(We know, Urijah. Sometimes we spend an entire hour working on a blog post, and our browser decides to crash just as we’re finishing it up, and when we go back into the CMS the post has completely vanished and we’re struck with that feeling of pure disappointment and frustration, knowing that we have to do it all over again. So, yeah, we can totally relate. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)
UFC 132 was as bizarre as it was thrilling. Now that we’ve wrapped our heads around it for the most part, it’s time to look ahead and see if we can think up some future matchups for Saturday’s notable winners and losers. Let us know how you feel in the comments section — and hey, happy 4th of July!
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber: Immediate rubber match. It’s not the most essential of immediate rematches, but the fight was close enough to warrant it, and there’s really no bantamweight contender right now who deserves it more than Faber. Brian Bowles thinks he’s the guy, but I can’t forget that two fights ago he was beaten up by Dominick Cruz worse than anybody’s been beaten up by Dominick Cruz, ever.
The other name being thrown around in the aftermath of UFC 132 is Demetrious Johnson, who’s coming off decision wins over Miguel Torres and Kid Yamamoto. Impressive? Of course. Still, Johnson has never been on the main card of a UFC event, and promoting him as a headliner could be a tough sell. Give Mighty Mouse one more fight to establish himself — or hurry up and create that long-rumored flyweight division so the diminutive Johnson can dominate there.
Chris Leben: There’s no limit to the brawling abilities of a sugar-free Cat Smasher. Leben vs. Wandy was a bit of a stunt-fight, and now that Leben has emerged victorious, he should return to a more conventional contender track. The first name that comes to mind is Mark Munoz, who’s riding a three-fight win streak, most recently outpointing Demian Maia last month at UFC 131 — although Vitor Belfort could also be a great matchup for Leben, as long as the Phenom can get past Yoshihiro Akiyama next month in Philadelphia.
(We know, Urijah. Sometimes we spend an entire hour working on a blog post, and our browser decides to crash just as we’re finishing it up, and when we go back into the CMS the post has completely vanished and we’re struck with that feeling of pure disappointment and frustration, knowing that we have to do it all over again. So, yeah, we can totally relate. / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting)
UFC 132 was as bizarre as it was thrilling. Now that we’ve wrapped our heads around it for the most part, it’s time to look ahead and see if we can think up some future matchups for Saturday’s notable winners and losers. Let us know how you feel in the comments section — and hey, happy 4th of July!
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber: Immediate rubber match. It’s not the most essential of immediate rematches, but the fight was close enough to warrant it, and there’s really no bantamweight contender right now who deserves it more than Faber. Brian Bowles thinks he’s the guy, but I can’t forget that two fights ago he was beaten up by Dominick Cruz worse than anybody’s been beaten up by Dominick Cruz, ever.
The other name being thrown around in the aftermath of UFC 132 is Demetrious Johnson, who’s coming off decision wins over Miguel Torres and Kid Yamamoto. Impressive? Of course. Still, Johnson has never been on the main card of a UFC event, and promoting him as a headliner could be a tough sell. Give Mighty Mouse one more fight to establish himself — or hurry up and create that long-rumored flyweight division so the diminutive Johnson can dominate there.
Chris Leben: There’s no limit to the brawling abilities of a sugar-free Cat Smasher. Leben vs. Wandy was a bit of a stunt-fight, and now that Leben has emerged victorious, he should return to a more conventional contender track. The first name that comes to mind is Mark Munoz, who’s riding a three-fight win streak, most recently outpointing Demian Maia last month at UFC 131 — although Vitor Belfort could also be a great matchup for Leben, as long as the Phenom can get past Yoshihiro Akiyama next month in Philadelphia.
Wanderlei Silva: It sounds like Dana wants to retire him. I say, fuck that. Silva and Chael Sonnen have already laid so muchtrash-talkgroundwork, it would be a shame if that fight didn’t happen as Sonnen’s post-suspension return. Do it for Brazil’s honor, Wanderlei.
Tito Ortiz: And so, the Huntington Beach Bad Boy has secured his employment for at least one more fight. I’m sure he’s already hounding Dana for a title shot, but I’d like to see Ortiz against someone else on Bader’s level just to get a sense of how “back” Tito really is. UFC 133 presents two interesting possibilities: Rich Franklin if he beats Lil’ Nog, or Phil Davis if he beats Rashad Evans. And if fate conspires to nix those options? There’s always Mauricio Rua, no matter how he does against Forrest Griffin in Rio.
Ryan Bader: Jesus, who knows. A TUF 8 reunion match against the streaking Kyle Kingsbury? Whatever.
Carlos Condit: Due to timing, Condit might have to fight again before getting his first crack at the UFC welterweight title, which is just as well, considering Dong Hyun Kim wasn’t one of those dudes being discussed as an imminent title contender. The winner of Jake vs. Jake would make sense, but I’d much rather see Condit go three wild-ass rounds against Diego Sanchez, assuming the DreamNightmare Vision can slice through Matt Hughes at UFC 135.
Melvin Guillard: I’m thinking Clay Guida. The logjam at 155 isn’t going to clear up until 1) the Edgar/Maynard trilogy concludes, and 2) Jim Miller fights Ben Henderson next month in Milwaukee, but in the meantime, Guillard vs. Guida will go a long way in determining who’s really at the top of the food chain. Both of these guys have looked like future champs lately, and you know they go hard. If Guillard can’t avoid being blanketed for three rounds, he doesn’t deserve to think of himself as the world’s #1 lightweight in the first place.
(BG)
Got any other suggestions for UFC 132′s fighters? Let us know in the comments section…
At least one career was salvaged at UFC 132, while another may have come to an end. Both contributed greatly to a memorable night in Las Vegas, where two little guys showed just how badly they wanted to go home with a hunk of leather and metal.
Now that it’s all over and we’ve got the obligatory 4th of July hot dogs sizzling on the grill, let’s take a minute to sort through this weekend’s biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Tito Ortiz
If you’d asked me on Friday, I would have told you the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” would be retired by now. No matter what he says, you know he must have considered that possibility as well in some of his darker moments. But not only did he come out on top in his must-win fight, he looked dominant in his submission win over Ryan Bader. The last person Ortiz submitted was Yuki Kondo. He did it back in 2000 and he did it with a neck crank, both of which tell you a little something about how long Ortiz has been in the game. Thanks to the win, Ortiz gets to stick around a little while longer. Whether it’s the beginning of a genuine comeback or just a temporary stay of execution, only time will tell.
Biggest Loser: Wanderlei Silva
Another attempt to brawl results in another frightening knockout. Silva has taken too many of these sorts of beatings lately, and each one is harder to watch than the last. Some people will point to last year’s win over Michael Bisping as proof that he doesn’t need to retire, and sure, it does seem unfair to point to one knockout loss to Leben as proof that the man is done. At the same time, Silva’s losses aren’t like Ortiz’s string of fairly close decisions. He’s getting knocked all the way out, and his fighting style isn’t evolving to protect his increasingly suspect chin. After 15 years in the sport, Silva can walk away with his head up whenever he feels like it. Let’s just hope he feels like before something happens to him that can’t be undone.
Best Removal of a Monkey from One’s Own Back: Dominick Cruz
He said he was ready for questions about his submission loss to Faber to stop for good, and with this win he’ll finally get his wish. You can argue the scoring, but I don’t think you can argue the outcome. Cruz simply did more than Faber, even if he did get dropped a time or two. His speed and his well-rounded attack is going to be a problem for anybody in the division, and now that he’s vanquished Faber he can move on to other challenges. At least until Faber wins a couple and starts asking for a rubber match. Then we can do this all over again.
Most Vicious: (tie) Carlos Condit and Melvin Guillard
Remember back when the one thing we all knew about Greg Jackson’s fighters was that they played it too safe and never finished fights? No, not ringing any bells? Maybe it’s because that bit of conventional wisdom just got kneed in its face until it was utterly unrecognizable. These two Jackson camp fighters dispatched their respective opponents with terrifying ferocity and efficiency on Saturday night. I’m not sure what you do with either right now, since both are probably worthy of title shots, and yet neither is next in line in his division at the moment. Neither Condit or Guillard seem like the type to wait around until things sort themselves out, which is bad news for every other contender. Chances are, the path to a title shot at both lightweight and welterweight will run through these two.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Urijah Faber
Personally, I scored it for Cruz (though I didn’t give him every round, as one judge did), but Faber made it damn close. He came up with a better answer to Cruz’s difficult style than anyone else the UFC bantamweight champ has ever fought, and even if he came up short in the end he still put on a fantastic show. It’s the fourth consecutive title fight that Faber has lost, which puts him in a tough spot. As we saw on Saturday, he’s still one of the best fighters in the world at 135 pounds, but what can you do with him at this point? The UFC can’t just keep booking Cruz-Faber over and over, and yet Faber is still far above gatekeeper level. That’s going to be a tough one for matchmaker Joe Silva to figure out, but you know he’ll come up with something. He always does.
Least Impressive in Victory: Aaron Simpson
He spent fifteen minutes trying to force Brad Tavares to mate with a section of chain-link fencing, and while he got his hand raised at the end, he didn’t make many new fans. If there’s anything the UFC likes less than lay-and-pray, it’s wall-and-stall. At least get the guy to the mat before you suffocate any hope for action out of the fight. Simpson didn’t even do that. He clung to Tavares as if he knew that victory would be his as long as he could make sure nothing actually happened between the bells. The real bummer is, he was right.
Best Display of Angry, Shirtless Speed-Walking: Matt Wiman
I get it, he was upset. He thought he deserved the decision win over Dennis Siver, and when he didn’t get it his disappointment/rage got the better of him. Maybe it was best for him to go find a quiet place to be alone with his anger right then. But at the same time, it’s not like he was robbed by the judges. It was an incredibly close fight and it could have easily gone either way. When you’re standing there waiting for the scores to be announced after a fight like that, you have to know there’s at least a chance that you’re not going to like what you hear. Not that I necessarily blame him for taking off like a man who just remembered that he left the stove on at home. Everyone hates losing. And wearing shirts.
Most Likely to Win More Bar Fights Than Championships: Chris Leben
He’s never been the most technical of strikers, but more often than not he gets the job done. Against Silva he proved that his left hand is still as dangerous as ever, though that’s true of most fighters when their opponents zombie-walk right into it. At this point in his career, Leben’s appeal is pretty well solidified. He won’t win ’em all, but he will do his best to make sure that somebody loses consciousness by the end of the night. There’s definitely a place for that on UFC cards, even if that place is probably not in the main event most of the time. You’re not going to become a UFC champion throwing haymakers and eschewing defense the way Leben does, but you can collect enough paychecks to keep you in gummi bears for years to come. And really, what else do you need in life?
The referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
UFC 132 Photos
Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
At least one career was salvaged at UFC 132, while another may have come to an end. Both contributed greatly to a memorable night in Las Vegas, where two little guys showed just how badly they wanted to go home with a hunk of leather and metal.
Now that it’s all over and we’ve got the obligatory 4th of July hot dogs sizzling on the grill, let’s take a minute to sort through this weekend’s biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Tito Ortiz
If you’d asked me on Friday, I would have told you the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” would be retired by now. No matter what he says, you know he must have considered that possibility as well in some of his darker moments. But not only did he come out on top in his must-win fight, he looked dominant in his submission win over Ryan Bader. The last person Ortiz submitted was Yuki Kondo. He did it back in 2000 and he did it with a neck crank, both of which tell you a little something about how long Ortiz has been in the game. Thanks to the win, Ortiz gets to stick around a little while longer. Whether it’s the beginning of a genuine comeback or just a temporary stay of execution, only time will tell.
Biggest Loser: Wanderlei Silva
Another attempt to brawl results in another frightening knockout. Silva has taken too many of these sorts of beatings lately, and each one is harder to watch than the last. Some people will point to last year’s win over Michael Bisping as proof that he doesn’t need to retire, and sure, it does seem unfair to point to one knockout loss to Leben as proof that the man is done. At the same time, Silva’s losses aren’t like Ortiz’s string of fairly close decisions. He’s getting knocked all the way out, and his fighting style isn’t evolving to protect his increasingly suspect chin. After 15 years in the sport, Silva can walk away with his head up whenever he feels like it. Let’s just hope he feels like before something happens to him that can’t be undone.
Best Removal of a Monkey from One’s Own Back: Dominick Cruz
He said he was ready for questions about his submission loss to Faber to stop for good, and with this win he’ll finally get his wish. You can argue the scoring, but I don’t think you can argue the outcome. Cruz simply did more than Faber, even if he did get dropped a time or two. His speed and his well-rounded attack is going to be a problem for anybody in the division, and now that he’s vanquished Faber he can move on to other challenges. At least until Faber wins a couple and starts asking for a rubber match. Then we can do this all over again.
Most Vicious: (tie) Carlos Condit and Melvin Guillard
Remember back when the one thing we all knew about Greg Jackson’s fighters was that they played it too safe and never finished fights? No, not ringing any bells? Maybe it’s because that bit of conventional wisdom just got kneed in its face until it was utterly unrecognizable. These two Jackson camp fighters dispatched their respective opponents with terrifying ferocity and efficiency on Saturday night. I’m not sure what you do with either right now, since both are probably worthy of title shots, and yet neither is next in line in his division at the moment. Neither Condit or Guillard seem like the type to wait around until things sort themselves out, which is bad news for every other contender. Chances are, the path to a title shot at both lightweight and welterweight will run through these two.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Urijah Faber
Personally, I scored it for Cruz (though I didn’t give him every round, as one judge did), but Faber made it damn close. He came up with a better answer to Cruz’s difficult style than anyone else the UFC bantamweight champ has ever fought, and even if he came up short in the end he still put on a fantastic show. It’s the fourth consecutive title fight that Faber has lost, which puts him in a tough spot. As we saw on Saturday, he’s still one of the best fighters in the world at 135 pounds, but what can you do with him at this point? The UFC can’t just keep booking Cruz-Faber over and over, and yet Faber is still far above gatekeeper level. That’s going to be a tough one for matchmaker Joe Silva to figure out, but you know he’ll come up with something. He always does.
Least Impressive in Victory: Aaron Simpson
He spent fifteen minutes trying to force Brad Tavares to mate with a section of chain-link fencing, and while he got his hand raised at the end, he didn’t make many new fans. If there’s anything the UFC likes less than lay-and-pray, it’s wall-and-stall. At least get the guy to the mat before you suffocate any hope for action out of the fight. Simpson didn’t even do that. He clung to Tavares as if he knew that victory would be his as long as he could make sure nothing actually happened between the bells. The real bummer is, he was right.
Best Display of Angry, Shirtless Speed-Walking: Matt Wiman
I get it, he was upset. He thought he deserved the decision win over Dennis Siver, and when he didn’t get it his disappointment/rage got the better of him. Maybe it was best for him to go find a quiet place to be alone with his anger right then. But at the same time, it’s not like he was robbed by the judges. It was an incredibly close fight and it could have easily gone either way. When you’re standing there waiting for the scores to be announced after a fight like that, you have to know there’s at least a chance that you’re not going to like what you hear. Not that I necessarily blame him for taking off like a man who just remembered that he left the stove on at home. Everyone hates losing. And wearing shirts.
Most Likely to Win More Bar Fights Than Championships: Chris Leben
He’s never been the most technical of strikers, but more often than not he gets the job done. Against Silva he proved that his left hand is still as dangerous as ever, though that’s true of most fighters when their opponents zombie-walk right into it. At this point in his career, Leben’s appeal is pretty well solidified. He won’t win ’em all, but he will do his best to make sure that somebody loses consciousness by the end of the night. There’s definitely a place for that on UFC cards, even if that place is probably not in the main event most of the time. You’re not going to become a UFC champion throwing haymakers and eschewing defense the way Leben does, but you can collect enough paychecks to keep you in gummi bears for years to come. And really, what else do you need in life?
The referee checks on Wanderlei Silva after his knockout loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
UFC 132 Photos
Urijah Faber knees Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout at UFC 132 on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The UFC may have a new lightweight title contender in the form of former The Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant Melvin Guillard. Guillard convincingly crushed the always tough Shane Roller last night at UFC 132, earning his fifth straight fight in the Oc…
The UFC may have a new lightweight title contender in the form of former The Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant Melvin Guillard. Guillard convincingly crushed the always tough Shane Roller last night at UFC 132, earning his fifth straight fight in the Octagon.
As the Louisiana-native works closer to a title shot, it’s wise to examine what his chances truly are against the division’s top to fighters—Gray Maynard and champion Frankie Edgar—who are expected to fight for the third time this fall.
As was pointed out tonight by the commentary team of Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg and later elaborated on by Melvin himself, Guillard is a crazy-talented fighter who could do some serious damage at 155-pounds.
Here are the top five reasons why the 28-year-old lightweight is a bad matchup for anyone in the division.
At UFC 132, Melvin Guillard handled another opponent with ease when he knocked out Shane Roller. Guillard has now won his fifth straight fight, and is hoping to face better competition. At last night’s post-fight press conference, Guillard c…
At UFC 132, Melvin Guillard handled another opponent with ease when he knocked out Shane Roller.
Guillard has now won his fifth straight fight, and is hoping to face better competition.
At last night’s post-fight press conference, Guillard called out Jim Miller.
Is Guillard ready for a step up in competition? Here are four fights that could test him.
Biggest Winner: Tito Ortiz/Melvin GuillardTito Ortiz was by far the biggest winner from UFC 132. With a first round submission over Ryan Bader, Ortiz answered all the critics in a big way, myself included, saving his UFC career with the win.How did Ort…
Biggest Winner: Tito Ortiz/Melvin Guillard
Tito Ortiz was by far the biggest winner from UFC 132. With a first round submission over Ryan Bader, Ortiz answered all the critics in a big way, myself included, saving his UFC career with the win.
How did Ortiz do it? It all started with a crisp right hand to the jaw of Bader, which sent him to the mat with Ortiz eventually sinking in the guillotine choke at 1:56 of the first round.
Where does this put Ortiz now?
Fans may see Ortiz against the winner of Franklin vs Lil Nog, though I’d personally like to see more integration of the Strikeforce merger, with Ortiz matching up against “King” Mo Lawal.
I also have Melvin Guillard as an option 1a for biggest winner award. He showed his power yet again against tough as nails Shane Roller, and his stock probably rose the most out of any fighter on tonight’s card.
Guillard has made it known prior to his fight against Roller that Jim Miller was the fight he wanted. That fight is more of a possibility now that Guillard dominated Roller at UFC 132.
Biggest Loser: Ryan Bader/Wanderlei Silva
Ryan Bader’s stock dropped moderately with his loss against Jon Jones at UFC 126, but it has fallen off the radar after his loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 132. Bader has now lost his last two in a row, and will likely take a little time off before facing a much lower ranked fighter likely.
I also feel that Wanderlei Silva was on the cusp of enjoying his 35th birthday tomorrow, but after slightly wobbling Leben, he found himself face down on the mat instead. He’s heading on the downside of his career, but it will be interesting to see who the UFC will match Wandy up against next.
At least one career was salvaged at 
Biggest Winner: Tito Ortiz/Melvin Guillard
