Author: Riley Kontek

The UFC debuted in the Philippines on Saturday, and the co-main event was an interesting one.

Middleweights Costas Philippou and Gegard Mousasi battled it out in a pivotal bout that had heavy implications in the division. It was expected to be a striking battle, but it turned out to be a bout heavily littered with grappling.

After three rounds, Mousasi won an easy decision that was never in doubt. He was able to score takedowns and control the ground action, which ultimately earned him the 30-27 nod on the scorecards.

What did we learn from this bout? Let’s take a look, as this fight brought great insight.

What We’ll Remember from This Fight

In all honesty, we aren’t going to remember much from this bout.

Had it been a dogfight on the feet, this may have been a classic. However, it turned into a strategically smart battle, where Mousasi dominated the boxer on the ground.

Don’t expect this to top the “all-time great” category.

What We Learned About Mousasi

We always think of Mousasi as a boxer, but he is a great grappler as well.

I know: Philippou is not going to be confused with one of the Gracie family members when it comes to ground work. However, Mousasi showed that he can not only dominate on the ground but also achieve the takedown.

That helped put down fans’ past criticisms of his lack of wrestling. 

He’s definitely a dark horse to watch in the future.

What We Learned About Philippou

Philippou needs to work on his grappling.

There is no doubt that Philippou is one of the best strikers in the middleweight division. However, if opponents are able to put him on his back, he is like a fish out of water.

It’s back to the drawing board for Philippou, who needs to prove he can be a well-rounded monster.

What’s Next for Mousasi?

Luke Rockhold should be the next title challenger. That means Ronaldo Souza will need a dance partner.

Who better to fill that role than Mousasi? They have met in the past, need a rubber match and could solve the top contender question after Mr. Rockhold.

Otherwise, Michael Bisping would be a fun one. Both are coming off wins and have never been accused of being poor in their craft.

What’s Next for Philippou?

Philippou needs to make an example of his next opponent. However, it shouldn’t be a pushover, which is why C.B. Dollaway seems logical.

Both are coming off losses, and fans want to see whether Philippou can fight a grappler effectively. That’s why Dollaway would be a stiff test for him.

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With American Top Team down three fights to none against the Blackzilians, would they finally capture the ever-elusive win in the fourth episode of The Ultimate Fighter?

Given their options, ATT owner Dan Lambert, shocked by Steve Carl’s poor performance in the previous episode, decided that Steve Montgomery was the guy to turn things around for his team. Montgomery, a 6’4″ southpaw who is massive for the division, is a matchup nightmare for many fighters in the division, which made the picks logical.

Unfortunately for Montgomery and ATT, he suffered a seizure in preparation for his weight cut, as he overloaded with water and didn’t put electrolytes into his body. It was a huge blow to an already low-morale ATT, but fortunately, Montgomery suffered no brain damage or anything like that.

However, Montgomery, for concern of his health by UFC president Dana White, was removed from the house. It’s a smart move, as fighter safety is always the highest concern.

The Blackzilians had already chosen Carrington Banks to compete before Montgomery’s unfortunate accident. They picked Banks thinking ATT would choose Nathan Coy, but ATT would go with Sabah Homasi on late notice to carry the banner.

The fight was probably the most exciting of the season and extremely close. In normal Blackzilian fashion, as we have seen on this season, Banks looked for takedowns and a grinding approach to go for the win. Fadai was the aggressor on the feet.

After three rounds, the judges awarded Banks the win in a razor-thin bout. It kept the shutout going for Glenn Robinson’s group, leaving ATT down 100-0 going into the next tier bouts.

That is the end of the 25-point fights, which leads into the start of next week’s 50-point round. For ATT, it’s a chance to make up ground on the Blackzilians, who have dominated the competition thus far.

Season Results

Notes and Observations

• Personally, I scored the bout 29-28 for Homasi, and here’s why. Banks was able to achieve some takedowns in the bout, but was never able to keep Homasi down OR land any damage. Otherwise, Homasi‘s aggression on the feet, control of the cage and output seemed to be better than that of Banks. It was close, but I definitely feel Homasi was the victor.
• Once again, Dana White criticized the lack of urgency and killer instinct of both fighters. This is four straight episodes where White was critical of the performances. That’s what happens when you have a cast full of grinders, I guess.
• You want to fix the problem they are having this season with the fights? Stop making the casts of this show lightweights and welterweights all the time. How many times have we had this makeup of casts in this weight class? They are the most occupied divisions in the UFC and really don’t need much bolstering right now. You know who does need bodies? Heavyweight, light heavyweight, flyweight and the women’s divisions all need added population at this point, but the UFC continues to feature the same weight classes on this show.
• We found out through the interviews that Sabah Homasi is a “female entertainer.” I believe that means he is a male stripper, but as Dan Lambert said, whatever he has to do to pay the bills is his business.
• I definitely feel for Steve Montgomery having that seizure, as I have had friends that have had those issues. Dana White said on the show that he could very well get his chance in the UFC after the show ends, but as of right now, Montgomery is back to the regional scene. He will be fighting in Florida on May 23 for a regional promotion.

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