Tag: UFC 132

A huge knockout victory over Shane Roller tonight at UFC 132 capped off what is now a five-fight winning streak in the UFC for Melvin Guillard. A former Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant, Guillard has now pushed his way up into serious title contention in one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC.

An excited Guillard talked to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani after the fight.

“I come to knock guys out, man. I’m a finisher. I’m the No. 1 fighter in the UFC at lightweight, that’s a finisher,” he exclaimed. “All the other guys are not really finishing fights.

“Most guys are inconsistent finishers, I go in for the kill.”

After a rough patch that saw him lose two fights in a row in 2007, Guillard has since bounced back by winning eight of his past nine fights. His game plan has been a big reason for that streak as he has become more experienced.

“I’m just mentally patient and physically fierce,” he shrugged. “When the opening is there, I capitalize.”

Now riding the biggest hot streak of his UFC career, Guillard’s confidence is at an all-time high. He appears ready to fight anyone in the division.

“I’ll knock anybody out in this weight class,” he declared.

But he doesn’t want to be given a title shot immediately.

“I want to earn it, man. I don’t want anybody giving me anything. Nobody has ever given me anything in my life,” he explained. “Right now, I really want to fight Jim Miller. He’s my ticket to a title.”

“If I fight anybody else, I won’t feel like it’s right. I feel like Jim Miller’s my No. 1 contender fight.”

Of course, Miller is currently scheduled to fight former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson in August, in what many believe is a No. 1 contenders fight for the 20-2 lightweight. As such, Guillard will have to wait his turn and understands that a loss for Miller could mean a less valuable victory for Guillard himself, if the two eventually do fight.

“If Ben beats Jim, then that kind of ruins it [for me] because if I fight anybody else, I might not get that call… If I beat a guy like Jim Miller and knock him out, I’ll definitely get a call [to fight for the title].”

Guillard and Ben Henderson are good friends, but business is business.

“I’m not saying I want to see Ben Henderson lose, but from a business aspect, I might need him to take that ‘L’ so I can get the ‘W’.”

Bleacher Report’s Nick Caron

Bleacher Report’s Mark Pare:

UFC 132 was a stacked card from top to bottom, with the main card littered with former champions, Ultimate Fighter winners and was capped off with a UFC first.

The UFC Bamtamweight title was defended for the first time ever and champion Dominick Cruz successfully defended his belt against Urijah Faber.

This is the second time these competitors faced against each other.  In the first bout, Faber choked out Cruz at WEC 26 in March 2007.  That bout lasted 1:38.  This time, they went the distance and what a fight it was.

The first round proved to be a close one, however, Cruz showed his unorthodox style, leaving Faber to question his movements throughout the first five minutes.  Faber attempted a few take downs but Cruz got out of each of them.  Cruz landed a few solid shots and controlled the pace for the most part.  Faber claims he expected Cruz to be unpredictable coming in.

“I knew he was going to come in awkward like that,” Faber said to Joe Rogan following his unanimous decision loss. “I decided to come straight forward. I didn’t feel like I was in danger at any point, but it is what it is.”

The second round saw Faber come back strong, landing a few strikes.  Cruz looked exhausted by the middle of the round, noticeably looking at the clock and taking a deep breath on a couple of occasions.  “The Dominator” did get a take down to slow the momentum of the “California Kid” but Faber got out soon after and finished the round strong.

Round 3 started and Faber continued a relentless pace with Cruz trying to come back with counters.  At the mid point, Cruz landed a great combination and a head kick.  With about two minutes left in the round, there was a wild scramble by both fighters.  Faber scored a take down ad then Cruz countered into side control..  Faber rolled out again and got to his feet.

Counters were the story of this fight, one that earned “Fight of the Night” honors.

Entering the championship rounds, Faber landed a devastating punch and slowed the champion down.  The rest of the round displayed more of the quick pace that these fighters in the Bantamweight division are known for.

In the final round, both fighters were looking for the finish.  Knees, guillotines, and a pace that showed what level of skill is required to be a UFC champion.

A tough one for the judges to score, but when the verdict came in, Cruz retained the title with a 50-45, 49-46, and 48-47 unanimous decision win and avenged his only MMA loss.

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