Just as a brief note, I didn't actually get to watch the card tonight, just saw the main event. Most of this is just from reading play-by-plays. Anyhow.
- Biggest story has to be the return of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Here's a guy who looked sloppy in his first two UFC fights but has been slowly climbing up the ladder ever since. To me, this is as good and as dominant as he's looked in several years. Just for some context, this guy was a killer back in the glory days of Pride. He never wore their 205 lb belt as he deferred to then teammate and champ Wanderlei Silva, but his run in the 2005 grand prix over Rampage Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona still stands as one of the most dominant in history. I mean you're talking about consecutive wins over three then top 10 guys and another top 15 fighter in a single tournament. Doesn't get much better than that. He finished out his Pride career with a few other good wins and a gruesome injury loss, but this is easily the best he's looked since coming to the UFC.
- Another note for some context. Around the time Shogun won that tournament and for a couple years to come, he was one of the three men whose name was thrown around as the best light heavyweight fighter in the world. The debate was always between Shogun, and the two major champions Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. And really, you could have made a strong, defensible case for any of those guys. However, Chuck and Wand are clearly in the twilight of their careers. They can still throw down, but age and the evolution of MMA have caught up to their respective striking-based styles. On the other hand, Shogun isn't even 30 yet and, now that he has the belt, has the opportunity to truly begin his reign.
- Machida will bounce back. Count on it. He got caught by a better fighter tonight, which can always happen especially for counter-fighters. I found it interesting that Shogun was the one to give Machida his first loss. Shogun is known for a wilder style of striking, as are most of the fighters who were affiliated with the Chute Boxe camp at one time. Machida was known for dodging and countering wild strikes. Clearly, Shogun is much more precise and calculated than one might give him credit for.
- Now that his teammate no longer holds the belt, hopefully Anderson Silva will be willing to make the jump to 205 to fight for the title. That is, assuming his head is back in the game.
- Other than Anderson, there are definitely many intriguing matchups to be made. I'd love to see a rematch between Shogun and Rogerio Nogueira. Their fight in 2005 was a barnburner and still one of the most exciting bouts I've ever seen. Lil Nog's got to take care of business in his upcoming fight first, then we'll see if Dana White sets that up or makes him string together a couple more victories before his shot. Other fights that may have title implications are Rashad Evans/Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell/Rich Franklin. Also waiting in the wings is the up-and-coming Jon "Bones" Jones. Definitely no shortage of possible matchups.
- Josh Koscheck earned a title shot and a date with Georges St. Pierre with his decision victory over Paul Daley. Dominating wrestling performance, which really is no surprise. That's Kos's bread and butter and he's extremely tough to stop. We'll see if he can establish his wrestling against GSP unlike in their first fight where he was pretty much stuffed and manhandled for 15 minutes. He also won a coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter 12 across from GSP. Nothing against those guys, but I just don't think they have enough drama/charisma to make things interesting. Think Tito Ortiz/Ken Shamrock in season 3, BJ Penn/Jens Pulver in season 5, or Rampage/Rashad in season 10. It's not necessary and can feel contrived at times, but that rivalry and hatred does add an interesting dimension to the show that can't be replicated.
- Looks like Kimbo Slice and Daley are out of the UFC. Kimbo seems like a good guy and eager to learn, but at this point he really is just a draw. His game is progressing but still isn't at the UFC level. He's an older fighter, so it's up to him whether he wants to keep going and try to fight his way back up the ladder or just call it a career. As for Daley, I wish he hadn't pulled those stupid antics after his loss. He's an explosive striker and fun to watch, but there's no place for sucker punches in the UFC.
- Good win for Alan Belcher who pushes his record in his last five fights to 4-1. He won't challenge for the title, but he's a solid fighter finding his stride. He can be a dangerous opponent for most of the 185 division.
- Even in the victory, I'm not too impressed by Marcus Davis. He really let a round get away from him before he was able to (arguably) finish a guy who's known for having a subpar chin. He had some hype in the past, but aside from the Chris Lytle fight, every step up in competition he's faced has resulted in a loss. I'm not too sure Davis will ever be anything more than a gatekeeper at 170.
- Get better soon Jason MacDonald. He suffered a nasty leg injury in his fight with John Salter. He's a good fighter who's strung together a few wins since being cut by the UFC. Hope to see him back in the Octagon soon.
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