It wasn’t the most entertaining fight, but Shane Roller is walking away from UFC 148 with his second UFC victory—a much needed win given that he was coming off three straight losses.
John Alessio was a game opponent and dangerous on his feet, but Roller was able to use his superior grappling to bring the fight to the ground and control the fight in the second and third rounds.
All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Roller.
What we’ll remember about this fight
Tough to say because it wasn’t too entertaining.
Possibly Alessio yelling out, “Do you wanna fight me or do you wanna ride me?” when Roller had his back in the third round. It’s not unusual for a fighter to be frustrated by being repeatedly taken down, but it’s rare that someone is so vocal about it.
Also, Alessio staggered Roller at the beginning of the third round. For a moment, it looked like he might steal a come-from-behind victory.
What we learned about Shane Roller
Nothing really. We knew he had decent striking and a solid wrestling base and that’s what he showed in this fight.
We did learn that Roller deserves to be a part of the UFC roster, which was questionable prior to this victory.
What we learned about John Alessio
He probably won’t survive in the UFC’s lightweight division. Alessio’s takedown defense is lacking and 155 lbs is filled with elite wrestlers.
His striking looked good, but not good enough to make up for what his grappling game is missing.
What’s next for Shane Roller
Sam Stout would make sense. Stout can test Roller’s striking, and given that Stout has been working hard on his wrestling Roller would be a good opponent to see how good Stout’s grappling has become.
What’s next for John Alessio
The UFC will likely keep Alessio around for another fight. He’s an entertaining guy and comes to fight.
Al Iaquinta seems a logical choice. Both men like to strike and are 0-1 in the UFC.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian.Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com