Mike Easton beat Ivan Menjivar by unanimous decision at UFC 148 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., improving his impressive record to 13-1.
It was a solid performance from Easton, who will certainly move up the bantamweight rankings after winning his eighth consecutive fight. Fight Matrix had him ranked 50th among all bantamweights coming into Saturday, but with his UFC record now standing at 3-0, he is guaranteed to leapfrog some of the fighters ahead of him.
As the former Ultimate Warrior Challenge bantamweight champion, everyone knew the 28-year-old Easton was talented. Now that he’s showcasing his skills on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes one of the more well-known fighters in the division.
Easton specializes in striking, as you would expect from his black belt in Taekwondo. He’s far from a one-dimensional fighter, though, as his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu makes him a dangerous grappler. He’s also got solid wrestling and takedown defense skills.
Easton moved one step closer to a title shot with the win, and although he’s still a few fights away from getting a chance at Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight belt, he should be happy with his current standing within the UFC.
If he can string together a couple more victories, he will be in prime position to snatch the title.
Meanwhile, the veteran Menjivar dropped to 24-9 (3-1 in UFC) with the loss. At just 30 years old, he still has plenty of good fights left in him. Unfortunately, this loss derails his quest for the bantamweight crown.
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