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Clinch and ground work =/= boring to me, especially when both fighters are active during both. This wasn't like Sylvia/Vera where Tim just leaned on Vera for over a third of the fight. It wasn't a crazy slugfest, but if you were hoping for that going in, you're nuts. I thought this fight was a very high level showing from two elite mixed martial artists.

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I love to see expert groundwork, but this fight is a bad example. Both Rampage and Dan are excellent wrestlers but they're not amazing when put on their backs. Look at their record, they've rarely finished a fight in that position or pulled off a submission from side control or half-guard. They're good at maintaining position, ground and pound, and defending ground and pound. That doesn't make a great fight! There are many more fights with BJJ experts that were far more exciting technically speaking (anything with KenFlo, Huerta, Filho.).

I have to agree that Serra vs GSP was the biggest upset of the year, but the fight itself wasn't great. Gonzaga really mauled Crocop before finishing him with that high kick from outer space. Not very artsy, right, but damn spectacular.