It was yet another exciting round of fights at UFC 163 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as some of the top fighters in the world clashed inside the Octagon.
Jose Aldo once again impressed, as expected, but there were also some surprises on the night. In fact, a couple of fighters who lost actually were praised when all was said and done.
Here’s a look at the developments from Saturday’s bouts in Brazil, as well as projections moving forward.
Phil Davis Won’t Get Jon Jones Just Yet
Phil Davis may have defeated Lyoto Machida via unanimous decision in Rio de Janeiro, but it’s unlikely that he will shoot straight to the top to fight Jon Jones at light heavyweight.
The reality is, many believed Machida deserved to win the fight on Saturday night, and some are calling it one of the biggest robberies of the year. Davis may have technically won the fight, but he certainly didn’t dominate, and some would question whether he even should have won.
It’s more likely that Glover Teixeira gets a title shot next against Jones after Jones fights Alexander Gustafsson in September.
In some respect, I feel that Davis’ controversial win over Machida took away from the significant progress that he has made as a fighter. On the other hand, I don’t believe he deserves an instant title shot with Jones based on that performance.
Jose Aldo Will Remain at 145 Pounds for Now
There’s been a lot of chatter about Jose Aldo potentially moving up to lightweight after disposing of Chan Sung Jung on Saturday, but he’s not adequately positioned to make the move just yet.
Not only are there plenty of intriguing rematches at 145 pounds that Aldo could take part in (Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes), the 26-year-old Brazilian also has been handed a 90-day medical suspension after fracturing his right foot, according to MMAJunkie.com.
Moving straight up to lightweight after such an injury wouldn’t be prudent. It’s looking like Aldo will hang around the featherweight division before eventually transitioning to a higher weight class.
Chan Sung Jung Will Bounce Back
Chan Sung Jung lived up to his nickname of “The Korean Zombie” against Aldo, even if he eventually lost via a fourth-round technical knockout.
At this point, Jung’s heart is unquestioned. He sustained a separated shoulder in the fourth round against Aldo, but he continued to fight before Aldo took advantage. For now, he has been handed an 180-day medical suspension by the MMA unless he’s cleared by a doctor first, via MMAJunkie.com, but don’t think the 26-year-old is just going away.
Jung had won his first three fights in the UFC before falling to Aldo on Saturday.
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