Boy am I glad I'm not a betting man. I admittedly did atrociously in my picks tonight, but everyone has an off-night right? Maybe holding the event on Sunday instead of the usual Saturday night messed with my mojo. Either way it was a good night of fights with some good action and a few interesting surprises. So on with it:
Chris Lytle def. Dan Hardy via Submission (Guillotine), Rd 3
What Happened: Staying true to their words until the last minute, Hardy and Lytle put on a stand up war and tested each other's chins. An unexpected (and ill-advised) takedown by Hardy with a minute left in the fight sealed his fate as, he was immediately caught in a guillotine and submitted. Earlier we learned that this would be Lytle's last MMA bout.
Thoughts: What a way to go out for Lytle. Not only does he retire with an impressive win, but he snags two post fight bonuses (sub and fight of the night) AND a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Talk about going out on a high note. As soon as Hardy shot in for that takedown I knew he was making a gigantic mistake, and Lytle wasted no time in making him regret it. It didn't look as if he was getting wrecked that badly on the feet (though with the way it was going, if it had gone to decision I would've scored it 29-28 Lytle), and with his lack of grappling skills he should have known better than to take a black belt like Lytle down. Taking a training camp with Roy Nelson doesn't transform you into a grappling ace overnight.
Next for Lytle: Enjoying his bonuses, motorcycle, and extra time with his family. That was easy.
Next for Hardy: According to Lorenzo Fertitta's Twitter, Hardy will not be cut. I have mixed feelings on this, because after losing 4 straight I feel that even putting on exciting fights may not be enough. On the other hand, I feel like Hardy never should have been given his title shot or top competition in the first place until he improved his overall game. Since he's still around (and still wildly popular in the UK) he should get a winnable return fight, and Amir Sadollah might fit that mold. Loser leaves town.
Ben Henderson def. Jim Miller via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Henderson never really allowed Miller to get going, as he was just too much for him to handle in all spots. Bendo escaped and avoided numerous submission attempts, all while maintaining top control and battering Miller with vicious ground and pound en route to a lopsided decision.
Thoughts: Let's get one thing straight: I've been a big fan of Henderson since the first fight of his I watched, and I've always believed that he is underrated in the lightweight division. But this fight was the surprise of the night for me. Not because I didn't believe in Henderson, but because I thought Miller was such a tough opponent he'd never be dominated in such a fashion. I'm a fan of both guys so I tried to stay neutral, but it was hard not to pull for Miller (I have a weakness for underdogs at times) just because things seemed so bleak for him. To his credit, he never wilted, and fought until the end. He locked in a few submissions that would have tapped most lightweights. But in retrospect it almost seemed kind of foolish that he thought he could submit someone with Henderson's inhuman track record of submission escapes. Those attempts just ended up putting him in deeper waters.
Next for Henderson: With this upset, he is thrust into the realm of top contenders at lightweight. Provided Melvin Guillard gets past Joe Lauzon, he would make the perfect opponent for a title eliminator. Clay Guida may also be a viable choice.
Next for Miller: It was at tough loss, but with a 7 fight win streak prior to this, he didn't fall far down the ladder. The winner of Anthony Pettis vs Jeremy Stephens or Donald Cerrone would make for solid match ups, as would Clay Guida if Zuffa brass doesn't feel he's quite ready for a title eliminator.
Donald Cerrone def. Charles Oliveira via TKO (Punches), Rd 1
What Happened: Oliveira looked relatively sharp, but a slight step behind the more battle-tested Cerrone in their brief encounter. Cerrone kept him at bay with hard leg kicks and picked his shots until an uppercut to the body caused Oliveira to drop to the ground and fish for a leg. Cerrone, who is usually a slow starter, decided to pull the trigger and rain down punches while Oliveira covered up until the ref saw enough and made the save.
Thoughts: I always like a good finish, but I was a bit disappointed that this one wasn't a competitive war. I like watching both guys fight and they both go in there to get it done no matter where the fight goes. I would have also liked to see it go to the ground, what with both guys being so good there. Nonetheless, a great win for Cerrone, and a pretty tough loss for Oliveira.
Next for Cerrone: Cerrone has flown a bit under the radar and put together some impressive performances as of late. It's about time he gets a step up against someone proven in the UFC. Jim Miller, the winner of Pettis vs Stephens, or the winner of Denis Siver vs Sam Stout should be in his immediate future.
Next for Oliveira: After two breakout performances in the UFC, it appeared as if Oliveira might have been prime for a fast-tracking up the lightweight ladder. Disappointing losses to Jim Miller and Cerrone have shown that those thoughts were premature. Still, his dominant performance against Nik Nentz showed that he still belongs against solid competition, illegal knee notwithstanding. A slight step back in competition against someone like George Sotiropoulos or Yves Edwards might be in the cards; and there's always a rematch against Lentz.
Duane Ludwig def. Amir Sadollah via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Ludwig put on a kickboxing clinic, as he battered Sadollah with accurate counter-punching and took a lopsided decision.
Thoughts: I'm definitely not trying to take anything away from Ludwig, he looked great, but Sadollah didn't look like what I'm used to seeing. Granted, Ludwig is definitely the best striker he's faced; but even so, he didn't look as sharp as he usually does. He usually displays great defense, making sure to always keep his hands high; in this fight he kept them relatively low, and didn't seem as concerned with protecting himself during his combos. Ludwig is a much more decorated kickboxer though, so maybe this is just what happens when you throw Sadollah in there with a good striker. On paper Sadollah had the wrestling and grappling edge and even those things weren't working in his favor, forcing him to stay standing and take a beating. He showed heart and determination in trying to rally back in the 3rd, but it was too late.
Next for Ludwig: Ludwig may have put on an impressive performance against Sadollah, but his best days are definitely behind him, and his UFC tenure suggests that he won't have to go much further up in competition before he hits a wall in the welterweight division. With that said, he's good for some fun fights and as an upper-mid level gatekeeper. Martin Kampmann has fallen on some hard times of late, and Ludwig would be a good indicator of whether or not he still belongs in the mix. With his improving takedown defense he could also prove a good barometer for guys like John Hathaway and Matt Riddle as well.
Next for Sadollah: It appears Sadollah has hit a bit of a wall. Before this fight it appeared he had the striking to give everyone fits, and the one hole in his game was his lack of wrestling. Ludwig showed that his striking needs improvement as well, and that he's not quite as far along as we thought. His technical style of striking would make for an interesting pair with Dan Hardy's brawling, and with the both of them looking quite disappointing as of late, they may need to fight it out to determine who belongs in the company.
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