Dana White has always been brutally honest, and it’s one of the main reasons UFC has been able to make an impact on the sports landscape. After Saturday night’s performances at UFC 149, he wasn’t afraid to say he was embarrassed by the card.
While there were several bouts that left fans disappointed, there were still a couple fighters who picked up key wins during the event.
Let’s take a look at three of the big winners from UFC 149 and analyze what it will mean for them moving forward.
Cheick Kongo
It was a big night for Kongo. He was coming off a loss to Mark Hunt and facing a fighter 10 years younger than him, making a victory essential to keeping his career on track. It wasn’t pretty, but he found a way to defeat Shawn Jordan.
Kongo used his veteran experience to neutralize Jordan’s power, which allowed him to gain control of the fight early, and he cruised to a unanimous decision victory. Even though it wasn’t the most exciting bout of his career, he did exactly what he needed to do to win.
It should allow Kongo to earn another main-card appearance the next time out as he attempts to continue his resurgence. The Frenchman proved he’s not ready to get counted out quite yet.
Renan Barao
Barao kept his extended winning streak alive by beating Urijah Faber to become the interim UFC Bantamweight Champion. He hasn’t lost a fight since 2005 and has quickly moved up the ladder since joining the promotion last year.
There were a lot of questions heading into the bout about Barao’s ability to elevate his game against an elite fighter like Faber, but he answered them all. He took the lead early and never gave his opponent a chance to mount a comeback.
He will eventually face current title holder Dominick Cruz in a unification bout, but it’s unclear when Cruz expects to return from an ACL injury. One that’s decided, a next step can be taken by one of the UFC’s newest stars.
Ryan Jimmo
Every athlete wants to make a major impact when making a move, but few can match what Jimmo pulled off in his first UFC fight. Not only did he win, he knocked out Anthony Perosh in seven seconds, tying the company’s record.
Like Barao, the rising Canadian star has been on quite a roll. Jimmo lost his first career bout to Adam Braidwood more than five years ago and has proceeded to rattle off 17 straight victories. That type of streak is tough to ignore.
The victory immediately makes him a name to watch in the light heavyweight division. He should quickly move up the card, and it won’t be long before he enters the championship picture.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com