UFC 105: Couture/Vera on SPIKE!

[Cover 2]

Couture is a legend so he deserves the close calls but at the same time I hate to see anyone rewarded for that lame fight plan of hug the opponent.

Vera won r2 easily and should have gotten r3 with the late take down over a guy who clearly only wanted to wrestle yet had less takedowns than the muay thai guy.

Vera fought off a zillion take downs and did more overall damage plus landed far more shots. Easy call if the name-recognition wasn't there.

It's not just hugging. Being pressed up against the cage like that really wears you out. Back when I used to train, I had a friend who was a good wrestler and would just lay on people. You might think just laying on someone doesn't do anything, but it really does wear you down if the person puts their weight on you properly.

Also, being pressed up against the cage is the same way. It's a constant struggle for positioning. If you let your guard down for one second you open yourself up to an elbow, knee, or punch. All this goes on in the clinch, and that's why you get awarded points for it. Also it ties into octagon control.