No. 8-ranked featherweight contender Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez (15-5) walked out of Pittsburgh with a Top 15 featherweight victory. No. 12-ranked Tatsuya Kawajiri (35-9-2) was not able to do enough effective offense to win the fight on the judges’ scorecards. The performance put Bermudez back in the win column after back-to-back defeats.
Bermudez came out to pressure Kawajiri early on. He would not immediately throw strikes, but he forced Kawajiri to the outside. The Japanese star made use of his strikes to keep Bermudez at bay and nearly landed flush with a spinning backfist.
Bermudez would soon go to his wrestling, and take Kawajiri’s back. Bermudez went for an arm, but Kawajiri stayed patient and defended. The crowd grew restless as there was little action, but one small mistake would have ended the bout for Kawajiri. As a result of being patient, Kawajiri ended up on top and landed a couple of knees to Bermudez’s side.
The American worked to his feet, but Kawajiri completed another takedown. It was a close round that generated some booing, but the action was decidedly more technical than some of the night’s previous action.
The two clinched back up to start the second, working diligently to gain any advantage possible. Bermudez’s sprawl kept Kawajiri from completing another takedown, and The Crusher seemed to slow down. Bermudez was able to land multiple short shots to Kawajiri during his takedown attempts.
Bermudez eventually spun to the back of Kawajiri to finish the round in a favorable position.
Bermudez put Kawajiri on his back early in the round, but couldn’t keep him there. The No. 8-ranked featherweight kept the fight’s tempo high. Kawajiri was just a touch slower and was not able to mount much of a meaningful offensive effort. Bermudez excelled in the final frame.
Kawajiri is a tough veteran for anyone at 145 pounds. Bermudez’s inability to finish should not be seen as a negative. He got better as the fight went on, eventually picking up a much-needed victory.
Bermudez is undoubtedly a Top 10 featherweight, but his back-to-back losses make it hard to thrust him back into the upper echelon. Perhaps a meeting with No. 14-ranked Nik Lentz should be in order. If the UFC is set on putting him in another top-10-level contest, No. 7-ranked Charles Oliveira is the name that makes the most sense. Bermudez wants a rematch with Ricardo Lamas or to welcome BJ Penn back—but neither of those fights are right for him.
The loss stops Kawajiri from getting on a real win streak. He isn’t totally shot at this juncture, but it’s clear his best days are behind him. A fight against rising No. 13-ranked featherweight Brian Ortega would keep him in a relevant fight and potentially assist in moving Ortega into the division’s forefront.
Pittsburgh got to play host to a quality featherweight affair. It just wasn’t the “firefight” they were hoping for.
Bermudez did what he needed to do, and bigger things await as he tries to work himself back into contention. It will be a tough row to hoe, but he has the raw ability to get it done.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com