Tim Hickey
Winners:
Jose Aldo: The man has lived up to his billing. Frankie Edgar was by far and away the toughest opponent on paper that Aldo had fought in his career, and he passed with flying colors. Tho Frankie made it close at the end, in classic Edgar point fighting style, Aldo showed he could arguably be the best lighter weight fighter on the planet. Whats next: By the sounds of it, Dana wants to book Aldo/Pettis, which is one sassy matchup. I personally think that Ricardo Lamas has earned his shot when he crushed Erik Koch’s eye socket like a grape, but Pettis is definitely the sexier matchup.
Bigfoot Silva: I, much like most of the MMA community, figured this was going to be a legilized murder going into this fight. After getting crushed by Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez, and getting the win against Travis Browne due to a knee injury, he looked like a big sacrificail lamb for the UFC to build up a title fight for Reem. After getting beaten to the punch for the better part of 2 rounds, Peizao put together one of the most vicious finishing combos together in recent memory to pull off the 2nd hugest upset of his career. Whats next: I don’t think you can sell him in a rematch with Cain just yet. I would like to see him fight the winner of Stefan Struve and Mark Hunt.
Damien Maia: Someone finally out-Fitched Jon Fitch. Maia looked absolutely dominant against one of the best 170 pounders in the world last night, completely shutting Jon Fitch down with his superior grappling. While Fitch proved to be unsubmittable, Maia proved that 170 lbs is by far the best weight class for him and he could be a force at this weight. My only concern is that we have yet to see him strike really in his last three fights, and if he is unable to take a fight to the floor, will his traditionally sloppy kickboxing be his downfall. Whats next: While my personal fav matchup would be to have him fight Gunnar Nelson (should he beat Jorge Santiago in 2 weeks) I think for divisional relevance he should fight the winner of Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit at UFC 158.
Strikeforce: Fear the Invasion!!! Strikeforce had a great night tonight, with all three former Showtime fighters winning their matchups. Isaac Ville-Flagg used pressure and solid striking to out Thug Jitsu an always dangerous Yves Edwards, Bobby Green overcame a tough 1st round, and the worst referee in MMA to beat The Obamanator in Jacob Volkmann, and Tyron Woodley took out all the rage he had from when Nate Marquardt beat him senseless on a shot looking Jay Heiron. Good start for former Strikeforce fighters trying to stick in the big leagues.Whats next: Ville-Flagg and Tony Fergueson would be a fun fight, Bobby Green vs Michael Johnson, Woodley vs Mike Pyle.
Lil Nog: Winner is used loosely in this context. His fight with Rashad was probably the low point of the fight. Nog landed just enough shots to win, and benefited from Evans’ awful game plan. Whats next: Personally, I would love to see them make Lil Nog/Shogun 2 for nostalgia’s sake, but they rarely put a guy off a win with a guy off a loss (unless your name is Chael Sonnen). That being said, I think a fight with Glover Texeira could turn into a fun firefight.
Joseph Benavidez: A good win for the Team Alpha Male fighter, which puts him right back “in the mix” in a relatively shallow 125 lbs division. After the fight he said he would like another fight before rematching champion Demetrious Johnson, but would fight him if the UFC asked him too. I personally didn’t see anything in Benavidez’s game that would make me think a second fight with Mighty Mouse would be any different at this point. What’s next: Probably a rematch with Mighty Mouse, tho personally I would like to see him fight John Moraga for the number 1 contender.
Losers:
Frankie Edgar: The former LW champion is currently mired in a three fight losing streak, although dropping consecutive fights to Ben Henderson and Jose Aldo is nothing to sneeze at. Frankie showed trademark heart and solid movement last night, but just didn’t have much to offer Aldo. He made the fight close over the last couple of rounds with his point fighting, but ultimately left the arena looking like another victim for Scarface. What’s next: This is a tough one. Does Frankie go back up to LW where his speed and movement cause so much trouble for the bigger guys, or does he stay at his more natural weight class and try to work his way back up for another title shot? What we do know is that Frankie needs a win, so if he moves back up to LW, I would like to see him fight Joe Lauzon. If he stays down at 145, lets put him in with Bart Palaszewski.
Alistair Overeem: (In best Obi Wan voice) “YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE!!!”. Reem came into last night’s fight after a year layoff expecting to walk all over the living statue that is Bigfoot Silva. He was the lineal Pride, Strikeforce and Elite XC heavyweight champion. He was the most decorated striker in the history of MMA. He was suppose to be the PPV cash cow for the UFC and challenge Cain Velasquez for the title. Instead, he underestimated his opponent, didn’t look like he was in the best shape, and really looked flat. His striking wasn’t crisp, he looked like he gassed halfway through the second, and he chose to have his mediocre chin tested against a 280 plus pound half man, half island deity. We now live in a world where Bigfoot Silva is the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Let that sink in.What’s next: Aside from falling off the radar a bit to hide his shame, I think Reem needs to get back on the horse ASAP. JDS vs Reem has a built in storyline, with legitimate heat, but I think the UFC may want to build both of these guys back up a bit before booking that. I think if Shane Carwin ever comes back, that is the fight to book. If not, have Reem fight Ben Rothwell on a free Fox card.
Rashad Evans: Honestly Rashad, what was the game plan there? You didn’t work for takedowns, you pistoned out a left hand constantly with no threat of actually throwing one, and basically danced in front of Lil Nog for 15 mins. Whether it be the 10 month layoff, the loss of his teammate in Overeem just prior to his fight, or what, Evans looked terrible. He lost a chance at a superfight with Anderson Silva, and now sees himself on the first 2 fight losing streak of his career. What’s next: This is a tough one as Rashad is too valuable of a fighter to waste him on a lower tier guy, so I would say give him the loser of Wanderlei Silva and Brian Stann.
Jay Heiron: At 36 years old it doesn’t look like there is a ton left in the tank for Mr. Heiron. He has lost 3 of his last 4 fights and just got blasted by a guy who is renown for his grinding performances. If he doesn’t get cut, he needs to get back on the right track and fast. What’s next: A fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama could be a fun brawl for both guys on the cusp of getting let go.
Jon Fitch: I must admit I readily enjoyed watching Jon Fitch getting Jon Fitched for 15 mins last night. His exasperation at the end of being controlled by a superior grappler for 15 mins made me laugh fairly hard and was just deserts for a guy who has bored me on more occasions than not over the years. He is currently 1-2-1 in his last 4 fights and maybe at the end of being a top 5 talent at 170 lbs. We may have seen Jon Fitch descend into high level gatekeeper status. What’s next: Welcoming Nate Marquardt back to the UFC would be a nice fight, and a litmus test to see where Nate falls into the 170 lbs division.
Ian McCall: Uncle Creepy is currently 0-2-1 in his UFC career. Not ideal for a guy who was once considered the best flyweight in the world. He looked good counter striking last night, but just didn’t have what it took to beat Joseph Benevidez. He is always in a fun fight, but McCall needs to notch his first UFC win to prove he belongs in the big leagues. What’s next: A rematch with former No 1 Jussier Da Silva seems like a good fight to make.
Connor Dillon
- Jesus Christ Flyweights are awesome.
- The Blackzillian “super” camp isn’t so super. The only people I can name with win streaks since joining them are Tyrone Sprong and Anthony Johnson (who had to jumped through like three different weight classes). Maybe they should seriously reconsider the way they do things.
- Man, Maia is a beast. Everyone forgot that fake/real glove tape because Jon Fitch just got entertainingly Fitch’d.
- I had a flashback to Kyle Watson vs John Makdessi during Yves Edwards’ fight. I thought IVF would’ve taken his head off if it was a little higher, but it skipped right over it.
Nolan Howell
The Winners
- Jose Aldo: Jose Aldo has seemingly been more prone to criticism than praise as of late. Most of the focus on the UFC featherweight champion seems to be on his “questionable cardio” myth. Tonight, Aldo put on a superstar performance against the toughest opposition of his career. Frankie Edgar could not find an answer to the combination of leg kicks and stiff straight punches from Aldo until it was too late. This puts Aldo in an Anderson Silva level of acclaim, where it now becomes not who Aldo will face, but how he will dismantle them.
- Frankie Edgar: Although Edgar lost on the official scorecards, he won on the cards of some fight fans. While that is a subject that differs from each individual point of view, Edgar’s heart and tenacity is something that cannot be denied. This performance only solidified his legendary status as one of the pure tough guys in mixed martial arts. Edgar will not win every fight, but he is going to make sure that he leaves doubts in plenty of minds if he comes out on the losing end. Whatever is next for Edgar, there will be plenty of people watching and cheering for him every step of the way.
- Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva: If you look up on the prognostications from MMA pundits about the clash between Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem, you would have figured that Silva should have just tapped out as soon as the bell rang. Outside of a potential submission or mounted onslaught, “Bigfoot” was a horse being lead to slaughter, just another victim on the Overeem path of destruction en route to a title shot. After two lackluster rounds where Alistair Overeem asserted dominance in every aspect of the game, Silva rocked an overconfident Overeem and finished him, thus beating him at his own game. Whether or not Overeem’s own cockiness cost him, Silva has won two in a row, with this victory knocking off a man who many thought could be the heavyweight king. Silva may not reach that belt, but this is a career-defining moment that adds shine to the legacy of Silva.
- Strikeforce: Dead as it may be, you could have swore that there was some stirring in the grave of Strikeforce tonight. It began with a game Issac Vallie-Flagg pressuring veteran Yves Edwards with nonstop kicks and punches until the master of “Thugjitsu” gassed. The decision was a bit controversial to some, but Vallie-Flagg set the tone for the rest of the night. Bobby Green took on Jacob Volkmann next, in a bout that was supposed to have Volkmann relentlessly punishing Green’s lesser ground game. Despite questionable standups from referee Kim Winslow, Green was able to inflict a bit of punishment on the feet and stifle Volkmann’s takedowns, reversing into advantageous positions. After getting the back near the closing of the fight, Green sunk in a rear-naked choke that forced Volkmann to tap in what was a pretty stunning upset. And finally, with one swift right hand right down the pipe, Tyron Woodley put Jay Hieron on the mat and pounded away until Hieron laid stiff and unconscious. Woodley quited the huffs and puffs fans associate with his wrestling-heavy style in 36 seconds. While Strikeforce may be dead, some of the products of the “second-tier” promotion may be here to stay.
- Francisco Rivera: Though many may not have watched, Francisco Rivera laid it all on the line against Edwin Figueroa in the first bout of the night. After a round of knockdowns and wobbling strikes from Figueroa, Rivera connected clean with a stiff right hook to the temple that essentially sealed the deal. Impressive victory that could shoot Rivera into a new level in the 135 lbs. division.
- Alistair Overeem: In what was supposed to be a glorified squash match, Overeem decided to spend two rounds toying with Silva. What Overeem didn’t count on was being victimized in his own wheelhouse. Alistair Overeem still has a big name and a big presence in the heavyweight division, but tonight left a dent in the previously pristine armor of a man many thought would rule.
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Rashad Evans: While Antonio Rogerio Nogueira picked up a big feather to put in his cap by gaining a unanimous decision over Rashad Evans, these two could not have made it any less lackluster. In three rounds, the most that will be remembered of this fight is ineffective jabs being pumped like pistons from both sides. Although Nogueira has a name to cross off on his list, the tape will show that this was not a performance to take pride in.
- Jon Fitch: Many were excited at the potential grappling exchanges between Demian Maia and Jon Fitch. The man impervious to submission would be taking on a master applicator of holds. This turned out to be a Fitching of sorts, but the king of Fitching was on the wrong side of the equation. Demian Maia beat Fitch at his own game, taking him down at will and staying glued in great positions any which way Fitch turned. While losing to Maia is nothing to be ashamed of, it will be a thorn in Fitch’s side to know that he got outdone at his own game.
- Pay-per-view buyers: In such a stacked card on paper, most of the fights on the main card tonight turned out to be sort of a letdown. Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez turned in a solid, but not particularly memorable bout to get the card started. Maia’s grappling dominance on Fitch was not the most exciting thing to watch, although the mastery can certainly be appreciated. Aside from the main event and a shocking upset, this card was not up to snuff with the high expectations set for it. Perhaps the bar was set a bit too high, but most of this show could be watched in fast-forward.
- I think we’ll look back on UFC 156 as the card where fighters lost at their own game, and to the enjoyment of many.
- Jacob Volkmann said he was going to take down Bobby Green. Welp, OK. Green dominated the ground game, overcame an enormous obstacle (literally and figuratively) in the form of Kim Winslow, and won the ground game against Volkmann.
- Alistair Overeem, unapologetic drug-test failure, and dismissive cocky douche, pulled no punches in his lack of respect for Antonio Silva. From the Blackzillians backstory up all the way to weigh-ins, Overeem thought that just being OVEREEM would be good enough. It wasn’t. Silva is a brutal, dangerous, scary, (YET GOSH-DARNED LOVABLE/HUGGABLE) Heavyweight. He’s now KO’d two straight opponents that took him for granted.
- Jon Fitch, for years frustrated spectators with his “boring” style of grinding opponents down. In reality, it was a masterful performance of a fighter imposing his will against whatever the opposition had to offer and dominating on his terms. Fighting Jon Fitch was like fighting a land war in Asia. You just don’t do it, because it will swallow you up. Along comes the leaner and much meaner Demian Maia (who I tweeted that I would gladly chip in $200 to a fund that puts Demian Maia in a time machine to let him start his UFC career at welterweight) did what nobody else can do to Jon Fitch. He Jon Fitch’d him. After a three-round hand-to-hand combat fight inside of a locked cage, I don’t think Jon Fitch can identify Maia in a police lineup. Maia controlled Fitch’s back early, often, and aggressively. It was beautiful to watch, just as how Fitch did against his opponents.
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