Junior dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez (C) via Knockout (Punches), Rd 1
What Happened: And just like that, it was over. Many pegged it to be a long, back and forth war, but dos Santos needed just over a minute to drop Velasquez with an overhand right behind the ear, and remove him from consciousness with punches.
Thoughts: Great performance from dos Santos. Some people called his finishing ability into question following his decision victories over Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson, but it looks like he put those thoughts to rest tonight in dramatic fashion; and he did it with a torn meniscus. One has to wonder how much the layoff affected Velasquez; he looked considerably slower than dos Santos, and time will tell whether that was due to ring rust, or because dos Santos is just that much faster than he is.
Next for dos Santos: The new champion will face the winner of the upcoming fight between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem. Should be good.
Next for Velasquez: Velasquez is still one of the best heavyweights out there, and shouldn't fall far down the ladder. I could see him taking on the loser of Lesnar vs Overeem or Frank Mir if he gets past Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Benson Henderson def. Clay Guida via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: As has been the case lately, Henderson was just too much for his opponent. Guida made it a spirited battle as per usual, but Henderson was just a step ahead in every position and took home a clear cut decision in a high-paced battle.
Thoughts: Henderson continues to improve and look great since entering the UFC. Guida put up a good fight, but it seemed Henderson's size advantage played a large part in him getting the better of the grappling portions. The brief exchanges on the feet were wild, and while both men had their moments, Henderson scored the most significant strikes of the fight, dropping Guida in the first. Great fight overall, and both guys put on a hell of a show.
Next for Henderson: As this was a #1 contender fight, Henderson will fight Frankie Edgar for the lightweight strap in Japan. Fight of the Year anyone?
Next for Guida: Gray Maynard, having just lost to Edgar, seems like a logical next step for Guida. Jim Miller would also be a solid choice for Guida, and although I'm usually not a fan of guys running to other divisions when the going gets tough, a drop to 145 may not be a terrible idea for him.
Dustin Poirer def. Pablo Garza via Submission (Brabo Choke), Rd 2
What Happened: Poirer showed the expected advantages on the feet, but it was on the ground that he finished the fight. During a transition Poirer slapped on a textbook Brabo choke, forcing an over-matched Garza to tap.
Thoughts: Poirer looks like he could have a bright future at featherweight. Still only 22 years old, he possesses the kind of well-rounded game that could make him a problem for any 145er. Garza couldn't get into his groove and it was clear Poirer was just a step above him, but he's still a solid talent and should bounce back from this loss.
Next for Poirer: It's about time he steps up a bit in competition. Sherdog suggested the winner of Mark Hominick/Chan Sung Jung, which is a good choice. I think another good choice would be to pit him against fellow fast rising star Eric Koch.
Next for Garza: I'd like to see Garza and Jonathan Brookins try to get back on track at the expense of each other. Garza has the stand up and submissions to threaten Brookins from many positions, and Brookins has wrestling that could stifle all that. It could be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Ricardo Lamas def. Cub Swanson via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke), Rd 2
What Happened: Swanson started off strong in the first round, landing good shots that stumbled Lamas standing up and almost choking him out with a tight guillotine. After an early takedown by Lamas in the second round, Swanson got a bit careless on the ground and Lamas took the opportunity to slap on an arm triangle.
Thoughts: Swanson looked good in the first round, and looked to have the advantage overall; but as has happened to him previously, his tendency to get wild cost him. It causes him to give up takedowns and get caught on the ground. He can be a factor in the division if he learns to calm down a bit. Lamas was impressive in locking in the submission so quickly, but otherwise just looked okay.
Next for Lamas: Darren Elkins or Mike Brown.
Next for Swanson: Cub is a fun fighter, but at this point I'm not sure he'll ever work his way to the upper crust of the division even though you could argue he possesses the tools. Jason Young will oblige him in an exciting stand up war.
Demarques Johnson def. Clay Harvison via KO (Punches), Rd 1
What Happened: From the start Johnson came out looking to box, favoring a boxing stance that is ill-fitted for kicks or defending takedowns. It didn't seem like the best idea initially, but it paid dividends. A left uppercut put Harvison on his back, and after prematurely celebrating, Johnson throws a right to seal the deal.
Thoughts: What can I say about this one? It was a bad night for guys named Clay. Johnson has clearly been working hard on his striking after getting worked by Amir Sadollah. Johnson is always willing to stand, but until tonight he lacked the skills and power to make a difference in striking battles. If tonight's performance was any indication, Johnson may become as dangerous on the feet as he is on the ground
Next for Johnson: Tough call. He's 4-3 in the UFC, and has alternated wins and losses in his last 5. I'll throw Dennis Hallman's name out there.
Next for Harvison: Harvison could be staring at a pink slip with one more loss. Pit him against Paul Bradley, who also lost his second straight at the event.
Darren "BC" Uyenoyama def. Norufumi "Kid" Yamamoto via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Kid was no match for BC's high level BJJ. Kid established his wrestling and willingness to grow to the ground early with a couple nice hip tosses, but BC was by far the more talented of the two on the ground. The only other offense Kid really showed was a hard right hand that cut and wobbled BC, forcing him to shoot for a takedown. However, the majority of the fight was spent with Kid fending off submissions and being controlled on the ground.
Thoughts: I really had high hopes for Kid in this fight. I thought this would be a good fight for him to get back on track, as his great wrestling and striking seemed to be good foils for BC on paper. I'm sure the UFC is disappointed that Kid failed to impress yet again, and were hoping he'd get a win so he could be pushed for the Japan card in February. I've been a Kid fan for a long time, and it's just time to admit that not only is he past his prime but the game has really passed him by.
Next for Uyenoyama: I wouldn't be surprised to see him get as spot on the Japan card. Against Kid he showed a good chin, and ability to get inside. Once he did get inside he showed great confidence and skill in his BJJ. Ken Stone or Jeff Hougland could provide entertaining grappling battles.
Next for Yamamoto: Kid can't seem to put it together in the UFC, not that it's incredibly suprising when considering his losses to a green Joe Warren and losing a clear cut decision to Masanori Kanehara, whom everyone thought he'd destroy. Kid may get a shot at the Japan show since he's such a big star there, but he'll likely be fighting for his job. Maybe his originally scheduled fight with Damacio Page will get booked. It'll be entertaining, and in theory Kid should win it.
Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier via TKO (punches), Rd 3
What Happened: After a good first round for Semerzier in which he scored a knockdown, Peralta turned the tides in the second with a knockdown of his own. Semerzier fought much more cautiously after that, allowing Peralta to better find his groove. Peralta dropped Semerzier in the 3rd, and this time Semerzier couldn't recover. Post-fight replays showed that a headbutt led to the finish.
Thoughts: I was rooting for Semerzier so the result was disappointing to say the least. Semerzier looked great in the first round, but after getting tagged in the second he just seemed to lose his aggression. It was turning out to be a good and close fight until the unfortunate end. Hopefully the fight will be reviewed and changed to a no contest; the headbutt dropped Semerzier, and the ending was only made possible because of it.
Next for Peralta: Barring a no contest and rematch, I'd like to see him take on Darren Elkins or Javier Vazquez.
Next for Semerzier: Tough loss for him if it stays a loss. He'd have a hell of a fight against Leonard Garcia.
Alex Caceres def. Cole Escovedo via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Caceres put on a clinic, outworking Escovedo with flashy and effective strikes alike, as well has giving him trouble on the ground where Escovedo was supposed to hold a clear advantage.
Thoughts: It was the second most suprising performance next to Uyenoyama's domination of Yamamoto. Caceres pretty much tooled Escovedo on the feet, never allowing him to put anything significant together. When Escovedo finally got Caceres to the ground where many thought he would dominate, he was met with a flurry of close submission attempts that might have held if Caceres was a bit more seasoned. I never thought either guy particularly belonged in the UFC, but Caceres may have changed that in his move to the bantamweight division.
Next for Caceres: Yves Jabouin will give him a good battle on the feet.
Next for Escovedo: This fight had all the makings of a "loser leaves town" fight, so I suspect Escovedo will get his walking papers with 3 straight losses.
The Rest
- Mike Pierce took a nip-tuck decision over Paul Bradley. Pierce bounced back nicely since his close split decision loss to Johny Hendricks, while Bradley has lost his second straight.
- Aaron Rosa took a clear cut, albeit uneventful, decision over Matt Lucas. Rosa looked a lot better physically at 205, and put on a decent performance despite the slight dullness of the bout. Lucas definitely didn't impress, as his wrestling was nullified and he didn't have in the way of striking skills.
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