UFC 140 has come and gone, and it was an incredible week for mixed martial arts in Toronto.
The excitement that the event brought to the city was not on 129 levels, but it was indeed tangible and the show delivered plenty of value in typical UFC fashion.
The event was set up to be a showcase of Canadian talent in the UFC, and for this proud Canuck it turned out to be a devastatingly disappointing evening in that regard.
Canadians went 2-5 in the seven fights they were involved in, with two of our favorite fighters getting knocked out before you could say back bacon and beer.
Here is my UFC 140 Canadian fighter report card and where each fighter may go from here.
Claude Patrick Lost Via Split Decision
Claude Patrick was thrust into a very difficult fight as a late replacement opponent for the very unorthodox Brian Ebersole. Patrick lost a very close decision that quite frankly could have gone either way, and his grade reflects that.
“The Prince” is a very fluid and smooth stand up artist, but that was not the fight we saw out of him on the weekend. He looked more interested in getting in to a Muay Thai clinch and knee game and appeared cautious of getting taken down and ending up on his back.
Nevertheless, he dulled down a normally flamboyant game from Ebersole and should be credited for a strong performance. It wasn’t his best, and I would like to see more of the true Prince the next time he fights.
Grade: B
What’s Next for Patrick?
Ebersole was a step up for Patrick and although he lost, I think it is clear he can handle a big fight with strong, top-tier welterweights such as Ebersole, Martin Kampmann, Rick Story and fighters of that caliber.
“The Prince” needs a lot of work on his strength and overall game, and I do wonder if he has considered a switch to 155.
Mark Hominick Lost Via Knockout at 0:07 of First Round
Just like Soszynski before him, Mark Hominick got caught early in his fight and was unable to recover in time to defend against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
And like Soszynski, Hominick made a rookie error that led to his downfall, and it is for the same reason he gets a failing grade.
Hominick is a technical striking machine, but his lead left hook looked like mine in a heavy bag session on Tuesday nights. It was sloppy and it was slow and it extended him wide open for “The Zombie” to strike.
Grade: F
What’s Next for Hominick?
Hominick gets a mulligan based on the incredible year he has had in both good and bad times in his life. He addressed it like a man and said himself in post-fight interviews that he let his emotions get the better of him by fighting out of character.
It was obvious as such, and respect goes out to him for the year he has had.
Hominick has handled everything like a true professional this year and has emerged a star in the province of Ontario and in Canada.
He understands best out of anyone that with the glory comes the scrutiny, and he has to accept that he left many of his fans disappointed on Saturday night. Hominick should take a break for as long as he wants to and enjoy his family and newborn child.
I would hate to be the guy facing him in his first fight back and I have one name for you—Chan Sung Jung.
Krzysztof Soszynski Lost Via Knockout at 0:35 of First Round
Canadian MMA was still 2-2 on the night when this one started, and Soszynski is one of our toughest and best submission fighters. I was looking for him to really get the ball rolling on the night.
I was feeling like we might have a bad omen on our hands immediately after the Krzysztof Soszynski fight ended, as our best big man was knocked out cold only 35 seconds into the fight.
It was a shocking turn of events and set the tone for things to come and really, what is there to say about the performance of “The Polish Experiment?” He got caught early and defended by moving straight back and getting caught again and again.
It is something not expected form e veteran like him.
Grade: F
What’s Next for Soszynski?
K-SOS isn’t getting any younger and while you may be able to brush this one off as a bit of a fluke, 2011-12 was supposed to be his time for a push up the talent ladder of the UFC.
Instead, it has been a year of pure adversity and disappointment.
He needs to step back and assess his future, but I’m sure we will see one more from him before he goes out. How about one more war against Stephan Bonnar in Canada before it’s all she wrote?
John Makdessi Lost Via Rear Naked Choke at 2:58 of First Round
Lightweight John Makdessi got a sobering lesson in submission fighting from a bigger and more experienced fighter in Dennis Hallman on Saturday night.
The fight was a bit tainted, as Hallman came in a few pounds overweight and is a large lightweight as it is. But Makdessi is going to have to get used to this scenario in the future.
He is a very dangerous striker and as the stakes get higher, opponents will not be willing to stand with him.
Grade: D
What’s Next for Makdessi?
After his spinning back fist win in April, it became clear that Makdessi is world class on his feet and can put on a show.
After his humbling loss on Saturday, it became clear that he is not world class on the ground.
How about giving him another similar fighter like Anthony Njokuani? Makdessi should also consider a move down in weight.
Yves Jabouin Won Via Split Decision
Bantamweight Yves Jabouin faced tough odds in his fight against Walel Watson on Saturday night. Jabouin gave up a couple inches in reach against Watson and looked in tough to get to the lanky Anderson Silva clone.
Jabouin used his quickness, movement and aggression to get in a land to eventually overcome and get the razor thin, some say controversial, decision win.
Grade: B+
What’s Next for Jabouin?
Jabouin is now 2-1 in the UFC in only three fights, but at 32 years old, he is not a spring chicken.
The fighter out of Tristar is only going to get better and why not Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres or a rematch with Rafael Assuncao to see if he can’t take a slight step up?
Mark Bocek Won Via Unanimous Decision
Lightweight Mark Bocek was 5-4 in the UFC going into his fight on Saturday night and needed a win in a big way to keep his job in the promotion.
Bocek got a decision win over Lentz by executing his game plan perfectly, and he gets a decent grade because of it.
Although he did what he had to do, Bocek is a better fighter than his safe performance displayed, and it was not the most exciting fight on his resume.
Grade: C+
What’s Next for Bocek?
Bocek is a definite “tweener” in the division, capable of fighting with the elite but not capable of beating them, and too good to fight the “Nik Lentz'” of the division.
He needs an opponent similar to that whose style will make it exciting. How about a Matt Wiman, Mac Danzig or Jeremy Stephens to see if Bocek can beat the second tier of the best fighters in the division?
Mitch Clarke Lost Via TKO at 4:36 of Second Round
Mitch Clarke is a lightweight from Edmonton with a reputation for being a buzzsaw, who comes at opponents with pace and aggression. He looked like he was in tough all week as his opponent, John Cholish, looked imposing with his bigger GSP-like physique.
The fight played out in similar fashion, as Cholish was a step ahead in strength, speed and skill compared to Clarke.
Grade: D
What’s Next for Clarke?
In an era where the UFC is keeping fighters on the roster for availability, Clarke should get another chance to show his stuff on a Canadian card in 2012. It is hard to pick an opponent for him when he failed to show anything against a newbie like Cholish.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.
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