Contributor: Josh Hall
UFC 165 just ended, and what had been a solid card throughout culminated in one of the greatest fights in UFC history in an epic light heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. Jones won a razor thin unanimous decision to retain the title, but there really was no loser in that fight. Both men should be commended for their performance, and I am excited just thinking about the eventual and necessary rematch.
I am no Jones fan, but his effort tonight was that of a true champion. He could have given up in the later rounds when it appeared the challenger had taken control, but instead he hit Gustafsson with literally everything he had in his arsenal. The same strikes would have knocked out lesser men, but Gustafsson showed he possesses a chin of pure granite, walking through head kick after head kick and continuing to land himself. I had him winning the first 3 rounds on my scorecard, but there is no way this fight was a robbery no matter which man won. It was just an all-time classic fight where a myriad of scores could be justified. My hat goes off to both fighters.
I can’t write too much without mentioning the first spinning back kick headshot KO in UFC history, as Renan Barao successfully defended his “Interim” BW title against a very game Eddie Wineland. I put the quotes there because at this point I feel there is no question Barao is the real BW champion, and it could be brutal for Dominic Cruz fighting him after 2 years away and 2 major knee surgeries. There are no holes in Barao’s game, he has won 22 straight fights, and he has a finishing rate that is exceptional at such a low weight. He is one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, and could reign over the division for a long time.
In the battle of ex-NFL HWs, Brendan Schaub dispatched of Matt Mitrione quickly and with relative ease, sinking in a D’Arce choke that put “Meathead” out cold before he could tap. It was a good performance and a step towards washing off the stink of his performance at Metamoris earlier this year when he refused to engage in a BJJ match against “Cyborg” Abreu, drawing the ire of fans and media members. Dana White said at the post fight presser that an opening has come available for a big fight for Schaub, so we should hear an announcement on that soon.
Francis Carmont has a knack for sucking the life out of a fight card, and his fight tonight was no exception. He did, however, absolutely dominate Costa Philippou from bell to bell, snapping off takedowns at will. Philippou had no answers for the top game of Carmont, and spent over 12 of the 15 minutes on his back before losing a lopsided decision. Carmont moved to 6-0 in the UFC, leaving matchmakers in a tough spot due to his complete lack of marketability.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is an absolute beast who is pretty impossible to dislike. He is a totally nice guy until he steps in the
cage, where he instantly morphs into a wrecking machine. He threw Pat Healy around with an ease I have never witnessed at LW, and the UFC sounds 100% ready to give him a big push in the most exciting division in the sport. Without too much hyperbole, I believe “The Eagle” has a lot of the same qualities as the great Fedor Emilianenko, from the combat sambo skills to similar unorthodox strikes and the ability to physically overwhelm bigger opponents. He may only be 1-2 fights from a title shot at this point, and it is going to be a fun ride to watch.
Mike Ricci cares less than any fighter I have ever seen in the UFC. After a mind-numbingly boring fight to headline the prelims against Myles Jury, he looked like he had just finished a session in the gym, not lost a fight that could cost him his job. Jury didn’t look very good either, but good enough to win a fight I wish I hadn’t seen by split decision (that really wasn’t that close at all).
Wilson Reis secured a win in his UFC debut, but he certainly earned no new fans in the process. He was able to grind out Ivan Menjivar for 3 rounds and win a decision, but it was done through a lot of top control with very little damage accrued. This looks to be the end for Menjivar as a contender, and with 36 fights his body may not have much left in it.
We like to joke about the “striking prowess” of Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson a lot around here, but he honestly looked really good against Chris Clements. He came out showing offensive wrestling we had not seen previously and power in his hands that seemed to be much improved as well. Clements was out of his element for most of the fight, and was knocked out violently in the second round. His release seems imminent, and Wonderboy should receive a big step up in competition for his next bout.
Mitch Gagnon and Dustin Kimura put on a show while it lasted, but it was Gagnon landing huge shots to the body before jumping guard for a guillotine that put Kimura out cold. Props to referee Yves Lavigne for realizing Kimura had gone out quickly as it was not immediately obvious while watching the broadcast.
John Makdessi scored a nice 1st round KO on the FB/YT prelims over Renee Forte, while Alex Caceres and Roland Delorme had the FOTN for me until the main event. They had an amazing scramble battle early on and the fight was good for 15 minutes, with Caceres winning a split decision in a really fun fight.
All in all this was a card that was definitely worth watching, and the main event is the hands down fight of the year for me to this point. Is it the greatest title fight in light heavyweight history? I would say absolutely yes. It might even be the greatest title fight in UFC history period. If nothing else it was a great reminder why we all love this sport so much. Heart, technique, and all the wonderful violence you could ever ask for in a fight. Bravo, gentlemen.
-Josh can be reached at [email protected] or @jhall282.
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