"This is by far the most disappointing loss of my life. This is devastating," Coleman said on Saturday, in an interview with UFC.com after his loss to Mauricio Rua at UFC 93. "I just don't see how the guy stopped it. ... I just deserved more."
Referee Kevin Mulhall halted the fight 4:36 into third round after Rua dropped his visibly exhausted opponent with a right uppercut, preceded by four straight punches and followed by a short left hook as Coleman fell to all fours.
Referee Kevin Mulhall halted the fight 4:36 into third round after Rua dropped his visibly exhausted opponent with a right uppercut, preceded by four straight punches and followed by a short left hook as Coleman fell to all fours.
Although Coleman was doing little to defend himself at that point, the same was true at various points earlier in the bout when his hands were at his sides and he seemed barely able to stand. Coleman was incredulous immediately after the Mulhall stepped to end the affair.
"I'm a little lumped up but I'm fine," Coleman said. "I can take a damn shot. It's frustrating. This is the most frustrating loss of my life ever. Ever."
In losing with fortitude, Coleman gained the Irish crowd's respect. Although he was booed during his entrance at Dublin's O2 Arena, the audience cheered him at the end of the fight for surviving the much-ballyhooed Rua's assault for most of the fight.
"I think I heard a lot of boos coming out, which is fine," Coleman said. "But (there's) a little satisfaction in winning some of the fans over. ... I hope I didn't embarass nobody." Q&A: No end in sight for Coleman
If anyone had reason to be embarassed by the fight, it was Rua. Coleman survived longer than most observers expected — every online sports book listed him as a heavy underdog, and 19 of 25 MMA pros surveyed by Sherdog saw Coleman losing — but Rua disappointed anyone who expected to see the man who once was called the best light heavyweight in the world.
Rua's lack of endurance was particularly surprising. He was gasping by the end of the second round and appeared ripe for the picking in third, except that Coleman looked just as tired.
But Coleman has run out of gas before, while Rua used to be a cardio machine. Less than three-and-a-half years ago, he maintained a furious, high-energy pace for 20 exciting minutes with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the best fight of 2005; now he's had his second straight fight in which he looked out of shape, and this time he doesn't have the knee injury that hindered him in 2007 against Forrest Griffin.
Had Coleman survived the last two dozen seconds, Rua likely would have won on the judges' scorecards anyway. Even though Rua looked winded, cautious and often unsure of himself, he remained far more effective with strikes than his opponent and never appeared at risk on the ground, despite being taken down multiple times.
It would be easy to say Coleman looked old, but he looked no worse than the man who was battered on the feet 12 years ago in consecutive losses to Maurice Smith and Pete Williams. Coleman has never been a good striker, relying instead on his wrestling to put foes on their backs.
UFC after the fight announced that Rua will face another light-heayvweight striker who has seen better days, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 97 in April. Rua has beaten every stand-up fighter he has faced in the past, but Liddell's counterpunching has served him well against fighters who come straight ahead, as Rua has done throughout his career.
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Coleman's perseverance on Saturday earned him and his opponent some extra money. UFC awarded $40,000 each to Coleman and Rua as Fight of the Night bonuses. Also receiving Fight of the Night rewards were Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle, whose aggressive stand-up clash opened the pay-per-view broadcast.
Dennis Siver took home an added $40,000 for Knockout of the Night. Siver earned a technical knockout of Nate Mohr in the third round with a flurry of strikes that started with a spinning back kick.
Alan Belcher's guillotine choke on Denis Kang was Submission of the Night by default, since it was the only submission of the show. Belcher also received $40,000.
"I'm a little lumped up but I'm fine," Coleman said. "I can take a damn shot. It's frustrating. This is the most frustrating loss of my life ever. Ever."
In losing with fortitude, Coleman gained the Irish crowd's respect. Although he was booed during his entrance at Dublin's O2 Arena, the audience cheered him at the end of the fight for surviving the much-ballyhooed Rua's assault for most of the fight.
"I think I heard a lot of boos coming out, which is fine," Coleman said. "But (there's) a little satisfaction in winning some of the fans over. ... I hope I didn't embarass nobody." Q&A: No end in sight for Coleman
If anyone had reason to be embarassed by the fight, it was Rua. Coleman survived longer than most observers expected — every online sports book listed him as a heavy underdog, and 19 of 25 MMA pros surveyed by Sherdog saw Coleman losing — but Rua disappointed anyone who expected to see the man who once was called the best light heavyweight in the world.
Rua's lack of endurance was particularly surprising. He was gasping by the end of the second round and appeared ripe for the picking in third, except that Coleman looked just as tired.
But Coleman has run out of gas before, while Rua used to be a cardio machine. Less than three-and-a-half years ago, he maintained a furious, high-energy pace for 20 exciting minutes with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the best fight of 2005; now he's had his second straight fight in which he looked out of shape, and this time he doesn't have the knee injury that hindered him in 2007 against Forrest Griffin.
Had Coleman survived the last two dozen seconds, Rua likely would have won on the judges' scorecards anyway. Even though Rua looked winded, cautious and often unsure of himself, he remained far more effective with strikes than his opponent and never appeared at risk on the ground, despite being taken down multiple times.
It would be easy to say Coleman looked old, but he looked no worse than the man who was battered on the feet 12 years ago in consecutive losses to Maurice Smith and Pete Williams. Coleman has never been a good striker, relying instead on his wrestling to put foes on their backs.
UFC after the fight announced that Rua will face another light-heayvweight striker who has seen better days, Chuck Liddell, at UFC 97 in April. Rua has beaten every stand-up fighter he has faced in the past, but Liddell's counterpunching has served him well against fighters who come straight ahead, as Rua has done throughout his career.
UFC 93 RECAP: Henderson edges out Franklin
Coleman's perseverance on Saturday earned him and his opponent some extra money. UFC awarded $40,000 each to Coleman and Rua as Fight of the Night bonuses. Also receiving Fight of the Night rewards were Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle, whose aggressive stand-up clash opened the pay-per-view broadcast.
Dennis Siver took home an added $40,000 for Knockout of the Night. Siver earned a technical knockout of Nate Mohr in the third round with a flurry of strikes that started with a spinning back kick.
Alan Belcher's guillotine choke on Denis Kang was Submission of the Night by default, since it was the only submission of the show. Belcher also received $40,000.
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