The first showing of UFC on FX is over, and now fans and fighters get to look around and pick up the pieces to see where everything stands and whose stock shifted during the course of the night.The UFC fits well on FX, and the night was full of finishe…
The first showing of UFC on FX is over, and now fans and fighters get to look around and pick up the pieces to see where everything stands and whose stock shifted during the course of the night.
The UFC fits well on FX, and the night was full of finishes with different fighters succeeding while others fell lower. Overall, the night was a good one.
Still, as with any fight card, there were some moments that stuck out in memory and told fans things about the promotion.
For every fighter who had a shining moment on the card, there was also something that showed about someone who lost.
So here are the top 10 moments from Nashville that stand out in fans’ minds.
Last night’s UFC on FX main event featured two of the best lightweight fighters in the UFC looking to get back on track after suffering losses in their previous fights.Jim Miller (21-3-0) and Melvin Guillard (29-10-2) faced off in the shortest fight of…
Last night’s UFC on FX main event featured two of the best lightweight fighters in the UFC looking to get back on track after suffering losses in their previous fights.
Jim Miller (21-3-0) and Melvin Guillard (29-10-2) faced off in the shortest fight of the night.
Three of the four fights on the main card ended in the first round. The main event made it just 2:04 before Miller submitted Guillard via submission.
Guillard had the upper hand in all but 15 seconds of the fight. He came out swinging and connected with a couple shots early that rattled Miller.
It didn’t stop Miller from pressing forward.
Guillard attempted a flying knee that Miller was able to counter into a takedown.
When Guillard tried to get back to his feet, Miller capitalized by jumping on his back. After locking in a figure-four leg lock, Guillard fell back to the ground.
Miller quickly established a rear-naked choke and Guillard tapped.
Of Miller’s 21 career wins, 12 have now come by way of submission. He truly has a talent for capitalizing on his opponent’s minor mistakes to come away with wins.
The win puts Miller right back in the hunt for the Lightweight Championship.
His recent loss to Ben Henderson, who will be the next fighter to challenge for the belt, lost Miller some of his recent recognition.
This fight puts him right back in the talks. He may be just one win away from getting that shot at the title.
Clay Guida is the name being thrown around at the moment as a possible upcoming fight for Miller.
Whoever it is, you can bet Miller will be on the top of his game.
UFC is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The final ratings of last night’s first UFC on FX card will be a terrific indicator of how far MMA has come over the past couple years. Since the card didn’t feature any marquee names, you …
UFC is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The final ratings of last night’s first UFC on FX card will be a terrific indicator of how far MMA has come over the past couple years.
Since the card didn’t feature any marquee names, you probably wouldn’t expect the event to reel in many viewers. That’s not necessarily the case, however, because UFC appeals to a growing audience that might have been looking to check it out for the first time.
It was also on Friday night, which is a notoriously weak night of television. That’s probably one of the main reasons president Dana White decided to have it last night instead of on a Saturday when there are a lot more sporting events to compete with.
Even though UFC is still quite a ways away from competing with the country’s major sports, it’s making up ground fast on a lot of second-tier sports. All it really needs it one marquee star that would attract a lot of attention every time he steps in the octagon.
In other words, UFC needs a Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather. Boxing’s lack of depth is really hurting that sport, whereas UFC has the depth but needs the elite names.
That depth is what the company is hoping will drive ratings up for last night. Melvin Guillard and Jim Miller might not be household names, but they are both solid veterans with track records of success to fall back on.
All told, it was a low-risk maneuver by UFC.
If the ratings come back poor, the company can blame it on a weak card. If they come back better than expected, White can use that momentum to keep building the brand into a powerhouse.
Either way, the final tally should give us a strong idea of how large of an impact MMA will have on the national sports landscape in 2012.
Jim Miller was able to remain within title contention at 155 pounds, and he did it in impressive fashion.After getting stunned early on in the opening minutes of the first round, Miller was able to regain his composure and apply a rear-naked choke on M…
Jim Miller was able to remain within title contention at 155 pounds, and he did it in impressive fashion.
After getting stunned early on in the opening minutes of the first round, Miller was able to regain his composure and apply a rear-naked choke on Melvin Guillard to get the victory at UFC on FX 1.
Both competitors were entering their lightweight bout in search of a win, in order to stay within reach of a title shot in the lightweight division. Miller previously lost to Benson Henderson at UFC Live 5 last year, while Guillard was coming a submission loss to Joe Lauzon at UFC 136.
Guillard came out and attempted to press the action, as he utilized his striking and speed. He landed a flying knee that hurt Miller, and continued to attack his opponent, who was visibly wounded. Shortly after, Guillard repeatedly tried to land a flying knee, before Miller countered and landed a double leg takedown, securing top position.
Miller would utilize his superior ground game, as he immediately passed Guillard’s guard, and ended up in full mount. “The Young Assassin” tried to reverse the position, but gave up his back in the process, allowing Miller to lock in a rear-naked choke and forcing Guillard to tap.
The victory was a huge moral boost for Miller, considering his personal problems as of late, and it has launched him back amongst the elite competitors in the division. The win was Miller’s twelfth submission victory, and he has now won eight of his ten UFC bouts, extending his overall record to 21-3-0.
Meanwhile, Guillard has now dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in nine bouts, owning a professional of 29-10-2.
The UFC’s first card on FX was an exciting one, featuring a ton of finishes and quality wins by some UFC veterans. The card was exactly what we should expect to see from these FX and Fuel events, which is entertaining fights between mid-tier figh…
The UFC’s first card on FX was an exciting one, featuring a ton of finishes and quality wins by some UFC veterans.
The card was exactly what we should expect to see from these FX and Fuel events, which is entertaining fights between mid-tier fighters and a main event that has title implications.
Jim Miller rebounded from his loss to Benson Henderson with a sick submission win over Melvin Guillard to get back into title contention, Josh Neer put Duane Ludwig to sleep inside of the first round and Pat Barry showed off some skills on the mat before knocking out Christian Morecraft.
Pat Barry walked into the UFC’s first fight card on FX on a two-fight losing streak. He had been taken out by not just Cheick Kongo, but Stefan Struve as well.Dana White may like Barry, but three losses in a row seems to be the death knell fo…
Pat Barry walked into the UFC’s first fight card on FX on a two-fight losing streak. He had been taken out by not just Cheick Kongo, but Stefan Struve as well.
Dana White may like Barry, but three losses in a row seems to be the death knell for most competitors in the UFC. There are a few exceptions, and Barry might have been one of them.
But the UFC is a business, and with the consolidation of Strikeforce’s heavyweight stable there is a good chance it may have squeezed Barry’s spot on the roster.
The other tell-tale sign that Barry was getting his last shot with the company was his opponent. Whenever fan favorites face off against relative unknowns (or those with losing records inside the promotion) it usually means it is their last chance with the promotion.
With a 1-2 UFC record, Christian Morecraft fit that to a tee on both accounts.
Barry was able to keep his job, but it was close. As illustrated in every one of his bouts, Barry still has issues with anything outside of striking.
Barry not only got the win, but got a great knockout as well, which means he keeps his main card status. He was also rewarded the fight of the night bonus (which is debatable, considering the thrilling performance Mike Easton and Jared Papazian put on).
Still, it fills his coffers a bit more and makes him a triple bonus winner, with two having come on the same night. That makes him a little more indispensable to the UFC brass, but with more competition merging into the company he needs all the help that it brings.
Barry is likable and, like virtually all sports, in MMA that helps. Trash talking will get you only so far, as talent takes you the rest of the way. Even more, If you are an exciting fighter, fans will actually like you better if you are respecting all the while giving thrilling performances.
But, at the end of the day, fans like winners and Barry did that Friday night. Again, if he hadn’t he could have found himself holding a pink slip and in the unemployment line.
Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA, and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report. He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.comwhich focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film, and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.
Last night’s UFC on FX main event featured two of the best lightweight fighters in the UFC looking to get back on track after suffering losses in their previous fights.