(via fuckyeahfighters, Sherdog)
By Daniel Herbertson
The downside to hero-worship is watching your hero’s eventual fall. It is very difficult to watch Nogueira get put away like this. He is certainly not done. There are plenty of good fights for him. But it’s clear he can no longer rely on his chin the way he is used to. Here is hoping the remainder of his career is healthy and glorious.
By Esther Lin (via allelbows.com)
One of my friends found it strange that the referee had tackled Lawler so far after the Manhoef knock out. I thought to myself “Absolutely. Of course. He HAD to.” Manhoef went loopy after after the first punch (on the feet) and went stiff after the second (on the ground). Lawler landed a third bomb by the time the referee swooped in to rescue the injured Manhoef. This was by no means a late stoppage, but this shot shows the urgency with which a referee must act to protect the health (and life) of a fighter. The three punches that DID land left Manhoef unconscious for an uncomfortably long time. Lord knows what could have happened without a vigilant third inside the cage.
I cannot speak highly enough about the beauty that is captured in Esther’s eyes and lens. Brutality and compassion in 600K Pixels.
by Dave Mandel (via Sherdog)
I am pleased audiences new to Manhoef were sold on his performance despite his loss. He was absolutely brutalizing Lawler’s leg (and the rest of him) until Lawler put the stamp on him.
This has to be one of the most brutal knockouts I have ever seen. Manhoef’s eyes rolled into his head and there was blood from his face staining the whites of his right eye. He laid stiff for what seemed like minutes until he jumped upright. He woke up startled, still fighting, amped on adrenaline, as if he hadn’t spent the last few minutes unconscious.

by Fred Haas
There is something about the way the shadows fall on his skin (or maybe it’s the purple gloves) that makes this look so unreal. Or maybe I’m just trying to convince myself that people getting hurt, even consensually, isn’t as intense as it clearly is.