Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 5 To become the Interim UFC Welterweight Champion
What Happened: For the first time in a very long time, someone decided to fight Diaz intelligently for the duration of the fight. Knowing that trying to stand in the pocket and knock Diaz out was futile, and that taking him down could be dangerous, Condit decided to play the outside game. He used good footwork, leg kicks, and circling out from against the cage to pick Diaz apart over 5 rounds and earn a close, if uneventful (compared to expectations), decision. Diaz announced his retirement after the bout.
Thoughts: Major kudos to Condit for sticking to the gameplan for 5 rounds. He showed everyone how Diaz should be fought by exploiting his plodding footwork and lack of diversity in his striking. It was satisfying for me to see someone get in Diaz's head for a change, instead getting sucked into Diaz's fight like so many before him have. A surprising (and sickening) amount of people are criticizing and even bash Condit for choosing elusiveness over a knockdown drag-out war, but let's get real here. Standing in front of Diaz has been a recipe for disaster for everyone he's faced; Condit avoided a firefight, outstruck Diaz throughout the bout, and most importantly, he WON. I said it following the bout and I'll say it again, criticizing Condit for not standing in front of Diaz is like criticizing someone for stuffing St. Pierre's takedowns instead of pulling guard. And even more disappointing was Diaz's post-fight excusing making/crying/retirement. I'll take the retirement with a grain of salt since he's likely just emotional due to being upset over the fact that someone denied his request to play Rock-em Sock-em Robots. Diaz seems to think that everyone who doesn't stand right in front of him and brawl with him isn't a fighter; nevermind the fact that Condit busted up his face and landed more and better strikes. And he did this all while supposedly running away, which makes it even more impressive! I actually picked Diaz to win by decision (but gave Condit around a 40% chance of winning), but watching this fight I'm glad Condit fought smart and showed how not to fall into Diaz's brawling ways. If he stood in front of Diaz and lost, I bet everyone would be criticizing him for fighting Diaz's fight just like they do whenever Diaz beats someone.
Next for Condit: It looks like Condit could fight to unify the welterweight belts as soon as November; if he wants to wait. Prior to winning the title he expressed disinterest in waiting for St. Pierre should he win the title. We'll see how that pans out.
Next for Diaz: Provided Diaz's retirement doesn't stick, and I suspect it won't, I'd say Josh Koscheck would be an adequate fight for him. If they don't want to match him up with a winner he has several options, from Mike Pierce to the loser of Jake Ellenberger vs Diego Sanchez, but Jon Fitch would be the best choice.
Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Werdum showed a vastly improved, multi-faceted stand up attack, as he battered and bloodied Nelson over 3 rounds with solid striking, most notably knees from the clinch. Nelson had no answer for Werdum's reach and accurate striking, but showed an incredible chin in absorbing the strikes he did.
Thoughts: I expected Werdum to out-strike Nelson over 3 rounds using his reach and speed, but I certainly didn't expect such domination from Werdum. He looked like a major factor in the division with this win, and it'll be interesting to see how he performs from here. As for Nelson, it'd be nice if he could do something to make him memorable other than be overweight and withstand a lot of punishment. He's a solid fighter, but he just can't seem to put it together when it matters. As expected he had trouble finding a home for his right hand because he does little to set it up, and doesn't throw much else, whereas Werdum used all eight points of his muay thai repertoire. Nelson has been steadily losing weight from fight to fight, and many have desired to see him at 205 lbs, though I imagine it's unlikely.
Next for Werdum: Werdum has jumped right into the mix, partly because of how impressively he performed and partly because of how thin the division is. If the rumored Frank Mir vs Cain Velasquez fight doesn't happen, it'd be great to see Werdum take on Mir.
Next for Nelson: Nelson's a tough one to place. He'll always be somewhat highly regarded for hanging tough with elite guys, but he can't beat them. However, when he's pitted against mid to upper-mid tier guys he blows them out of the water. Perhaps the loser of the upcoming Travis Browne vs Chad Griggs fight could suit him, or even the loser of Pat Barry vs Lavar Johnson. If they want to keep him a bit higher on the food chain, Shane Carwin could be next.
Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via Decision (Split), Rd 3
What Happened: Throughout a closely contested fight, the two battled in a relatively measured affair that saw Pierce appear to have a slight edge in the striking exchanges, but two key takedowns for Koscheck may have played a large part in him taking home a close, if not controversial decision.
Thoughts: Score one for the old guard (finally).When the scores were being announced I actually expected Pierce's name to be called on the 3rd scorecard. I personally scored the fight a draw, with the edge, or "must-decision" going to Pierce. Koscheck's takedowns came at key moments which helped him out because he wasn't able to do much with them. He also seemed tentative much of the time with his strikes, and his failure to use jabs to set up his right hand made it easier for Pierce to read his attack. I think it's absurd that some people call this a robbery, but it was a fight that many understandably scored it for Pierce, who should feel no shame in the loss.
Next for Koscheck: Although it wasn't is best performance, we mustn't forget that Pierce is a handful for anyone, so this should still do Koscheck well in working his way back to the top. Johny Hendricks, who recently stunned Koscheck's stablemate Jon Fitch with a 12 second knockout, would be a logical next step. Otherwise, a pairing with Nick Diaz could be appropriate.
Next for Pierce: He should hold his head high with this loss, as he showed that he can continue to hang with the elite of the division, and even beat them in many people's eyes. I could see him fighting the loser of Ellenberger vs Sanchez or even the winner of Thiago Alves vs Martin Kampmann. Personally I'd love to see him against Carlos Eduardo Rocha.
Renan "Barao" Pregado def. Scott Jorgensen via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
What Happened: Barao utilized great takedown defense and slick distance striking to outpoint a game, but over-matched Jorgensen.
: Jorgensen's best bet was to get the takedown and work his top control, but Barao's takedown defense was sterling, and his ability to use his reach and accuracy to strike from the outside ensured him the fight. Jorgensen wanted to take the fight to the ground so badly he actually pulled guard at one point, and luckily handled himself well enough to stay out of any trouble. Many people pegged Barao to finish Jorgensen via sub in the 1st or 2nd round, but I predicted a decision because I anticipated exactly what I have noticed from Barao: he gets complacent. Just like in his bout with Cole Escovedo, Barao starts off with a bang, but when he saw that he couldn't finish or come close to finishing Jorgensen in the 1st round, he became content with the fact that he could stuff takedowns and out-strike him from a distance. In the latter half of the fight it was Jorgensen who pushed the pace more, and even though he continued to get out-struck, he dished more damage to Barao than we've previously seen. After both decisions Barao has taken in the UFC I'm not convinced he can give Dominick Cruz a run for his money unless he somehow catches him early with something; and I don't see that happening.
Next for Barao: One has to think he's close to earning a title shot. If he doesn't net himself the next title shot after Urijah Faber, he might be a good fit opposite the winner of Michael McDonald vs Miguel Torres as a title eliminator.
Next for Jorgensen: With guys like Cruz and Barao in the division I wouldn't be surprised if Jorgensen never finds his way back to the title picture, but there are still entertaining fights for him. He should be matched up with Brian Bowles to determine who belongs at that spot near the top of the division.
Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke), Rd 2
What Happened: After a 1st round that saw Starks get the better of Herman in the striking department, Herman went back to what got him where he is today: no, not The Ultimate Fighter, but his jiu jitsu. After a nice leg trip to put Starks on his back (which as Joe Rogan points out every time it happens, is not where a wrestler wants to be), Herman quickly goes from side control to mount, and finally gets Stark's back and locks in a rear-naked choke for the tap.
Thoughts: Starks' striking looked much improved, and brought me down to Earth a bit after the Tim Credeur fight had me impressed with Herman's striking improvements. Herman did land some nice shots, but he has a ways to go if he wants to stand with more elite guys in the division. Then again, he was getting tooled standing up by Aaron Simpson until blowing out his knee. Anyway, once the fight hit the ground we saw what Herman was all about, and he didn't disappoint.
Next for Herman: With his 3rd win in a row, Herman is starting to make a splash in the division. There are a few guys in positions similar to his that he could match up decently with, most notably Alan Belcher and Rafael Natal. Sherdog.com made the suggestion of him facing the winner of Brian Stann vs Alessio Sakara, which is also palatable.
Next for Starks: He handled himself well until he was put on his back. He could take on fellow runner-up Michael Kuiper or Brad Tavares.
The Prelims
Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via Submission (Triangle Armbar), Rd 1
I viewed this as a highly questionable bit of matchmaking in that Poirier should a couple wins at most away from a title shot, and they give him a young 4-0 prospect. Holloway surprisingly handled himself very well on the feet, even overwhelming Poirier at times and forcing him to look to take the fight to the ground. But once he did, the difference in skill was vast. After a beautiful transition from an armbar to a triangle choke, Poirier rolled into a mounted triangle and hyper-extended Hollaway's arm to coax the tap. Great (and expected) finish to a pointless fight.
Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via Decision (Split), Rd 3
Probably the most controversial fight on the card, Caceres out-struck Figueroa overall and put on a grappling clinic for the majority of the fight. However, a hard kick to the groin in the 1st led to a strong warning, and another in the 2nd led to referee Herb Dean making a head-scratching 2-point deduction from Caceres. That questionable bit of refereeing cost Caceres the fight, as he definitely took the last 2 rounds, and may have taken the 1st as well through grappling despite being dropped by a head kick. Apparently two judges gave that 1st round to Figueroa, which isn't outlandish, but Dean's ridiculous penalty caused the better fighter to lose. This fight should have been a majority draw with a reasonable 1-point deduction.
Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via TKO (Punches), Rd 2
One of my perfect calls right here. I knew Brown was either going to overwhelm him in the 1st and knock him out in the 2nd, or overwhelm him, gas, and get submitted. Since Cope doesn't really have a submission game I banked on the former. I like Cope, but his problem is that he's a pure striker who's striking and striking defense aren't all that great. He doesn't have much to fall back on when he faces someone who can out-strike him, and unless that changes he'll continue to be at the bottom of 170.
Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez via Decision (Split), Rd 3
First off, I was very impressed with Martinez. The guy used to fight at 145, usually fights at 155, and did very well against a very big 170-pounder. He showed solid counter-striking and put together solid combinations to clearly take the 1st round. He did very well in the 2nd as well, but then Riddle began to impress me as well with his ability to adjust to the situation. He stopped throwing single shots and let his striking go a bit more so that Martinez had a hard time countering him. After a close 2nd round due to a late flurry by Riddle, the 3rd round was all Riddle, as he appeared to be the fresher of the two, greatly out-landed Martinez, and scored a couple takedowns. A fight I thought would be a dominant decision for Riddle turned into a close, entertaining fight.
Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via Decision (Unanimous), Rd 3
This was most disappointing to me, as I thought Kuiper was a pretty live underdog and picked him to take a decision. Natal hadn't impressed me in the UFC thus far, and I thought Kuiper's judo base would prevent him from being taken down repeatedly. It didn't. Natal also didn't seem to gas as hard as he usually does in the later moments. The most frustrating thing for me to watch was Kuiper taking shots from Natal's inferior, labor intensive technique. I thought he could have acquitted himself much better on the feet, and when he finally did drop Natal and get a chance to finish, he was too gassed to seal the deal.
Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via KO (Head Kick), Rd 1
From the very start of this fight it was obvious Stittgen had no business in there with Thompson, who's polished karate-based attack made him look like a fish out of water. Thompson's strikes were accurate and effective, but not very damaging; that is, until he threw a beautiful front-leg head kick that looped around Stittgen's shoulder and hit him on the button, putting him out immediately. Very impressive debut for Thompson, and we'll see how his striking holds up against better competition. I'm not sure if he'll want to keep his hands so low and throw so many kicks against more qualified opposition.
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