The UFC’s third appearance on the Fox network did not disappoint, as lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller battled it out to state their case for a title shot. Also on the card was a critical welterweight matchup between Johny Hendricks and Josh Kosche…
The UFC’s third appearance on the Fox network did not disappoint, as lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller battled it out to state their case for a title shot.
Also on the card was a critical welterweight matchup between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck, as well as a key middleweight collision between Alan Belcher and Rousimar Palhares.
The IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ was the host for the event.
Let’s take a look at how the night’s performances affected the stock of some of the combatants.
Photo: Nate Diaz (L) battles Jim Miller (Josh Hedges/Zuffa, LLC)
After suffering the third loss in his past four fights at the hands of Lavar Johnson during Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 3 event in East Rutherford, NJ, some UFC fans are already calling for the release of Pat Barry. Barry fell victim to a brutal k…
After suffering the third loss in his past four fights at the hands of Lavar Johnson during Saturday night’s UFC on Fox 3 event in East Rutherford, NJ, some UFC fans are already calling for the release of Pat Barry.
Barry fell victim to a brutal knockout after Johnson unloaded everything he had in his tank near the end of the first round. His record in the Octagon has now fallen to a paltry 4-5 and he has still never defeated a fighter who is anywhere near the top 10 in the heavyweight division.
So should he get another chance?
For this writer, the answer is simple—of course he should.
I understand that the UFC is where the best of the best come to fight. Perhaps Barry’s loss on Saturday night proved that he does not belong in the conversation of “best of the best.” Fair enough.
But isn’t the sport about more than that?
In a division full of mammoths who often come out very flat and grind to agonizingly boring decisions, Pat Barry has been a tremendous breath of fresh air. In his nine fights for the company, Barry has only ever gone to one decision—a memorable three-round fight against Joey Beltran that saw “The Mexicutioner” literally collapse to the ground after the third round due to the amount of damage he sustained from leg kicks.
As his record would indicate, it hasn’t always been Barry who has come out on the positive side of the finishes, but the fact is that when you see his name on a fight card, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be in an extremely entertaining fight.
Certainly being entertaining alone cannot keep Pat Barry’s job in the UFC. I get that. But when a guy like Dan Hardy, who has lost four straight bouts in the UFC, can keep his job, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand why some people are trying to put an end to Barry’s run in the UFC.
If the UFC cuts Pat Barry after this performance, they are making a huge mistake. He’s one of the most exciting fighters on the roster and he makes just about every fight interesting. He needs to be given another shot to prove to everyone that he still belongs in the Octagon.
For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron.
After two fight cards on FOX that were widely criticized by fans, the third time was a charm for the UFC. All four main card bouts turned out to be excellent fights, highlighted by Nate Diaz’s second-round submission win over Jim Miller. With hug…
After two fight cards on FOX that were widely criticized by fans, the third time was a charm for the UFC.
All four main card bouts turned out to be excellent fights, highlighted by Nate Diaz’s second-round submission win over Jim Miller.
With huge finishes by Alan Belcher and Lavar Johnson kicking off the main card, and a three-round war between Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck providing entertainment in the co-main event, the UFC had its work cut out for it when deciding the winners for the fight-night bonuses.
Submission of the Night: Nate Diaz
The win pushed Diaz to the forefront of title contention in the lightweight division, and it also earned the younger Diaz his fourth submission of the night award of his career.
Diaz was having success on the feet against the tough to finish Miller, and once he saw the opening to grab Miller’s neck he capitalized and locked in the fight ending guillotine choke.
It appears that Diaz’s win was not in vain, as he is now set to battle for the lightweight title in his next bout.
Knockout of the Night: Lavar Johnson
If the fans had to predict which fight was going to deliver the knockout of the night bonus, the inevitable brawl between Lavar Johnson and Pat Barry would have won by a landslide.
After a few crazy exchanges and a brief period of time on the mat, Johnson backed Barry against the cage and started unloading some haymakers from his hips.
Once those connected it was a matter of time, and Barry eventually succumbed to the barrage.
Fight of the Night: Louis Gaudinot vs. John Lineker
The first flyweight bout of the evening gave the fans their money’s worth on the preliminary portion of the card.
The two 125-pounders put on a show to start the bout, meeting in the middle of the cage and throwing bombs inside the pocket for a solid 30 seconds.
The pace would slow after that, but only slightly as Gaudinot and Lineker both fought on hyper speed.
The fight ended when Gaudinot locked in a guillotine choke with just seconds remaining in the second round, but Lineker was too tough to tap out and was soon put to sleep.
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and Nate Diaz is now one step closer to a UFC lightweight title shot.Diaz was able to use his signature Stockton slap to out-strike Jim Miller on the feet. Eventually, Diaz was able to catch Miller in a guil…
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and Nate Diaz is now one step closer to a UFC lightweight title shot.
Diaz was able to use his signature Stockton slap to out-strike Jim Miller on the feet. Eventually, Diaz was able to catch Miller in a guillotine choke to become the first man to stop Miller.
Here’s what we learned about the fight.
What we’ll remember about this fight
Diaz brought everything that you would expect in a typical Diaz fight.
Slap boxing, taunting and great ground work. Diaz picked his shots and utilized the clinch to pick Miller apart.
Miller hit some good shots, but Diaz had his number Saturday night at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
What we learned about Diaz:
Diaz is ready for a big fight. Only three other men have defeated Miller, and each have gone on to either win the UFC lightweight title or fought in multiple title fights.
Although Diaz is just as cocky as his older brother Nick, he prove that he is just as talented and dangerous. Unlike his brother, though, Nate has shown that he can abide by the rules by not having any controversy leading up to his fights.
In fact, Diaz showed great sportsmanship once the fight was over.
What we learned about Miller:
We already knew that Jim Miller was tough. Like so many other fighters, eventually you get stopped.
Miller is a great fighter.
But considering he has now lost to Diaz, lightweight champ Benson Henderson, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, he may just not be able to hang with the top contenders in the division.
What’s next for Diaz
With a third straight victory at lightweight, Diaz is now in now in line to face the winner of the Henderson-Edgar UFC 150 rematch, as promised by UFC president Dana White.
What’s next for Miller
Although this is only Miller’s fourth loss of his career, Miller is starting to look more like the ultimate gatekeeper instead of title contender.
Of course, Miller wants to be looked at as a serious contender, though. A bout with the loser of Clay Guida vs. Gray Maynard could get Miller back on track.
If he doesn’t want to wait that long, a fight against the winner or loser of Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens, who fight each other in a couple of weeks at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier, could be an exciting fight for Miller.
Nate Diaz came into Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 3 main event as an underdog against Jim Miller, but he proved those odds to be very wrong in dominating the fight before earning a submission victory in Round 2. As a mixed martial arts writer, it ca…
Nate Diaz came into Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 3 main event as an underdog against Jim Miller, but he proved those odds to be very wrong in dominating the fight before earning a submission victory in Round 2.
As a mixed martial arts writer, it can sometimes be tough to admit when you’re wrong…and this is one of those times.
Not only was Miller’s wrestling ineffective, he also got completely picked apart on the feet. When the fight finally went to the ground, it was on Diaz’s terms as he quickly wrapped up a deep guillotine choke that got the submission.
The discussion is no longer about whether Nate Diaz is in Jim Miller’s league. That has been answered emphatically. The question now is whether Nate Diaz should be fighting for a title immediately.
After doubting Diaz going into this fight, I’m done. This guy is a flat-out beast and there is no doubt in my mind that he should be leapfrogging everyone on his way to an immediate title shot.
Many will point to Anthony “Showtime” Pettis as the guy who should be fighting for the title next. There’s certainly an argument to be made there after the former WEC champion was denied an immediate shot when he came to the UFC. He’s an extremely entertaining fighter who even holds a win over the current champion Benson Henderson.
But Nate Diaz did something tonight that no one had ever done to Jim Miller. In 24 fights, Miller had only lost three fights—to Benson Henderson, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar. As good as those fighters are, none of them was able to finish Miller.
Not only did Diaz finish Miller, he made it look EASY.
The younger Diaz brother has gone 3-0 with three completely one-sided victories since returning to the 155-pound division. Love him or hate him, Nate Diaz deserves to be fighting for the title.
It’s that polarizing capability that makes the Diaz brothers such stars in this sport. Nate has always followed in the shadow of Nick, but with Nick currently suspended, perhaps it’s time for the younger brother to finally take his place at the top of the MMA rankings.
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and some fighters were super impressive while others fell on hard times, daddy. The card lacked name value, but all of the fights delivered with excitement and stories. It’s what makes MMA intriguing and keeps me tuning in…
UFC on FOX 3 is in the books, and some fighters were super impressive while others fell on hard times, daddy. The card lacked name value, but all of the fights delivered with excitement and stories. It’s what makes MMA intriguing and keeps me tuning in as a fan of the sport.
Let’s take a look at the main card and grade the performances of the combatants that took the cage tonight.
A+
Nate Diaz: HO-LEE CRAP! Nate Diaz is the biggest winner on the night. He becomes the first man to stop Jim Miller and earns himself a title shot with the win. Props to him for being respectful in victory.
Post-Fight Press Brownies: THESE BROWNIES WERE CRAZY! DEFINITE A+. SOMEONE GET THEM A “SNACK OF THE NIGHT” BONUS.
A-
Michael Johnson: He didn’t fight on the main card, but his performance tonight deserves recognition. There’s been questions in the past about his fight IQ and ability to maintain his composure when an opponent takes him off his game plan. Tonight, he had the best fight of his career and showed maturity as a fighter. Props to Michael Johnson.
Alan Belcher: Leading into this fight there were huge questions regarding his ability to escape Rousimar Palhares’ leg locks. Not only did he escape but he also attempted some of his own. The TKO finish was phenomenal and he made a case for contender consideration.
B
Lavar Johnson: Is there anyone in the heavyweight division that is physically more imposing than Lavar Johnson? He survived an early submission scare and finished the fight with those ham hocks he has for hands.
Johny Hendricks: He was told that in victory he would become the No. 1 contender for the welterweight title. It was a hard-fought win, but Johny Hendricks prevailed. He landed several powershots and showed improved boxing but lost in wrestling.
Josh Koscheck: This fight has to be disappointing for Josh Koscheck as the decision could have gone either way. Ricardo Almeida’s score card has caused some controversy and Koscheck has reason to be pissed.
C
Rousimar Palhares: He had several chances to finish the leg locks, but he just couldn’t keep the submission. When you only have a single path to victory, you have to get the tap out. He didn’t get the submission and paid dearly for it tonight.
Jim Miller: Jim Miller looked good in the first round and even took Nate Diaz’s back. He wasn’t able to maintain the position, though, and Diaz took over with his boxing. The biggest shame is that he was stopped for the first time in his UFC career.
Pat Barry: This has to be the worst loss of Pat Barry’s career. I was impressed that he had the submission attempt and his grappling looked as best as it has in his career. He made the mistake of letting Lavar tee off. Back to the drawing board, I guess?
