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[Cat--Smasher]

Strikeforce's Pat Healy not surprised by Maximo Blanco's illegal kicks

Pat Healy can't say he's really all that surprised.

Before the lightweight fighter took a late-notice booking against Maximo Blanco, he looked up his opponent's past bouts in Japan and noticed a disturbing trend: He often fought dirty.

Healy's bout with Blanco at Saturday's "Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov" event nearly ended early due to his opponent's illegal kicks. But Healy was determined to earn his victory the old-fashioned way.

Instead, Healy shook off the affects of nearly a dozen illegal kicks and stormed back for a second-round submission victory on the Showtime-televised main card at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena.

During an early first-round ground scramble, Blanco found himself on top as the fighter went to the north-south position. That's when Blanco unloaded the illegal kicks to a downed opponent. The blows, which resulted in a one-point deduction, kept coming even after the referee tried to halt him.

"Right after they landed, I kind of rolled over and felt woozy," Healy told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com). "I thought I was done right then.

"But it came back to me pretty quick, and I was able to regain composure. The thought was right there in my head that I could bow out and win, but I'd never be able to live with myself and lay my head on my pillow at night. Once I felt all right, I knew I could come back."

Besides, with Blanco (8-3-1 MMA, 0-1 SF) winging unorthodox strikes and wasting energy with big, lopping punches that proved largely ineffective, Healy (26-16 MMA, 4-1 SF) knew he had an opportunity if the fight continued.

"That's his thing," Healy said matter of factly. "I've seen him fight a couple of times in Japan, and he's got DQd over there. I don't want to say he's cheap, but he's had a few instances like that."

Strikeforce's Pat Healy not surprised by Maximo Blanco's illegal kicks | MMAjunkie.com

[dexter]

This is a bit harsh. I haven't seen Blanco's fights in Japan, but I do believe that those kicks would have been legal there - where he had all his previous fights.

[TheKidInside]

props to Pat he looked terribly out of it after that but came back and punished Maximo. He deserved it, too. The unified rules and SACs make it VERY obvious what you can and cannot do.

[dexter]

Yes, but when you're in a position that you've been in thousands of times before instinct takes over - especially when in the 12 fights you've had before you were allowed to do it.

I'm not excusing what he did, just saying I can understand why.

EDIT to say - that Maximo looked decent, and should probably drop to 145.