The MMA Weekend Roundup – Volume 1

Once again, Ben Henderson found himself the center of controversy as he eked out another razor-thin decision victory. Personally, I had Thomson winning the fight 48-47, but had a strong feeling that Henderson would get the nod as he has in other close wins over Frankie Edgar and Gilbert Melendez. Thomson fought gamely with the use of his right hand, but beyond taking Henderson’s back multiple times, he was unable to mount any significant offense. Henderson, is the fighter that deserves the criticism for a UFC main event that failed to deliver in the eyes of many. What baffles most, including myself, is that Henderson seems perfectly content with his fights going to the judges. Henderson is the poster boy for a new breed of fighters that rely on winning fights via decision, and working the points system. Simply put, he fights not to lose, rather than win.

Stipe Miocic was able to impose his will on veteran Gabriel Gonzaga, and walk away with a fairly dominant decision victory. Gonzaga was able to land some fairly big punches early, but Miocic showed off an excellent chin and picked Gonzaga apart with leg kicks and punches. It wasn’t the most exciting fight in the world, but Miocic has now knocked off Roy Nelson and Gonzaga. He’s likely in line to face a big name next time out.

On paper, this fight seemed like a lose-lose situation for “Cowboy.” A win was expected, so there wasn’t much to gain beyond a possible Fight of Night award. A loss would have set Cerrone’s career back significantly. Cerrone was tagged with a few shots early, and even started to show some swelling around his eye. Yet, Cerrone remained composed and eventually knocked Martins out with a picture-perfect head kick. Cerrone has struggled against Top 10 competition, going 0-5 against the current Top 10. He’s likely going to get another chance to turn that winless stat around.

As for Martins, he’s still a legit future threat, but age and injuries have started to catch up with him. Still, his recent 1st round submission win over Cruickshank should keep his job safe for the time being. This was a huge step up in competition for Martins, and now he sees firsthand, what areas he needs to improve upon. We saw a guy like Rafael dos Anjos struggle early in his UFC career to one day become a Top 10 contender. Martins has that same type of talent, but as stated previously, Martins is getting up there in age and needs to buckle down and win his next few fights.

Elkins proved once again that he is one of the most durable fighters in the UFC today. Unfortunately, durability does not win many fights when you are facing elite opposition. I struggle to call Stephens elite, but he has certainly proven himself as a Top 15 Featherweight in the UFC. Stephens’ grappling has improved from a few years back. Stephens is likely going to face a Top 10 opponent next. Fights with Cub Swanson or Dustin Poirier sound like exciting matchups with Fight of the Night potential written all over it. I’m not sure Stephens can hang with those two, but he’s always wild card with his KO power.

Alex Caceres pulled off the upset over the previously unbeaten Sergio Pettis. Caceres is now 5-1 at Bantamweight, with his only loss being a bizarre decision loss to Edwin Figueroa, in a bout where Caceres was deducted two points for low blows. This was an excellent learning lesson for Sergio. His coaches have stated in the past that Sergio would sometimes get ahead of himself, and this will likely serve as a very humbling experience that will only make him better. Caceres is likely in for a Top 15 opponent next time out. Some are calling for Eddie Wineland, but Wineland is way too experienced for Caceres at this stage in his career. I’m leaning towards a bout with Takeya Mizugaki or Erik Perez.

Eddie Wineland showed why he is still a Top 10 Bantamweight. Jabouin was definitely game, but he has still looked a bit gunshy ever since being knocked out cold by Brad Pickett. Wineland’s sort of in a wait and see position as he’s lost to both Barao and Faber. Future fights with Michael McDonald or T.J. Dillashaw could be on the horizon.

Chico Camus has quietly compiled a 3-1 record since joining the UFC’s Bantamweight ranks. He’s still a bit undersized for the division, and has not won many fans with his fighting style. His grappling did look significantly better in previous bouts, so maybe he is turning a corner, but he’s going to be hard-pressed to consistently win against stiffer competition.

Hugo Viana bounced back from previous loss to T.J. Dillashaw. Viana dominated Ramiro Hernandez for 2 rounds before tiring down the stretch. The 3rd round was hard to watch as Hernandez taunted Viana for running away. Viana will have to figure out his conditioning woes if he expects to move up the ladder. As for Hernandez, I think it’s been proven after his last 2 UFC fights that he needs to return back to the independent circuit to work on his skills. He was basically a punching bag for 2 rounds, and even when he did have the upperhand in the 3rd, he showed lackluster finishing skills.

Daron Cruickshank was one of the standout stars on the undercard. His striking was just too much for Mike Rio. Rio put up a better fight than expected, but in the end Cruickshank’s arsenal of kicks was the deciding advantage. Cruickshank has some significant holes he still needs to fix in his overall game, but he’s likely going to be in the UFC for a very long time with his current fighting style. Future fights with Sam Stout or Anthony Njokuani could prove interesting.

George Sullivan and Mike Rhodes put on what could be summarized as a somewhat forgettable bout. Neither fighter landed anything of significance, and in the final round, with the fight likely tied, both fighters tried to grind their way to a decision. In the end, Sullivan’s experience won him this bout. Rhodes was the more hyped fighter coming in, but he reminded me a bit of Lorenz Larkin. He seemed a bit undersized for the division, and struggled to let his hands go, especially considering he had Sullivan in some trouble in the 1st round.

Nikita Krylov’s upset finish of Walt Harris likely ruined a lot of parlay bets in Vegas. Harris was the largest betting favorite coming into the bout. Krylov drew some attention for only weighing in at 218 lbs. Meanwhile, Harris was a physical specimen, who showed off some decent hands in his decision loss to Jared Rosholt. Krylov came in with an excellent gameplan and attacked Harris with low kicks early. Krylov saw his opening and showed why this sport can be very unpredictable. Krylov’s likely on the move down to Light Heavyweight. My hope is Harris gets another look due to the UFC lacking heavyweight talent.

There was a ton of action outside of the UFC this weekend. RFA (Resurrection Fighting Alliance) and ROC (Ring of Combat) are two promotions, filled with top-flight MMA prospects.

Gregor Gillespie’s debut probably deserves the most hype though most major MMA websites made no mention of it. The former NCAA wrestling champion made his MMA debut and won in dominant fashion.

On the same ROC card, new champions were crowned as Bantamweight prospect Julio Arce, Featherweight prospect James Jenkins, and Welterweight prospect Eljiah Harshbarger all claimed ROC gold. In addition, prospects Frankie Perez, Keith Berish, and Chris Wade won their respective fights.

Meanwhile in Russia, former PRIDE standout Aleksander Emelianenko was defeated by unbeaten Heavyweight prospect Dmitry Sosnovskiy via 1st round TKO. Welterweight prospect Eduard Vartanyan defeated former UFC signee Benjamin Brinsa via decision.

RFA also had a couple of their prospects fight for gold as Pedro Munhoz successfully defended his Bantamweight title against previously unbeaten Billy Daniels, and Brian Ortega won Featherweight gold against Keoni Koch.

Former Strikeforce and TUF 17 fighter Kevin Casey also won his fight at RFA, defeating former UFC veteran Eddie Mendez.

In Utah, Featherweight prospect Clay Collard won his 4th straight fight, while Welterweight prospect Dave Castillo defeated UFC veteran Jorge Lopez via decision. In other action, WEC/UFC vet Edgar Garcia defeated Bellator veteran Jordan Smith.

Moving over to the Northeast, Featherweight prospect Rob Font (9-1) won his 8th straight fight. Also, undefeated Lightweight prospect Bekzod Abudrakhmonov upped his record to 5-0 overall.

In Brazil, Featherweight prospect Geraldo Guimaraes (5-1) knocked out veteran Jurandir Sardinha. He may be a fighter to watch in the future.