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UFC 161 Results: Stipe Miocic and Saturday’s Biggest Winners

Stipe Miocic shut down Roy Nelson on Saturday night at UFC 161, working the Canadien fighter over in a bad way in front of his home crowd in Manitoba, Winnipeg. It was a big win for Miocic, but he wasn’t the only fighter who came out of the big event w…

The main event pitted Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson. Evans won a split decision, thanks to an improved effort in the third round, as noted by the UFC:

While Evans and Henderson headlined the event, some of the earlier fights on the card proved to be more exciting for the fans.

These fighters came away as the biggest winners of UFC 161.

Stipe Miocic Dominates Big Country

Nelson was supposed to put on a show in this fight in order to secure bargaining power for a new contract in the UFC, as noted by Case Keefer of LasVegasSun.com.

Instead, it was Miocic who came out of the fight looking like the guy with a bright future ahead of him with the growing company.

Miocic absolutely dominated the action from the start, landing big punches like this one, courtesy of Esther Lin:

Nelson was slow and out of shape compared to the ripped Croatian fighter, who wore out the hometown hero before the bell sounded to end Round 1. In the end, Miocic had landed 90 strikes to Nelson’s 19, via ESPN.com, and won a unanimous decision for his efforts.

Shawn Jordan Drops Pat Barry

This fight was over before it ever took off.

It took less than one minute for Jordan to log an impressive TKO against Barry, who didn’t stand a chance in this fight. As noted by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Jordan assaulted Barry with some gorgeous uppercuts to earn the win:

The official stats, via ESPN.com, show Jordan needed just 10 significant strikes to win this fight, while Barry landed just one.

Jordan is developing quite a reputation as one of the most impressive strikers in the heavyweight division. He’s now won by way of knockout in his last three victories, and he has 11 knockout wins out of 15 total.

James Krause Makes an Excellent First Impression

In his UFC debut, James Krause didn’t disappoint, winning by way of submission (guillotine choke) over Sam Stout in the waning moments of the third round.

For Krause, the man who was knocked out of TUF 15, his victory represents a fresh start.

Though he had just two weeks to prepare for the fight (h/t Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com), Krause was in excellent shape for this fight. He landed 110 strikes, via ESPN.com, compared to Stout’s 81.

Rather than let the judges decide the winner, he took matters into his own hands at the end of the fight, as he told Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com:

It was an excellent showing by Krause, who likely earned a shot to make a name for himself in the UFC. He earned “Fight of the Night” honors and a well-deserved $100,000 paycheck for his work.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

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UFC 161: Ranking Biggest Winners from Latest PPV

UFC 161 may not have been the most stacked card or exciting series of fights, but there were still plenty of big winners from Saturday night’s showcase. No, there weren’t any championships won, but a few fighters likely put themselves in contentio…

UFC 161 may not have been the most stacked card or exciting series of fights, but there were still plenty of big winners from Saturday night’s showcase.

No, there weren’t any championships won, but a few fighters likely put themselves in contention to either fight for a belt in the near future or further padded their resumes.

Let’s break down the biggest winners from UFC 161.

3. Shawn Jordan

Well, that was fast.

Jordan needed just 59 seconds to finish off his friend and opponent, Pat Barry. It was a disappointing if hardly shocking result for Barry, who has never won consecutive fights in his UFC career (he’s now 5-6 in the UFC). At least Barry is fun to watch, for better or worse.

For Jordan, this was his biggest victory and third in four UFC bouts (with his lone loss coming against Cheick Kongo at UFC 149). He delivered several impressive punches from the get-go, taking control of the fight and showing why his name should be one to monitor.

While he may never be a true heavyweight contender, he proved he is a fighter worth watching moving forward.

2. Rashad Evans

Not only did Evans erase a two-match losing streak by beating Dan Henderson in their three-round fight by a split decision, but he also put himself back in the title picture at 205 pounds.

Fresh off consecutive unanimous decisions to Jon Jones and Antônio Rogério Nogueira, “Suga” needed a win in the worst way to keep his name in the running for Jones’ title.

While his victory wasn’t exactly decisive—the decision could have gone to Henderson, given how tight the fight was—Evans will surely take it. He displayed the speed and stamina to outlast Henderson, and his performance in the final round was enough to carry him to a win.

He’ll now try to ride that momentum to his next opponent.

1. Stipe Miocic

Did you see this one coming?

Miocic scored a huge upset, defeating Roy Nelson by tactically frustrating his opponent and earning himself a unanimous decision. While Nelson kept looking to land a killer blow with his infamous right hand, Miocic was cagey on his feet and didn’t allow Nelson to unload on him, peppering him with smart combinations.

He is now 4-1 in his UFC career and has a marquee win under his belt. For Miocic, Saturday night was easily the biggest victory of his career and could lead to higher-profile fights down the line.

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High Stakes: Roy Nelson Bets Big at UFC 161 and May Lose His Job as a Result

There’s always a lot on the line when a fighter steps into the cage. For starters, there’s not a more personal contest in all of sports. Stripped to the waist and all alone, each athlete confronts his worst fears and his own mortality. And, oh yeah, a …

At best, he’s bathed in glory, one step away from a demi-god.

At worst?

He leaves on stretcher. If he’s lucky.

As if that‘s not enough, in the UFC, even more is typically at stake. Money. It’s the greatest motivator of them all, fungible, tangible and oh, so spendable. Most fighters can double their pay with a victory.

For some, that can be the difference between being a full-time professional athlete or a spending the summer on the construction crew waiting for the next call from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva. Many of these guys aren’t fantasizing about building a beach house in Malibu after a big win. They’re just trying to make rent and fund the next fight.

Understand why their stomachs may be in knots before a bout?

And then there’s Roy Nelson. The UFC heavyweight walked into Winnipeg for UFC 161 playing a high-stakes game with UFC president Dana White and owner Lorenzo Fertitta. It was the last fight on his deal. He had turned down an new contract worth six figures a fight. This fight, and this fight only, was all the security he had in this world. After almost a decade in the sport, he was paid just $24,000 to step into the cage.

That, he hoped, was all about to change.

By going out with a big win, Nelson figured he’d be in the catbird seat, able to play the UFC off rival Bellator Fighting and reap big benefits. Instead, he lost in embarrassing fashion, getting outclassed and out-punched by the lightly regarded Stipe Miocic.

Nelson thought he’d come to the table with a pair of aces. Now, after making it so evident to fans he isn’t a top flight fighter, he’s got a three and a five—off suited.

“We asked for an extension; he said no,” White told the media after the event. “We made an offer to Roy. And we’ll sit down again after this.”

Somehow, I suspect, the positions will be reversed this time around. Nelson now owns the dubious distinction of absorbing more significant strikes than any fighter in UFC history. But will promotions pay big for a glorified punching bag?

“The good thing is the fans in Winnipeg got their money’s worth,” Nelson told Fuel TV after the fight.

That’s certainly one way of looking at it.

Others might point out that Nelson, belly jiggling over the waistband of his shorts, came into the bout in even worse shape than usual. That he wasn’t capable of fighting more than a single round before heaving for breaths and only occasionally winging a big right hand. That he actually cheated the fans out of a competitive fight because thanks to a combination of lifestyle choices and pure stubbornness.

“I’ve got to breathe,” Nelson said, describing the experience to Fuel’s Ariel Helwani. “Wait, no, I’m getting hit.”

Before the fight, Nelson was coy about his contract status. “I have people for that,” he said, per the Las Vegas Sun‘s Case Keefer, when asked what the future held. But it was widely speculated that manager Mike Kogan, who has sent two of his high-profile clients (“King” Mo Lawal and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson) to Bellator and Spike TV, might have similar designs for Nelson.

Kogan, intentionally or not, fanned those flames during the fight, telling an underperforming Nelson, “You don’t want to go out like this.”

Go out like this? Was it a clue that this might actually be Big Country’s last fight in the Octagon?

Nelson refused to say much at all about his future plans after the bout, concentrating mainly on a desire to get back in the cage and redeem himself. But he didn’t close the door on returning.

“That’s really up to the UFC—Lorenzo and Dana,” Nelson said. “I know I’m in the business of fighting, so I fight. If they want me, I’m more than happy to be where I’m wanted.”

The big question now is whether the UFC even wants Nelson to return. He’s a popular undercard attraction, but at 36, it’s fairly clear he is never going to be a championship-caliber fighter. Combined with his near-constant shenanigans and backstage maneuvering, and it may turn out he’s simply more trouble than he’s worth.

An aging, past-his-prime pain in the backside? Sounds like the perfect fighter to foist off on Bjorn Rebney and Bellator doesn’t it? If White and the UFC were smart, they’d wave goodbye to Nelson right now. He’s given them all he has. Why not let Bellator pick up the pieces?

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UFC 161 Aftermath: Winnipeg is For Lovers

Photo via Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports

By Elias Cepeda

UFC 161 had some good fights to watch and learn from but if you’re one of the folks who paid the $217.00 or so that UFC pay per views now go for, and if you were drunk (those who do the former are often the latter during bouts) you may have been a bit disappointed with the action. In the main event, Rashad Evans turned up the heat in the third round against Dan Henderson and earned a split decision win.

The fight was close, and fought in spurts, but Evans looked impressive in coming back from being knocked down in the first round and in tiring Hendo and working the former Olympic wrestler over in his own sweet spot – the clinch. Evans gets back on the winning track but looks a long way from being able to challenge champion Jon Jones as he says he wants to once more.

Henderson certainly did not embarrass himself – he never has – but for the second consecutive fight, the forty two year-old looked to be the weaker and slower fighter in losing a close decision. Maybe that has to do with his age, maybe it has to do with the fact that both fights occurred against top light heavyweights.

Put the hard-earned legend of Henderson aside for a moment and remember that the man is a middleweight that, for reasons of crazy ability and guts, fights light heavyweights and heavyweights. Henderson is no where near a title shot at this point, in any division. It will be interesting to see how much motivation he has to keep fighting without more gold in his reach.

Photo via Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports

By Elias Cepeda

Stipe Miocic (right) lands an uppercut on Roy Nelson | Photo via BloodyElbow

The Fight of The Night came on the under card. James Krause and Sam Stout duked it out for almost three full rounds before Krause caught “Hands of Stone” in a guillotine choke, forcing the submission. Each man was awarded an $50,000 for producing the Fight of The Night.

Krause, who had the card’s only submission, also earned an additional $50,000 for Submission of The Night. UFC 161′s only knockout of the night won, surprise, Knockout Of The Night.

Shawn Jordan used a nasty punch combo to put Pat Barry down early in the first round of their heavyweight clash. Way too many left hand hooks to a grounded Barry brought about the stoppage.

Jordan now has won two straight and is $50,000 richer.

Stipe Miocic just made his future a lot brighter with a dominating win over UFC ranked #5 heavyweight Roy Nelson. The undersized Nelson was never in the fight with Stipe.

Miocic hadn’t fought in nine months, since getting knocked out by Stefan Struve, and both men took this fight on relatively short notice. Miocic controlled the grappling, avoided Nelson’s over hand right and tagged and moved over and again for three rounds, leaving “Big Country” gasping for air and unable to hold his arms up.

Bantamweight women Alexis Davis and Rosi Sexton put on a good scrap for three rounds. The Canadian Davis bested the British Sexton and won a unanimous decision.

The win is Davis’ third straight. Sexton’s loss snapped her own three fight win streak.

UFC 161 Results: Ranking the Top 10 Women’s Bantamweights in the UFC

Let’s be honest here: The only thing that was really exciting at UFC 161 this weekend was when it was all over. The card itself is in the running for the UFC’s worst show of the year.The card featured a women’s bantamweight scrap between British WMMA p…

Let’s be honest here: The only thing that was really exciting at UFC 161 this weekend was when it was all over. The card itself is in the running for the UFC’s worst show of the year.

The card featured a women’s bantamweight scrap between British WMMA pioneer Rosi Sexton and Canadian contender Alexis Davis. It was the fourth WMMA bout featured in UFC history and the first that was critically panned by audience members.

I guess they all can’t be five-star matches.

Here are the top 10 women’s bantamweights in the UFC following the event in Winnipeg this weekend.

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UFC 161 Results: Matches to Make for the Entire Fight Card

Rashad Evans returned to the win column at UFC 161, beating Dan Henderson in a close decision to avoid what could have been a third consecutive loss.Despite the victory, Evans once again did not look like the fighter who went on an undefeated run to cl…

Rashad Evans returned to the win column at UFC 161, beating Dan Henderson in a close decision to avoid what could have been a third consecutive loss.

Despite the victory, Evans once again did not look like the fighter who went on an undefeated run to claim the light heavyweight championship. He was more aggressive than in his prior bout with Antonio Rogero Nogueira, but he did not mount a ton of offense and looked like a fighter who is aging quickly.

Speaking of fighters starting to look old, Henderson has now lost two straight fights and will turn 43 in only two months. He doesn’t appear ready to call it quits soon, but his title hopes are quickly becoming fantasy.

With another UFC event in the books, it time to look at who could be next for Evans, Henderson and the entire UFC 161 fight card.

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