The cutthroat Round of 64 is officially over and only the true contenders remain. Mania’s March MMAdness rolls on with a half-culled roster and some seriously tough decisions on the horizon.

Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez (#11) defeats Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit (#54) with 77 percent of Maniac votes
Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry (#43) defeats Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Johnson (#22) with 52 percent of Maniac votes
Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung (#27) defeats Tony Ferguson vs. Edson Barboza (#38) with 62 percent of Maniac votes
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 1 (#6) defeats Georges St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks with 73 percent of Maniac votes

The right-hand bracket finally gets its first upset thanks to Cheick Kongo’s incredible Weeble impression. The competition looks to get fierce from here on out, though, so join us for the

ROUND OF 32!

Match 1: Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 (#1) vs. Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (#32)

VS.

The No. 1 seed was every bit the dominant force we expected in the first round, demolishing a top-notch slugfest in Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice with a staggering 95 percent of the vote. Jung vs. Poirier, meanwhile, faced the most even match up of the tournament so far against No. 33 seed Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage Jackson 2 and, fittingly, scraped by with a seven-vote edge.

The sheer brutality and drama that Lawler-MacDonald 2 brings to the table is hard to argue against, but Jung-Poirier does have one advantage in that it featured some excellent ground exchanges. While the former looks poised for a run at the title, don’t sleep on the mayhem in the middle.

Match 2: Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon 1 (#48) vs. Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2 (#16)

VS.

Miller vs. Lauzon 1 authored the tournament’s first upset, toppling No. 17-seeded Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Cro Cop and punching its ticket to the Round of 32 with a six-vote victory over PRIDE’s most legendary Heavyweight scrap. Aldo vs. Mendes 2 had an easier time of things against No. 49-ranked Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw, cruising to victory with 61 percent of the vote.

On one side, an unreasonable amount of blood and 15 minutes of constant aggression. On the other, top-notch technique and 25 minutes of tense back-and-forth action. This could come down to whether you prefer nonstop action or consistent entertainment with thrilling spikes peppered throughout.

Match 3: Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit (#9) vs. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 1 (#24)

VS.

Lawler vs. Condit’s first round featured another crushing victory for “Ruthless” as 89 percent of voters selected it over one my personal favorites in No. 55 Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner. McGregor vs. Diaz 1, meanwhile, got one step closer to a potential McGregor-Diaz / Diaz-McGregor match up in the Round of 16 with a dominant win over the submission exhibition that was Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone I.

The underdog might have to lean on intangibles for this one. Lawler-Condit’s fifth round was the stuff of legend and the four rounds before that weren’t too shabby themselves. Between the pre-fight drama, the upset factor, and Diaz’s iconic turn on the mic afterward, though, Mac and Nate might just have a shot.

Match 4: Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (#25) vs. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2 (#8)

VS.

The carnival of cartoonish violence that was Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama claimed the tournament life of an underrated classic in No. 40-seeded Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Takyama by a comfortable 26-point margin, while McGregor vs. Diaz 2 had to turn aside an impressive showing from No. 57-ranked Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to claim 55 percent of the vote and a spot in the next round.

There’s really no metric by which to compare these two matches. That’s because one of them was a one-round eruption of violence that toed the line between horrifying brutality and slapstick hilarity, while the other was five rounds of momentum-wobbling war between very capable technicians. I guess just follow your heart?

To reiterate: spread the word, share socially … do whatever grassroots / viral “Get Out The Vote” campaign needed to ensure your favorite fights advance to the next round. Complaining in the comments section about seeding and whatnot will not impact the results and will just make you look like an unappreciative dick.

Same time tomorrow, Maniacs.

Be sure to also check out our March MMAdness archive — which includes the entire bracket — to catch up on the tournament right here.