Tag: UFC 150

UFC 150: There Are No Excuses If You Don’t Finish the Fight

UFC 150’s main event did not conclude without controversy on Saturday night, as Benson Henderson walked away with a split decision victory and the UFC title.Instantaneously, the MMA community hit their computers to voice their displeasure with the deci…

UFC 150‘s main event did not conclude without controversy on Saturday night, as Benson Henderson walked away with a split decision victory and the UFC title.

Instantaneously, the MMA community hit their computers to voice their displeasure with the decision.

I was admittedly one of those who thought Frankie Edgar won a clear decision.

Yes, the fight was close, but I had a 49-46 scoring in favor of the former champ.

However, the only person to blame for the result of the fight is Frankie Edgar himself.

Yes, he may have won the fight on a hypothetical scorecard, but you can’t complain if you didn’t finish your opponent.

It’s almost as if all of Frankie Edgar’s title fights are controversial and result in complaints from himself or his opponent.

I will save Edgar and the others their breath. If you don’t finish the fight, don’t blame the judges. You were the one who allowed them to use personal judgement in calling somebody a winner or a loser.

Edgar has more decisions than finishes in his career. Someone complained in at least one of his two fights with BJ Penn, Gray Maynard and Ben Henderson.

Penn thought he retained his title at UFC 112 when Edgar won the belt. However, if Penn had finished the fight, there would have been no lingering doubt.

Following his split draw with Maynard at UFC 125, both fighters said they thought they’d done enough to win. Maynard complained like it would make a difference.

If both those guys wanted to prove they won, they should have finished the fight.

Last night, Edgar complained that he thought he won, and for good reason. However, if you truly want a fair assessment of the fight, you must earn a stoppage.

I understand that finishing top-tier fighters is no easy task. That’s not the point.

The point is, these fighters cannot complain about letting three outside judges score their fights when they’re capable of taking care of business themselves.

Judging has always been a hot topic, yet people are surprised and outraged when they appear to get it wrong. The fact is, if the fighters finished their fights, they would leave no doubt and wouldn’t have these problems.

Until then, they must simply keep their mouth shut, accept the decision and get back in the gym and win the next one.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar: 5 Things We Learned About Edgar

It was a different decision but the same result for Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.The former UFC lightweight champ came up short once again in his showdown with Benson Henderson in another five-round decision. Things were much closer this time out, with one…

It was a different decision but the same result for Frankie Edgar at UFC 150.

The former UFC lightweight champ came up short once again in his showdown with Benson Henderson in another five-round decision. Things were much closer this time out, with one of three judges scoring the bout 49-46 in favor of Edgar.

Boos erupted throughout the arena as UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer read the verdict. Edgar didn’t even need to speak after the fight. The look on his face told everything. He had given his all to recapture the world title, but it still wasn’t enough.

In the days to follow, some will attempt to discredit Henderson’s reign due to the controversial decision, but it’s tough to erase consecutive defeats.

Regardless of one controversial decision, Henderson has back-to-back wins over Edgar.

There won’t be any immediate rematch. Edgar will be forced to go back to the drawing board and mull over his UFC future.

Is a drop to featherweight a possibility, or will Edgar decide to remain in the lightweight hunt?

Here are five things we learned about Frankie Edgar.

Begin Slideshow

Which Opponent Makes the Most Sense for Frankie Edgar’s Next Fight?

If you are a Frankie Edgar fan, today has not been a good day for you. Edgar lost a close title fight to Benson Henderson at UFC 150 last night. While their first fight was close, the second one was even closer, with many believing that Edgar won …

If you are a Frankie Edgar fan, today has not been a good day for you. Edgar lost a close title fight to Benson Henderson at UFC 150 last night. 

While their first fight was close, the second one was even closer, with many believing that Edgar won the fight. 

Edgar will have to climb back up the lightweight ladder since Nate Diaz will get the next shot at Henderson. 

Edgar finds himself in a hard place. 

While there are many great fighters in the lightweight division, Edgar will need some impressive wins against big-name fighters if he wants to get back to the top of the division. 

Gray Maynard, who is in a similar boat as Edgar, is coming off of a win against Clay Guida. 

Another fight with Maynard could be exciting, considering that Edgar just had two wars with Maynard in 2011, winning one by KO. But neither man may be ready for another fight with each other. 

Clay Guida could be a good fight for Edgar considering that both men have been injured a ton.

Considering that Guida has looked more like a gatekeeper in his last few fights, it may not be the fight the UFC wants. 

Top fighters like Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis could meet each other next, which would cancel them out. 

Many fans, including UFC president Dana White, may want to see Edgar move down to 145 pounds to take on Jose Aldo. 

But the lightweight is the best division for Edgar right now. All things considered, the best fight for Edgar could be against Diego Sanchez. 

Sanchez is making a return to lightweight after a four-fight run at welterweight. 

Sanchez is a former lightweight title contender who, after wins against Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson, lost to BJ Penn in the title fight. 

Edger vs. Sanchez would be a huge headlining fight, and would provide a great challenge for both men. 

Both fighters are known for being able to push the pace of a fight, having a ton of heart and being good boxers and wrestlers. 

There are a ton of other fights for Edgar. As long as he stays in the lightweight division, why not give him a new challenge in Sanchez?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard: What’s Next for Melvin Guillard

Melvin Guillard’s UFC 150 fight with former friend and training partner Donald Cerrone only lasted 76 seconds. But their fight, which earned “Fight of the Night” honors, was one of the best fights of the year. That is the only upside of the f…

Melvin Guillard‘s UFC 150 fight with former friend and training partner Donald Cerrone only lasted 76 seconds. 

But their fight, which earned “Fight of the Night” honors, was one of the best fights of the year. 

That is the only upside of the fight for Guillard though, who lost by knockout after having Cerrone hurt early in the fight. 

Guillard was looking to win back-to-back fights and prove he was ready to get back into lightweight title contention. 

Instead, the former TUF competitor has lost three of his last four fights and is starting to look like he will never meet his full potential. 

Guillard is a great fighter who is one of the best in the lightweight division. 

But he has yet to get a good win over a top-five caliber fighter. 

Guillard has faced household names like Jim Miller, Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon, but has come up short against each man, losing by submission. 

In fact, nine of Guillard‘s 11 losses have come by submission. 

While it was amazing that last night’s loss was just Guillard‘s first KO loss in his 44-fight career, he has to be thinking what exactly he could have done differently. 

Now Guillard is back to the drawing board in figuring out what to do next. 

For once it wasn’t Guillard‘s submission defense that failed him. 

Although he had Cerrone hurt and he went for the knockout, Guillard appeared to back off the pressure some. 

That could have been so he wouldn’t gas himself out or that could have been because Cerrone was just that good at recovering. 

Either way, Guillard is in a tough spot. While he should want to continue taking on big names, he also has to get wins. 

Because Guillard is in a stacked division there are a ton of options for him as far as competition goes. 

One fighter that really sticks out though is Clay Guida. 

Like Guillard, Guida is a fighter who could make a great gatekeeper, but would rather think of himself as a more elite fighter. 

Guida is coming off of two losses and has had some difficulty against top guys in the division. 

While Guida has tried to go for the lay, pray and dash approach in his fights lately, taking on a former teammate in Guillard could bring out the excitement in Guida. 

For Guillard, a win over Guida would hopefully get him back on the right track. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 150 Results: The Top 25 Pound-for-Pound Fighters in the UFC

On Saturday night, UFC 150 went down in Denver, Colorado, and the lightweight title was on the line between Benson Henderson and Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.In a close fight, Henderson won a split-decision victory over Edgar and defended his lightweight…

On Saturday night, UFC 150 went down in Denver, Colorado, and the lightweight title was on the line between Benson Henderson and Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.

In a close fight, Henderson won a split-decision victory over Edgar and defended his lightweight title for the first time.

Henderson and Edgar are both two of the top fighters on the planet, so let’s take a look at where they stand across all weight classes.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 150: 5 Fights for Melvin Guillard to Take Next

The tables have turned and Melvin Guillard’s back is against the wall.”The Young Assassin” was left a crumpled heap in the Octagon at UFC 150 on Saturday night after getting blasted with a straight right hand from former teammate Donald Cerrone.Unfortu…

The tables have turned and Melvin Guillard‘s back is against the wall.

“The Young Assassin” was left a crumpled heap in the Octagon at UFC 150 on Saturday night after getting blasted with a straight right hand from former teammate Donald Cerrone.

Unfortunately for Guillard, losing is becoming all too common. The New Orleans native has lost three of his last four fights. To make matters worse, all of the losses came by first-round stoppages.

Guillard has the talent to be the best lightweight in the world, but he tends to fold when faced with adversity.

It’s tough to pinpoint the root of the problems for Guillard’s technical deficiencies. His chin has appeared shaky at times and he constantly finds himself limited by subpar submission defense.

Is Guillard struggling to get the most out of his training, or could there be some mental hurdle that no one knows about?

Considering Guillard’s overwhelming potential, these are two incredibly fair questions.

Here are five fights he should take next.

Begin Slideshow