Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS – Someone must have told Donald Cerrone when Chris Lytle retired, the UFC had a job opening for its Bonus King position.
The “Cowboy” will go after his fourth bonus of 2011 and will tie the UFC’s record for most fights…
LAS VEGAS – Someone must have told Donald Cerrone when Chris Lytle retired, the UFC had a job opening for its Bonus King position.
The “Cowboy” will go after his fourth bonus of 2011 and will tie the UFC’s record for most fights in one calendar year when he meets Nate Diaz at UFC 141. The UFC on Monday afternoon confirmed the lightweight scrap will serve as the co-main event.
UFC 141 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 30, a rare Friday pay-per-view for the UFC to avoid going head-to-head with the New Year’s Eve holiday the following day. Scheduled to headline the card is a heavyweight contenders fight between former UFC champ Brock Lesnar and recent signee Alistair Overeem, the former Strikeforce heavyweight champion who was released from that promotion earlier this year only to sign with the UFC.
Cerrone on Saturday won his sixth straight fight and fourth in the UFC since merging over from the WEC when he submitted Dennis Siver in the first round at UFC 137. Of his four UFC fights so far in 2011, Cerrone has three post-fight bonus awards – one each for Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night, which came against Siver.
Diaz snapped a two-fight losing skid last month when he submitted Takanori Gomi in the first round at UFC 135, winning Submission of the Night. That came after back-to-back decision losses to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125 and Rory MacDonald at UFC 129. Diaz has been nearly as active as Cerrone – he will fight for the fourth time this year.
Cerrone’s bonus money in 2011 totals $215,000. His show and win purse totals out to $174,000 this year. A win and another bonus against Diaz would put him over the half-million mark for the year – not bad for a fighter who last year at this time was winning $10,000 bonuses in the WEC. Diaz has won seven bonuses in his last 11 fights.
The UFC record for non-tournament fights in one calendar is five, currently shared by Roger Huerta in 2007, plus Chris Leben and Nate Diaz’s brother Nick, both in 2006. Assuming no delays in Cerrone’s fight with Nate Diaz in December, he’ll join that small group.
After UFC 137 on Saturday, Cerrone said he wanted to get back in the cage as soon as possible, and even mentioned he’d love to be on the UFC’s December card.
“I want to keep fighting,” Cerrone said at the post-fight press conference. “I don’t want to sit and wait.
Cerrone even mentioned earlier in Fight Week that he was considering a move down to featherweight to fight Nam Phan, whom he believes disrespected his friend and teammate Leonard Garcia following his rematch win over him earlier this month. But that will get put on hold to stay at lightweight to fight Diaz.
Cerrone is currently on a six-fight win streak, including a 4-0 stretch in the Octagon since debuting for the promotion in February. Picking up a fifth UFC victory inside a calendar year would be nearly unprecedented. (I know Roger Huerta did it in 2007; if there any MMA stats masters in the house who can provide other examples, please do so in the comments section.)
(Unless you have your last name and a dog’s face tattooed on your back, you really can’t call yourself “alpha.” / Photo courtesy of Heavy.com/MMA)
Cerrone is currently on a six-fight win streak, including a 4-0 stretch in the Octagon since debuting for the promotion in February. Picking up a fifth UFC victory inside a calendar year would be nearly unprecedented. (I know Roger Huerta did it in 2007; if there any MMA stats masters in the house who can provide other examples, please do so in the comments section.)
As for Nate, the younger Diaz brother last appeared at UFC 135, returning to the lightweight division and submitting Takanori Gomi with an armbar — saving his job in the process. After Cerrone’s recent first-round stoppages over Dennis Siver and Charles Oliveira, a fight against Nate Diaz isn’t necessarily a step up the 155-pound ladder. But it’s clear that being active is more important to Cowboy right now than taking the fights that will set him up for a title shot. Plus, who needs a championship belt when you have lifetime passes to the Professional Bull Riding tour?
Filed under: UFCWhat lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC’s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into…
What lessons can we take away from UFC 135? First, Jon Jones is beginning to run away with the UFC‘s light-heavyweight division. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson admitted several times before and after the fight that he had worked himself into his best shape in years. The man is a former undisputed world champion, and he could barely lay a finger on Jones.
As Jones continues to progress, he learns how to better utilize his numerous gifts and establish his built-in advantages. Jackson loves to throw his hands, so Jones never let him, lengthening his already ridiculous reach with a steady diet of kicks. How do you punch someone you can’t reach? Answer: you can’t.
MMA math is an inexact science, but you can project how Jones will perform against Rashad Evans. While Evans has a more varied game than Jackson and boasts more speed, he’ll have to navigate the same problem with distance (Evans’ reach is 75 inches, just two inches more than Jackson’s).
At least Evans has had plenty of time to prepare. He’s known he was facing the possibility of fighting Jones since August, and he probably thought about the fight long before that. He also has some feeling for things that make Jones uncomfortable, stemming from their brief history of training together.
Still, it’s hard to shake the image of Jones completely outworking two all-time legends back to back. MMA analysis website FightMetric.com independently scores fights based on offensive striking and grappling. Against Rua, Jones won with an effectiveness score of 345-57. Against Jackson, it was 244-28. Even if you don’t know exactly know what those numbers represent, the scores make it clear he’s routing world-class fighters. Can Evans do any better? Well, we’ve never seen Jones fight a real grudge match, and that element can change a fight dynamic for better or worse. Whatever the answer, it’s going to be fun to find out.
Jon Jones
The best kind of fight booking is when one fight leads seamlessly into the next. That’s what we have here. We know Jones will next face Evans, we simply don’t know when. He’ll probably take a least a month or two off, and then the UFC can begin selling one of MMA’s most genuine rivalries. Prediction: Jones faces Evans in February.
Quinton Jackson
Regardless of the outcome, it was nice to see Jackson enter a fight in great shape and give himself the best chance of winning possible. Hopefully the trend continues. There are still several interesting matchups for him, but Jackson has his eye on one or two fights in particular. Prediction: Jackson faces Forrest Griffin in the UFC’s Japan event, expected for February 2012.
Matt Hughes
The two-time welterweight champion turns 38 years old in just a few weeks, and coming off two straight knockout losses, his time is running short. Hughes said he would ask the UFC to put him “on the shelf” while he considers his future, but we already know that his wife doesn’t want him to fight any longer, and Saturday night’s result will only reinforce her opinion. As anyone who’s married knows, you might able to put your wife off for a while, but only for so long. This is probably the end for Mr. Hughes. Happy trails to the legend. Prediction: Hughes calls it quits and stays involved with the UFC in an ambassador type role.
Josh Koscheck
It was a fantastic night for Koscheck after taking the fight on short notice. Now, he faces a bit of an issue. He’s already faced division champion Georges St-Pierre twice, so as long as GSP holds the belt, Koscheck has no chance to get another title match. So his options are either to stay at 170 and continue winning while hoping that someone upsets St-Pierre, or moving up to 185, where he’ll be at a serious size disadvantage. Prediction: Koscheck loves making money, and the bigger, better matchups for him are still at 170. If Diego Sanchez heals in a timely fashion, he’s the pick for a rematch, but if not, how about we send him to the UK to fight Dan Hardy? That sounds fun.
Mark Hunt
With all the hoopla following the Jones-Rampage-Rashad triangle and Matt Hughes’ possible retirement, Mark Hunt’s story got sort of lost. But once upon a time, the UFC tried to pay Hunt to stay home and cut ties. It would have been the easiest payday of his career, but he chose to make his money the old fashioned way. Now a surprising 2-1 in the UFC after beating heavily favored Ben Rothwell, Hunt adds future paydays, all well earned. Prediction: In a battle of kickboxing specialists, Hunt faces Pat Barry in January.
Ben Rothwell
After more than a year on the sidelines, Rothwell has to be terribly disappointed at losing his return bout, but at least he fought through incredible exhaustion and refused to be finished. He’ll certainly get another crack in the octagon, but he needs to make this one count. Prediction: He faces the loser of next month’s Joey Beltran-Stipe Miocic fight early next year.
Travis Browne
Browne didn’t put on the showcase some expected against the durable Brit Rob Broughton, but in the fight game, you have to shrug off an ugly win every now and again. It should still be onward and upward for Browne, who has yet to face defeat in the cage. This time, let’s forget booking the heavyweights in elevation and put him on flat land. Prediction: Browne faces Brendan Schaub.
Nate Diaz
Diaz looks alternately spectacular (striking and jiu-jitsu) and ordinary (wrestling) depending on the opponent in front of him. Until he proves he can stop a takedown though, it’s going to be difficult to project how far he can go. The talent is there, but that one hole needs to be shut, and in the lightweight division, wrestlers are around every corner. Prediction: Diaz faces Jim Miller, a fight that would be off the charts on the intensity scale.
Takanori Gomi
Since coming over to the UFC, Gomi’s had only one flash of his old brilliance when he knocked out Tyson Griffin in April 2010. After losing three of four, the UFC has to be wondering what exactly they have on their hands. Gomi may be a historical great, but right now he’s not bringing the goods. I still think he’ll get one more chance at a winnable fight when the UFC brings the show to Japan. Prediction: Gomi faces Thiago Tavares.
Tim Boetsch
In his second fight since moving down to middleweight, The “Barbarian” again looked strong, giving Nick Ring his first loss. The middleweight division is among the weakest in the UFC, so Boetsch has a chance to make himself a player in short order. Next up should be another fighter riding a win streak. Prediction: Boetsch faces Rousimar Palhares.
It’s time once again to examine your portfolio now that UFC 135 is in the books. Take this opportunity to maximize your ROI by heeding the advice below. Keep reading to find out if you’re sitting on a gold mine or if you need to take that dog to a nice farm where he can roam. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs so lets play another game of Buy, Sell, Hold.
Last night Jonny “Bones” Jones did what no fighter has done since 2007 — successfully defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. (I don’t care what you say, Shogun won that fight!) I know I’m supposed to tell you to “Buy low, sell high”, and Jones is at an all-time high right now. Just know that the champ’s stock is as low as it will ever be for at least the next ten or so years. Crisp, unorthodox striking combined with superb, tactical grappling contained inside a combat vessel in its prime — need I say more?
(Mess with a bull and you’ll get the horns; mess with a Diaz and you’ll get a Stockton Slap.)
It’s time once again to examine your portfolio now that UFC 135 is in the books. Take this opportunity to maximize your ROI by heeding the advice below. Keep reading to find out if you’re sitting on a gold mine or if you need to take that dog to a nice farm where he can roam. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs so lets play another game of Buy, Sell, Hold.
Last night Jonny “Bones” Jones did what no fighter has done since 2007 — successfully defend the UFC light heavyweight championship. (I don’t care what you say, Shogun won that fight!) I know I’m supposed to tell you to “Buy low, sell high”, and Jones is at an all-time high right now. Just know that the champ’s stock is as low as it will ever be for at least the next ten or so years. Crisp, unorthodox striking combined with superb, tactical grappling contained inside a combat vessel in its prime — need I say more?
Gordon Gekko said “Greed is good.” and I’m not about to argue. I want to make more money so I’m telling you to hold Jackson’s stock so I can sell all of mine before you do. The stock market is a brutal mistress. Her cutthroat ways will entice you to slit her throat with the dagger she left in your back. “Rampage” was motivated to get his belt baaaaaaacccckkkk. This we know. Now that he got subbed by a ‘kid’, his ego has shriveled to the size of a testicle plagued by hypogonadism. He’ll fight again and he’ll probably win, but the risk is not worth the reward of being a shareholder.
No one thinks Koscheck is Georges St. Pierre but there is still much money to be made by owning a few hundred shares. Hey, you! Yeah, you. Shut up about KO-ing an aging Matt Hughes already. There’s more to the MMA stock market than just buying based on who the fighter beat. Kos is one of the biggest ****heads in the UFC, nay, the entire MMA world. Fans love to hate this trash talkin’ kid and would give you their last dollar just to see the possibility of him him getting his face smashed in again. This is why you buy.
Sun-Tzu once said, “If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate.” Despite his desire to fight again, the counsel has spoken — dude needs to hang up his gloves. He may not be able to ride off into the sunset, but he should ride nonetheless. We’ll remember him for being one of the most dominant champions in UFC history and we’ll give him a call if we need any help choosing a new John Deere.
Based on the level of competition Browne has faced in the heavyweight division; don’t make any moves just yet. Despite his winded performance down the stretch in Denver, he’s a sleeping giant who may be able to make some noise in the years to come. This is one gamble that won’t disappoint.
This $6.00 stock could be sold for $20.00 before 2012 is over. All the marks on the street are selling because the Stockton native lost two of his last three fights and some are convinced that he won’t ever be able to reach that next level. Diaz put on a fantastic fireworks display against “The Fireball Kid” Saturday night, which leads me to believe he’s determined to make the necessary changes to become an elite fighter. He’s got the right coach and the right game plan. There is bank to be made in the 209.
You can’t right the sinking ship that is Takanori Gomi. The ill-fated JMMA star is one lucky punch away from going 0-4 inside the Octagon. The sport kept evolving and Gomi did not, which proves that this is the mangiest, ugliest dog on the market today. It’s so bad that the balance sheet can only be handled with a scooper and a plastic bag.
Heavyweights not named JDS, Velasquez, Overeem, Lesnar, Barnett or Mir (or Browne): Sell, Sell, Sell
Lack of cardio, or any real skills for that matter, left a bad taste in my mouth after watching yet another performance by the Spare Tires. I’ve had it! From here on out I command you to treat heavyweights like the ex-girlfriend who dumped you and upgraded to a guy who owns a Lexus and has a time share in Bora Bora. You should diversify your portfolio in order to maximize your net gains, but that doesn’t mean you have to put an egg in every basket.
It’s not often we see a TUF winner look impressive in victory. Ferguson has made significant progress in the standup department and appears to be on the right track. It will be interesting to see who the UFC pairs him up with next, following his jaw-breaking TKO win over Aaron Riley. Will Ferguson stay at lightweight or jump back up to 170? Either way, I’m more than happy to get in now while he’s still a Penny Stock. You’d be wise to do the same so we can all enjoy the fruits of his labor for years to come.
In the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.
I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.
But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.
Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.
Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.
Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.
Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.
Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?
Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.
In the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.
I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.
But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.
Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.
Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.
Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.
Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.
Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?
Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.
Nate Diaz was clearly in a win or go home situation heading into UFC 135. Winning only three times in your past eight fights won’t exactly get you on Dana White’s good side. Especially when your brother is Nick Diaz. Fortunately for Nate, he easily locked in a fight ending armbar in the first round against Takanori Gomi. The 75 grand he pocketed for Submission of the Night honors? Just icing on the cake where he’s from, homie.
The only other fight on the card to end in submission, Jon Jones’ rear naked choke against of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, took home Fight of the Night honors. There really isn’t much else to say about this one, save for a sarcastic comment about how Rothwell vs. Hunt was far more deserving of FOTN honors. But you guys have higher expectations of us than that. Also, Josh Koscheck’s first round knockout over “K1 Hughes” earned him Knockout of the Night honors. This fight marks the fifth time in Koscheck’s career that he’s taken an end of the night bonus from the UFC, and also the second time he’s taken home KOTN honors. He also won Knockout of the Night for his performance against Yoshiyuki Yoshida back at UFC: Fight for the Troops in 2008.
Nate Diaz was clearly in a win or go home situation heading into UFC 135. Winning only three times in your past eight fights won’t exactly get you on Dana White’s good side. Especially when your brother is Nick Diaz. Fortunately for Nate, he easily locked in a fight ending armbar in the first round against Takanori Gomi. The 75 grand he pocketed for Submission of the Night honors? Just icing on the cake where he’s from, homie.
The only other fight on the card to end in submission, Jon Jones’ rear naked choke against of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, took home Fight of the Night honors. There really isn’t much else to say about this one, save for a sarcastic comment about how Rothwell vs. Hunt was far more deserving of FOTN honors. But you guys have higher expectations of us than that. Also, Josh Koscheck’s first round knockout over “K1 Hughes” earned him Knockout of the Night honors. This fight marks the fifth time in Koscheck’s career that he’s taken an end of the night bonus from the UFC, and also the second time he’s taken home KOTN honors. He also won Knockout of the Night for his performance against Yoshiyuki Yoshida back at UFC: Fight for the Troops in 2008.
LAS VEGAS – Someone must have told Donald Cerrone when Chris Lytle retired, the UFC had a job opening for its Bonus King position. 
What lessons can we take away from 
In the 
