-Those Strikeforce fighters sure did pretty good for themselves tonight. Just when I thought Gilbert Melendez would be the first guy for Benson Henderson to finish since becoming UFC lightweight champion, Melendez turned out to being one of his toughest fights. But I don’t think it was as close as people are making it out to be. Sure, I scored the fight 3 rounds to 2 rounds for Henderson, but I thought each round was pretty cut and dry. Round 1 for Melendez. Rounds 2, 3, and 4 for Henderson. Round 5 for Melendez. For those thinking Henderson is one of the weaker champions in the UFC because most of his title fights have been close, I think it has more to do with the competitiveness of the division. Lightweight is so stocked with so many uberly talented fighters. I think Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Gilbert Melendez or Josh Thomson could all be champion and the masses would be able to except. Because there’s a ton of championship level fighters in the lightweight division.
-Dana White said that next up for Benson Henderson is the winner of Gray Maynard and T.J. Grant. I agree. After Anthony Pettis moved to featherweight, they’re next in line. I’d also look for Gilbert Melendez to fight a top contender because he shouldn’t be too many wins away from a rematch. A fight versus the winner of Jim Miller and Pat Healy makes sense.
-Daniel Cormier sure did his best Tim Sylvia impression against Frank Mir. He was more interested in pushing Mir against the cage than winning the fight. The thing Cormier has to realize is that to get a title shot in the UFC, you can’t just win, you have to entertain too. Because if fans aren’t clamoring to spend money on a pay per view to see you challenge for the title, the UFC will choose someone who will. Cormier is now going to have to get at least 1 more win to get a title shot at heavyweight or light heavyweight.
-What’s even more sad than Daniel Cormier winning in such a boring fashion is Frank Mir not being able to do anything about it.
-Josh Thomson knocking out Nate Diaz was shocking. I just didn’t see it happening but it did. Thomson was truly a different and way better fighter tonight than he was in Strikeforce. I like the idea of giving Josh Thomson the loser of Gray Maynard and T.J. Grant.
-Nate Diaz is now in Joe Lauzon territory. Maybe they should fight each other.
-Matt Brown has quietly been putting together one of the more impressive comebacks I’ve seen in quite sometime. I think some bookies had Jordan Mein as high as a -500 favorite. People, including myself, were pegging Mein as a future title contender. Now the brakes are obviously pumped on that. I never thought I would say this but Brown has earned the opportunity to fight a contender at welterweight.
-Chad Mendes made it known that he is head and shoulders above the other featherweights. I really thought Elkins was going to give Mendes a close fight, but I was sure wrong in a hurry. After Ricardo Lamas, Mendes has established he’s next in line for a title shot.
-Darren Elkins still has time to improve and get better, but man, he sure took a drubbing. He’s still 5-1 in the UFC at featherweight though. He’ll be back.
-Francis Carmont really does look like he trains at the same gym as GSP. You can tell by the way he fights. He’s more focused on minimizing the risk of losing the fight as much as possible than he is trying to finish his opponent and win.
-Myles Jury was a top undefeated mma prospect coming on the Ultimate Fighter and had a close decision loss to show runner up Al Iaquinta. There was a lot of talent on that season and Jury’s knockout over 3-1 fighter Ramsey Nijem is proof of that. With wins over Michael Johnson and now Nijem, Jury is getting pretty close to being ready for a contender. In such a short period of time too!
-Joseph Benavidez is so far ahead of other flyweights like Darren Uyenoyama, it’s crazy. Uyenoyama had every right to be ranked #5 in the flyweight division given a 2-0 record in the UFC. It just goes to show how good Benavidez is.
-Jorge Masvidal had a lackluster win over Tim Means. Proved he could take Means down and hold him down for the majority of the fight to win. Blah. Next.
-I was really excited for the TJ Dillashaw vs. Hugo Vianna fight. I think both guys are in the future of the bantamweight division. But Dillashaw proved that the future is now for him with a bullet by soundly knocking out Vianna. Mark my words. TJ Dillashaw will be getting a title shot at bantamweight in 2014 or 2015.
-Anthony Njokuani. UFC lightweight. Job description: Knock out fools that don’t belong in the UFC. The prototypical gatekeeper.
-Yoel Romero looks so much better at middleweight than light heavyweight. And he’s huge for the division too! I’m going to keep an eye on him. I suggest you do too.