One fighter in this match was indeed scoring points, but the other was delivering a well thought out strategy which would eventually take the other man's base and ability to deliver with the same power throughout.

The Observers
When Rami Ibrahim stepped into the Muay Thai Ring against Shennen Maceo for the second time in his career, one immediately noticed the difference in height and reach. On this particular Friday night in Atlantic City, Ibrahim had only one thing in his mind, and that was to prove that the first close decision against him was unclear. Not only was most of the crowd against him, but so where the odds and gravity. On the other hand, after a huge applause by the house of followers the lankily built Maceo was literally a head taller than his opponent as they faced off.

Maceo catches a left from Ibrahim who concentrated on delivering solid low kicks throughout.

During the noon weigh-ins Maceo still had four pounds to shed for the specified weight limit of 140 lbs. For a fighter this light and slim, four pounds is a lot of weight to cut, I wondered if Shennen would have the stamina to get through the bout. I also wondered why Maceo wasn't fighting in a higher weight bracket, being that he struggled to get down to 140lbs.
Rami is only about 5'6" with a relatively wide back and thin legs. At only 134 lbs. - Rami's natural weight - this was his chance to avenge a very close decision loss, although the judges would see an unclear result once again. But it was a different fight for those of us who were not part of the entourage, which made up about seventy percent of the crowd, because it was obvious who won the war after damage assessment. Also, if kicks and clinches are high priority or important weapons in Muay Thai, they were not given their proper weight by the judges. As a matter of fact the Muay Thai clinch was almost non-existent in this match, and only one man kept delivering the leg strikes throughout.

Maceo started out with a show of strength in the first round, keeping Ibrahim away by using his long legs, working the frontal kicks. He attacked with combinations to the superior region of his opponent, who always kept his guard up and countered with wrenching low kicks. Eventually this seemingly effective attack strategy for Maceo would deplete into a survival mode strategy by the third round.
The first round was very even with Maceo utilizing his reach to tag mostly leather, while Ibrahim slowly began delivering the hard blows to Maceo's legs and torso. Although worth points, Maceo's combinations were not delivered with the same conviction.
Shennen indeed had the reach and attacked in flurries or spurts, while Ibrahim kept a steady pulse and focus, countering with shots to the head and the constant chopping rhythm to the midsection, thighs and shins. As Ibrahim tried to get inside to deliver upper cuts, Maceo utilized his own length to keep Rami away.
In each round as the patient low kick took on an ax like effect, Maceo would show his superior power to the judges by attacking with quick combinations to the head, usually backing up Ibrahim to the ropes and pressing him as he kept a solid guard up waiting for Maceo to tire. Ibrahim was never in any real danger though, but instead for Maceo it was a matter of how much longer could his shins and legs endure.

Was it a home town decision in New Rome or should the judges be fed to the lions?

Although it was very close, if leg strikes are worth more ammunition in the cards apart from the obvious damage they cause, Ibrahim worked that angle well. Besides tying up, there wasn't much clinching as Ibrahim persistently pushed the pace stepping inside to deliver upper cuts and hooks to the object above. By the third round, Ibrahim's constant right chopping kick had welted up both of Meceo's shins, leaving bumps like little baseballs, and one shin was cut wide open and bled. Maceo employed tying up his opponent in an experienced manner, protecting himself from the low kick, but this damage was extremely visible and even required a doctor's check half way through. Maceo kept his chin up but slowed down the action by tying up or going to the ground. At the fights end. As I stepped downstairs to watch Drago warm up, another trainer asked me whom I thought won. I told him what I thought, and that included the fact that the winner would be deprived of his victory. "You really think they'll give it to Shennen?" He obviously agreed with me.
When the judge's cards where announced, amid the roar of applause could be heard persiflage of discontent. And perhaps that is why an altercation almost broke out between Ibrahim's corner and Maceo's after the questionable decision was rendered. But hey, most of the crowd was happy, being that they are all participants paying tribute to this local advertising machine team.

Last Man Standing
If this was about the last man standing, then they should have waited to see who could stand longer after the fight to decide the winner. Maceo with his size advantage should have been able to finish this smaller technician, but he couldn't get off the combinations lacking a solid base from which to stand and deliver although it may be more rare for knockouts to occur at this weight class.
On the other hand Rami's game plan had already began to pay its dividends by the third, leaving Maceo in deep troubled pain for awhile.
Maceo is indeed a tough guy who can take a lot of pain, but I think he needs to experience a fight with men his true weight, where the difference in power is not so great. With a 5'8" frame Maceo could easily be fighting at the next weight class looking healthy, rather than anorexic. That extra meat might do him well.
For fighters at this light of a weight, a few pounds makes a huge difference, as it did when Maceo fought a Susumu Daiguji who also had to step up a weight to fight this man in a title bout. 140 lbs. Daiguji, at the end of the first round walked into a knock down right at the bell ending round one. He got up immediately and came back in the rest of the fight like a hyper active striking machine, far outweighing Maceo in spirit, but lacking the power to knock down the taller, heavier opponent.
Daiguji had no excuses after the fight, "I accepted the fight at this weight and he won."
To Maceo's credit, both of these fights were extremely exciting, and he was able to hold off both lightning quick attackers, surviving each fight to tight decisions in his favor. It is important for Maceo to fight opponents who are matched better with him in terms of weight; it isn't the skill that is in question.
As far as after the battle, it might be awhile before Shennen could fight again, while Ibrahim just got a call from Japan, and might fight only a couple weeks after this particular encounter.

Relativity
When I spoke to the referee a couple weeks after this match he informed me that judges asses leg strikes (no matter what the power) as being equal to fists. I find this a bit disturbing, considering that in this particualr case the effect of Ibrahim's kicks became utterly visible and debilitating. Also,aside from their power. delivering kicks requires more energy from the fighter. And Muay Thai is a type of "kick boxing" is it not? So why should a punch be given the same consideration as a kick? Sure you can KO someone from either, as the referee pointed out, but that is the extreme situation, what about everything in between? Aren't all things relative?

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