Fighter of the Month January 2014 – Alex Caceres
By Christopher Jester
Fighter of the Month: Alex Caceres
Event: UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Thomson (January 25, 2014)
Opponent: Sergio Pettis
Result: Submission (Rear-Naked Choke – Round 3, 4:30)
Alex Caceres, probably better known as Bruce Leeroy, is one of those fighters you cannot get too comfortable with inside the Octagon. He is a crafty fighter with a sneaky ability to finish fights in surprising ways. At this point, he has to living by the famous words of Sho’Nuff from the Last Dragon, “You just get that sucker to the designated place at the designated time, and I will gladly designate his ass… for dismemberment!”
He came into the fight as the sacrificial lamb to Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, but he defied the odds with a shocking victory. But it was no snooze of a fight beforehand. These two warriors came to fight and they put on a Fight of the Night performance. Sergio Pettis may have controlled the first two rounds with takedowns, but it was Caceres who made the standup battle interesting; at least until Pettis caught Caceres with a high kick that briefly had him rocked.
What told the story in this match-up was Bruce Leeroy’s ability to come back from the hardships of the fight. Caceres found a way back into the competitive bout in the second round with a left hand that had Pettis staggered. The third round started out looking bad for Caceres as Pettis scored a takedown in the opening stanza. The ever opportunistic Alex Caceres caught an expected takedown from Pettis, and hit a whizzer that led to a potential heel hook for Pettis but ultimately Caceres found a rear-naked choke that finished an amazing bout.
For that competitive match and a comeback that finished a very close fight, PunchDrunkGamer.com would like to reward Alex Caceres our Fighter of the Month award for the month of January. Congrats Bruce Leeroy, you are definitely becoming the Master!
Runner-Ups:
1. T.J. Dillashaw (UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou – January 15, 2014) – Sometimes coming off a loss can define what the rest of your career will be. If this bout against Mike Easton was any indication of Dillashaw’s future, this guy could be a future champion one day. Dillashaw absolutely dominated Mike Easton in this three round bout. Easton barely had any offensive against the faster and more technical Dillashaw. This guy has the potential to be a serious threat in his division, and this was just one showcase of that.
2. Daron Cruickshank (UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson – January 25, 2014) – A wheel kick to rabid punch finish? Sounds like something out of a video game. This was probably the best fight in Cruickshank’s career as he put a whooping on Mike Rio. The one thing you can always expect from Cruickshank is un-orthodox striking that leads to fireworks inside the Octagon.
3. Donald Cerrone (UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson – January 25, 2014) – Adriano Martins started out well against Donald Cerrone. In fact, he made the first half of the first round quite competitive. But a high kick from Cerrone put out Martins’ lights, and Cerrone rejuvenated his image as a deadly threat at lightweight.
4. Luke Rockhold (UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou – January 15, 2014) – This was the kind of match-up the former Strikeforce Middleweight champion needed to remain relevant in the 185lb division. It only took Rockhold one round to finish Costas Philippou. The surprising end came from body kicks that sent Philippou crashing to his knees.
5. Tarec Saffiedine (UFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs. Lim – January 4, 2014) – Eventually Saffiedine should be given a top five welterweight contender. After all, he was the last Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. It is not that Hyun Gyu Lim did not come to fight, because he did. It was just that Saffiedine was that much better. He may easily be the most technical fighter at welterweight and a true contender may help him demonstrate those qualities.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
Post your comments directly below! You can also discuss the latest MMA and Video Game News in the PunchDrunkGamer Forums and don’t forget to Follow PDG on Twitter @PunchDrunkGamer and Like the PDG Official Facebook Page!
