him vs what's good for the UFC than GSP does and hasn't fit the poster boy profile they wanted.

I think Penn wins the rematch with precision striking, evasion and a patient game plan. He'll wait for GSP to make a mistake. GSP's had more "big fights" lately IMO and he fights to win, sometimes taking unnecessary risks. Penn's fights have mostly been over before they started so he fights just not to lose, and that'll keep him out of trouble.

I could be wrong though, as much as Penn's improved his conditioning, GSP's improved his all around game, and he's no longer intimidated by his opponents. Both are different fighters from the first matchup.

Dunno how the UFC tops that one? Fedor vs Lesnar/Mir?