MMA weekend wrap-up

Fight Results for scheduled for schedule bouts between June 28-July 4 are listed below:

LW
Melvin Guillard(LW #15) def. Shane Roller(LW #30)
Guillard has propelled his way into title contention thanks to some highlight reel knockouts. Guillard feasted upon Roller’s lacking striking defense, and knocked out the former collegiate wrestling standout.

Guillard has gone 7-1 since returning to the UFC following a brief exit back in 2008. It should be noted that Guillard was gifted a decision over Gleison Tibau, as almost everyone scored the bout for the Brazlian. He also won a controversial decision over Jeremy Stephens that could have gone either way. Nonetheless, Guillard has knocked off two solid fighters in Roller and Evan Dunham and will likely be fighting for the title with one more big win. He’s likely going to have to beat the winner of Miller-Henderson or possibly leapfrog Guida by beating Anthony Pettis.

Roller was on his own impressive 2-fight win streak, before this loss. He likely learned a lot in this fight in avoiding standing up with a KO striker for too long. Roller’s wrestling and submission are solid, but he can’t simply get by with just that when taking on the elite of the sport.
Ranking: Guillard moves up to 14; Roller drops to 35

Dennis Siver(LW #18) def. Matt Wiman(LW #27)
Siver and Wiman battled for three rounds, and it was tough to figure out who really came out victorious. Siver proved his ground game is improving, though he took some damage on the ground due to elbows. Wiman showed that he’s tougher than people give him credit for, but also lacks the overall skill to get over the hump regarding beating a contender.

Siver is now 8-1 in his last 9 fights and though he seems to be still fighting for respect, he will likely be taking on a top contender in his next fight. A rematch with Melvin Guillard was mentioned.

Wiman has turned into a steady veteran. He’s a tough fight for anyone at 155, though I think Wiman ultimately will have to look at a drop to featherweight if he ever wants to maximize his abilities.
Ranking: Siver stays at 18; Wiman drops to 30

Rafael Dos Anjos(LW #31) def. George Sotiropoulos(LW #19)
Dos Anjos stunningly knocked out former top contender George Sotiropoulos. Dos Anjos was a live underdog coming into the fight, but many did not think he would win via knockout. Dos Anjos’ striking continues to evolve thanks to some heavy training in Thailand.

Rafael Dos Anjos is starting to make a name for himself, thanks to a 4-1 record in his last 5 UFC fights. The only loss was to Clay Guida, which he was winning on the scorecards, until having to tap due to a jaw injury. If Dos Anjos could have held on in that fight, he may have found himself hovering around the top 10. There are plenty of fights for Dos Anjos, though I think he would be best served avoiding KO strikers like Guillard or Pettis.

George Sotiropoulos is now finding himself labeled overrated, following two losses to lesser known opponents. George needs to regain his confidence and work on his wrestling. He has relied too heavily on his boxing as of late. Sotiropoulos would best be served fighting fellow grapplers like Gleison Tibau or Mark Bocek.
Ranking: Dos Anjos moves up to 24; Sotiropoulos drops to 25

Anthony Njokuani(LW #52) def. Andre Winner(LW #88)
Njokuani picked Winner apart for 3 rounds, taking a clear-cut unanimous decision. Njokuani put a beating on Winner in the final 1:30 of the 1st round, but somehow Winner survived. Winner could never find his distance, as Njokuani used his Muay Thai background to keep Winner’s boxing neutralized.

Njokuani’s striking skills are unquestioned, but his ground game still likely lacks the polish needed to make any type of serious run in the division. As long as Joe Silva continues to match Njokuani with strikers, we should be able to see him move up the ladder, but as Shane Roller and Ben Henderson have shown, Njokuani is a fish out of water when the fight goes to the ground.

Andre Winner will likely be released from the UFC following his 3rd straight loss. He should find success on the independent scene.
Ranking: Njokuani moves up to 48; Winner drops to 94

WW
Carlos Condit(WW #6) def. Dong Hyun Kim(WW #19)
Carlos Condit solidified his standing as a top title contender knocking out Dong Hyun Kim. Condit had too much experience and striking for the undefeated South Korean Kim.

Condit stays at 6, though he is right in the thick of the title mix. The only fighters ranked ahead of him are marquee names like GSP, Fitch, Penn, Diaz, and Shields. I’m sure Condit would like the opportunity to avenge his loss to Shields, but Shields just accepted a fight with Jake Ellenberger. Hopefully, Fitch or Penn will take a fight with Condit, though both have made it known they are interested in rematching each other first. Condit deserves a big name opponent.

Dong Hyun Kim struggled mightily against Condit. Kim had been successful against strikers previously(Nate Diaz, Matt Brown), but Condit brought too much overall skill to this confrontation. Kim is still a top talent, but he will now have opponents head-hunting for him. Kim’s likely headed for a long layoff thanks to an injured orbital bone.
Ranking: Condit stays at 6; Kim drops to 21

MW
Chris Leben(MW #21) def. Wanderlei Silva(MW #9)
Chris Leben’s career has been filled with highs and lows, but this may have been his biggest career moment taking out the former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva. We knew this fight would end in someone getting knocked out, and unfortunately for Wanderlei, the knockout losses may lead to his release/retirement from the UFC.

Leben is now sitting right outside the top 10 thanks to wins over Wanderlei, Akiyama, and Simpson. A fight with Vitor Belfort could be in his future, unless the UFC books him against Mark Munoz or Demian Maia beforehand.

As for Wanderlei, I find it surprising the UFC and Dana White have quickly tried to give him the “Liddell treatment.” Wanderlei was coming off a long layoff, and faced one of the heaviest punchers in the division. Prior to the injury woes, he had 3-round wars with Michael Bisping and Rich Franklin, both top 10 opponents. Wanderlei can still be competitive against elite competition, he just needs to be carefully booked to avoid putting him against younger strikers with better chins. Either put him against against a grappler(Dan Miller, Palhares, Maia) or lesser strikers like Alessio Sakara or Jorge Rivera. Wanderlei is not done yet, as long as the UFC watches out for him.
Ranking: Leben moves up to 11; Silva drops to 13

Aaron Simpson(MW #24) def. Brad Tavares(MW #96)
Simpson did what everyone thought he would do, and that was close the distance and dictate the style and pace of the fight. When Tavares got free he tried in vain to make it a slugfest, but Simpson wanted no part in risking a loss.

Simpson has put himself back in the mix of fringe contenders and with Jorge Santiago, Demian Maia, and Brian Stann all unbooked, he will likely meet one of them.

Tavares is still developing as a professional, and he will have an uphill battle attempting to mature in the deep waters of the UFC. He has KO power and is a dangerous opponent, but he is not ready for top 15 competition at this point in his career.
Ranking: Simpson moves up to 23; Tavares moves up to 87

LHW
Tito Ortiz(LHW #20) def. Ryan Bader(LWH #11)
Many considered this Tito Ortiz’s retirement fight, though someone forgot to send that memo to Ortiz. Tito clipped Bader with a punch and immediately pounced on the former TUF winner, choking him out via submission seconds later.

This is a huge win for Ortiz, not only lengthening his career in the UFC, but in regards to him possibly making one last big run. Though this was his first win in years, he has been competitive against top competition. If healthy and motivated, Ortiz can still use his wrestling to test guys like Shogun Rua, Stephan Bonnar, and Brandon Vera who have been prone to struggle against wrestlers.

As for Bader, his momentum from winning TUF and veterans Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Keith Jardine are all but forgotten following this loss. A fight with Matt Hamill or a mid-level fighter is needed to get his career back on track.
Ranking: Ortiz moves up to 14; Bader drops to 15

HW
None