Emotional Night for Servicemen and Women (UFC Fight for the Troops Review)
The sports world loves to compare the act of playing a sport to a battle and to war as the comparisons are constant. Every close game is considered a battle and players consider themselves entering a war when they get ready to play. It is a very common comparison and in some ways it is understood. The athletes who enter the playing field or the ring and even the octagon are doing so at their own risk. There is no knowing what will happen throughout the time they are performing. In many sports there is even a risk that they will not walk away from the sport on their own two feet. Yet even with the similarities the comparison is far from accurate. When soldiers go into battle they are doing so at the risk of never coming home again. They are going to fight knowing that there is a chance that they may be killed that day and even with that in mind they continue on. They are some of bravest men and women on the planet and every year in November North Americans take some time to remember the sacrifice that those in the past have given and that those in the military are still giving. You may not agree with war or agree with the reasons of a war but no matter what you can support the troops. They are out there day after day fighting for people they have never met in hopes that their efforts can somehow make everyone else feel safer. Whether they are achieving this or not is another debate altogether but they are still risking their lives for everyone else. So during Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the USA everyone takes some time to remember their sacrifice. For the UFC this remembrance is an important aspect to their world and so they travel to a military base to give soldiers a chance to escape for a few hours. UFC Fight for the Troops allows those soldiers who are on the base forget about what they are doing while watching some great entertainment. It is a cause that the UFC fully supports with the entire night going to support The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. They would go to Fort Campbell in the hopes of putting on a great fight for the soldiers at the base and they would put together a good one. The hero would be former Army Staff Sergeant Tim Kennedy who would enter the octagon as the clear favorite in front of men and women from the military. His opponent would be Rafael Natal who was looking to get through the cheers for his opponent to help provide a great show for the troops. Both fighters were also looking to move up the rankings in this fight as a big win could put either fighter in the top 10 of the middleweight division. The fight would match two ground fighters who know what they’re doing on the feet together in a fight that would provide some fireworks. It was the standing game that would find the result of the fight as neither fighter would make it to the ground. The fight would start with Tim Kennedy coming out looking a little nervous in front of a big crowd on a very important night for the former Green Beret. Rafael Natal would look more prepared as he would launch leg kicks at Kennedy and begin hacking him down. A few exchanges later and Natal looked to be slowly gaining control of the fight. Then Kennedy would launch a left hook at Natal and would make it through the guard and would drop him. The fight was over and for Tim Kennedy it meant one of the most meaningful victories of his career. It would be a win in front of his fellow military women and men. It would also help him to move up towards the top 10 of the middleweight division with a big KO. For Natal it was a lost chance to make an impression but he is far from done in the division and will be back looking to get into the top of the division. Kennedy will now continue to move up in competition and will try to continue his impressive wins to eventually earn a title shot.
Tim Kennedy would be a great representative of the military at Fight for the Troops but he would not be the only one. More current and former soldiers would enter the octagon in the hopes of putting on a good record in the octagon in front of their brethren. First up would be Colton Smith who is an active member of the US Army and would take on Michael Chiesa in the main card. Smith would open up the main card for Fight for the Troops in a matchup of two Ultimate Fighter winners. Both Chiesa and Smith were looking to make an impression at this fight in hopes that they would be able to begin a climb up the ladder. Winning the reality who was a great start for both fighters but neither had been able to put anything together and establish themselves in the lightweight division. This was their chance to make an impression on the division on a main card. For Smith it was an emotional fight as well in front of his fellow military men and women at Fort Campbell. It would not go Smith’s way though as Chiesa would take the win via submission and would make the impression that he wanted to make helping him to earn a much-needed win. Smith would be joined in the octagon by former Marine and one half of the first female fight in UFC history Liz Carmouche. Carmouche would be looking to do the same thing that Smith was hoping he could accomplish against Alexis Davis. The fight was an important one for both fighters beyond what it would mean for Carmouche. The two women were looking to get into the title conversation after this fight with Carmouche hoping to earn a rematch and Alexis Davis hoping to move closer to a potential title fight. It would not turn out well for the former Marine though as Alexis Davis would take the win with a unanimous decision. A great standup performance with plenty of leg kicks would win Davis the fight and hand the military representatives their second loss on the night. It was not a great night for the military representatives but was still a great night to remember those men and women who have served and are serving in the military.
Fight Bonuses
Submission of the Night
Michael Chiesa had a lot going against him on the night as he was fighting the crowd favorite Colton Smith but he would come through it with a submission win and a $50,000 bonus for the Submission of the Night
Knockout of the Night
It was an emotional night for Tim Kennedy fighting in front of the military men and women and he would help to make them cheer as the former Special Forces member would earn the KO of the Night for his big left hand against Rafael Natal
Fight of the Night
The fight of the night would go to Rustam Khabilov and Jorge Masvidal who would slug it out for three rounds with both fighters coming close to ending it and both fighters earning the $50,000 bonus
Fight Results
Main Event:
Tim Kennedy def. Rafael “Sapo” Natal
(KO; Rd. 1)
Main Card:
Alexis Davis def. Liz “Girlrilla” Carmouche
(Unanimous Decision)
Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero def. Ronny Markes
(TKO; Rd. 3)
Rustam Khabilov def. Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal
(Unanimous Decision)
Michael “Maverick” Chiesa def. Colton Smith
(Submission; Rear-Naked Choke, Rd. 2)
Undercard:
Bobby “King” Green def. James “The James Krause” Krause
(TKO, Rd. 1)
Francisco “Cisco” Rivera def. George Roop
(TKO; Rd. 2)
Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez def. “Super” Steven Siler
(Unanimous Decision)
Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes def. Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie
(TKO; Rd. 1)
Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin def. Chris Camozzi
(Unanimous Decision)
Yancy Medeiros def. Yves Edwards
(KO; Rd. 1)
Seth “Polish Pistola” Baczysnki def. Neil Magny
(Unanimous Decision)
Derek Brunson def. Brian “BHue” Houston
(Submission; Rear Naked Choke, Rd. 1)
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God bless our troops!