In a fight card devoid of title bouts, several fighters nonetheless stepped into the Octagon at UFC 102 with significant stakes in the outcome of their bouts.
While Nate Marquardt – Demian Maia fight had the title shot implication, light heavyweights Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera also faced must-win situations: Silva and Vera were under pressure to prove their relevance in the talent-rich light heavyweight division.
Thiago Silva came off a devastating albeit first and only loss of his career against the current light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida.
Brandon Vera sought to establish himself in the division after a string of uninspired performance before and after his move from the heavyweight division.
On Saturday night, both came through: Silva soundly defeated the erratic but always dangerous Keith Jardine via first-round TKO, and Vera steered himself past the rising prospect, Krszysztof Soszynski, with unanimous decision victory.
Having earned the much-needed wins over legitimate opponents, Silva and Vera proved that they can be veritable forces in UFC’s marquee division — beyond that, however, there is not much that can be gleaned from their victories over Jardine and Soszynski. They certainly have the potential to make an impact, but their overall competitiveness within the stacked division remains to be seen.
Thiago Silva has established himself as an ultra-aggressive slugger with affinity for in-fighting. Prior to stumbling against Lyoto Machida at UFC 94, he had been untested against elite opposition despite compiling a 13-0 record with ten (T)KO victories.
A victory over Keith Jardine restored him to the winning column and on the divisional map once again. Presumably, defeating Jardine, a perennial gatekeeper who has notable victories over Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin despite an inconsistent run in UFC, should speak volumes about his competitiveness in UFC’s Light Heavyweight division.
To the contrary, Jardine’s inconsistency and performance at UFC 102 leave Silva unproven in the upper echelon of the division.
Silva – Jardine bout pitted two strikers with vastly different styles. Silva boasts bruising power and willingness to move forward to exchange fire at point blank.
Jardine, on the other hand, possesses crisp leg kick and unorthodox striking. In past fights, Jardine has exhibited suspect chin and vulnerability for in-fighting; his awkward striking and herky-jerky movement work their magic when he effectively controls the distance to frustrate and pick apart his opponents.
At UFC 102, Silva was spared the burden of navigating around Jardine’s tricky style. Due to strategic mishap, Jardine charged forward early in the first round with a flurry of strikes. In doing so, he dove into Silva’s domain — in-fighting — and his awkward style backfired, as he left himself wide open for counter. It took a single left hook for Silva to floor Jardine before rushing in for finish.
In short, Thiago Silva lucked out in the bout, as Jardine took the initiative to put himself in a disadvantageous realm (not to mention his poor defense). To his credit, the fight again proved his knockout power and the ability to seize the opportunity — Rampage Jackson had several opportunities to finish Jardine while exchanging blows at their UFC 96 bout, but failed to capitalize.
Yet, Silva has not proven his competitiveness in the light heavyweight division.
Despite his aggression and power, he has demonstrated flaws in conditioning and technique. He constantly stalks his opponent to close the distance but is plodding in his footwork. Also, the mid-tier foes he has faced — James Irvin, Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander, and Antonio Mendes — have put him in danger in their bouts. Against Alexander and Mendes, Silva exploited their sub-par ground game after being rocked on the feet. His stamina seemed to fade in the second round against Drwal.
His complete decimation at the hands of Lyoto Machida has come as a wake-up call. Alas, the bout against Jardine did not reveal how much progress he has made in mending his weaknesses.
His brawling style makes for entertaining fights with other top fighters in the division such as Luiz Cane, Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, and Rampage Jackson; however, he has exhibited weaknesses that his opponents can exploit, and his prospect of success in the top tier of the division remains in question.
Brandon “the Truth” Vera showcased his superior striking against Krzysztof Soszynski. However, the truth is that the one-time UFC heavyweight contender has once again failed to validate the lofty hype that has followed him since his UFC debut.
He has overcome the rough transition to the Light Heavyweight division that has contributed to his sluggishness against Reese Andy and Keith Jardine. Now, he must prove that the flashes of brilliance he has displayed in the past are indeed real.
In a tentatively paced, three-round bout, Vera used his footwork and technical striking to avoid Soszynski’s power and land the better shots. But he failed to do any serious damage.
His striking and grappling prowess, honed under the tutelage of Rob Kaman and Lloyd Irvin, respectively, as well as a successful start in UFC, have prompted many to bill him as the future champion. Thus far, he has fallen short of the expectation.
Granted, the hype that has built up during his UFC career has prompted the fans to set the bar high for him. Vera possesses the talent to become a top contender, but his lackluster performance against Soszynski clouds his prospect in the cut-throat division. Krzysztof Soszynski is no scrub, but given his lack of wins over any top level opponent, he is a journeyman fighter at the moment.
Vera has the tools to give anyone in the division a tough fight, but he has yet to live up to his potential. He must somehow regain the killer instinct and explosiveness he displayed during his first few fights in UFC to let his skills shine; his inability to impose his will on his opponents will be his downfall as he makes his way up the divisional hierarchy.
At UFC 102, Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera demonstrated that they are welcome additions to the stacked light heavyweight division.
Victories over Keith Jardine and Krzysztof Soszynski are good start, but their sink-or-swim climb to the top have just begun. The competition in the division is unforgiving, and unless they can prove their worth with victories, they will be just one of the many mid-tier fighters in the division — regardless of how much potential they possess.
