Tag: UFC 173

The Good, Bad and Strange from UFC 173

For the past two years, the UFC bantamweight division has been a weight class in flux. 
When former WEC titleholder-turned-UFC champion Dominick Cruz went down with a knee injury in 2012, the Brazilian wrecking machine, Renan Barao, jump…

For the past two years, the UFC bantamweight division has been a weight class in flux. 

When former WEC titleholder-turned-UFC champion Dominick Cruz went down with a knee injury in 2012, the Brazilian wrecking machine, Renan Barao, jumped at the opportunity to step in against Urijah Faber with the interim bantamweight title on the line at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Barao worked The California Kid en route to a unanimous-decision victory and earned his first taste of championship gold under the UFC banner. The Nova Uniao product would go on to successfully defend his interim strap on two more occasions before a long-awaited showdown with Cruz was slated for UFC 169 this past February.

The bantamweight title was set to be unified when the two champions collided in New Jersey, but unfortunately The Dominator was forced to withdraw from that bout as well, and Barao became the undisputed king of the 135-pound collective when he thwarted Faber in their rematch.

A string of impressive title defenses and a 33-fight winning streak put Barao on the verge of breaking through into superstardom in MMA, but he was going to need another strong showing in his next outing to validate that step. That opportunity would come in his main event tilt against talented young upstart-turned-title contender TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The Baron was determined to make Dillashaw the latest addition to a growing list of victims, and the Team Alpha Male fighter shocked the world. The 28-year-old Californian did the unthinkable by not only defeating Barao, but doing so on the strength of a virtuoso performance on his feet. Dillashaw outstruck and battered the champion throughout the five-round affair to become the undisputed titleholder in the bantamweight division.

Few thought it could be done, but Dillashaw killed the king Saturday night, and he put on a star-making performance in the process.

While the bantamweight title was at play in the main event at UFC 173, the co-main event slot was filled with two men looking to take a big step forward in title pursuits of their own.

Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson squared off in the penultimate bout on the card to determine who would remain in the hunt for a shot at the light heavyweight title and who would be reshuffled back into the competitive deck at 205 pounds.

The bout between the two former Olympians was a highly anticipated affair, and once the cage door closed and the referee stepped aside, it was all Cormier. The Louisiana native put a drubbing on Hendo for two rounds until he locked in a fight-ending rear-naked choke midway through the third frame.

It was as dominant a performance as anyone has ever put on Henderson, and Cormier‘s showing at UFC 173 will only add that much more momentum to his push toward a shot at the light heavyweight title.

In addition to the bantamweight insanity atop the card of the UFC’s annual Memorial Day event, there were a handful of pairings that certainly brought the ruckus Saturday night. A collection of The Ultimate Fighter alums returned to action, while several savvy veterans battled to keep their roster spots under the bright lights of the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC 173.

 

The Good

Coming into his bout with pound-for-pound ranked bantamweight champion Barao, Dillashaw said all the pressure was on the Brazilian wrecking machine: “I don’t feel any pressure coming into this fight. He’s the champion and the one who has this huge winning streak and is supposed to be unbeatable, so I think the pressure is all on his side of the table.” 

The Team Alpha Male product came into the main event at UFC 173 as a heavy underdog, and few in the MMA community believed he would be the one to bring The Baron’s amazing 33-fight unbeaten streak to an end.

While Barao was the heavy favorite, when the fight got underway Saturday night, it was 100 percent Dillashaw as he routed the Nova Uniao product to become the new bantamweight champion.

Dillashaw set the tempo early when he dropped Barao with a blistering overhand right and kept his foot on the gas until he put the the 27-year-old Brazilian away with a flurry in the final frame. It was a masterful performance from the Duane “Bang” Ludwig-trained fighter as he completed his ascension from prospect to champion in a star-making turn.

Dillashaw also brings to an end a championship drought at the Sacramento-based collective as he becomes the squad’s first champion since Faber’s reign over the WEC‘s featherweight division came to an end in 2008.

Over the past four years, Cormier has been on a rapid rise that has taken him from being a highly touted prospect with outstanding wrestling credentials to a dominant force inside the Octagon. D.C. was blazing his way up the ranks of the heavyweight division until he decided to drop down a weight class and make a run at the light heavyweight throne.

While the Louisiana native only had one showing at 205 coming into his co-main event tilt against Henderson on Saturday night, the AKA staple performed like a seasoned veteran as he steamrolled the former two-divisional Pride champion.

The MMA legend has made a career settling the opposition in brutal fashion inside the cage, but at UFC 173, Cormier made it look as if Henderson had zero business being inside the Octagon with him.

The former Olympian dominated Henderson for two rounds before submitting him with a rear-naked choke in the final frame to claim victory and keep his undefeated record intact.

While Cormier has now put together impressive back-to-back showings, the state of affairs at 205 is somewhat clouded at the present time. Recent title challenger Alexander Gustafsson appears to be in line to get his rematch with champion Jon Jones, and that could put the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner in a position where he will either hit the sidelines and wait for his shot to come around or take one more bout in the interim.

Whatever route he chooses, Cormier‘s performance against Henderson certainly has solidified him as a major player in the light heavyweight fold.

Robbie Lawler is a beast, plain and simple. “Ruthless” may have come up short in his quest to become welterweight champion back in March when he was edged out by Johny Hendricks via unanimous decision at UFC 171, but the Iowa native wasted no time getting back on the warpath when he agreed to face Jake Ellenberger two months later at UFC 173.

After a 25-minute war with Bigg Rigg where the two men set a new UFC record for significant strikes landed in a title fight, there were questions lingering as to how Lawler would look in such a quick turnaround against Ellenberger.

Those questions were quickly answered as the American Top Team fighter battered the Omaha native early and often throughout the first two rounds of the tilt before putting The Juggernaut away with a flurry of strikes midway through the final frame.

The finish was signature Lawler—brutal and ferocious—as he pounced on a wounded Ellenberger without mercy.

His victory over the Team Reign fighter makes Lawler successful in four of his five showings since making his long-awaited return to the Octagon last February.

While the race for the next title shot at 170 is a crowded situation at the current time, Lawler‘s performance at UFC 173 in addition to how action-packed the first fight was with Hendricks could very well spell the welterweight powerhouse getting another title shot in his next outing.

While he may be lacking in the name-recognition department, Takeya Mizugaki has a certified reputation for being one of the grittiest fighters on the bantamweight roster. The 30-year-old Japanese fighter has been a staple in the 135-pound ranks for years and has a lengthy track record of action-packed fights with some of the top names to ever compete in his weight class.

Nevertheless, Mizugaki has struggled to solidify himself as one of the elite in the bantamweight fold, but he took a big step toward that goal Saturday night. The savvy veteran outworked Francisco Rivera throughout their 15-minute affair to pick up the unanimous-decision victory and collected his fifth consecutive win in the process. 

Although Mizugaki now has one of the longest-standing winning streaks in the bantamweight division, his resume is lacking a win over one of the top names on the divisional hierarchy. While defeating Rivera won’t launch him to the front of the title hunt, it will put him in the position to draw a top-five opponent in his next outing.

With his last outing ending in a controversial loss to Bobby Green last November, James Krause came into his bout with Jamie Varner at UFC 173 on a mission to turn things around.

While the bout would ultimately end as the result of Varner suffering an unfortunate ankle injury, the 27-year-old Virginia native looked sharp during his one round of work as he used a versatile striking attack to pepper the former WEC lightweight champion.

Krause‘s victory Saturday puts him back into the win column and makes him successful in two of his three showings under the UFC banner.

Michael Chiesa has shown marked improvements with every performance inside the cage, and that trend continued against Francisco Trinaldo on Saturday night.

With the Brazilian possessing dangerous power in his stand-up, the Washington native needed to take the fight to the canvas. And that is exactly the route he traveled to earn the victory.

Chiesa used his wrestling skills to put Trinaldo on his back and batter him with ground-and-pound. “Maverick” has now been successful in four of his five showings under the UFC banner, including back-to-back wins inside the Octagon.

The lightweight division is stacked with talent, and Tony Ferguson has been on a mission to establish his footing in the weight class.

El Cucuy had won three of his four showing at 155 pounds coming into his tilt with Katsunori Kikuno, and a victory over the Japanese veteran would help to solidify his place in the highly competitive fold at lightweight.

While Ferguson ate a few big shots early, he ultimately found the range he was looking for and put Kikuno away in highlight-reel fashion late in the opening round.

The first bout after winning The Ultimate Fighter is always a crucial moment for those who have won the six-figure contract, and Chris Holdsworth made the most of his first step into the bantamweight ranks Saturday night.

“Holds it Down” worked an efficient game plan to sweep all three rounds on the judges’ cards against Chico Camus to pick up the unanimous-decision victory over the Roufusport fighter. With the victory, Holdsworth keeps his undefeated record intact and will ensure the momentum surrounding him will continue to grow. 

Mitch Clarke lived up to his Danger Zone nickname at UFC 173 when he caught a slick d’arce choke submission on Al Iaquinta in the second round of their bout on the preliminary portion of the card.

The New York native dominated Clarke in the opening round, and things appeared to going the same way in the opening minute of the second round until the MMA Lab product found an opening during a transition on the ground.

As Iaquinta attempted to take him to the canvas, Clarke hit the d’arce choke, and the Serra-Longo fighter went unconscious shortly after. His victory Saturday makes Clarke successful in back-to-back showings inside the Octagon.

Establishing legitimacy on the UFC roster can be a difficult process for fighters coming off The Ultimate Fighter, but Vinc Pichel took a big step in that direction Saturday night.

“From Hell” earned a lopsided unanimous decision over savvy veteran Anthony Njokuani and put on the most impressive showing of his career in the process. Pichel used his pressure and wrestling skills to rag-doll the 155-pound staple en route to his second consecutive victory inside the Octagon. 

 

The Bad

Coming into his fight against Lawler at UFC 173, the pressure was on Ellenberger.

Despite being a staple in the upper tier of the welterweight division for the past three years, a pair of setbacks in crucial bouts and the worst performance of his career in his most recent outing against Rory MacDonald at UFC on Fox 8 last July put The Juggernaut in a position where he needed a victory and an impressive showing against Lawler to reignite his place in the welterweight title hunt.

The race for the next title opportunity at 170 pounds is hotter than it’s ever been, and Ellenberger had no room for error coming into UFC 173. Unfortunately for the Omaha native, the exact opposite occurred Saturday night.

“Ruthless” took it to Ellenberger early and often throughout the first two rounds as the Iowa native peppered him with punches and kicks. Ellenberger came into the final round in desperation mode and appeared to turn the tide when he landed two big shots that wobbled Lawler and forced him to take a step back. Yet, in that flurry Ellenberger appeared to injure his hand, and that forced him to fall back on his attack.

No sooner than Ellenberger let his foot off the gas, Lawler cranked up his offense and swarmed in to finish the fight. While the loss to Lawler won’t expel Ellenberger from the Top 10 of the welterweight ranks, it certainly does significant damage to his place in the upper echelon in the 170-pound collective.

Staying in the avenue of the unfortunate, Varner has been dealing with some tough times inside the Octagon as of late. And it appears those struggles are going to continue.

The former WEC lightweight champion exploded back onto the scene in 2012 with a stunning upset over highly touted striker Edson Barboza at UFC 146, but the Arizona native has had difficulty regaining that momentum in the two years that have followed.

He needed to turn things around in a big way against Krause on Saturday night, but unfortunately for Varner, his current struggles would only amplify. 

Shortly after the action got underway, Varner tweaked his ankle and dropped to the canvas. While he attempted to valiantly fight through the injury, Krause continued to press the action, and Varner wasn’t able to land a knockout blow to end the fight. Once the round came to an end, Varner was unable to continue, and Krause was awarded the TKO victory.

While suffering a loss due to injury most likely won’t cost Varner his job, the reality of the situation is that he’s lost three consecutive bouts and dropped four of his past five showings inside the Octagon. Those are dubious numbers, and they will undoubtedly put Varner in a position where his back is certainly up against the wall.

 

The Strange

Mixed martial arts is a sport where anything can happen, and sometimes that “anything” can be of the gruesome variety. We’ve seen arms and legs snap like twigs inside the cage, and Saturday night, Varner‘s name was added to the list of unfortunate injuries that have occurred during the heat of battle.

The former WEC lightweight champion suffered damage to his ankle during the opening minute of his tilt with Krause to kick off the pay-per-view portion of the card at UFC 173.

While the exact moment of injury isn’t clear, the Arizona-based fighter’s plight came front and center when he was standing on the other side of the cage from Krause, then suddenly dropped to the canvas in curious fashion.

Varner hobbled back to his feet as the Virginia native closed in to unleash a combination but was barely able to stand while he defended the flurry.

This process would repeat several times as Varner did everything in his power to not only fight through the injury but mount as much offense he could.

Nevertheless, when the first round came to an end, Varner dropped to the mat and signaled the end of the fight. The 29-year-old told his corner man that his ankle was broken, and the replays that were shown after the fight certainly suggested there was something terribly wrong in that department. 

In addition to the unfortunate ending to the fight, what is perhaps more so where Varner is concerned is the loss to Krause is his third consecutive setback inside the Octagon.

The heavy-handed lightweight returned to the sport’s biggest stage in a big way in 2012 with a shocking upset over Barboza at UFC 146, but things have gone drastically downhill since as he’s dropped four of his last five showings under the UFC banner. 

In what was one of the best pre-fight song selections in recent memory, Kikuno used “We are the World” as his walkout song at UFC 173.

While the mid-80s global anthem created a buzz across social media in the lead-up to his fight with Ferguson, the song’s good vibes didn’t transition into his performance inside the Octagon. Despite the Japanese fighter landing some strong shots early, El Cucuy found his range and put Kikuno away with a blistering right that sent the gritty veteran crashing to the canvas. 

On a final note, the broadcast at UFC 173 marked the third consecutive appearance of Joe Rogan wearing a suit jacket. While the addition of formal apparel was initially a shocking change from his signature black button-up, it appears as if the jacket is officially here to stay.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Daniel Cormier vs. Dan Henderson: What We Learned from UFC 173 Co-Main Event

Daniel Cormier dominated Dan Henderson at UFC 173 to earn a shot at the championship.
The fight was never close. Cormier dominated with his elite-level wrestling from the outset, beating him up on the ground and finishing with a rear-naked choke in the…

Daniel Cormier dominated Dan Henderson at UFC 173 to earn a shot at the championship.

The fight was never close. Cormier dominated with his elite-level wrestling from the outset, beating him up on the ground and finishing with a rear-naked choke in the third frame. It was a complete performance that put Cormier on the map as Jon Jones’ greatest test.

Henderson had no answer for anything Cormier brought into the cage. He was that dominant.

This is what we learned from the UFC 173 co-main event on Saturday night.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

We will remember Henderson being treated like a child. Cormier absolutely manhandled the former champion.

It was a big-time performance from Cormier.

He launched Henderson into the air on a couple of occasions, completely controlled him on the canvas and even dominated him with ground-and-pound when the opportunities presented themselves. Cormier is on another level.

Henderson is all man, and Cormier treated him like a child.

 

What We Learned About Dan Henderson

We knew that Henderson was past his prime, but Saturday night was the moment we learned that he is no longer in that upper-echelon class of fighters.

He was completely outclassed by one of the best in the sport today, and the same would likely happen against the other elite contenders of the light heavyweight division.

Time passes all by, and it has Henderson too. There is nothing wrong with that, but fans need to come to grips that, despite his power and credentials, his time has come and gone.

 

What We Learned About Daniel Cormier

The doubters learned that Cormier is, in fact, a very big threat to Jones and his title.

Cormier did not show too much in his UFC career. It was a display of grappling dominance, as it was Saturday night, but it was never in the manner in which he dominated Henderson.

He manhandled a legend. He sent him airborne. He finished him.

Jones looked like he had no challengers until Alexander Gustafsson surprised everyone in their encounter, and now Cormier has dropped to light heavyweight to give him another. Cormier is the real deal. That would be an electric fight.

 

What’s Next for Dan Henderson?

It is hard to tell what is next. It cannot be another top contender; that is one thing for sure.

The UFC should identify another aging fighter for Henderson’s next fight. It should be someone of the same ilk as Henderson. Perhaps a rematch against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira would be in order. That is where Henderson is at in his career, and that should be all that he does from this point forward.

 

What’s Next for Daniel Cormier?

Whomever the champion is.

Gustafsson and Jones will fight for a second time. According to an ESPN report, it could happen in August. After that, Cormier is up next.

Cormier wants Jones, and that is who we all should want. That is the fight to make.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Henderson vs. Cormier Results: Winner, Recap and Analysis

Daniel Cormier continued his march toward a potential UFC Light Heavyweight Championship fight as he defeated Dan Henderson in impressive fashion at UFC 173 Saturday night.
A bit unsurprisingly, DC mauled the overmatched 43-year-old for all three round…

Daniel Cormier continued his march toward a potential UFC Light Heavyweight Championship fight as he defeated Dan Henderson in impressive fashion at UFC 173 Saturday night.

A bit unsurprisingly, DC mauled the overmatched 43-year-old for all three rounds, throwing Hendo around like a rag doll and controlling all of the action on his way to a dominant submission victory. 

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole noted the official finish, while Guilherme Cruz added an impressive stat following the transcendent performance:

Afterward, Cormier was quick to call out Jon Jones, via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto:

Despite his long track record of success, Henderson entered Saturday’s tilt as a massive underdog. Although he won his previous fight against Mauricio Rua, Henderson lost three in a row prior to that. Conversely, Cormier had never lost ahead of UFC 173, and he continued his tear through the world of MMA.

The 35-year-old is a former Olympic wrestler who burst onto the MMA scene in 2009. He established himself as a dominant heavyweight, but he has since dropped down in weight. He won his first light heavyweight bout decisively against Patrick Cummins, and while Henderson was a step up in competition, it didn’t seem to faze Cormier.

DC has been touted as the next big thing in UFC for the past couple of years, so there was plenty of pressure on him to perform against Henderson.

Although Henderson was a clear underdog against Cormier, he seemed confident in his ability to hand him his first career loss, according to Heidi Fang of Fox Sports 670 AM:

Henderson felt as though a Cormier loss was inevitable at some point, and while it may come to fruition eventually, Henderson learned that DC is for real.

The win is huge for Cormier, but it may be equally devastating for Henderson. At 43 years of age, he is seemingly on the decline, and the fact that he has lost four out of his past five fights won’t do him any favors in terms of scoring big bouts in the near future.

He has long been a recipient of testosterone replacement therapy, but it was recently banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That marked a major change for Henderson, but he made it clear leading up to Saturday’s fight that he was still capable of excelling even without TRT, per Matt Erickson of MMAJunkie.com:

I’m feeling pretty good. I maybe lay on the couch a little more than I used to. But I laid on the couch quite a bit before, too. It’s all about just making sure you train hard and train smart. I did that before I was on TRT, I did that during, and now, as well. I’ve won fights and lost fights with it and without it. I really don’t notice too big of a difference, competition-wise. But hopefully I make a statement that it doesn’t matter in this fight.

Hendo may have been prepared, but that still wasn’t enough to beat Cormier. Perhaps Hendo lost simply because Cormier is better at this point in their respective careers. With TRT now out of the equation, though, some observers might question the validity of Henderson’s previous success.

This win is a significant one for Cormier, as it potentially puts a title shot against Jon “Bones” Jones in his future. Cormier took this fight against Henderson in order to prepare himself for a meeting with Jones, but doing so wasn’t his first choice.

According to Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com, fighting Henderson isn’t something that Cormier wanted to do initially:

I wasn’t exactly happy about it. I would much rather not fight Dan Henderson. He’s a guy that I’ve looked up to for a long time. Dan is the first guy I can go into the cage with and say this guy’s done everything that I’ve done, and he’s actually done things at a much higher level than I have.

Cormier obviously has the utmost respect for Henderson, but he didn’t allow that to hinder his performance. DC knew that he had a job to do at UFC 173, and he won in impressive fashion. Unfortunately, it may mean the end of an MMA legend’s career.

Even though Henderson hasn’t said much about retirement in recent years, it will inevitably continue to be a hot topic of conversation. He is no longer a top-notch fighter in UFC, and it may be time for him to step away from the Octagon in the near future.

A win might have gotten Henderson into title contention against Jones, but it is difficult to imagine that happening based on Hendo‘s recent string of poor results. He is very much in limbo right now, and he may have to settle for some lower-level fights if he wants to continue competing.

It can be argued that Cormier simply did what he was supposed to do against Henderson, but it was a great victory nonetheless. Henderson is as savvy as they come and has a massive experience edge over Cormier, but that ultimately didn’t matter.

Cormier confirmed his status as the favorite and proved worthy of challenging Jones at some point. Whether that occurs in his next fight or even after Jones takes on Alexander Gustafsson again, a Cormier vs. Jones clash appears inevitable.

Based on how Cormier looked at UFC 173, he could potentially be the biggest threat to Jones’ throne yet.

 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jake Ellenberger vs. Robbie Lawler: What We Learned from UFC 173 Tilt

Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler have delighted fans in the past and are legitimate title threats…but both needed a win entering UFC 173.
Ellenberger rose quickly through the welterweight ranks, but he suffered a brutal loss to Martin Kampmann and …

Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler have delighted fans in the past and are legitimate title threats…but both needed a win entering UFC 173.

Ellenberger rose quickly through the welterweight ranks, but he suffered a brutal loss to Martin Kampmann and most recently suffered an ugly loss to Rory MacDonald, who froze him in place with his jab. Lawler, meanwhile, went from being a middling veteran to a resurgent title contender, but he needed to reassert his dominance after coming up just short against Johny Hendricks when they fought for the belt at UFC 171.

When they faced off, Lawler dominated Ellenberger from pillar to post before scoring an emphatic knockout in the third round on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

 

Jake Ellenberger Has Unlearned How to Fight

Seriously. This bout was genuinely sad to watch.

Ellenberger was an absolute killer from 2010 through 2012, scoring huge knockouts over enduring names like Mike Pyle and Jake Shields. Against MacDonald, though, he seemed to be too scared to mount up an offensive effort. It was even worse here against Lawler.

While most fighters will revert back to their basest form when struggling, Ellenberger, a genuinely well-honed wrestler, couldn’t even muster up the wherewithal for a takedown. If anybody wants to declare an end to Ellenberger‘s career…I’m not going to disagree.

 

Robbie Lawler Is Still a Beast

Yup. Pretty straightforward right here. Lawler looked like a beast.

He stuck, he moved and he hurt Ellenberger. His punches are deadly, his knees are deadly and other things he didn’t do during the fight are also probably deadly.

With his strong takedown defense and potent striking, there isn’t a single welterweight fighter he can’t beat.

 

Robbie Lawler Probably Won’t Get a Title Shot Soon, Though

Yeah, he looked great, but I’d be shocked if he got another shot at the belt anytime soon. That’s unfortunate, of course, since he was so dominant here, but the fact of the matter is that he is playing to a very small crowd.

On top of that, he likely (wrongly) absorbs some of the blame for the relatively weak UFC 171 buyrate. With the UFC desperately seeking new stars, it’s probably going to be more likely to go all-in on Tyron Woodley or MacDonald. Hell, it could even go for the winner of Dong Hyun Kim vs. Hector Lombard to help the UFC secure its footing in South Korea or Central America.

Either way, Lawler is left out in the cold.

 

Jake Ellenberger Needs to Rediscover His Wrestling

Edmond Tarverdyan, best known for coaching Ronda Rousey and generally managing her entire team during The Ultimate Fighter season 18, was working Ellenberger‘s corner for this fight. While he didn’t do anything bad as a cornerman, Ellenberger‘s current training model clearly isn’t cutting it. 

He needs to get back to his wrestling. Plain and simple. Since getting cracked by Kampmann, he has become an awkward power puncher and little else.

Ellenberger has the tools to win against high-level competition. I’m sure he does. He just needs to go find them again.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 173 Results: Full Winners, Scorecards and Analysis for Main Fight Card

Only appropriate for the bright lights of Las Vegas, UFC 173 features a stacked main card at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Renan Barao, arguably the best fighter in the world, defends his bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw in the headliner. 
Olympi…

Only appropriate for the bright lights of Las Vegas, UFC 173 features a stacked main card at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Renan Barao, arguably the best fighter in the world, defends his bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw in the headliner. 

Olympian Dan’s (Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier) also square off in a crucial light heavyweight matchup, while two of welterweight’s hardest punchers, Robbie Lawler and Jake Ellenberger, will tangle.

Throw in Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera and Jamie Varner vs. James Krause, and there is plenty to pique your interest.

Let’s take a look at how the entire main card unfolded on Saturday night.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 173 Results: TJ Dillashaw Knocks Out Renan Barao in Masterful Performance, Daniel Cormier Puts Dan Henderson to Sleep


(Not bad, but it doesn’t quite stack up to the original. / Props: MMAFighting)

I’ll start with the good news: Tonight’s UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw pay-per-view features two of the UFC’s greatest talents — bantamweight champion Renan Barao and undefeated light-heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier — and seeing those guys in action might be worth the PPV cost in itself. True, Barao and Cormier are both competing in lopsided odds-mismatches that are bordering on indefensible, but why focus on the negative?

In addition to “The Baron” defending his 135-pound title against Team Alpha Male standout TJ Dillashaw, and Cormier looking to earn a title shot with a win over legendary slugger Dan Henderson, tonight’s card will feature a high-level welterweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Jake Ellenberger (who are both coming off losses). Plus, Takeya “Teriyaki” Mizugaki and Francisco Rivera will attempt to build on their win streaks in the bantamweight division, and Jamie Varner kicks off the broadcast against fellow fan-friendly lightweight James Krause.

BG will be sticking round-by-round updates from the UFC 173 main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates, and follow us on twitter for extra analysis and yuk-yuks. Thanks for coming.


(Not bad, but it doesn’t quite stack up to the original. / Props: MMAFighting)

I’ll start with the good news: Tonight’s UFC 173: Barao vs. Dillashaw pay-per-view features two of the UFC’s greatest talents — bantamweight champion Renan Barao and undefeated light-heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier — and seeing those guys in action might be worth the PPV cost in itself. True, Barao and Cormier are both competing in lopsided odds-mismatches that are bordering on indefensible, but why focus on the negative?

In addition to “The Baron” defending his 135-pound title against Team Alpha Male standout TJ Dillashaw, and Cormier looking to earn a title shot with a win over legendary slugger Dan Henderson, tonight’s card will feature a high-level welterweight bout between Robbie Lawler and Jake Ellenberger (who are both coming off losses). Plus, Takeya “Teriyaki” Mizugaki and Francisco Rivera will attempt to build on their win streaks in the bantamweight division, and Jamie Varner kicks off the broadcast against fellow fan-friendly lightweight James Krause.

BG will be sticking round-by-round updates from the UFC 173 main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates, and follow us on twitter for extra analysis and yuk-yuks. Thanks for coming.

UFC 173 preliminary card results
– Michael Chiesa def. Francisco Trinaldo via unanimous decision (30-26 x 2, 30-27)
– Tony Ferguson def. Katsunori Kikuno via TKO, 4:06 of round 1
– Chris Holdsworth def. Chico Camus via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Mitch Clarke def Al Iaquinta via technical submission (D’arce choke), 0:57 of round 2
– Vinc Pichel def. Anthony Njokuani via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Sam Sicilia def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Li Jingliang def. David Michaud via split-decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Joe Rogan throws his jacket on, signaling the transition from free prelims to fancy pay-per-view broadcast. Wait, did he just call Fedor Emelianenko “the greatest heavyweight ever” during a discussion about Dan Henderson? Does the UFC dock him 20% of his purse for that?

Jamie Varner vs. James Krause

Krause is a full six inches taller than Varner, and has a 3.5″ reach advantage. Varner is showing off his new hipster haircut tonight.

Round 1: Varner jabbing to Krause’s body. Krause using his long legs to tag Varner low. Krause lands a front kick to the face, followed by a pair of sharp punches. Varner falls to the mat after another striking exchange; there might be something wrong with his ankle, which appears swollen. He manages to get to his feet, and bounces around. Varner shoots in for a takedown and gets it, but Krause reverses him and gets on top. Now Varner reverses and lands shots from the top. He tries to take Krause’s back but Krause gets up and out. Krause kicks at Varner’s damaged ankle. He lands again and Varner drops to the mat and turtles. Krause lets him up and continues to attack the leg. Varner keeps swinging; gotta respect the heart of Varner. One more shot and Varner hits the mat again. Krause dives on as the round ends.

And it’s all over. Varner tells his corner that his ankle is broken and they call it off. The replays show that yep, Varner rolled his ankle in multiple disgusting ways. If I find a GIF of it, I’ll pass it along.

James Krause def. Jamie Varner via TKO (injury), 5:00 of round 1.

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera

Round 1: Rivera lands a hard left hook right away. Then a straight right that lands. Rivera slipping punches well and returning fire. Both guys trading heavy shots. Mizugaki rocks Rivera during a striking exchange and Rivera falls to the mat. Mizugaki jumps on and tried to finish but Rivera keeps his wits about him and controls Mizugaki’s body, slowing his attack. Rivera gets to his feet and ends up with his back against the fence. Mizugaki with a knee to the body. Rivera trips Mizugaki to the mat. Mizugaki pops up and they separate. They clinch and move to the fence. Rivera with some knees in close, and a takedown, but Mizugaki escapes and swings wildly at Rivera as the round ends.

Round 2: Rivera opens with a leg kick. Rivera lands a question-mark kick upside Mizugaki’s head. Mizugaki shoots for a takedown and Rivera grabs a guillotine and drops to the mat. Mizugaki waits it out and escapes. Mizugaki lands a big punch from the top, as Rivera is stuck sitting against the fence. Another punch from Mizugaki, who then transitions to Rivera’s back. Mizugaki looking for the rear-naked, but isn’t working too hard for it. Mizugaki softening Rivera up with short punches to the body and head. The round ends.

Round 3: Body kick Rivera. Both guys land in boxing exchanges. Mizugaki doing well with counter punches. Mizugaki floors Rivera with a straight right as Rivera throws a kick, and Mizugaki gets on top. Mizugaki throwing some punches here and there; Rivera seems content to play defense. Joe Rogan wonders if Rivera came into the fight sick or injured; that’s how unimpressive he’s looking. The ref stands ‘em. Both guys swinging for the fences. Rivera eats a hard one. Last 30 seconds. Lots of haymakers, none landing cleanly. Both guys whip their arms around at the air until the last horn ends.

Takeya Mizugaki def. Francisco Rivera via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x 2)

Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Ellenberger

Ellenberger comes out to Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise.” (Seriously.) Robbie comes out to Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise.” Just kidding, but damn, that would be epic.

Round 1: Lawler lands a hard left head kick to start the fight…and another. Then one to the body. Another high kick. Ellenberger chases and Lawler sticks a left hand while retreating. Lawler throws the high kick again. Lawler lands a knee to the body. Ellenberger whiffs an uppercuts. He comes in with a hook, Lawler fires a high kick. Lawler lands some hard punches as Ellenberger moves in. Body shot from Ellenberger, Lawler fires the high kick, and one more at the horn. 10-9 Robbie.

Round 2: Ellenberger comes in and swings a big right hand, Lawler throws a kick, lands some punches. Lawler with a nice knee against the fence. Lawler stalking forward and stinging Ellenberger with punches. Ellenberger shoots in, grabs Lawler around the waist, and half-lands a head kick as Lawler shakes out. Lawler with a straight left. And another. Lawler battering Ellenberger with power punches. Ellenberger shoots and manages to get a takedown. Lawler smiles and reverses the position, just like that. Lawler firing punches at Ellenberger’s head. Lalwer lands a knee to Ellenberger’s face as Jake gets up. Ellenberger scores another takedown and fires down an elbow, but Lawler easily kicks out and gets up. Front kick and punches from Lawler. They clinch on the fence and the round ends. 10-9 Lawler again.

Round 3: Lawler with a perfectly timed knee as Ellenberger comes in. But then Ellenberger storms forward with a series of power punches that have Lawler on his heels. Lawler scores with a knee and a sharp jab that snaps Ellenberger’s head back. Ellenberger is nursing his right hand, which might have been injured during his barrage of punches. Ellenberger with a body kick. Lawler sticks the jab. Sharp 1-2 from Lawler. Another punch and Ellenberger winces, squints. He might have taken a shot straight to the eye. Lawler blasts in with a knee to Ellenberger’s face, hitting him in the same damn eye, and Ellenberger crumples to the mat. He’s done. Lawler fires punches down until the ref jumps in.

Robbie Lawler def. Jake Ellenberger via TKO, 3:06 of round 3

Dan Henderson vs. Daniel Cormier

Cormier runs out to the cage. He wants this bad.

Round 1: Cormier opens with a left high kick. Hendo returns one to Cormier’s leg. Hendo misses on an overhand right, Cormier grabs him and rag-dolls him to the mat. I mean, it’s scary how easy that was for him. Hendo working on a weird crucifix from the bottom, but DC pulls out of it. Cormier in side control, dropping shots to Henderson’s body. Cormier tries to work to mount, but Henderson defends. He tries again and gets it for a second, but Henderson shrimps out and establishes guard. Henderson tries to kick Cormier off, Cormier dives back on, smothering Henderson on the mat. Henderson looks for a leg lock before escaping. They’re back on their feet. Cormier with a front kick. Henderson almost trips Cormier to the mat. They clinch near the fence and the round ends. 10-9 Cormier.

Round 2: Henderson jabbing, trying to set up that power right hand. He throws it, but doesn’t land. He shoots in, Cormier defends and gets on top. Cormier in side control. He transitions to back mount, Henderson scrambles away. Cormier stays on him, throwing punches to the body, elbows to Hendo’s head. Cormier roughing Hendo up, but not coming close to a stoppage yet. Henderson covering up as Cornier continues to slug him in the head. Cormier with an elbow to the ribs. Cormier beating Hendo up from every position on the ground. He holds on until the horn. The crowd boos it.

Round 3: Cormier throwing out kicks high and low, then basically throws Henderson over his head like a goddamned pro wrestler (GIF PLEASE), and kicks out Hendo’s feet when he tries to get up. Cormier back on top, scoring points with his ground and pound…but not putting Henderson away, and getting booed as a result. Cormier gets bored beating Hendo against the fence, so he pulls him away from the fence and continues to beat him. Cormier sinks his hooks for a rear-naked choke attempt, and puts Henderson face down on the mat. Cormier squeezes, and Henderson goes out before he can tap. My goodness.

Daniel Cormier def. Dan Henderson via submission (rear-naked choke), 3:53 of round 3

Cormier grabs the stick during the post-fight interview and calls out light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, telling the champ he can’t hide from him. (“Hurry up, because I’m getting better.”) Cormier vows to take Jones down over and over again. I’d watch that. Henderson says he might compete at middleweight going forward, which isn’t a bad idea. Retiring wouldn’t be a bad idea either, but I doubt that’s in the cards.

Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw

Dillashaw is a “monkey style fighter,” I guess. Neither fighter has been taken down in their UFC careers.

Round 1: Dillashaw bouncing around in Dominick Cruz-esque fashion. He lands a quick low kick, and a nice counter punch as Barao advances. Dillashaw with a head kick. Barao returns a body kick. Low kick from Dillashaw, and a big uppercut. Dillashaw tags Barao with a left hand as Barao was loading up for a kick. Barao tries a spinning kick and lands hard with a right hand. Nice switch low kick from Dillashaw. Dillashaw ducks under a Barao punch and scores with a pair of punches. Inside leg kick Dillashaw. Barao lands an outside leg kick. Dillashaw lands a punch that FLOORS Barao. Dillashaw swarms and Barao threatens with a leg lock, but Dillashaw shakes out and jumps on Barao’s back, looking for a neck crank. Barao escapes and Dillashaw fires a head kick as the round ends. Wow. That was a 10-9 for Dillashaw (!?), close to a 10-8.

Round 2: Barao keeping Dillashaw at bay with front kicks. Barao lands a punch and a knee. Okay, he’s back in the fight. Dillashaw is cut near his right temple. Dillashaw lands a sharp right, and Barao gives two right back. Barao lands a nice counter as Dillashaw charges in. Dillashaw with a leg kick, and a high kick that’s caught. Good punches from Dillashaw. Barao misses a spinning back kick but lands a follow-up right hand. Dillashaw shoots, and almost gets Barao to the mat, but Barao springs up. Barao kicks Dillashaw directly in the cup, and Dillashaw needs a break. He’s back in after a minute. Dillashaw still throwing with speed and power. He drills Barao with a right straight. They trade kicks. Body kick Dillashaw. Inside leg kick Barao. Barao lands a series of head-punches. Dillashaw digs a hook to the body. Dillashaw fires punches to the head and body as the round ends. Another 10-9 for Dilly.

Round 3: Both guys still keeping a crazy fast pace in round three. Dillashaw dodges a front kick and reappears behind Barao to punish him with punches. They trade low kicks. Barao misses a high kick. Dillashaw with a body kick, but eats a counter punch. Dillashaw lands a punch, a head kick, another punch. Barao is getting bombed on. He fires a body kick, not out of it yet. Another body kick. Dillashaw with a switch kick to the leg, and a burst of punches behind it. Great head kick from Dillashaw. Dillashaw might have been kicked in the balls again, but he slaps fists with Barao and continues fighting. Dillashaw unloads on Barao against the fence. Barao looks shaky on his feet. Oddly, Dillashaw decides to clinch instead of firing more punches, and the round expires. 10-9 Dillashaw.

Round 4: Dillashaw goes for a single-leg right off the bat. He lands his reliable left head kick. Dillashaw attacking with punches and lands a hard body kick. Dillashaw with a nasty left hand and another kick. Barao misses a spinning back kick and Dillashaw makes him pay with counter punches. Barao lands a good punch in a striking exchange, but Dillashaw resets and goes back to his domination on the feet. They clinch against the fence. Barao rolls out, but slips during a firefight and Dillashaw gets on top of him. Barao tries to grab a leg when he gets a chance, but no dice. Elbows from the top from Dillashaw. There’s the horn. It’s 4-0 Dillashaw going into round 5. One more, and he’ll earn one of the most unexpected shutouts in UFC history.

Round 5: Both guys jabbing. Hook to the body from Barao, Dillashaw returns a kick to the body. Barao misses his spinning kick again, and Dillashaw pops him. Sharp leg kick from Dillashaw. More Cruz-esque footwork from TJ, and Barao is baffled. Dillashaw dodges a series of punches like a damn white Anderson Silva. He lands a head kick, follows it up with a storm of punches, and Barao is on his back after eating a point-blank left straight. Dillashaw jumps all over Barao, raining down right hands until the ref jumps in. Absolutely crazy. TJ Dillashaw is the new UFC bantamweight champion, and Renan Barao never had a chance.

TJ Dillashaw def. Renan Barao via TKO, 2:26 of round 5

Joe Rogan calls it the greatest performance he’s ever seen. Without a doubt, we just witnessed something special. Did anybody give TJ a chance here? Dillashaw came out of nowhere and became an elite-level world-beater in a single night. Good for him. He believed in himself even if few others did.