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Sunday, Jul 07, 2013

Opinion: Gabriel Gonzaga Silences Critics Again

Gabriel Gonzaga

By Michael Hatamoto

Former UFC heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga needed only 17 seconds to finish Dave Herman by TKO of their heavyweight fight at UFC 162.

Gonzaga landed a beautiful counter with an overhand right hand that sent Herman flat on his back to be finished with additional ground strikes. Herman made a mistake that is commonly one of the first things you learn in a basic kickboxing or Muay Thai class: If you’re throwing a kick, keep your opposite hand up and protecting your face.

Herman didn’t d cover himself after throwing the inside leg kick and was quickly countered and finished by Gonzaga, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner with extremely heavy hands.

Gonzaga’s knockout is the fourth fastest heavyweight knockout in UFC history, and Gonzaga’s 10 stoppage wins puts him second on the list of heavyweight fighters able to finish fights.

Holding wins against the likes of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Justin McCully, Ednaldo Oliveira, Ben Rothwell and Dave Herman, Gonzaga has shown glimpses of true potential inside the cage. However, in his losses to Travis Browne, Brendan Schaub, Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin – no easy names in that list – Gonzaga has simply come up short.

I think it’s only fair to give Gonzaga someone in the top 15, as the Brazilian fighter is close to clawing his way back into the top 10. Perhaps matching him up with the winner of Matt Mitrione vs. Brendan Schaub would be a good fight for Gonzaga, as Mitrione and Schaub are big names needing notable wins.

posted by FCF Staff @ 12:26 pm
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