The following is reprinted with permission:
Eddie Bravo's POST UFC 47 Thoughts & Analysis!
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 04.21.2004 09:13 PM
The leader of "10th Planet jiu-jitsu", official UFC score keeper, the only American to 'tap' a Gracie, and great friend to boxinginsider.com, Eddie "The Twister" Bravo once again takes time out of his busy schedule to break down UFC 47: It's On!
BoxingInsider.com: Eddie, what did you think? Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell -- it finally happened. What are your thoughts following that fight?
Eddie Bravo: Well, I wasn't surprised that Chuck won but I was surprised at the fashion in which he won. In the second round he unloaded on Tito in a Vitor-like fashion. He looked to be screaming as he was throwing that last combo. It was just shocking seeing Tito drop. We've never seen Tito get beat down like that before. It was insane.
BoxingInsider.com: Can you describe the electricity in that room that night? -- someone actually threw Tito's hat back in the ring.
Eddie Bravo: It was crazy. That place was sold out -- there was not an empty seat in the house. Looking up to the top of the arena -- every seat was filled and everybody was screaming. It was ilike a KISS concert. You couldn't hear the guy talking next to you. And it was star-studded. George Clooney was there, Michael Clark Duncan was there.
BoxingInsider.com: If you watch the replay closely enough, Tito seemed to get poked in the eye by Chuck Liddell with the setup to the flurry of punches. Do you think that might take away from Chuck Liddell's victory?
Eddie Bravo: No, not at all. You know, in this sport you've got open gloves and that's going to happen sometimes. That, to me, doesn't take anything away from his victory. Chuck clearly won -- he dominated. Unless someone can prove without a shadow of a doubt that Chuck did it on purpose, and I don't see that happening.
BoxingInsider.com: But you don't think those gloves might not be safe?
Eddie Bravo: No, that's just part of the game. I mean, punching someone in the head isn't safe -- that's legal in the sport. How about kneeing someone in the teeth? That's not safe, that's just part of the game. Like I said, unless we can prove that Chuck thumbed him intentionally, it's not going to matter in the long run.
The rest of the interview can be found at http://www.boxinginsider.com/mma/stories/84606752.php