UFC 312
UFC 312 exceeded expectations when it comes to entertainment value. Many predicted this card to be underwhelming, however most, if not all these fights provided the violence we craved! Despite the entertainment, we only saw three finishes in the entire card, which would leave a lot of room for judges to shine (or commit some atrocities) Regardless, the end result was quite positive, with only a few, minimal, controversies in the card.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Anshul Jubli loses by R1 TKO to Quinlan Salkiid
UFC 312 started off with the adrenaline at the highest of levels, as Quinlan Salkiid dropped and finished Anshul Jubli within 19 seconds of the first round. The first significant punch of Salkiid dropped Jubli face first into the canvas, landing almost in a shell position, showing little to no amount of recovery.
Referee Jim Perdios was quick to stop the fight, while Jubli attempted a takedown on Quinlan, following the stoppage. Immediately, the Indian fighter disputed the stoppage, to a long and arduous extent, with fans divided on the ref’s decision. Later Perdios explained via social media, he saw no amount of recovery from Jubli.
Ultimately, the referee’s job is to protect the fighter from unnecessary damage. While it seemed Jubli was on the way to recovering from the punch, the way he fell from the knock-down, made it clear for the limited time that he was unable to protect himself from further damage.
The referee must act solely based on what he can see from his angle, deeming this a good stoppage, despite Jubli’s claim, or even fact that he was in a state of defense. If a fighter is unable to portray a conscious state to defend himself, the referee does in fact, do a good job in stopping this fight.
Darrian Traynor
Jimmy Crute x Rodolfo Bellato ends in Majority Draw (28-28, 28-28, 27-29)
Following a sizable two year hiatus, Jimmy Crute aimed to put on a show for his local fans. Crute, no stranger to draws, has found himself in a similar position before, but let’s examine what happened in this fight.
Round 1 was the first unanimous round for all judges, with judges Mike Bell, Mark Collett and David Lethaby scoring it a 10-8 round for the Aussie. This decision was certainly granted, as Rodolfo Bellato was knocked down with a heavy-shot, out-struck by over 20 strikes and controlled and dominated for nearly 4 minutes, with a slight recovery towards the end of a round.
The second round was the sole round where judges didn’t agree unanimously. Judge Collet had it 10-9 for Crute, whereas judges Bell and Lethaby had it for Bellato. Round 2 saw the Brazilian recover from the damaging shots in Round 1, outlanding Crute slightly by two strikes, while attempting 20 less strikes, which could be why he seemed like the fresher fighter.
Overall, the damage in this round was well distributed between both, but it felt Bellato’s recovery and pace seemed a bit more apparent. Regardless, close rounds do not necessarily have to be considered a robbery. Based on cage control and optics, I do believe Bellato’s 10-9 round here was more than fair.
Round 3 was another unanimous judging round for all three judges, awarding the 10-9 for Bellato. When it comes to stats, Bellato out-landed Crute by 7 strikes, landing at a 60% significant strike rate, while landing one takedown. Bellato’s ability to listen to corner’s instructions was crucial, and while fatigue was surely a factor, he did seem like the slightly fresher fighter.
With the split screen showing in our screens, and ring announcer Bruce Buffer taking his time to read out the score-cards, we knew it wasn’t going to be clear cut. Regardless of all this chaos, I do believe the right-decision was made.
Image by Zuffa LLC
Should Zhang-Weili shoot for Double Champ status?
Zhang Weili’s latest dominant performance was a SPECIAL one. The build up throughout fight week felt much more of a formality for Tatiana Suarez, as the uncrowned champion. Betting odds had Suarez as a slight favorite, as she carried her wrestling credentials and a beautiful 11-0 undefeated record.
Weili’s dominance was attributed to her well-rounded skills and preparation. As she outstruck Suarez by 40 strikes, defended 14 of 15 takedowns attempted, Weili picked up one 10-8 round in Round 5 from Mark Collet. Overall, Magnum reminded everyone why she is the champion.
Where it gets interesting is who she should fight next. The strawweight division is in need of contenders. The next top contender fight is between Virna Jandiroba and Yan Xiaonan, with pundits believing in Yan’s win. Virna Jandiroba hasn’t fought Zhang yet, and even if she were to beat Yan, the marketability of a fight between her and the champion is minimal.
When asked in the post fight presser who is the true Pound for Pound athlete between the ladies in the UFC, UFC President Dana White refused to give an answer, and instead suggested that “maybe we should find out” . Perhaps a bout with Valentina Schevchenko should be on the horizon in the near future for Zhang.
Some logistics the UFC needs to account for however is the curious case of Manon Fiorot, who’s more than deserved a shot at gold, has defeated multiple top ranked opponents and has no one to fight BUT the champion. One case we could see is having this fight between Fiorot and Valentina happening towards the middle of the year, with Zhang having a shot at the winner of those two, while Yan Xiaonan and Jandiroba can dispute for a top contender spot at 115.
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