When he’s allowed to control the action, decide on the pace and position and to explode when the moment is right, there are few fighters better than bantamweight contender Urijah Faber. Scott Jorgensen tried his best to keep Faber on his heels instead, and even succeeded at times. He pushed the “The California Kid” when he could, landing some solid left hooks and securing several strong positions on the ground.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
In the end, Faber proved too much for Jorgensen, a game wrestler who pushed him when he could but couldn’t really shoot in with reckless abandon because of Faber’s strong and daunting guillotine choke. When Jorgensen shot and missed, he found himself in immediate danger.
It was a strong back-and-forth fight with lots of exciting exchanges on the mat. Finally, in the fourth round, Faber was able to secure a rear naked choke and end the fight. Of course he did. In non-title bouts, Faber remains undefeated in his career. Only time will tell if he can once again perform at that level when UFC gold is on the line.
Faber wasn’t the only winner on the night. What’s interesting about mixed martial arts is that performances aren’t simply binaries; there is more to the game than just winning and losing. A fighter can win over the fans in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful bout.
Likewise, an athlete can lose in the hearts of the fans and the minds of the matchmakers by winning a dull and dreary fight. The UFC is sport—but it’s also sports entertainment. So, who were the real winners and losers on the night? Click on to find out. Disagree? Take me on in the comments.