Whoa. The first round of the UFC on Fuel TV 8 main event was absolute madness. Two men entered the cage and for that first 300 seconds, they went completely insane. There was not a single pause for strategy or caution or even civility. Two men entered that octagon bent on sheer destruction. Primal. Savage. Visceral. It was simply awe inspiring ... particularly after an endless row of decisions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw6NLoTmgbo
Mark Hunt (9-7) vs. Stefan Struve (25-6), HW: There was an extreme possibility that this match-up would end in the same fashion as Lavar Johnson vs. Brendan Schaub. Mark Hunt is a classic striker with an iron jaw and redunkulous power, but he's on his back more often than a granny with a bad hip. He's also a sucker for submissions. His opponent, the Dutch giant, has a high level submission game. Here's the difference between Struve and Schaub: Struve is secretly crazy. He likes to brawl even if that means he's punished for it. What started out as an uninspired grappling match erupted into a full brawl as both fighters fatigued by round 3. The final shot came from Hunt with a vicious left hook that not only sent the Dutchman onto his tulips, but also cleanly broke his jaw in half. To his credit, Struve asked the ref to remove his dislodged teeth from his cheek so he could continue, but Herb Dean had seen enough.
Wanderlei Silva (34-12-1) vs. Brian Stann (12-6), LHW: Again, the only word that comes to mind is Whoa. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to throw on the performance in this fight. Amazing, stunning, unbelievable. At the opening bell, both men walked to the center of the ring and traded power punches. No ducking, no weaving, no dancing. Wanderlei was staggered three times and Stann at least once, possibly twice. It did little to dissuade their appetite for brawling. Amazing, Wanderlei's deteriorating chin looked like it had somehow been restored back to its full PRIDE glory. Round 2 started with a bit more caution from Wandy, but when he clipped Stann with a straight followed with a clubbing left hook the carnage returned. Stann drooped and his lights went out with a nice coup de grace from Wandy. Regardless of the outcome, this fight is the Hagler-Hearns of MMA. This is an instant classic that will endure long after each fighter take their final bows. Bravo.