At UFC 155 Saturday night, bantamweight Eddie Wineland outlanded and outfought Brad Pickett for a split-decision win.
The fight, which served as the undercard headliner on FX, was arguably more one-sided than the final outcome might suggest. It was all Wineland (20-8-1) in the first round as he landed several heavy rights (even putting Pickett on one knee momentarily) and stuffed a takedown from Pickett (22-7).
Wineland, the first bantamweight champion in the history of the defunct WEC promotion, would now seem to be in a good position to contend in the UFC.
What we’ll remember about this fight
Wineland‘s cardio. At the end of the fight, he was almost literally dancing circles around a tired and plodding Pickett.
What we learned about Brad Pickett
He has a hard time initiating his attack if he can’t get inside or go to the ground. Wineland easily avoided Pickett’s increasingly hectic punches. Pickett’s footwork was slow, and he had major difficulty closing the distance to fire off anything of consequence.
What we learned about Eddie Wineland
He’s often portrayed as a brawler type, but he was a surgeon in there tonight. From horn to horn, Wineland was accurate with his heavy right hand and moved extremely well. According to statistics website FightMetric, Wineland landed 3.46 strikes per minute, significantly more than his career average of 2.94.
What’s next for Pickett
Pickett is still a good and popular fighter. How about Brian Bowles? Is that guy still alive?
What’s next for Wineland
He’s earned a place at the table. I’d love to see him tangle with Raphael Assuncao. The winner gets a place in line right behind Michael McDonald for the strap.
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