UFC 78: VALIDATION
December 08, 2007

From: Newark, New Jersey

Validation had a lot of critical complaints about the lack of star power and money-making title fights. All of this is completely warranted when you consider that the main event is between two TUF winners, neither of whom have wins over Top 10 fighters. To me, this seems like the UFC is testing their fan base. Who will buy the PPV simply because it’s a UFC event?

1. Lightweight bout: Frank Edgar d. Spencer Fisher – Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) Edgar brings in an undefeated record that involves mostly decisions, but I see very big things for him.
2. Middleweight bout: Ed Herman d. Joe Doerksen – KO, punch (0:39, RD 3) Doerksen has amongst the fastest transitions I've seen. Wish he won. Herman sucks balls. I forget why he's even still here. Oh yeah, he's on The Ultimate Faggot reality show and Dana keeps those guys around even though they suck shit because they're cheap. Like with illegal Mexican laborers, even though they might suck you're paying them nickels on a dollar so you give them a pass.
3. Welterweight bout: Karo Parisyan d. Ryo Chonan – Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Chonan is another new Jap coming out of PRIDE FC. The biggest moment in his career was when he pulled off an amazing flying kneebar for the submission against Anderson Silva is a once in a lifetime moment. Other than that he's hit and miss.Karo looked like shit. I love Karo to death but Joe Rogan's constant adoration of him is turning me. "Just wait, he'll throw him out of the cage!". Surprisingly solid debut for Chonan.
4. Light heavyweight bout: Thiago Silva d. Houston Alexander – TKO, strikes (3:25, RD 1) This was the fight of the night for me, and it was solely because of the finish. I had my suspicions that Alexander was extremely one-sided and had really gotten lucky on the last two fights. Now Dana's got to be kicking himself in the ass for hyping the guy so much. Looks like Tarzan, wrestles like Jane.
5. Light heavyweight bout: Rashad Evans d. Michael Bisping – Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Are you sure this isn't a Spike Fight Night main event? Pretty good fight, though. Goes to show; Evans makes any fight shitty. Rashad seems to have regressed back into the "wait out a decision" guy we all hated when he first started. Bisping needs to work on his wrestling and takedown defense, though; after the first takedown it looked like he went on the defensive and never recovered. Post-fight, they both have the nerve to bust out a LIST of sponsors to thank! The sponsorship is out of control btw. I know the fighters have to do this to make ends meet, but enough already.

Recap: Overall blehhh PPV. The one positive out of this show is Alexander was exposed, and clearly not the next Kimbo Slice or Chuck Liddell.

The 10 point must system is terrible. It has to go. They need to get some MMA-specific judges too. Judges should be competent enough to judge a fight on its entirety. This isn't boxing where there is 10, 12, and historically 15 intermissions. MMA matches are much more fluid and should be judged accordingly.

Judging a 3 round fight by frames is ridiculous. For the most part, judges are good with this system. For example, Rich Franklin was correctly, under the 10-pt must system, called the winner over Yushin Okami. However, he didn't win that fight. It was two nothing rounds and a 3rd that Okami dominated.

The problem with takedowns is this: The judges don't award points for defended takedowns!