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Here’s the real winners and losers from an exciting night of fights at UFC Tampa.
I had hella high expectations for UFC Tampa going into the event. Those expectations were met and then some. There wasn’t a bad fight on the card. There were some lopsided fights, but even those had an entertaining factor to them that made them worthwhile.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk emphatically reentered the strawweight title picture with a dominant performance over a game Michelle Waterson. She won every round in the books of everyone who saw the fight, sans a single judge. There were several highlight reel KO’s too, including Niko Price once again pulling one out from a position you’d never expect one. It may not have all gone according to plan for the UFC as legacy prospects Kron Gracie and Mackenzie Dern came up short, but going to plan doesn’t mean it was a bad night in the fight game.
Winners
Joanna Jedrzejczyk: Joanna looked more motivated than she has in years. Taking some time off after her loss to Valentina Shevchenko last December proved to be a good idea as Joanna was back to being the demonic force in the cage she was known to be during her dominant reign as champion. Whether it was bullying the smaller Waterson in the clinch or piecing her up with her kicks, Joanna was in complete control… aside from the two occasions Waterson took her back of course. The composure Joanna showed in those instances helped make up for those instances as she never panicked, working her way out of a bad situation. Chances are good she gets the next shot at Weili Zhang as Tatiana Suarez doesn’t seem to have the same momentum she had at the beginning of the year. Regardless, it’ll be one of those two shooting for the gold.
Cub Swanson: Perhaps this will come across as surprising to some, but I was hesitant to put Cub here. Yes, the contest with Gracie was stupendous, winning FOTN honors. He deserved the win too. But given the contest was largely a standup battle, it never should have been as close as it was… and I say that knowing damn well the fight was unanimously 30-27 in favor of Cubby. Nonetheless, Cub never let the fight hit the mat and outpointed Gracie to snap a four-fight losing streak. In the end, snapping the losing streak was more important that winning with style… so Cub ends up in the winning column.
Niko Price: This guy. Seriously, this guy. I don’t know how he does it, but Price always seems to find the finish out of the weirdest positions. This time, he scored only the second upkick KO victory in UFC history, knocking James Vick out cold as the former lightweight postured up to begin raining down punishment. Then Price’s heel found Vick’s jaw and it was lights out. Between that and his hammerfists to put out Randy Brown… like I said, this guy. He has come up short every time he faces someone on the fringe of the rankings, but given the entertainment value of his fights, there’s no reason not to throw him against them again.
Amanda Ribas: I should have stuck to my initial instinct and picked Ribas for the upset. I didn’t and Ribas made me look like a fool as she completely dominated Dern, effectively countering the BJJ princess on the feet and neutralizing her on the mat. Perhaps most effective was Ribas work with the jab, keeping it in the face of Dern all night. It’s obvious she spent a lot of time during her suspension tightening up her game and she should be considered one of the top prospects at strawweight at this point. Don’t be surprised if she’s considered to be a title contender by the end of next year.
Matt Frevola: I know the decision was controversial, but no one can deny it wasn’t an impressive performance from both Frevola and Luis Pena. Frevola was largely dominated in the second round, but did just enough to prevent it from being a 10-8. The first was up for grabs and the last was clearly Frevola’s. It could have gone either way. In the process, Frevola was sharper on the feet than he has ever been, finding his way past Pena’s reach and countering Pena’s attack. Plus, he scored a few slam takedowns and ate some vicious shots from the man known as Violent Bob Ross. Whether you agree with the decision or not, Frevola looked good.
Ryan Spann: I found it somewhat comical the broadcast was complaining about Spann’s lack of activity right before he put together a flurry of action off a counter that led to the fight ending guillotine over Devin Clark. Spann has developed into the type of young veteran that fights with a patience you don’t expect from youthful fighters. I have a feeling it’ll cost him if he continues to fight more difficult competition that way, but against mistake-prone fighters like Clark, it’s a smart strategy. Given the progress he’s made under Fortis MMA, I think he’ll make the necessary adjustments in time.
Mike Davis: It’s rare when a dominating performance is overshadowed by the losing side of the contest, but as Davis continued to tee off on Thomas Gifford, the conversation flipped to Gifford’s toughness and why no one was stopping the fight. Let’s not forget within that conversation that Davis was the one doing all the damage to bring those pleas for someone to do something to light. Davis did end the fight when he faceplanted Gifford, but the impressiveness of that feat was overshadowed by how late it came, leaving most feeling a bit dirty for having witnessed such a brutal beating.
Alex Morono: I never had a very high opinion of Morono through his first few UFC contests. He’s not much of an athlete, doesn’t have a lot of power, and can be reckless on the ground. Since teaming up with Fortis MMA, it’s been a different story. He’s unlocked some power and he never showed before in addition to taking a much more disciplined approach to his standup. Rather than rushing in for a KO against Max Griffin, Morono busted open a close contest with a well-placed head kick that put Griffin on stanky legs and capitalized appropriately. He didn’t get the finish only because Griffin’s head is made of concrete, but that stretch encapsulates the difference between Morono when he first entered the UFC and where he is now. If nothing else, he’s become a sound action-fighter.
Deivison Figueiredo: How in the hell did the UFC ever seriously consider eliminating this man’s home? I get Figueiredo is big and athletic enough to remain effective at bantamweight, but he’s legit beast at flyweight and has always been entertaining as hell. Even though Tim Elliott was getting the better of him in the short time their contest took place, the always dangerous Brazilian caught him in a guillotine and forced him to tap. Figueiredo called out Joseph Benavidez post fight. Given no one is sure what Henry Cejudo is going to do, I’d say that was a wise move as it could result in an interim title fight… or an actual title fight.
Marlon Vera: It’s felt like Vera has been one of the more underappreciated members of the UFC roster for quite a while as can’t seem to get an upper echelon opponent unless he subs in on short notice. After his destruction of Andre Ewell, the UFC can’t be so damn ignorant as to ignore how good Vera is. It’s not like Ewell came in looking flat either; he was game. Vera was simply at his best, attacking with submissions, front kicks, elbows… everything but the kitchen sink. He found the end with some brutal elbows and punches on the ground. If you’re an MMA fan, there’s no good excuse for not jumping on the Vera bandwagon at this point.
Miguel Baeza: While I’m not sold on Baeza’s opponent, Hector Aldana, being a quality win, Baeza bulldozed through him, which is exactly what he’s supposed to do. He targeted Aldana’s legs, going to the calf time and again before Aldana collapsed from the barrage. The promising youngster appears to have a bright future, but I’m taking this win with a grain of salt.
Marvin Vettori: When Vettori came storming out of the gates with punches in bunches against Andrew Sanchez, I really worried he was going to have nothing left down the stretch. The Italian youngster put those fears to rest, having more than enough in the tank to take a clean sweep of each round on the strength of his punches. At 26, he’s hitting his stride and looks like he could storm his way into the rankings at some point next year.
JJ Aldrich: I remember seeing Aldrich on TUF and in her early UFC appearances. I didn’t think she was going to hang around for very long. She has made huge leaps and bounds since that time, effectively countering, putting together slick boxing combinations, and showing far more confidence than she ever did early. She had her rough moments against the more powerful Lauren Mueller, but Aldrich adjusted and put together a complete performance. It’s hard to believe, but she has won four of her last five.
Fortis MMA: All three of the competitors who put in some work at the camp – Eryk Anders, Spann, and Morono – emerged victorious, adding to the continuing success of the rising camp. Head coach Sayif Saud appears to be the early favorite for coach of the year at this point. Don’t be surprised if the camp produces a champion before too long. It’s already establishing itself as one of the powerhouse camps in the game.
Losers
Michelle Waterson: Waterson being in the loser’s column has less to do with her performance and more what the loss means for her. Waterson was able to avoid some unfavorable matches on her way to the contest with Joanna. This was her best chance to get a title shot as she’s going to have to pick up at least two more victories to get that chance again… and I doubt the UFC can throw her easy competition again. Regardless of Waterson’s chances of getting back into the title picture, she did fight hard and endeared herself to everyone who watched the fight. Despite being dominated, she never gave up and one of her submission attempts appeared to be close at one point. Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough in the end and Waterson is quite a way out of the title picture.
James Vick: Four of his five losses came via KO. Three of those have come in his last four fights. All four of those fights were losses. This seemed like an impossibility it would come this soon about a year ago, but we may be looking at the end of Vick’s UFC road. His tall man defense can’t be blamed this time, but I have no doubt he became more chinny with each subsequent KO to the point that he can’t compete at the same level he did before the KO’s piled up. Maybe he can get some advice from Andrei Arlovski about how to build back his confidence and chin, but few ever come back from this type of precipitous fall. Other than that, he looked like he might do well at welterweight….
Mackenzie Dern: I admit I was blinded by Dern’s ability to make weight. Sure, she’s worked hard to get back into shape since she had her daughter four months ago… but was she able to advance her training in the process? It didn’t look like she did. Dern continued to load up on haymakers, only for Ribas to not only avoid them, but she had an answer every time. The most frustrating thing about Dern’s development is her inability to get the fight to the mat. Given her BJJ pedigree, you’d think that getting the fight where she is best would be the focus of her training. I’m not seeing that.
Devin Clark: It seems like we’re always singing the same song about Clark. He hits hard and has a few bright striking moments when he gets a step up in competition, but inevitably makes a mistake that sees him getting finished. If he maintains where he’s at now, Clark will hang around for a while yet as a low-level gatekeeper. But something has to change if he hopes to move beyond that. I’d suggest a camp change, but people rarely listen to me.
Tim Elliott: Sporting yet another unique look to the cage – this time, an 80’s era mullet – Elliott was looking like he might be able to confuse Figueiredo enough to secure an upset. Then Elliott’s old habit of rushing recklessly into a submission reared its ugly head and the former title challenger was forced to tap after nearly two years away. Elliott is always going to be fun, but his awkward style is going to get him in trouble from time to time. Unfortunately, this was one of those times.
Andre Ewell: Before I tear into Ewell a bit, let it be said his opponent, Vera, is a badass. That out of the way, I expected Ewell to be more active with his punches. I won’t deny that Vera made it difficult for Ewell to get busy with his boxing, but it’s a sign of how much I think of Ewell that I expected him to stay in Vera’s face with a jab and straights. Instead, Vera was the one pushing the pace and Ewell crumpled underneath the pressure. Not a terrible performance by any means, but Ewell could have done more.
Hector Aldana: I thought it was already established Aldana wasn’t a legit UFC talent. Nonetheless, the tough Mexican got to welcome Baeza to the Octagon and we got more of the same: Aldana gamely throwing punches but never seriously threatening for the victory. There’s no good reason for the UFC to keep him around at this point.
Andrew Sanchez: I had a hard time figuring out what Sanchez was doing. He gave away the first round in hopes that Vettori would gas himself out. Going into the second, Sanchez never bothered to commit to his wrestling, something that appeared to be his biggest strength going into the contest. Was he scared of exhausting his own gas tank? While he has a history of that, he needed to change things up in the final round and he didn’t. Vettori looked great, but Sanchez helped him to look that way.
Lauren Mueller: I would have put Mueller in the neither category as she may have had her best performance in her loss to Aldrich. However, it was also her third loss in a row, making it very likely she finds herself on the outside of the organization. That may not be a bad thing as Mueller is still a very raw product and could use some seasoning, but there’s no doubting she wanted to keep her spot on the roster. Perhaps a trip to Invicta and a couple of wins there will help her find her way back.
Andrew Glenn: Not familiar with the name? No surprise. He was the referee of the Davis/Gifford contest who allowed Gifford to endure an insane amount of unnecessary punishment, shirking the referee’s primary job of protecting the fighters. I’m not the only one who thinks his performance to be incredulous as he was pulled from his assigned contest between Vick/Price. For once, it seems there were consequences for a poor performance. Bad on Glenn, but good on Florida’s athletic commission.
Thomas Gifford’s Corner: I have no doubt Gifford’s corner cares about him, but they did a poor job of showing that. In addition to the referee’s job being to protect the fighters, it’s also a corner’s job to do the same. Even if it means upsetting the fighter, a corner does what is best for them and Gifford’s corner didn’t do that.
Neither
Kron Gracie: Unlike Cub, I was tempted to put Gracie in the winner’s column. He performed better on the feet than expected, exhausting Cub and landing several hard punches on the longtime veteran. However, Gracie never came close to putting Cub in danger on the mat, the area where Gracie clearly held the advantage. It looked like Gracie spent all his time in his training camp attempting to shore up his fists as opposed to getting the fight where he’s strongest, much like Dern. Nonetheless, no one can doubt Gracie is improving and looks like he could be a serious player soon enough.
Luis Pena: I was going to put Pena in the winner’s column, but then he reacted like an immature brat when the scores were read. I get that he’s young in his career and emotions are running high at the moment, but show some professionalism and shake your opponent’s hand. It was the judges who decided you lost the fight, not Frevola. Regardless, Pena showed he’s as dangerous as they come off his back and looked improved on the feet. His timing has improved exponentially, landing a brutal flying knee and had some good moments in the clinch. But his lack of takedown defense came back to haunt him again as the takedown slams appear to have been the difference. Despite the loss, I’m higher on Pena than I was entering the contest. Regardless, I’d like to see more maturity out of him.
Eryk Anders: The former University of Alabama linebacker continues to frustrate. Despite possessing all sorts of physical skills, he never seems to fight up to his potential. He started out strong enough against Gerald Meerschaert, but faded over the final two rounds to pick up what turned out to be a controversial win. Most on the Twitterverse seemed to disagree with the decision, but Anders nonetheless picked up his second consecutive win by the skin of his teeth. I’ll admit there were some improvements I saw, I’m still leery about Anders ever coming close to what his talents indicate he can do.
Gerald Meerschaert: The Roufusport product can’t seem to avoid dropping controversial decisions, the first one this year coming against Kevin Holland. While I agreed with the judges on the Holland decision, I was on Meerschaert’s side this time. He was the more active fighter over the final two rounds and even used a well-placed kick to the liver to crumple Anders at the very end of round two. Meerschaert has never been considered a threat on the feet, but he continues to grow in that area despite his advanced experience in the sport. Despite what the judges say, Meerschaert sure as hell wasn’t a loser.
Thomas Gifford: For all intents and purposes, Gifford is a major loser. He endured one of the most brutal shellackings in memory, standing up every time he went down only to continue marching forward. However, if I had Waterson in this category, I had to put Gifford here too for the same reasons. I do believe his corner and/or the referee should have stopped the fight long before it reached its conclusion, I can’t help but admire someone who refuses to quit despite having insurmountable odds stacked against him. I don’t want to see Gifford in the UFC again, but I also can’t call someone with that type of heart a loser.
Max Griffin: Aside from a brutal 30 second stretch, it’s likely Griffin would have won his fight with Morono. The opening round was close, Griffin was winning the second before the aforementioned stretch, and he unanimously took the third round. Instead, Griffin’s hard luck continues, dropping his UFC record to 3-5. Yes, it’s disappointing, but Griffin is a better fighter than his record indicates and those in the know are aware of that. Griffin isn’t going anywhere, but he’s got to put up next time out or he’ll be out.