|
Monday, March 10, 2003
Taneo: Hail, the chief!
By Paul J. Taneo
Free-for-all
It’s one of those times when the undercard is better than the main bout. In UFC 21: Return of the Champions, Andre “Chief” Roberts, dropped 50 pounds from a barely-manageable 400 to 349lb. Coming off a disappointing submission loss to Gary Goodridge in UFC 19 when he broke his nose, the Native-American, Roberts, trained this time around (he was a last-minute substitute in UFC 19).
Roberts again broke his beak when the muscle-bound Ron Waterman (267lb 6-foot-2) hit him with a flurry of punches. Waterman seemed well on his way to winning the match with his aggressive punching. Things looked worse for Roberts when the fight was temporarily stopped when he bled on several places on his face and head. He admitted to having broken his nose after the fight but said to himself: “Not this time.” He wanted to finish the fight fighting. That he did.
With about 2:30 minutes gone after the start of the first round, Roberts found his back on the octagon chain-link fence with Waterman pounding him. He tried to cover up as Waterman kept on hitting. But Roberts suddenly let go a left hook which found its target in Waterman’s jaw. A right and another left followed sending Waterman reeling back.
Roberts smelled blood and chased Waterman looking for a finishing blow. He found it, with a left hook landing squarely on the now running-low-on-gas Waterman. The wrestling specialist fell on his back glassy-eyed. Roberts by KO in 2:51 of the first round.
The main event between Marco Ruas and Maurice Smith in comparison was a dampener. The Brazilian “King of the Streets” Ruas was splendid on the ground trying submission holds on Smith but Ruas exacerbated the injury to his knee when Smith attempted to stand up as Ruas worked for a leg bar.
In his corner at the break, an American kept on telling Ruas, “Don’t quit! Don’t quit, Marco! Fight for your family. Don’t you f___ing quit!” Ruas told him off: “It’s me in here, not you!” Good point. Throw in the towel.
That match-up, if it had lasted the whole three rounds, should have been a classic. Smith’s kickboxing prowess and improved ground game matched up against the complete arsenal of Ruas – stand-up or ground he will give as good as he gets, if not better.
But that knee injury, which Ruas said he got in training, but since he had committed to the UFC, he just had to show up on fight night 100 percent or not. With Ruas’ heart, power and skills, you cannot doubt the King of the Streets.
It’s been two straight weeks of fresh UFC replays (if there’s such a thing) and to show our appreciation to Solar, for this week I will watch their NBA broadcasts not those of ESPN-Star Sports.
(sports@sunstar.com.ph)
(March 10, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here.
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
