Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com
Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were.
Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these guys gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and said they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.
Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.
Swanson vs. Roop provided an early candidate for Side-Punchface of the Year. Props: UFC.com
Remember how last night, you invited your non-MMA fan friends over to introduce them to our sport? You spent the past week talking about how Chael Sonnen is one of the best trash talkers in professional sports, and how technical and talented these fighters were. You figured that after three fights that were guaranteed to be exceptional, your friends would be won over to MMA fandom. Then you’d continue to drink and be merry all night, and we’d all meet up here today for our traditional post-UFC event GIF party where we all high five over how awesome the fights were.
Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, you found yourself doing damage control as you watched three fights worth of sloppy brawling, wall and stall and Chael Sonnen’s blatant swaggerjacking of homage to “Superstar” Billy Graham. You tried to convince them that the fights are usually nothing like this, and that these fighters gassing out and the end of the first round are world class athletes. Eventually, one of your friends said “I bet Pacquiao would destroy ANY of these guys” as the rest of your friends grabbed their coats and promised they’d call you next time they wanted to watch the fights.
Okay, so last night sucked. But we’ve been planning this party all week, and we’ll be damned if we cancel it at this point. So grab an alcoholic beverage, put on your gaudiest Affliction shirt and join us for our traditional post-UFC event GIF Party.
Totally illegal in NCAA competition. (Photo: UFC.com)
“It’s usually not like this.” With that text I found myself apologizing to a UFC-virgin for the first time in a long time. My friend had just told me that she was at home watching the the show on FOX, without any provocation from me mind you. “This is that fighting you like, right???”. I assured her that the event had yet to capture the energy and excitement indicative of the sport. “I’m going back and forth between this and figure skating,” she replied. I can’t really say I blame her, either.
While we expected plenty of grappling in the bouts themselves, the wrestling theme seemed to carry on throughout the production at large. The usually-charismatic Jon Jones wrestled with his notes, relying on them not just for in-depth fight analysis but for simple things like his thoughts on fighting Rashad. The opening act wrestled with fatigue, leading to a performance as exhausting for fans as it was for the competitors in the cage. And once again, FOX wrestled with an underwhelming broadcast that left the most exciting action behind in the prelims.
Enough belly aching about the show itself, let’s take a look at what made such a promising event so forgettable for the masses.
Totally illegal in NCAA competition. (Photo: UFC.com)
“It’s usually not like this.” With that text I found myself apologizing to a UFC-virgin for the first time in a long time. My friend had just told me that she was at home watching the the show on FOX, without any provocation from me mind you. “This is that fighting you like, right???”. I assured her that the event had yet to capture the energy and excitement indicative of the sport. “I’m going back and forth between this and figure skating,” she replied. I can’t really say I blame her, either.
While we expected plenty of grappling in the bouts themselves, the wrestling theme seemed to carry on throughout the production at large. The usually-charismatic Jon Joneswrestled with his notes, relying on them not just for in-depth fight analysis but for simple things like his thoughts on fighting Rashad. The opening act wrestled with fatigue, leading to a performance as exhausting for fans as it was for the competitors in the cage. And once again, FOX wrestled with an underwhelming broadcast that left the most exciting action behind in the prelims.
Enough belly aching about the show itself, let’s take a look at what made such a promising event so forgettable for the masses.
The first fight of the FOX broadcast was a dreadful match between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman. The All-American wrestler showed little fear of Maia’s proven BJJ, taking him down numerous times throughout the bout. Though he went down without much trouble, Maia impressively scrambled back to his feet more often than not. His striking, however, left much to be desired. The Brazilian showcased limited weapons in the stand-up, though neither man went for the kill, even when they had the stamina to do so. Weidman’s cardio woes are easily forgiven; he took this fight on eleven-days notice following Munoz’s departure from the card. Maia’s lethargy is a bit less understandable. The pair were beyond exhausted in round three, opting to forgo the opportunities they found themselves in simply because it was far less tiring to do nothing at all. Weidman took the split decision in a (hopefully) easily forgotten performance. As the lone lead-in for the co-main events, this bout really set the stage for a disappointing evening.
Perhaps it’s best that Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen had a scant eleven days to talk up their bout, as it didn’t live up to the hastened hype it received. It’s not their fault, really. They both fought their asses off, it’s just that each man made the other look bad. The opening seconds reflected what many expected from this bout, with Chael landing an instant takedown and going to work. A moment later, however, Bisping threw the script out of the Octagon and popped right back up to his feet. His defensive wrestling wasn’t limited to the ground, either. The Brit surprised many everyone by repeatedly circling off the fence, pinning Sonnen against the cage and controlling much of the action. Though not much happened in the clinch, he outworked “The American Gangster” in the center of the cage as well, finding a home for his hands. Round three was all Chael; the self-proclaimed Middleweight champion put “The Count” in peril while taking his back and mounting him. If Twitter is any indication, exactly 50% of you are outraged with Sonnen’s unanimous decision victory. If even industry experts can’t agree on who won and by what margin, what must new fans have thought of the outcome? A fist fight should be a relatively easy affair to judge, but a bout like this puts MMA’s nebulous scoring system in the spotlight. The UFC now has the momentous rematch with Anderson Silva that they’d hoped for, but Chael’s performance hardly commanded the second bite at the apple like his submission win over Stann did.
The main event pitted perennial #1 contender Rashad Evans against the undefeated Phil Davis. Evans insisted that he would out-wrestle “Mr. Wonderful” convincingly, collegiate pedigrees be damned, and was confident that the rising star would fade under the bright lights of a high-stakes bout. As the final seconds of round one ticked away, and he stared up at those bright lights with his back against the canvas and his arms pinned in a crucifix, Davis must have heard Rashad’s claims echoing in his mind. Davis’ stand-up, though vastly improved, was still too sluggish for Rashad’s fast hands, and he repeatedly found himself in compromising positions on the ground throughout the bout. At times Davis looked disillusioned, but he never stopped fighting, he never allowed Rashad to put him away. He’ll benefit from this loss and has ample time to develop his skills and grow as a fighter. Evans will find no such respite. Following his unanimous decision win, the UFC has once again dangled the Jon Jones carrot in front of him. Fortunately he has little time to question if the fight will actually take place. The former training partners and friends are slated to dance at UFC 145 in Atlanta, Georgia. Assuming Evans picked up no injuries in his five round battle, this gives him just enough time to recover and get in a full training camp for the April 21st bout.
You need look no further than last night’s bonus checks for proof that the best of last night’s tussles were left on the cutting room floor. Lavar Johnson hurt Joey Beltran early with body shots, but it was a torrent of brutal uppercuts that dropped “The Mexicutioner” late in first round. Johnson picked up $65k for the evening’s “Knock out of the Night” and the first win for a Strikeforce heavyweight since their formal assimilation into the Octagon. Eric Wisely’s UFC debut was short lived. Charles Oliveira welcomed the rookie to the cage with some hard leg kicks before taking him to the ground and raining down shots. The Brazilian quickly transitioned from leg lock to leg lock before catching a rare calf-slicer and drawing the tap in just 1:43 of the first round. A terrific debut at Featherweight for “Do Bronx” was made all the sweeter with a check for the “Submission of the Night”. In the evening’s “Fight of the Night”, Evan Dunham and Nick Lentz swung away early and often. There was little feeling out process as the two traded shots in close quarters throughout the first frame. Both fighters slowed in round two, but their assaults were just as spirited. Dunham battered Lentz on the ground, swelling and cutting the fighter just below his eye. The damage was serious enough to limit his vision and force cage-side physicians to halt the bout between the second and third frames.
Main Bouts (on Fox at 8 p.m. ET on Fox): -Rashad Evans def. Phil Davis by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45), R5
-Chael Sonnen def. Michael Bisping by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), R3
-Chris Weidman def. Demian Maia by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), R3
Preliminary Bouts (on Fuel TV at 5 p.m. ET on Fuel TV):
-Evan Dunham def. Nick Lentz by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00, R2.
-Mike Russow def. Jon Olav Einemo by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
-Cub Swanson def. George Roop by TKO (punches) at 2:22, R2
-Charles Oliveira def. Eric Wisely via submission at 1:43, R1
-Michael Johnson def. Shane Roller by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
-Lavar Johnson def. Joey Beltran by knockout (punches) at 4:24, R1
-Chris Camozzi def. Dustin Jacoby by submission (front choke) at 1:08, R3
The doomsdayers always seem to panic whenever a UFC show does not produce a series of heart-racing moments, and UFC on FOX 2 certainly fell a little flat, leading to heavy criticism and downright concern about the future of the FOX deal.
Relax. FOX is well aware that some fights are going to blow you away, and others will make you want to walk away. That’s sports. They didn’t lock in a seven-year deal with the thought of divorcing after their first official show under the terms of the deal. This is still a new sports property for them, and there is plenty of room to grow for both sides.
Adjustments will be made, and fights will deliver.
Remember, we have Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller on tap for UFC on FOX 3 in May. There’s no way that fight doesn’t deliver.
Until then, here are my thoughts on storylines stemming from the UFC’s second outing on network TV…
Historic Run Jon Jones had a banner 2011, capturing the title and finishing all four of his fights. The virtuoso performance led many to wonder what he could possibly do for an encore, and now we have our answer. Jones has Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson waiting to fight him.
Think about this: Jones has the possibility of going through Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Evans and Henderson consecutively. If he accomplishes it, it would no doubt be the most impressive five-fight run in MMA history.
And let it be said, giving Evans the first shot at Jones before Henderson is the right call. Evans has been the No. 1 contender in waiting for about 18 months, since beating Jackson back in May 2010. He’s waited long enough. Even though Henderson is 41 years old and has less time remaining in his career than Evans, he wasn’t even in the UFC when Evans became the top contender. He was still in Strikeforce at the time.
Henderson should certainly get the chance to fight the Evans-Jones winner, but given the UFC schedule, he’ll likely be offered another fight before it.
Stepping Back
It’s safe to say that Phil Davis wasn’t quite ready for the jump up to elite opponent level, struggling in a decision loss to Evans. Davis remains a wildly gifted talent, but seems to lack conviction in some of his own abilities. He didn’t fully commit to his punches, often moving backward as he threw, and that allowed Evans to fire off his own strikes with little to fear.
Davis does throw strong kicks, but until he learns to let his hands go — a skill that will complement his wrestling — he won’t reach his optimum potential.
Sonnen-Silva II Chael Sonnen had some trouble with Michael Bisping on the way to a unanimous decision that will set up a rematch with Anderson Silva, likely this summer in Brazil. The less-than-stellar performance sent his stock downward in the eyes of many, who suggest that it will somehow carry over into his fight with Silva.
There’s no correlation between the two fights. Bisping has always boasted very good takedown defense and even when he’s gotten taken down, he tends to pop back up to his feet quickly. Silva’s takedown defense is average, and when he gets taken down, he looks for submissions instead of trying to get to his feet. Sonnen is much more likely to take him down and keep him down for long stretches, just like the first fight, mainly because Silva is often content to work from his back, where he’s dangerous.
That said, the rematch — like the original — is likely to come down to whether Sonnen can stay away from a fight-ending submission.
On Saturday, Weidman defeated Maia in a workmanlike decision. While he didn’t steal the headlines away from Evans or Sonnen, Weidman’s win on 11 days’ notice sends the message that he’s a force to be reckoned with. He had to cut from 217 to 185. He was faced with fighting a southpaw. His opponent was one of MMA‘s submission masters. Weidman conquered all these obstacles in his path, and that says plenty about his mental and physical makeup.
Weidman has shown advancing striking skills to go with his excellent wrestling and ground game. Barring an injury, there’s no question that he’ll be knocking on the door of top contenders in the division ASAP.
Another first Charles Oliveira made his featherweight debut memorable, becoming the first UFC fighter in history to score a calf slicer submission. Oliveira is an aggressive, attacking offensive fighter, so it’s no surprise that he’d pull off something so bold and rare. Now it’s worth watching to see if he becomes a real factor in the division.
Damned if you do… Nik Lentz used to receive a ton of criticism for fighting conservatively, but the approach led to a 15-fight unbeaten stretch from 2007-2011. The constant slams from fans and media caused Lentz to reconsider his approach, and his more wide open style has led to two losses in a row. The upside: he earned a $65,000 bonus for Fight of the Night. The downside: he’s now officially on the cut watch list.
The doomsdayers always seem to panic whenever a UFC show does not produce a series of heart-racing moments, and UFC on FOX 2 certainly fell a little flat, leading to heavy criticism and downright concern about the future of the FOX deal.
Relax. FOX is well aware that some fights are going to blow you away, and others will make you want to walk away. That’s sports. They didn’t lock in a seven-year deal with the thought of divorcing after their first official show under the terms of the deal. This is still a new sports property for them, and there is plenty of room to grow for both sides.
Adjustments will be made, and fights will deliver.
Remember, we have Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller on tap for UFC on FOX 3 in May. There’s no way that fight doesn’t deliver.
Until then, here are my thoughts on storylines stemming from the UFC’s second outing on network TV…
Historic Run Jon Jones had a banner 2011, capturing the title and finishing all four of his fights. The virtuoso performance led many to wonder what he could possibly do for an encore, and now we have our answer. Jones has Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson waiting to fight him.
Think about this: Jones has the possibility of going through Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Evans and Henderson consecutively. If he accomplishes it, it would no doubt be the most impressive five-fight run in MMA history.
And let it be said, giving Evans the first shot at Jones before Henderson is the right call. Evans has been the No. 1 contender in waiting for about 18 months, since beating Jackson back in May 2010. He’s waited long enough. Even though Henderson is 41 years old and has less time remaining in his career than Evans, he wasn’t even in the UFC when Evans became the top contender. He was still in Strikeforce at the time.
Henderson should certainly get the chance to fight the Evans-Jones winner, but given the UFC schedule, he’ll likely be offered another fight before it.
Stepping Back
It’s safe to say that Phil Davis wasn’t quite ready for the jump up to elite opponent level, struggling in a decision loss to Evans. Davis remains a wildly gifted talent, but seems to lack conviction in some of his own abilities. He didn’t fully commit to his punches, often moving backward as he threw, and that allowed Evans to fire off his own strikes with little to fear.
Davis does throw strong kicks, but until he learns to let his hands go — a skill that will complement his wrestling — he won’t reach his optimum potential.
Sonnen-Silva II Chael Sonnen had some trouble with Michael Bisping on the way to a unanimous decision that will set up a rematch with Anderson Silva, likely this summer in Brazil. The less-than-stellar performance sent his stock downward in the eyes of many, who suggest that it will somehow carry over into his fight with Silva.
There’s no correlation between the two fights. Bisping has always boasted very good takedown defense and even when he’s gotten taken down, he tends to pop back up to his feet quickly. Silva’s takedown defense is average, and when he gets taken down, he looks for submissions instead of trying to get to his feet. Sonnen is much more likely to take him down and keep him down for long stretches, just like the first fight, mainly because Silva is often content to work from his back, where he’s dangerous.
That said, the rematch — like the original — is likely to come down to whether Sonnen can stay away from a fight-ending submission.
On Saturday, Weidman defeated Maia in a workmanlike decision. While he didn’t steal the headlines away from Evans or Sonnen, Weidman’s win on 11 days’ notice sends the message that he’s a force to be reckoned with. He had to cut from 217 to 185. He was faced with fighting a southpaw. His opponent was one of MMA‘s submission masters. Weidman conquered all these obstacles in his path, and that says plenty about his mental and physical makeup.
Weidman has shown advancing striking skills to go with his excellent wrestling and ground game. Barring an injury, there’s no question that he’ll be knocking on the door of top contenders in the division ASAP.
Another first Charles Oliveira made his featherweight debut memorable, becoming the first UFC fighter in history to score a calf slicer submission. Oliveira is an aggressive, attacking offensive fighter, so it’s no surprise that he’d pull off something so bold and rare. Now it’s worth watching to see if he becomes a real factor in the division.
Damned if you do… Nik Lentz used to receive a ton of criticism for fighting conservatively, but the approach led to a 15-fight unbeaten stretch from 2007-2011. The constant slams from fans and media caused Lentz to reconsider his approach, and his more wide open style has led to two losses in a row. The upside: he earned a $65,000 bonus for Fight of the Night. The downside: he’s now officially on the cut watch list.
CHICAGO — Watch below as Charles Oliveira breaks down his submission victory over Eric Wisely at UFC on FOX 2. Oliveira says how he pulled off the maneuver, if he’s done it in a fight before, the weight cut at featherweight and how much he wants to fight on the rumored Sao Paulo card..
CHICAGO — Watch below as Charles Oliveira breaks down his submission victory over Eric Wisely at UFC on FOX 2. Oliveira says how he pulled off the maneuver, if he’s done it in a fight before, the weight cut at featherweight and how much he wants to fight on the rumored Sao Paulo card..
Filed under: UFCUFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle could have been the rarest of events that saw both main event fighters exit the UFC right after competing. Instead, it saw Chris Lytle walk away on a glorious note, retiring after his submission win, while…
UFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle could have been the rarest of events that saw both main event fighters exit the UFC right after competing. Instead, it saw Chris Lytle walk away on a glorious note, retiring after his submission win, while Dan Hardy was given one more chance from UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta despite losing his fourth straight bout.
In reality, it was a fair conclusion for both fighters, who fought a hard-nosed battle for nearly 15 minutes before the ending. Lytle gets the distinction of walking away on a high while Hardy is afforded the opportunity to decompress, clear his mind and determine a new course of action going forward. While any thoughts of returning back to contender status are for off into the future, he has a pulse, and for now, that will have to do.
With that, we take a look at what might be next for Hardy and the rest of UFC on Versus 5‘s key participants, in this edition of The Forward Roll.
Dan Hardy
It’s been a brutal 17-month stretch for Hardy, who lost bouts to Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit, Anthony Johnson and now Lytle. Afterward, he mentioned wanting to take some time off, and that’s a request that should be granted. Losing is often harder on the mind than the body, and Hardy should get the chance to heal both.
Hopefully, we don’t see him back in the octagon until spring is breaking. Given a lengthy layoff, it’s tough to project who he might face — a lot will happen in the next six or seven months — but someone like TJ Grant or Amir Sadollah sounds about right.
Ben Henderson
Casting aside Lytle’s emotional goodbye, Henderson was the star of the show, with a spectacular performance against Jim Miller in a high-stakes bout.
The fact that Miller was riding a seven-fight win streak made it impressive enough as it was, but having seen Miller throughout his career, we can say that he just doesn’t get dominated like that. Not even current champ Frank Edgar or current No. 1 contender Gray Maynard handled him the way Henderson did. Impressively, he continues to improve his standup game, but does his best work with wrestling and ferocious ground and pound. He also keeps a ridiculous pace, even for a lightweight.
The performance should quiet all doubters about Henderson’s ability and just how far he can go. It also rockets him up the contenders list, and he gets stars from here onward.
The next man on his list should be Clay Guida, who is riding a four-fight win streak and has nothing scheduled. The winner should next fight for the title.
Jim Miller
Sure he gets knocked down a couple of pegs, but given his recent run, there’s no reason to write Miller off as a future No. 1 contender.
The good news for him is that there is such a glut of top lightweights that there should be no problems in finding him a good matchup. The two best possibilities may be Dennis Siver, who is currently riding a four-fight win streak, or Sam Stout, who is coming off a fantastic knockout over Yves Edwards. Another possibility is Anthony Pettis, who lost to Guida in June.
Donald Cerrone
Previously considered an uneven performer, Cerrone seems to have figured out the issues that led to slow starts in the past. His first-round TKO win over the promising Charles Oliveira was his third victory of 2011 and fifth straight overall.
A good next step for him would be Jeremy Stephens, who has captured four of his last five, with his only loss coming in a close split-decision.
Charles Oliveira
For the first time in his career, Oliveira looked outmatched in the loss to Cerrone, who easily handled him in the striking and overwhelmed him on the ground. After losses in two of his last three, he has a decision to make as far as if he wants to stay in the 155-pound division or move to featherweight.
The UFC usually doesn’t force their hand in these matters, but they could cut Oliveira if they wanted to, so they have the leverage to ask him to reconsider a move. I think he will try 145. Let’s throw him in with a ground shark like Javier Vazquez and see if he sinks or swins.
Duane Ludwig
After a long welterweight run, Ludwig returned to welterweight and has now won two straight after throttling Amir Sadollah. The knock on Ludwig has always been grappling troubles, and his last two matchups have been favorable as he’s faced a pair of strikers.
That should change in his next match, but it probably won’t. Instead, the UFC will likely match him up in another bout that will guarantee good standup action. Let’s slot him in to face Matt Brown.
Jared Hamman
The wiry Hamman always seemed out of place among the UFC’s massive light-heavyweights. In his middleweight debut, he looked to be in the right class.
As a relative newcomer to the division, he shouldn’t be rushed along. Rafael Natal is about right.
EdHerman
It’s hard to be believe, but Herman and Michael Bisping are the only two fighters remaining in the UFC from season three of The Ultimate Fighter. Unfortunately, he’s had terrible luck with injuries, missing nearly two years of action before returning with back-to-back wins.
He was fighting Aaron Simpson when he first injured his knee. It would be nice to give him another crack at Simpson, but the “A-Train” already has a fight scheduled in October, so we’ll have to go to plan B, Constantinos Philippou.
Joseph Benavidez
Benavidez is in a terrible position right now, stuck between a rock and a hard place. The rock is Dominick Cruz, who has beaten him twice, yet is standing in front of him as the champion, meaning no rematch is likely anytime soon. The hard place is the lack of a flyweight division, which he will likely relocate to as soon as the UFC institutes it. So he is left to continue on with little chance of fighting for a belt until either Cruz loses or the UFC makes the move for 125-pounders.
There really aren’t many compelling fights for him right now. One possibility is a Miguel Torres rematch. The other is surging 20-year-old Michael McDonald.
Filed under: UFCYou can say this for the UFC’s free fight cards: they’re always worth your money, even if you pay for them by sitting through the same few commercials over and over again.
Last night in Milwaukee fight fans got treated to a little piec…
You can say this for the UFC’s free fight cards: they’re always worth your money, even if you pay for them by sitting through the same few commercials over and over again.
Last night in Milwaukee fight fans got treated to a little piece of MMA history, as one of the sport’s great battlers called it quits and went out on a triumphant victory. If you didn’t feel a little choked up watching Chris Lytle hug his kids in the Octagon after a brutal scrap to end a hard-nosed career, better check your battery life, because you may be a robot.
It’s great to see those moments broadcast live to the entire cable TV universe, but it wasn’t all puppy dogs and rainbows at UFC on Versus 5. Now that we’re faced with the sober reality of Monday morning, it’s time to sort through all the winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Chris Lytle
It’s so rare to see pro fighters walk away when it’s time. It’s rare to even see them walk away when it’s a quarter past time. Usually, the appeal of the money and fame combines with the addictive power of adrenaline and the unbreakable spirit that got them here to begin with, and the result is a person who wants to hang on to a fighting career until promoters and fans are stomping on his fingers to get him to let go. Lytle had seen that in action enough to know he didn’t want to find out what it felt like, and so he made the perfect exit at the perfect time. From the opening moments of the bout he fought like a man who was determined to see someone get beat up and he didn’t particularly care who it was. After boxing Hardy up and surviving a few wobbly scares of his own, a submission finish in a fight that he never tried to take to the mat feels like the absolute right ending to Lytle’s great career. Heading out with $130,000 in bonuses probably doesn’t hurt either. So long, Chris. Thanks for the memories.
Biggest Loser: Dan Hardy
He fought exactly the fight that Lytle wanted him to, right down to the ill-advised takedown with his neck wide open in the third. That’s four straight for our mohawked friend, and he should be very grateful that the UFC loves his fighting style and his attitude so much that it doesn’t mind when one or both results in a losing streak that would embarrass the Detroit Lions. But his losses aside, keeping Hardy is the right move here. The UFC has been too quick with the cuts in the past, as if it’s impossible for fighters to go through a lull and come back strong. Hardy fought for the welterweight title a year and a half ago. On Sunday he was one half of the Fight of the Night, so it would be hypocritical to reward his efforts and praise his fighting style while also giving him his walking papers. I know, the UFC has done that very thing in the past, but that doesn’t make it right. Eventually, however, Hardy might have to choose between fighting smart and fighting to the UFC’s liking. Reminder: just because you want to stand and bang, that doesn’t mean you have to stand in only one spot, exactly where your opponent’s left hook knows how to find you.
Most Surprising: Ben Henderson
With a win over Miller, he joined a very small club that includes only the current UFC lightweight champion and the current no. 1 contender. By battering Miller into a bloody mess, Henderson established his own club where he, as the only member, gets to write the bylaws (first rule: haircuts are optional). It’s one thing to survive all Miller’s submissions and eek out a decision. It’s quite another to shrug off those submissions and punish him severely for each attempt. Miller is a very good lightweight, and we’ve never seen anyone take it to him like Henderson did. Put this kid in a fight with Clay Guida and you’ll have your next lightweight challenger by the time the dust clears. Also, getting down on bended knee to plead for the UFC to give your teammates a look? Yeah, that’s a pretty awesome move.
Worst Game Plan: Amir Sadollah
So he came into a fight with one of the most experienced kickboxers in the UFC and decided it would be a good idea to keep it on the feet in the early going, huh? As much as I respect a man who’s always looking to test himself, in retrospect that doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Sadollah needed to get this fight to the mat, and he should have known that. Instead of making that his primary goal, he went toe-to-toe with “Bang” and only tried for takedowns right after getting rocked, when his lunging attempts were more desperation than technique. That’s exactly the kind of thing people are talking about when they talk about the difference that experience makes. Sadollah hung tough and took his beating like a man, so he’ll likely benefit from this painful little lesson. Let’s just hope he only has to learn it once.
Weirdest Post-Fight Request: Duane Ludwig
You’d think a 33-year-old man would have other things to think about after a big win than getting Joe Rogan’s signature on his MMA doll — sorry, action figure. But hey, we all have our quirks, I suppose. The strangest thing is how quickly he had that thing ready. That means he probably asked one of his cornermen to bring it down to the cage with them, at which point I imagine Trevor Wittman looking at him and fighting the urge to say, ‘You’re a grown man, Duane!’ As for Ludwig’s plea to get the UFC to acknowledge his record for the fastest knockout, there he actually has a good point. Maybe Dana White can send an intern down to the copy shop to print up an official-looking certificate to give him. Then Ludwig can put it in his rec room along with all his autographed MMA dolls action figures. At least he’s a savvy enough collector to keep them in their original packaging, which is more than I can say for a certain host of a certain MMA Hour.
Most Brutal: Donald Cerrone
In case you couldn’t tell, “Cowboy” is just straight-up mean. He has very little regard for the feelings of others, and seems to take immense pleasure in their pain. A lot of people think that’s common among pro fighters, but it really isn’t. Most guys just want to win and dominate. They might even feel a little bad about punishing someone more than necessary. Cerrone? Let’s just say that if the UFC ever goes under, he could find work as a freelance debt collector. Since coming over from the WEC, he seems to have only improved his overall game and even learned to come out of the gates a little quicker. I’m not sure if he’s got all the tools necessary to get to the top in this division, but he certainly has the ability to lay down some beatings and instill fear in some hearts along the way. For now, that’s good enough.
Sharpest Decline: Charles Oliveira
Remember when he was the undefeated whiz kid coming straight outta Brazil? Once he got above the level of the Efrain Escuderos, his ascent stalled. Not that he’s gotten an easy road, mind you. He got thrown in against Jim Miller, which is a tough draw for any lightweight. Then he had the unfortunate (very) illegal knee incident against Nik Lentz, which cost him a win. But against Cerrone he quickly looked like a man who didn’t really want to be in there. Calling time for what was far more of a leg kick than a groin shot should have been the first sign. Crumpling up after that pitiless body shot was the last. There’s no question that he’s got skills, and he’s still young enough for these to be valuable learning experiences, but he needs to grow up in a hurry if he’s going to hang at this level for very long. In case the matchmaking hasn’t already tipped him off, perhaps someone should point out that the UFC doesn’t take it easy on anyone.
Most in Need of a New Weight Class: Joseph Benavidez
Give credit to the Joe-Jitsu master, he’s perfected the art of closing the distance against taller opponents, probably because he’s been doing it his whole career. The fact that he’s been this successful against bigger guys at 135 pounds only strengthens my belief that he’s essentially the de facto champ in the 125-pound division, which exists in the UFC only as a promise at this point. Soon, they say. Soon they’ll gather up the little fellas and start this new weight class. That day can’t come soon enough for Benavidez, who seems like he’d be absolutely dominant if he could ever get the chance to pick on someone his own size.
The sky is not falling. 
UFC on Versus: Hardy vs. Lytle could have been the rarest of events that saw both main event fighters exit the 
You can say this for the UFC’s free fight cards: they’re always worth your money, even if you pay for them by sitting through the same few commercials over and over again.