Controversy is guaranteed to either delight fans, or p!ss them off.
Every JMMA fan was buzzing over the Dream Featherweight Grand Prix. Sticking the likes of Hideo Tokoro, Hiroyuki Takaya and Bibiano Fernandes in a tournament that involves them fighting more than once against each other on the same night in the final round, was never going to be anything less than epic. And an undoubted 100% of the viewership enjoyed themselves watching the tourney, right up until the point when the final bell rang on Bibi and Takaya’s fantastic battle at Dream 11… right about when the judges’ decision announced. And when the inaugural Featherweight champ of Dream was declared – on the basis of that decision – to be Bibiano Fernandes, the ratio of satisfied fans promptly dipped by 30% at the least.
Personally, I loved it. Controversy gets me going, and hey, someone had to win!
Besides, Bibi did as much as Takaya, just that his offence did not receive the same exhilarated response from the English (speaking) commentary team as Takaya’s did.
The section of the hardcore who picked Takaya to win must be pleased with his Road to Redemption, of sorts. After being “robbed” in their eyes of the Grand Prix win – and thus, the FW divisional belt too – it must have been galling for both the man himself and his support, as his first fight after the GP saw rising star Michihiro Omigawa turn his lights off at Dynamite 2009. Clearly, 2010 has been his year of recovery, featuring a shocking KO win over Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen and a stoppage of Chase Beebe in only 1:45 of round 1. Can he top the year off with a vengeance by stopping the capable champion, a man who seemingly improves with every performance?
If there was ever a time for a featherweight not called Marlon Sandro or Jose Aldo to get Bibiano, now is the time. For a start, his constant improvement could well make him the most underrated “rising star” in MMA. Secondly, he has been inactive, and may show ring rust. His only fight of 2010 saw him impressively defeat former Lightweight champ Joachim Hansen, who was making his first sojourn down to featherweight after losing his lightweight strap to Shinya Aoki.
Bibiano’s six fight win streak boasts an impressive body of work. Should he lose, will he showbouncebackability and return to the top ranks, and put another win streak together as he did after losing his second and third professional fights? Or will he be proven to have been a flash in the pan, who slicked by with narrow decision wins over Hansen, Takaya and the controversial did-he-didn’t-he tapout win over Joe Warren?
My thoughts are that neither apply. I think it takes Bibiano, Sandro or perhaps Hatsu Hioki to topple Bibiano, and the rest of Japanese MMA’s FW scene are beneath him in rank and skill. Pure speculation, but indulge me: in my opinion, a disinterested Kid would lose a rematch; Tokoro would be stopped; Lion would be decisioned; Omigawa would be decisioned; Matsune would be destroyed; Kanehara would be hurt and pounded out; and Moon Wolf would be heart-breakingly stopped. Bibiano is an underrated and damn talented fighter, and I think that he will prove that once again at Dynamite against the warrior Takaya, who gets stopped late in an epic brawl full of straight and looping punches, explosive takedowns and maybe some ground’n'pound.
Should Dream die, my thoughts are that Bibiano could possibly be angling to join another org – be it UFC, Strikeforce, or Sengoku – as the unbeaten champ in FEG’s most recent MMA org. Takaya is tough, durable and has obvious knockout power. That may not be enough to beat the rising star that is Bibi.
Then again…stars can burn out fast. We shall see. Thank you FEG, for this match-up.
Fletch
No comments:
Post a Comment