heavyweight fighters, “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine.Keith Jardine is a top UFC contender who had, at the time of UFC 71, knocked out the likes of Forrest Griffin and Kerry Schall at the Ultimate Fighter 2 finale. He was a hungry fighter climbing his way up the light heavyweight ranks, anxious for a chance to win the championship belt. Going into the fight against Alexander, Jardine expected nothing but a dominant victory. In his pre-fight interview, Jardine proclaimed that he wanted a shot at the belt, and that “if you’re telling me I have to get through Houston Alexander to do it, it pisses me off . . . I want to fight a contender.” To the dismay of anyone viewing the fight, Houston Alexander brutally knocked out Keith Jardine 48 seconds into the first round.
On the night of UFC 71, Houston Alexander proved to Jardine, and ultimate fighting fans that he was a legitimate contender in the UFC. However, certain critics claimed t
hat the fight was a complete fluke. I wittnessed a fight in which Jardine was beaten because he never made an attempt to put his hands up or release the clinch, not a fluke. Some proclaimed that Jardine is too good of a fighter to be viciously beaten the way he was by Alexander. The claim by Jardine and his team was that “he lost concentration for one second” and “got caught.” This is a typical claim, in my opinion, by an arrogant, cocky fighter who completely underestimated his opponent. After all, no bad fighters exist in the UFC. Dana White, owner of the UFC, signs only the best. Jardine's pride and overconfidence obviously prevented him from remembering this.After his first fight, Alexander was quickly assigned to another fight in early September. The event was UFC 75 Champion vs. Champion, held in London, where UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson was to take on Pride champ Dan Henderson. Alexander was scheduled to fight another great fighter in the UFC, Alessio Sakara. Sakara went into UFC 75 with 20 fights under his belt, but it wasn’t only his experience that Alexander was afraid of. Sakara is well known for being a very powerful striker, just as Alexander. This fight would be Alexander’s true test for proving his striking power and legitimacy as a fighter. It would prove that his victory over Jardine was no fluke. In the first round of the fight Alexander dropped Sakara with a knee to the head, and continued to pound him into submission until the fight was called at 1 minute, 1 s
econd. I was not the least bit surprised. I feel like Sakara is overrated and has no composure in the octagon against top fighters. He kept leaving himself open to upercuts and knees so it was inevitable that Alexander would find the best possible opening to drop him.Houston Alexander gained my respect and support as a fan that night in London. He should be feared by every UFC fighter in the light heavyweight division. He is 6’0’’, 205 lbs. of pure muscle and striking power. Houston Alexander will use his punching power, athleticism, and overall strength to pound anyone who stands in front of him in the octagon. I strongly believe he will be the fighter to take the belt from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Although I’ve hated Jackson since his lucky knockout of Chuck Lidell, I respect his strength and skills as a fighter. Quinton Jackson is training harder than ever and I believe he will have a long run with the belt around his waist. He should be confident that he can take down most of the opponents after his belt, but should fear and start taking notes on the rising Houston Alexander. He will continue to throw down and pound every opponent he faces until his matchup against Jackson, from whom he will take the belt and be proclaimed world champion. He will be feared from now on, not underestimated. I know everyone couldn’t help but agree with what Houston Alexander proclaimed after defeating Sakara: “I belong here!”
