UFC on Fox 7 - A final thought - Fights to make after UFC on FOX 7

Fights to make after UFC on FOX 7

by Ben Heather @benheather and Chris Houten @Houts4thewin

Benson Henderson

Benson Henderson vs winner of TJ Grant vs Gray Maynard has been announced so we expect this to be the next time we see Henderson defend his belt in the octagon.

However, I want to see Henderson vs Melendez 2. Although the winner of TJ Grant and Gray Maynard is expected to get the next shot at the lightweight belt, this is the fight to make at the top of the lightweight pile now. Why, because it was so damn close – the fans just need to see it again.

Don't get me wrong, I'm the last guy you will hear saying that champ/ challenger should get an immediate title shot, they clog the division up and kill off top contenders – just see what happened with Pettis vs Guida, but as a fan how can we all be happy with Melendez going away to fight his way back up the contender ladder when he should actually be the champion right now depending on who you ask.

 For me this fights a no brainer and I'm sorry for the Grant vs Maynard winner but you are simply going to have to get in line with the Pettis' of this world and wait for your shot.

Gilbert Melendez

If Melendez doesn't get the rematch (which at this time is looking very unlikely) then I think that Melendez should fight another champion, this time the former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez.

Yes, I know what you are all thinking Alvarez has not signed with the UFC yet and I agree at this point in time it needs everything to align perfectly for this fight to happen but I think not only could it happen it has the name power to easily headline a UFC event.

In any other division the thought of putting two legitimate contenders in the cage together could be thought of as lunacy as your eliminating a top name from the title picture but in a stacked division like the lightweight division anything could happen.

Daniel Cormier vs A Top Light-Heavyweight

Cormier's victory over Frank Mir was impressive, not so much for the way he won the fight, but for the way he was able to control the two time UFC heavyweight champion Mir for most of the fight. But one has to think “Cormier isn't prepared to fight Cain Velasquez that is the frigging point”!

If anything the Mir fight has introduced Cormier to a larger audience and that's about it. I feel now is the time to either step up and say “I'll fight anyone” Jon Jones style when presented with the possibility of fighting Rashad Evans or get on the phone to Mike Dolce, and work out how your gonna get down to 205, while avoiding the same problems with his Kidneys he did during the Olympics.

All things at present indicate to the latter, which if I'm honest suits me, Jon Jones is crying out for challengers at the moment (and not those that fight at MW). I'd like to see Cormier take on the winners of either Henderson vs Evans or Shogun vs lil Nog. Both options would give Cormier a real telling warm fight whether he deserves a shot at the Light Heavyweight belt.

If Daniel Cormier stays at Heavyweight

If however Cormier stays at heavyweight and agrees in the long run that him and Cain would fight I want to see him fight the winner of the Werdum vs Big Nog fight. The winner of that fight should then become the next heavyweight number 1 contender.

Frank Mir

The next time we see Frank Mir enter the octagon a fight vs Overeem would makes sense, both are coming of losses but are still very marketable guys. In a styles vs styles match up the winner of Mir vs Overeem would be back on track at making a run in the heavyweight division. This fight would make a great co-main of any numbered event.

Josh Thomson

Although I predicted a Josh Thomson victory on Saturday night, the manor in which it came was far from to be expected.

Thomson looked awesome, and of all the Strikeforce guys on the card that night he quite possibly showed himself to be the biggest stand out going into the so called big leagues.

The Lightweight division is a stacked division right now and a fight between the winner of Miller vs Healy would not only work in terms to scheduling, it would also be a fight which would take the winner one step closer to a title fight.

Realistically Thomson has just beat the #4 ranked guy in Nate Diaz and a fight versus the winner of this weekends showdown could be made for the next number 1 contender. If Henderson is set to fight either Maynard or Grant than this could be made on the same card to make the next challenger. If not, Thomson vs Miller would make a great fuel headliner if you ask me.

Nate Diaz

For me I can only see one fight which has to be made next for Nate Diaz, that's Diego Sanchez.

Diego started calling for the fight with Nate after he beat Takanori Gomi in Japan saying how he has already beat Nick and wants to be the first person to beat both Diaz brothers. Plus, if both turn up and bring their A games then it will be an incredible fight!! The fact that Nate is now coming off back to back losses makes this fight a possibility again. When Sanchez called him out it didn't look likely but now I really want to see this fight.

However Chris would like to see, Nate Diaz vs Matt Wiman.
I know Diaz has flirted with a move to welterweight citing their are no challenges for him at the weight anymore, but that excuse doesn't go down to well after you get knocked out. Diaz didn't really look himself on Saturday and maybe that can be attributed to the fact that two of his training partners have had the biggest fights of their careers just weeks apart of each other.

No doubt about it Diaz is one of the best lightweights in the world, but at this stage he is on a two fight losing streak and should take a step down in competition. Enter the fighter formally known as handsome - Matt Wiman.

 A fight with Wiman makes a lot of sense. Both guys would enter the fight coming off loses, Wiman gives Diaz the step down in competition he needs right now but still has a good enough record to make the fight sellable. This fight feels like a war!

Matt Brown

I want to see Matt Brown fight Dong Hyun Kim in a rematch of their UFC 88 battle which finished in a split decision win for Kim. The fact Kim has only lost to Condit and Maia and is now on a 2 fight winning streak makes the timing for this fight very good and could easily push the winner in to contendership and well inside the top 10.

Another possibility would be for Brown to fight the Hathaway vs Erik Silva winner.
I had a little chuckle on Saturday night when Bruce buffer introduced Matt Brown as a technical brawler, but damn that dude is on a tear! Now on a 5 fight winning streak having bounced back from losing 3 on a bounce, Matt brown is proof that the UFC should stick by their fight.

Matt brown has knocked out his last 3 opponents as part of his win streak and in any other division it's be hard to argue with a title shot, but if Johnny Hendricks can't get a title shot what hope does Matt Brown have? I'd like to see Matt Brown take on the winner of next months welterweight match up between prospects John Hathaway and Erik Silva.

The winner of this fight will prove a stern test for Brown as he looks towards a title fight, and likewise a fight with Matt Brown will show what the future will hold in the careers of either Hathaway or Silva.

Jordan Mein

Jordan Mein vs Brian Ebersole, Jordan Mein was expected to beat Matt Brown on Saturday and unfortunately it looks like the hype train has been derailed ever-so-slightly. He's young and there is still plenty of time to break the top 10. It's likely Mein will find himself on the undercard of PPV even, or possibly the main card of a fuel / fx card and a fight with Brain Ebersole would make sense - similar skillsets, position in the rankings and both coming off losses.

UFC on FOX 7 Main Card Results - Benson Henderson vs Gilbert Melendez

Benson Henderson defeats Gilbert Melendez by Split Decision

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Benson Henderson retained his UFC lightweight world championship with a split decision victory over Gilbert Melendez.

The first round started and it was Melendez who seemed to settle in to the fight better and it looked like the occasion of his UFC debut and finally fighting for the UFC title had not got to him. Henderson was coming out with the leg kicks but after the first couple Melendez caught one and threw him to the floor where a ground battle started. Henderson managed to get back up but not before Melendez landed a knee which was perfectly timed as Henderson got back to his feet. Again Henderson carried on with the kicks and although some landed Melendez did a good job defending them catching a couple more and again throwing Henderson to the floor with 30 seconds of the round remaining where he charged in with a knee to the body as Benson landed on the floor.

The Second round starts off much like the first to begin with Melendez has control of the fight beating Henderson to the punch. Henderson switches things up a bit and now starts throwing some knees to the body to try and stop having his kicks caught and this seems to have some reward. Most of this round is very even with some attacks by both men, but with 60 seconds left on the clock Benson starts to open up. In the centre of the octagon both start swinging and its Benson who lands a couple of big standing elbows and timing it perfectly. This for me was enough for him to take the round as it was so close before this.

Next we go to the third where the momentum of the end of round two is now firmly with Benson Henderson. He keeps working the leg kicks and early in the third lands one sweetly which takes Melendez clean off his feet. Not long after Henderson goes in for the first takedown of the fight and although Melendez does a pretty good job defending it, Henderson still manages to get him down. It doesn't stay on the ground for long and Melendez does a good job getting back to his feet. Again from here most of the round is very even with both taking and dishing out some good shots. Just before the buzzer Henderson lands another great leg kick and this time both men drop to the floor with Henderson scrambling on top of Melendez. From here the two exchange some good shots and the buzzer goes but the two don't stop until Big John pulls Henderson off Melendez. By this point I now score the fight 29-28 to Henderson.

Round four starts and both come out fairly defensively with it taking 30 seconds for the first real exchange to take place. Benson now tries to take the centre of the octagon and go after Melendez, the first real time he attempts to go for Gil is with a body shot but again like he has most of the fight Melendez does a good job defending it and catches the kick. A good scramble between the two happens just before the midway point of the round with Gilbert defending the take down very well and coming back with some good counter shots. With just under two minutes of the round left Benson goes back to the legs landing two side kicks to the thigh of Melendez which by now looks to have taken a lot of damage.

It looks like Melendez is starting to slow now and with 90 seconds left on the clock. Benson goes for another leg kick and times it perfectly just as Melendez attempts a kick of his own, this results in Benson sweeping Melendez's standing foot and taking him to the ground again where he jumps on his back but not for long as Gilbert gets straight back up again. I again scored this round to Henderson putting him up 3-1 and 39-37 on my scorecard.

The 5th round starts and its Melendez who is bossing the centre of the cage trying to trap Henderson on the outside where he starts swinging at every opportunity but is unable to trap Henderson. He is certainly doing all he can to track down Henderson but never really puts Henderson in a tricky position. He clearly did enough to take the round but for me it wasn't enough to win the belt as Benson Henderson retains his title.

Again, some people have been saying that this Benson Henderson win was controversial just like two of his last three fights but in my opinion I don't think it was. Yes it was very close but for people to come out and say it was controversial is a joke!! I can see how it could be scored both ways, that was because it was a close fight.... just because its a close fight if you don't like the decision it doesn't make it controversial.

I think overall on the night the right decision was made on Saturday night. I gave Melendez rounds 1 and 5 and gave Henderson 2, 3 and 4. The round which in my opinion decides the fight is round 2. The 1st and 5th were Gil's rounds and the 3rd and 4th Henderson did more work and won in my opinion. Leaving how you scored the second round as the decider and it was a very close round.

People should stop talking about Controversy and just enjoy the fight for what a was, a closely contested battle between two of the undisputed top lightweights in the world and I am sure down the line Melendez will get his rematch.

Video: XFC 23 Main Event - Shamar Bailey vs Luis "Sapo" Santos (Full Fight)

Video: Shamar Bailey vs Luis "Sapo" Santos

 

Xtreme Fighting Championships 23 went down this weekend from The Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky, on AXS TV in The US. The Main event featured a welterweight bout between former UFC fighter Shamar Bailey and journey man Luis Santos.

 The full fight between the two men can be seen below - this ones over quick!

UFC on FOX 7 Main Card Results - Frank Mir vs Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier defeats Frank Mir by Unanimous Decision

by Ben Heather @benheather

If you was expecting this fight to become Daniel Cormier's grand entrance to the UFC and make him easily promotable as the new big contender in the UFC for either the Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight division you were sadly wrong.

In every round Cormier did all he could to hold Mir against the cage and while he was there was able to get off some big shots working both Mir's body and his head. When the fight got separated by Herb Dean, Mir only attempted to get the fight down to the canvas once and that came to nothing. It seemed that Mir was trying to outstrike Cormier but every time was out wrestled and then the fight went back to the cage.

The only real time Mir seemed to have an advantage was in the third when he landed a couple of body kicks but nothing to the extent to hurt Cormier. Rightfully so all three judges scored the fight 30-27.

I think Cormier will want and in my opinion need to show the UFC fans just how good he was in Strikeforce in his next fight. Not all UFC fans have seen what Cormier has done up until now and if he puts on another show like he did on Saturday night against Mir then it may be at least a couple of fights before he gets that title shot everyone has spoke about. Yes he is now 12-0 and yes he completely stopped Mir from trying to implement his game plan on Saturday but I didn't see the exciting Cormier that we all know from his Strikeforce days.

The question now is what weight will we see Cormier fight in next and where does Frank Mir go from here?

UFC on FOX 7 Main Card Results - Nate Diaz vs Josh Thomson

Josh Thomson defeats Nate Diaz by TKO Round 2, 3:44

by John Haigh @JohnBjayHaigh

Josh Thomson makes his return to the octagon after a nine year absence, while Nate Diaz comes in to the fight off a defeat to UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Both men would be desperate for the win both for different reasons, Diaz to avoid back to back defeats and Thomson to get his second stint in the UFC underway with a victory.

In round one Diaz used his usual tactic of trying to goad Thomson in to a brawl. Thomson was having none of it and stuck to his game plan staying on the outside attacking Diaz’s legs with low leg kicks frequently changing stances to keep Diaz guessing. While Diaz continued trying to goad his opponent throughout the remainder of the round, Thomson rushed in and out landing combinations.

In round two Thomson’s game plan came together teeing off on Diaz every time he tried to clinch landing short elbows bloodying Diaz’s face, causing him problems seeing with the blood going into his eyes.

Thomson landed a head kick sending Diaz staggering back across the cage, sensing the end he took Diaz to the mat and attacked with a ground and pound until the referee was forced to stop the fight. A second before the referee stopped the fight the Diaz corner actually threw in the towel to the cage.

Thomson made the perfect return to the UFC and not only got the victory but became the first fighter to stop Nate Diaz by TKO in his career.

UFC on FOX 7 Main Card Results - Matt Brown vs Jordan Mein

Matt Brown defeats Jordan Mein by TKO Round 2, 1:00

by John Haigh @JohnBjayHaigh

The first fight on the main card justified why for the second time in three fox events Matt Brown has opened up the show. Jordan Mein stepped in on a months notice for an injured Dan Hardy to take this fight with Matt Brown. Both fighters came in to this fight on a hot streak and a win in this fight would put there names into the already stacked welterweight title picture.

Round one took no time at all to get going there wasn't the usual feeling out period in this one. Mein stepped straight in with an elbow and Brown fired back with shots of his own. Both fighter landed huge shots in round one causing serious damage to each other.

Mid way through the first Brown landed some big knees in the clinch hurting Mein. Mein has moments of his own in round one landing a big body shot sending brown straight to the mat, he also has a guillotine choke but couldn't quite lock it in. Brown was visibly hurt and could be seen wincing from Mein's continued attacks to the body. Brown managed to hold on and managed to answer with a triangle choke attempt which Mein only just managed to escape from late in the first round.

Round two started off much the same way as the first but it was Brown who started to edge the contest. Brown got his hand speed going landing combinations backing Mein up, then Brown landed a knee to the face dropping Mein to the mat. Brown swarmed trying to finish the fight landing vicious elbows to the head and body until the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight.

The win puts Brown on a five fight win streak and surely he can't be far from a number one contender fight.

The fight was also awarded fight of the night with both fighters pocketing a $50,000 bonus cheque.

UFC on FOX 7 Prelims Round up

A look back at the UFC on FOX 7 Prelims

by Ben Heather @benheather

I think that Saturday nights UFC on FOX 7 event was one of the best UFC events I have seen in a long time. For me its up there with the likes of UFC 139 as one of my favourite cards. Yes UFC 139 was finished off by one of the greatest fights ever to take place in the octagon in the war between Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua, but UFC on FOX 7 as a whole is definitely well up there in the top few events to me. So now lets have a recap on the main highlights from the prelims.

Facebook Prelims

Lets start with the Facebook prelims, we had two fights both ended in brutal finishes. The opening fight was finished off with one of the best flying knee's I have seen in a long time by Yoel Romero before he jumped on Clifford Starks to finish the fight with punches to a clearly beaten opponent. That fight only lasted 92 seconds and set the tone for most of the nights fights. This earned Romero $50k for a joint KOOTN bonus.

The second and final Facebook prelim fight made it in to the second round but again after 2:52 seconds Anthony Njokuani knocked out Roger Bowling. Bowling tried to rush Njokuani but as he chased in he was caught with a brutal hook which sent Bowling crashing first in to Njokuani's shoulder before face planting the canvas and ending the fight.

FX Prelims

Now on to the FX prelims (or as we Brits have to view it the UFC.tv prelims) and the great fights continued. The FX prelims consisted of six fights and four of them finished in knockouts. One of the two fights in the prelims which went to a decision was an early contender for FOTN.

Three of the knockouts came from members of Team Alpha Male, under the new head coach Duane Ludwig the team have been unstoppable. The first fight for Team Alpha Male was the back and forth battle between TJ Dillashaw and Hugo Viana. TJ got the TKO victory at the end of the first round after catching Viana with a couple of huge shots before pouncing on Viana until Big John had seen enough.
 Next up for Team Alpha Male was Joseph Benavidez who put on a show of class and justified why he is ranked so highly in the UFC rankings. He was better than Darren Uyenoyama in every aspect of the fight before finishing the fight with some brutal body shots at the end of the second round.
 The final member of Team Alpha Male fighting on the night was Chad Mendes and he was in and out of the octagon in only 68 seconds with another great performance for the team and a TKO of Darren Elkins. I truly believe Chad Mendes is the best featherweight in the world.... who is not called Jose Aldo.

The remaining knockout from the prelims was by Myles Jury. Jury Ko'd Ramsey Nijem in the second round, this came as a shock after the way the first round went. The first round was a great ground battle with so many transitions, nobody could keep the momentum and their opponent down. It was a beautiful contest of styles that us true fans of MMA really appreciate. The second round however stayed on its feet before Myles Jury landed the perfect counter right which puts Nijem to sleep. This doesn't stop Jury from jumping on the downed Nijem for one last shot before Big John can stop the fight. In my opinion, on any other fight card this would have been given as KOOTN but with so many to pick from tonight it didn't get the bonus for Jury.

We also had an early contender for FOTN, this was a closely fought three round war between Tim Means and Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal got the win on the judges scorecard he did what he needed to when he got the fight to the canvas. From top position Masvidal did enough to keep it there and get the win but Tim Means showed the world of MMA how to defend when on your back with some nasty elbows which turned Masvidal in to a bloody mess. Tim Means reputation surely has improved even though he rightfully lost this fight, it has to be a warning to any future opponents be warned if you want to take him down in future.

 The other fight on the prelims was a close fight between Lorenz Larkin and Francis Carmont. This was the first disappointing fight on the card and Francis Carmont got the decision with the judges but on the night I scored it for Larkin. Yes Carmont got on top and held Larkin against the cage for spells but it was Larkin who was always the one trying to fight and do damage and when on bottom with his back to the canvas he was looking for submissions, Carmont however was happy to just lay on top to get his win. On my scorecard I had this fight 29-28 Larkin.

In Review

I think its going to be a long time before we get to see a prelim card with as many highlights as we saw on this UFC on FOX 7 prelims. Other than a submission victory the prelims had everything that fans of MMA want to see. To finish with six KO/ TKO finishes in the prelims is unheard of so here today I would like to thank you to all the fighters for making this fight card so enjoyable and once again reassuring me as to why I love the sport of MMA.

Keep checking Kingdom MMA for the results from the Main Card of UFC on FOX 7.