Although Stipe Miocic‘s quick knockout of previously undefeated heavyweight Philip De Fries may have netted him the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, our pick for sweetest KO went to Jonathan Brookins, who proved that not every Brazilian has the femur mangling leglock ability of Rousimar Palhares when he ground-and-pounded Vagner Rocha into oblivion inside the first two minutes of their preliminary card match-up. Not many of us knew what to make of Brookins after he dropped a UD to Eric Koch back in September of 2011. The fight proved that Brookins’ wrestling could in fact be thwarted, and that his striking had not made the leaps and bounds it needed to in order to balance things out. Last night’s fight was made to be a test of both.
Well, if anyone is still doubting the power in Brookins’ hands, they should probably shut right the hell up. Brookins did what Donald Cerrone, or any of Rocha’s previous opponents for that matter, couldn’t, and shut off his light switch with a series of increasingly punishing strikes before the ref managed to step in. To be honest, it was kind of scary to see that someone as docile and plain daffy as Brookins had the capacity for such brutality. And just as Brookins resembles the missing evolutionary link between man and ape, he was able to evolve in his own right, to connect one of the missing links in his game, and should be applauded for it. Not only did his knockout save a Facebook card that was luke warm at best to begin with, it made up for the fact that the Loeffler/Roberts match was cancelled after Loeffler rolled his ankle in the pre-fight warm up. Talk about shit luck.
Although Stipe Miocic‘s quick knockout of previously undefeated heavyweight Philip De Fries may have netted him the $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, our pick for sweetest KO went to Jonathan Brookins, who proved that not every Brazilian has the femur mangling leglock ability of Rousimar Palhares when he ground-and-pounded Vagner Rocha into oblivion inside the first two minutes of their preliminary card match-up. Not many of us knew what to make of Brookins after he dropped a UD to Eric Koch back in September of 2011. The fight proved that Brookins’ wrestling could in fact be thwarted, and that his striking had not made the leaps and bounds it needed to in order to balance things out. Last night’s fight was made to be a test of both.
Well, if anyone is still doubting the power in Brookins’ hands, they should probably shut right the hell up. Brookins did what Donald Cerrone, or any of Rocha’s previous opponents for that matter, couldn’t, and shut off his light switch with a series of increasingly punishing strikes before the ref managed to step in. To be honest, it was kind of scary to see that someone as docile and plain daffy as Brookins had the capacity for such brutality. And just as Brookins resembles the missing evolutionary link between man and ape, he was able to evolve in his own right, to connect one of the missing links in his game, and should be applauded for it. Not only did his knockout save a Facebook card that was luke warm at best to begin with, it made up for the fact that the Loeffler/Roberts match was cancelled after Loeffler rolled his ankle in the pre-fight warm up. Talk about shit luck.
Ivan Menjivar and TUF 14′sJohn Albert kicked off the main card by engaging in one of the wildest back and forth rounds that you will see this year, trading punches, kicks, knees, and submissions at an astonishing rate. A tip of the hat is also due to Albert for having the gusto to attack Menjivar in the fashion he did, going for omaplatas, heel hooks, and triangle/armbar variations on the more experienced grappler at every opportunity. That said, it appears his submission defense is not quite up to par with that of his offense. Albert had Menjivar on the defensive following a left hook/head kick combo, and looked like he would finish “The Pride of El Salvador” with a barrage of knees, one of which was blatantly illegal. But he made a huge mistake when he went for that guillotine, which gave Menjivar all the space he needed to flip the script and put Albert on his back, a shift in momentum that would lead to the the fight ending rear-naked choke, and a $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus for Menjivar. We would call it a rookie mistake by Albert, but even the most seasoned of veterans have made it.
I see I forgot to mention in the first aftermath piece that Sanchez/Ellenberger took FOTN. Fifty large could buy Diego that Coronado’s cross he’s always wanted, if only it didn’t BELONG IN A MUSEUM!!
Following the Menjivar/Albert match, TUF 14 bantamweight runner-up T.J. Dillashaw used his superior grappling prowess to grind out a unanimous decision over the lengthy Walel Watson. From the opening bell, it was pretty evident that Dillashaw wanted nothing to do with Watson’s striking game, and considering the manner in which he lost to John Dodson, this seemed understandable. Threatening with a rear-naked choke on several occasions throughout the first round, Dillashaw continued to take Watson down at will over the next two, utterly dominating him and walking away with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-26 unanimous decision.
Speaking of numbers, one thing we would like to compliment the UFC on was their usage of the strike counting graphic that would pop out of the clock every so often. It gives you something to consider when personally judging each fight, and in our opinion, will help casual fans gain an appreciation for one aspect of the ground game. So touche, UFC. Touche.
Oh yeah, and Ronny Markes had a successful middleweight debut, managing to overcome being nearly finished in the first round to out grapple Aaron Simpson and snag a split decision victory. With the win, Markes improves to 2-0 in the octagon and is now the biggest middleweight since Anthony Johnson.
(Remember, the winner of this fight becomes the #2 contender for the UFC Intercontinental Temporary Welterweight Championship of the Midwest. So you’d better believe that Thiago Alves will be watching this one with great interest. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Tonight, the UFC will air their first-ever live fight card on FUEL TV — or so they say. Like most Americans, I don’t have the channel in my cable package, so I’m pretty much taking them for their word here. Luckily, our new liveblogger/boxing-analyst friend Steve Silvermandoes get the channel, and he’ll be handling play-by-play for the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.
“UFC on FUEL 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” results await you after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, guys.
(Remember, the winner of this fight becomes the #2 contender for the UFC Intercontinental Temporary Welterweight Championship of the Midwest. So you’d better believe that Thiago Alves will be watching this one with great interest. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Tonight, the UFC will air their first-ever live fight card on FUEL TV — or so they say. Like most Americans, I don’t have the channel in my cable package, so I’m pretty much taking them for their word here. Luckily, our new liveblogger/boxing-analyst friend Steve Silvermandoes get the channel, and he’ll be handling play-by-play for the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.
“UFC on FUEL 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger” results await you after the jump. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, guys.
We should have a great night here with Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez headlining the night. We’ll have plenty of action prior to that fight… Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert gets us started…
Menjivar is more experienced and he appears to have an edge. Menjivar is a solid striker and an excellent grappler…
You have to like Jon Anik and Kenny Florian announcing the fight. Any time you don’t have to listen to that boob Mauro Ranallo it’s a good listen
Round 1
Menjivar with a big overhand right to start but Albert blocks i. Albert with some good counters and quick knees…
Albert with an arm bar and Menivar is throwing hammers to the head…Menjivar with a footlock, while Albert has a heel lock…
Big kick by Albert has Menjivar in trouble. Menjivar trying to cover and he survives… Menjivar pounding Albert. He has his back. Rear naked choke and Menjivar wins.
This was a great one-round fight. Menjivar was in trouble but he just started pounding away and got on top of Albert’s back. He got the choke in and Albert had to tap out. Experience and toughness won this one for Menjivar….
Fight No. 2…. T.J. Dillashaw (4-1) vs Walel Watson (9-3) coming up next…
Both Dillashaw and Watson are strong wrestlers, but Dillashaw should be more comfortable throwing punches. That should give him an advantage at the start …
Dillashaw’s greatest asset may be his mean streak…he’ll try to get off to a quick start. Watson with a big reach advantage… 7 inches…
Dillashaw with a jumping righ hand and then goes for the single leg takedown…throws Watson down…
Watson is on his back but he looks comfortable. Dillashaw trying throw bombs but Watson uses his long arms to block them. Dillashaw has Watson’s back…
He tried to get in a rear naked choke. Dillashaw has been pounding away and he has Watson’s back. Trying to choke him out but Watson escapes.
Dillashaw remains in control. He looks like he is stronter than Watson and more accomplished. Watson is defending but he can’t mount his own attack. Big punches from Dillashaw and Watson has now answer. The first round is all Dillashaw but Watson survives and will fight a second round.
Round 2…
Big right hnd by Dillashaw to start and that hurt Watson. Dillashaw once again on top. Good wrestling and jiu jitsu allows him to mount a confident attack…
Dillashaw is not letting Watson get in anything. It seems all Watson can do is defend. He has not been able to get in a submission hold.
Dillashaw is getting in hammer fists and is hurting Watson. He is not really defending, just covering up…He has a deep choke on Watson, but Watson gets out. He is pounding Watson’s head once he stops choking him…
Watson is getting pounded in this fight and has had virtually no offense.Big right hand at the end of the round. This is a schoolyard whipping for Dillashaw but the fight moves on to round three.
Round 3…
Watson has some energy and comes out with a big kick, but it misses… Big right hand form Dillashaw and both sitll standing… Watson is much bigger, but much slower. Dillashaw with control on the ground again.
This time Watson escapes but still can’t attack. Finally Watson gets in a jumping knee, but it does not do much damage. Watson gets his legs around Dillashaw but he escapes.
Watson gets a heel hook and Dillashaw gets out… Watson doing much better in third round…
Dillashaw trying to get in choke, but Watson won’t let him secure it.
Final seconds of fight and Dillashaw is pounding away. This fight is over and Dillashaw has to be clear winner. Waiting for official decision.
And the winner is … Dillashaw by unanimous decision.
The next bout is Stipe Miocic (7-0) vs Philip De Fries (8-0 1 NC)
Miocic is a big-time striker while De Fries is more of a grappler. Miocic is a big-time hitter and may have an advantage. Good to see heavyweights go at it.
De Fries is going to have to defend against some heavy punches. If he can’t, he will have a hard time getting control and putting in a submission hold. …
Round 1…
Miocic looks stronger and in better shape as fight begins. De Fries lands a couple of rights to start….
Miocic gets in there and starts pounding with right hand and the fight is stopped. DeFries gets pounded…
Miocic has great power and the straight right hand hurts De Fries. He can’t defend himself and this fight is over in seconds.
The official time is 43 seconds and Miocic wins by a knockout.
Get ready for the next fight:
Aaron Simpson (11-2) vs Ronny Markes (12-1)
A couple of tough middleweights… Simpson has the edge in experience and should have an advantage if this one goes the distance…
Simpson is 14 years older, but you don’t get the feeling that he will wear down. He looks meaner and tougher…. off they go.
Markes attacks right off the jump.. They are clinching along the cage…and ref is pushing them for more action…
Simpson looks for opening but Markes responsds with combinations…Simpson hits him with an uppercut and starts pounding….
Simpson throwing elbows and Markes tries to get his wits about him…ref stands up Markes… and he’s a bit wobbly….both punching and Markes has survived. Wrestling along cag in final second of round 1. Give round 1 to Simpson….
Round 2….
Does Markes have the ability to take a solid punch? It’s questionable. But Markes has strong leg and is creating a problem for Simpson…
They are standing up int he middle, each man looking for and opening. Markes misses a left hook but lands an elbow…Simpson with a power left leg and tries for an overhand right, but Marks avoids the full force…
Markes has right underhook and delivers a right elbow. Markes with a takedown…Simpson gets back up after he was in a bad position… pretty even second round….
Round 3
Simposn looking to throw that big right hand. Wants to find an opening. Markes is strong but he’s not as quik when throwing punches. Markes trying to stomp Simpson …. and they break.
Markes is being much more aggressive and moving forward. Markes trying to work inside trip…another break and they go back to center. Simpson lands punch, Markes with kick.
Simpson slips and Markes gains control. Markes with double leg takedown…this one is close as we go to a decision.
The official results… Markes wins by split decision. It is not popular among Nebraska fans….
Solid comeback for Markes who was much better defensively after first round.
In the next fight we will see Stefan Struve (22-5) vs Dave Herman (21-2)
These two heavyweights should put on quite a show. The 6-11 Struve has a huge reach but a suspect chin; Herman has a strong chin and tremendous power. Struve is going to have to find a way to survive the first round.
Struve outweighs Herman by 22 pounds and has a 6-inch height advantage…
Herman rocking a beard…. Struve with a right roundhouse kick…Herman with combination… No advantage in first 1:30….
Herman finding the range. Struve is not aggressive. Not throwing that long left. Big right from Struve followed by left kick from Herman…Big right hand from Herman but he can’t throw a combination. Struve is cautious. Struve misses right hand and Herman with body shot. Right overhand punch by Herman. Feeling out first round, slight edge ot Herman.
Round 2…
Combination by Herman. Struve on ground and then an escape and back on his feet. Herman getting a bit closer. Struve with a big kick and that had to hurt. Left uppercut by Herman and Struve with a left hook. Struve is starting to get a bit more aggressive. Stuve appears to have hurt Herman.
Herman has a mouse under his eye. Uppercut sends Herman down. He is getting hammered by Struve. Struve wins by TKO….
The official time is 3:52 of the second round as Skyscraper Struve asserts himself and pounds Herman in the end. He appeared much more confident in second round…
Coming up… the main event… Diego Sanchez (23-4) vs Jake Ellenberger (26-5)
Ellenberger is a top wrestler with knockout punching power; Sanchez is relentless and wants to take it to the ground….
With fight in Ellenberger’s hometown of Omaha, he could have an edge if it goes to a decision…
Round 1
Ellenberger throwing punches and Sanchez looking for an opening. Feeling each other out at the start. Good right by Ellenberger.
Ellenberger moving forward, throwing wide punches but not landing solidly. Knee by Ellenberger on chin of Sanchez. Sanchez charges in and lands; counter knee by Ellenberger.
Both fighters with flurries. Crowd chanting “Jake, Jake…”. Ellenberger with the knockdown and Sanchez gets up. Big punch seems to hurt Sanchez but does not slow him down…First round goes to Ellenberger.
Round 2
Sanchez’s corner working on his nose and it may be broken. Ellenberger ready to go at start of round. Spinning back kick by Sanchez is ineffective.
Right roundhouse kick by Ellenberger blocked by Sanchez. Sanchez kick is ineffective. Ellenberger is quicker and lands a left hook. Another left hook as well.
Sanchez with solid right hook and then bull rushes Ellenberger. Hometown hero has not landed much in the final round but then he gets a takedown. He is trying to punch from the top and Sanchez could be in trouble.
Ellenberger thowing power punches and elbows and Sanchez is a bloody mess. He got hit in the nose and eye. Big finish of round for Ellenberger. Should be a great round 3.
Round 3
Sanchez cleaned up by corner to start round. Sanchez has not landed any seriosu power punches. Ellenberger knocks Sanchez off balance and he goes backwards.
Sanchez bleeding again and that nose looks broken. Right hand by Ellenberger followed by right hand from Sanchez tht appeared to hurt Ellenberger. However, Sanchez can’t follow up.
Ellenbrgr is cut and he is being hit with punches before Ellenberger scores takedown. Sanchez reverses and throws punchs and he is taking control. Tremendous rally by Sanchez.
Two-fisted attack by Sanchez and then escape by Ellenberger at the horn… What a finish…
It will go to a decision and Ellenberger had control for most of the fight, but Sanchez had control in the final few minutes. Is it enough?
We await the decision….
Ellenberger wins unanimous decision. All judges score it 29-28… Fans are roaring approval…
Ellenberger hung on and he wants a title fight next…We’ll see you on the next fight night….
(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)
All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”
Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*
Join us after the jump for the full weigh in video and results.
(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)
All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”
Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*
(skip to 17:12 for the start, unless you REALLY want to hear Jay Glazer’s breakdown of the card, which starts at 10:00.)
Main Card (on Fuel TV): -Diego Sanchez (170) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170)
–Stefan Struve (256) vs. Dave Herman (234)
–Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Ronny Markes (185)
-Stipe Miocic (240) vs. Phil De Fries (241)
–T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)
-Ivan Menjivar (135) vs. John Albert (135)
Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook):
–Jonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)
-Buddy Roberts (184) vs. Sean Loeffler (185)
-Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)
-Tim Means (155) vs. Bernardo Magalhaes (155)
The prelims for the event are set to kick off tonight around 6:20 p.m. EST on Facebook, with the FUEL broadcast beginning at 8:00 p.m.
*To any, let’s call them “new” viewers of CP, I do not actually believe the fighters were trying to mimic these celebrities. That would be just silly. Glad I could clear that up.
(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
(DON’T MOVE ROB! There is the biggest hornet on your nose right now!)
A battle between undefeated heavyweights Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries has recently been booked for the UFC’s upcoming debut on FUELTV, which transpires February 15th at the CenturyLink and Cornmeal Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
After starting off his professional career with five straight (T)KO victories, all coming within the first two rounds, Croatian-born Stipe Miocic scored a second round leglock submission over Bobby Brents to earn himself a call from the UFC. In his debut, Miocic would handle tough veteran Joey Beltran with a deft combination of leg kicks and takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory. Though his choice to sport the same checkerboard trunks as the legendary Mirko Cro Cop would earn him the ire of many keyboard warriors across the nation, a win over De Fries, specifically a head kick KO, would certainly give him some breathing room. De Fries, on the other hand, had finished all of his opponents (excluding a No Contest against Dave Wilson) via submission before making his UFC debut, where he scored his own unanimous decision win over Rob Broughton at UFC 138.
After original opponent Eric Koch was forced to withdraw from their bout citing an unknown injury, featherweight wrecking machine Dustin Poirier was in need of an opponent to continue the four fight win streak he had built up starting back at WEC 52, which had included brilliant wins over Pablo Garza and Josh Grispi. It has been reported that fellow UFC on FOX victor Ricardo Lamas has stepped up to the challenge and will meet Poirier at UFC 143, which goes down February 4th from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and features an interim welterweight championship bout between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.
Lamas has built up a two fight streak of his own in his time under the Zuffa banner, following up a head kick TKO over Matt Grice with the aforementioned UFC on FOX win over Cub Swanson via second round arm triangle.
Filed under: UFCJust in case UFC president Dana White had any doubts about what he would do next with the middleweight division — and before UFC 136, he seemed a bit torn — Chael Sonnen made his case with his actions and his mouth. Afterward, it seem…
Just in case UFC president Dana White had any doubts about what he would do next with the middleweight division — and before UFC 136, he seemed a bit torn — Chael Sonnen made his case with his actions and his mouth. Afterward, it seemed clear that White would grant Sonnen his wish for a rematch with division champion Anderson Silva.
According to White, it’s a matchup that Silva wants, too, because, as he told MMA Fighting, Silva “hates him with a passion.” The funny thing is, Silva should love Sonnen. He should send him thank you cards. And 20 years from now, he’ll probably feel that way. Because regardless of his words, Sonnen has helped to raise Silva’s profile and to define his career.
Years from now, when Silva is old and we have a stronger grasp of MMA history, the win over Sonnen will be seen as the defining one of his career. It was a victory that only a champion could have pulled out. Silva was fighting with a severe rib injury, and was trailing badly on the judges’ scorecards — 40-34 on one judge’s card. The fifth round started much the same as the first four, with a Sonnen takedown. But Silva somehow willed one last gasp triangle that caught Sonnen and forced a tapout.
Of course, master fight promoter Sonnen barely waited to begin talk of a rematch. It was at the post-fight press conference that same night when he said, in Silva’s presence, “Here’s the truth: if the commission would sanction it and Dana would move, I would fight him again right now.”
If we’ve learned anything about White over time, it’s that he loves a fighter who proactively campaigns for opportunities. Passion moves him. Whether you love or hate Sonnen, you can’t deny his passion. And after his first performance against Silva, you can’t deny he has a chance to win. That should mean big interest in the fight, and big business for the event, and even Anderson Silva should be able to appreciate that.
Frank Edgar
Edgar has spent the last two years of his life focused on two fighters: BJ Penn and Gray Maynard. He has to be thrilled about moving on. And he also has to be thrilled about finishing his toughest opponent after nearly 12 rounds of war, earning a decisive conclusion.
Edgar will take off the next two weeks or so, and he won’t be back in the cage until early next year. Gilbert Melendez has been mentioned, but for now it seems like Melendez’s status is up in the air. That makes it a toss-up as to whether Edgar will face him next, or a UFC lightweight.
Prediction: Edgar faces the winner of UFC on FOX 1’s Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida fight
Gray Maynard
Maynard seemed heartbroken after UFC 136, and you can’t blame him. He came within a punch or two of winning the lightweight title in two different fights and couldn’t close it out.
There is a silver lining though, as his competitive performances have shown that he is clearly capable of giving the world’s best a run for their money. And after having been tied up with Edgar so long, there are plenty of fresh matchups out there for him.
Prediction: He faces the loser of UFC on FOX 1’s Henderson vs. Guida fight
Jose Aldo
Aldo received some criticism for his win over Kenny Florian from those who believed he was too conservative with his offense. But with the way Florian was attacking him, Aldo did the right thing. Florian was looking to take away Aldo’s explosiveness by either taking him down or grinding him against the cage. By FightMetric’s count, Florian tried 19 takedowns (and only completed one).
Even if you didn’t watch the fight, from those number you can surmise that Florian didn’t give Aldo much room to operate. Aldo had to worry about defense for good reason, and he did a great job with it. It may not be any easier in his next fight.
Prediction: He faces unbeaten Chad Mendes in early 2012.
Kenny Florian
At least in the immediate aftermath of UFC 136, Florian looked like a man who was done with fighting. Verbally, he wouldn’t commit to either continuing or retirement, and rightfully, Florian should take time to consider all his options. At 35 years old, Florian is still a very good fighter, and he could certainly continue on and seek out intriguing matchups if he so chose. But Florian has always said his goal was a UFC championship belt, and now it appears that will never happen. That leads me to wonder if he will have the proper motivation to go through the grind of training camps. Hopefully he makes a decision he can embrace wholeheartedly.
Prediction: Florian retires and continues his strong work in broadcasting
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen’s performance Saturday night was nothing short of systematic destruction. Sonnen finished off Stann with the arm triangle choke and got up off the canvas with a stoic, focused look on his face. It seemed like there was something on his mind other than Stann, and we quickly found out what it was. Bring on the rematch.
Prediction: Silva-Sonnen II
Brian Stann
Stann is a strong, powerful dude, but he had no prayer of stopping Sonnen’s takedowns. He’ll always be a tough matchup for strikers, but wrestlers are always going to try to follow the blueprint laid by Sonnen and Phil Davis. Fortunately for Stann, there aren’t an overwhelming number of wrestlers. Anyway, it’s time to retool and reload for Stann.
Prediction: Stann might have a bit of a wait until his next fight. I’m thinking he could face Mark Munoz if Munoz should lose to Chris Leben next month, or if not, Stann gets someone like a returning Alessio Sakara.
Joe Lauzon
Lauzon has some of the best finishing instincts in the UFC, fearless in his attempts to close out a fight. His win over Melvin Guillard was a shocker, entering the fight as a massive underdog. Despite the big win, Lauzon’s only 3-2 in his last five, so it’s hard to figure exactly where he fits in the lightweight hierarchy.
Prediction: TJ Grant looked very good in his lightweight debut. Sounds like a good matchup.
Anthony Pettis
When the UFC announced Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens, no one was expecting a slow grind of a fight. And while it wasn’t Pettis’ best performance, he proved he could go in there against a rugged, powerful striker and win. Ultimately, Pettis isn’t going to win a title with his wrestling, so I don’t expect him to employ the same kind of game plan against anyone. Let’s get him back in there against another striker.
Prediction: Pettis faces Sam Stout
Stipe Miocic
You may or may not have seen the debut of Miocic, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound heavyweight who outlasted the always tough Joey Beltran during the prelims. Miocic looked good but not great against a guy who is among the UFC’s most durable heavyweights. But even though he has plenty of work to do, it was a positive first step.
Prediction: He faces Mark Hunt
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 brought us two title fights, at least one colossal upset, and a post-fight interview that would have made Ric Flair stand up and say ‘Woooooo!’
Now that it’s all over, time to sort through the wreckage in search of the biggest …
UFC 136 brought us two title fights, at least one colossal upset, and a post-fight interview that would have made Ric Flair stand up and say ‘Woooooo!’
Now that it’s all over, time to sort through the wreckage in search of the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Frankie Edgar
Dana White compared his fourth-round knockout victory to a Rocky movie, but that’s not terribly accurate, since you can actually understand Edgar when he speaks. Also unlike Rocky, Edgar’s series of battles with his nemesis only got more and more exciting with each installment, and without any help from Mr. T.
Thanks be to Crom that this trilogy is finally over, though. Edgar’s win put the final stamp on it, and hopefully also convinced the last few holdouts that he is indeed the one true lightweight champ, so they can stop waiting for the messiah that they seem to think is still out there somewhere. Between his defensive wrestling skills, his mongoose-like quickness on the feet, and now his thoroughly proven ability to get knocked around like a ping-pong ball early and still come back with a ferocity, he’s not only a tough opponent but also a rarity among UFC champions. Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva — they’re all dominant almost to the point of being predictable. That’s one problem Edgar hasn’t had lately, and it’s refreshing for the fans even if it’s not the best thing for his face. Most importantly, with the Gray Maynard chapter in his life now closed, both Edgar and the UFC lightweight division can officially move on. It’s about time. Even Rocky needed fresh faces to fill the same old storylines.
Biggest Loser: Melvin Guillard
I’ll admit that I didn’t see how he might possibly lose to Joe Lauzon. From the look of it, neither did Melvin. He seemed to think this was little more than a showcase fight for him, which would explain why he attacked with reckless self-confidence right off the bat. After he jumped straight into a left hand from Lauzon all the air went out of his balloon in a hurry. It was as if you could actually see him suddenly coming around to the shocking realization that this fight wasn’t won the minute he signed the bout agreement. Arguably no one at UFC 136 had as little to gain or as much to lose as Guillard did with this fight, but I still say that it was the right move to take it. If you can’t beat Lauzon, you probably don’t deserve to be UFC champion, and this fight showed exactly why. Despite all his physical tools — and he has a bunch — Guillard still doesn’t have the mind of a champion. Not yet, anyway. If he can learn the appropriate lessons from this experience, there’s still hope. But if he doesn’t get the message this time, I fear he never will.
Best Pro Wrestling Promo: Chael Sonnen
Telling Anderson Silva that he “absolutely suck[s]”? That’s just Sonnen doing what’s expected of him at this point. Challenging him to the MMA equivalent of a loser-leaves-town match? That’s him cranking up the volume to 11. You know how you can really tell that Sonnen isn’t just borrowing a page or two out the pro wrestling playbook, but rather photocopying the whole thing and sleeping with it under his pillow? Go watch his post-fight interview with our own Ariel Helwani, where Sonnen not only claims to have the largest arm in West Linn, Ore. (a town known for the enormous arms of its citizenry, no doubt), but also finds reasons to say the name of the city he is currently in over and over again. For example, when talking about his challenge to Silva, Sonnen said, “If you accept, I will wait until Super Bowl weekend. But if you reject I will walk over there and whip your ass right here and right now in Houston, Texas.” See what I mean? All he’s missing there is a crowd to go crazy at the mere mention of their city. You have to think he’ll get that rematch with Silva, whether it’s on Super Bowl weekend or not, and then he’ll have to deal with the real-life consequences of this fantasy-land schtick. His performances in the cage thus far have bolstered his case well. It should be interesting to see whether he can stick to that script against the champ.
Most Depressing: Kenny Florian
You know how when you’re a kid they tell you that you can be anything you want to be, as long as you want it badly enough? Yeah, well that’s all crap, and the continuing saga of KenFlo proves it. Nobody wants to be a champion more or has worked harder to make it happen than Florian, yet again he comes up short. He didn’t choke. He didn’t make any obvious mistakes. He was just not quite good enough to beat Jose Aldo, just like he was not quite good enough to beat B.J. Penn. There’s no shame in it. Florian is still better than 95% of the guys in two weight classes. He’s had a great career even without the belt, and he has a future as a commentator and analyst whenever he wants it. It’s just that he’ll probably never be a UFC champion, which must be hard for a guy like him to swallow. It’s sad to think that, at least with some things and for some people, wanting it and working for it aren’t enough, and never will be. But if your consolation prize is a lucrative career and the respect of your peers — both of which Florian currently enjoys — then you’re doing pretty well. Even if it may not feel like it right this minute.
Still Predictable, But in a Fun Way: Leonard Garcia
You know what you’re getting with this guy, but it just doesn’t get old. In the rematch with Nam Phan he actually maintained his composure and discipline in the early going and resisted the urge to brawl. When that didn’t seem to be working too well, however, he had no problem flipping the switch and going into full-scale freakout mode. If only he hadn’t freaked out too much too soon, he might have managed to put Phan away. Even with the decision loss he at least reminded the UFC why he’s worth keeping around, record be damned.
Most Disappointing Trend: Demian Maia‘s Submission-less Streak
Remember when Maia was the last great hope of pure jiu-jitsu in MMA? His striking was perfunctory at best, his takedowns consisted of pulling people into his half-guard, and his finishes were all GIF-worthy displays of technical superiority. What ever happened to that guy? Now that he’s a proficient striker and a competent wrestler it’s as if all that submissions whiz stuff was in another life. He’s now gone seven straight fights without hearing the glorious sound of a dejected opponent tap, tap, tapping his way to defeat. He’s gone 4-3 during that same stretch, and against some very tough opponents. I realize his jiu-jitsu isn’t exactly sneaking up on anyone at this point, but it did seem like a greater threat back when it was the only one he had.
Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Gray Maynard
“The Bully” has had two consecutive shots at the title, yet come away empty. Now what do you do with the guy? He’s still likely to beat most of the top contenders in the lightweight division, but not likely to make much of a show out of it. Whoever you put him in against had either be a good enough wrestler to force him to do something other than suffocate them from the top, and if they’re that good you probably don’t want to waste them in a non-title or non-contender bout. Maybe the best option is to put him up against Nate Diaz next. Those two have a history, and neither is within sniffing distance of a title shot right now. Maybe they can sort things out for themselves while the rest of the division moves toward resolving the bottleneck at the very top. Just don’t expect much in the way of pre-fight interviews from those two.
Jury’s Still Out On…: Stipe Miocic
Expectations are high for this heavyweight, and he’s not doing much to lower them by showing up in a pair of Cro Cop shorts. As expected, he looked like he could do just about anything he wanted to do to Joey Beltran except put him away. That’s not necessarily a knock on Miocic. Neither Pat Barry nor Matt Mitrione could find that guy’s off switch, so there’s no shame in letting him go the distance. Still, Miocic seemed to fade in the later rounds, and didn’t have near the sense of urgency about protecting his own face that you’d like to see from fighters at this level. He could very well turn out to be the prospect of the future, but he’s clearly still got some work to do.
Just in case 
