UFC 175 postmortem: Where do we go from here?

Photo credit: John Locher/Associated Press 

By: Chris Huntemann, Columnist

In case you already forgot, UFC 175 was last weekend, and it included two showstopping performances from two of the UFC’s premier champions: Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey.

The career paths of those two and others may take an interesting turn following their performances. I’ll share my thoughts on where I think some of their paths will take them.  

Urijah Faber Faber made a rare preliminary card appearance prior to the actual PPV, securing a rear-naked choke victory against Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres. Although Faber was a heavy favorite, Caceres gave “The California Kid” all he could handle. Faber was medically suspended following the show and will be sidelined until 2015. By then he might have the opportunity for a rubber match with his nemesis Dominick Cruz, assuming “The Dominator” gets past Takeya Mizugaki in September. He might also be ready for a title shot against the winner of T.J. Dillashaw/Renan Barao 2 at UFC 177 on Aug. 30.

But, would Faber be willing to fight his teammate for the belt? According to this article, only if asked by Dillashaw. I’d count on Faber being in the mix yet again for a bantamweight title shot by this time next year. If we get Cruz/Faber 3, all the better.

Matt Mitrione/Stefan Struve This fight was cancelled at the last minute when Struve passed out in the locker room. Struve is coming off a long break due to a serious heart ailment, the type of condition that makes any athlete second-guess what he or she is doing. Struve says he’s fine and that what happened isn’t related to his condition. Mitrione has already moved on and is slated to face Derrick Lewis in September. I think after getting his health in order, we’ll see Struve in the new year, maybe against someone like Gabriel Gonzaga.

Ronda Rousey has another bout under her championship belt, and it was another instance of out-and-out domination for Rousey. If there was still any doubt that she is the most dominant fighter in women’s MMA, it was thoroughly eradicated with her 16-second obliteration of Alexis Davis. Now Rousey gets some well-deserved time off, thanks to a hand injury and arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep her on the shelf until next year.

The big news in women’s MMA is not only Rousey’s domination of Davis, but also the fact that UFC signed Holly Holm, long rumored to be the next formidable challenger for Rousey. She will most likely need to win at least one fight before getting a title shot. Rousey’s rumored other challenger, Cat Zingano, makes her return against Amanda Nunes at UFC 178. Cris "Cyborg" Justino is also in the mix now that she is apparently agreeing to terms with Invicta and plans to fight at 135 pounds.

So where does this leave Rousey in the new year? I think if Zingano makes short work of Nunes (which I believe she will), she will finally get her long-awaited title shot, and we will possibly see yet another Rousey domination.  

Chris Weidman: Any belief that Weidman’s two victories against Anderson Silva were a fluke was hopefully erased after his performance against Lyoto Machida. Weidman received all he could handle from “The Dragon,” but he displayed a champion’s mettle and perseverance and battled through. It is definitely Weidman’s division now. So, who will be his next challenge? I think it will be Vitor Belfort. He seems to finally be working through his drug testing-related issues and will finally receive a title shot that seemed to be a lock after he knocked out Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson back-to-back-to-back. Will “The Phenom” be the same fighter without testosterone? I guess we’ll find out. But a battle between Belfort and Weidman will definitely be must-see-TV in the new year.  

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

UFC 175: The Start of a New Era, Again?

By Chris Huntemann, Columnist

 

Remember “The Machida Era?” 

Think back to UFC 98 when Lyoto Machida’s punches to Rashad Evans’ face crumpled him to the mat and landed “The Dragon” the light heavyweight title. No sooner did Evans hit the mat that we heard Joe Rogan proclaim “Welcome to the Machida Era.”

Well, it didn’t last very long. A controversial title defense against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua followed by a rematch and first-round knockout loss to Shogun ended “The Machida Era” before it really began. Machida had a chance to bring his era back to life against current Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones at UFC 140. But this time it was Machida’s turn to crumple to the mat, courtesy of a guillotine choke.

Since then, Machida moved to middleweight and hopes the third time is the charm as he takes on Chris Weidman for the middleweight title Saturday at UFC 175 in Las Vegas. Will “The Dragon” roar once again? Or, will Weidman prove his two victories against the seemingly unstoppable Anderson Silva were not a fluke?

I’ll get to the main event fight in a moment. 

First, let’s take a look at the other fights on this Saturday’s main card:

Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane (Bantamweight – 135 lbs.)

Brimage is a veteran of season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter (Team Michael Bisping vs. Team Jason “Mayhem” Miller, for those who don’t remember), where he showed great promise and power in his hands. That led to a three-fight win streak for Brimage before he helped launch the career of featherweight Conor McGregor by losing to him in April of last year.

Doane’s lone UFC fight resulted in a triangle choke victory against Leandro Thomas Issa at the UFC Fight Night: Lim vs. Saffiedine card in January. His record is rife with submission victories, and I like him to do the same here in an upset against a TUF veteran.

Prediction: Doane by submission

Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)

Everyone knows who Uriah Hall is. He was pegged for stardom on season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, when he viciously knocked out every single one of his opponents, and Chael Sonnen himself said he could have been a number one contender for the middleweight title right on the heels of the show.

Given Chael’s current situation, we’re not sure how much stock to put in his words. It also didn’t help that Hall seemed so timid in losing the final of TUF to Kelvin Gastelum and then lost again to John Howard. He rebounded somewhat by sending Chris Leben into retirement last year.

Santos secured a TKO victory against Rony Markes – who’s no joke himself – in his last fight. But I think Hall continues his climb up the middleweight ladder with a TKO victory of his own.

Prediction: Hall by TKO

Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione (Heavyweight)

Matt Mitrione is a curious case. He came across as a weirdo on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, but he proved his doubters wrong when he embarked on a five-fight win streak following his time on the show. Then he suffered a two-fight losing streak before alternating wins and losses in his next three fights.

Struve is fighting for the first time since having his jaw rearranged by Mark Hunt. More importantly, it's his first time competing in the cage since the discovery that he suffers from a serious heart ailment. I watched Struve fight in person when he submitted Pat Barry on the UFC Live 6: Cruz vs. Johnson card in 2011. Mitrione has serious power, and Struve has been knocked out before. But I like Struve to be methodical in his approach and use his reach advantage to set up strikes while avoiding Mitrione’s loaded fists.

Prediction: Struve by unanimous decision

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis (Women’s Bantamweight Title – 135 lbs.)

I’ve said this before, but I don’t think Ronda Rousey will ever lose. To anyone. However, I said the same thing about Anderson Silva, and we saw what happened. But unlike the men’s middleweight division, I don’t believe the depth of talent is there yet in women’s MMA, even though it has been an exciting addition to the UFC. Ronda is clearly the best female fighter in the sport, and I don’t think any other woman even comes close to matching her incredible talent.

Ronda showed vastly improved striking in her latest bouts, and she ended her last fight thanks to a vicious knee to Sara McMann’s liver. Still, I like her to go back to Ol’ Reliable to successfully defend her title yet again. Once she gets a grasp on an opponent's arm, there's no escape.

Prediction: Rousey by submission

Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida (Middleweight Title – 185 lbs.)

There are those who claim Weidman’s victory against Anderson Silva and subsequent title defense were flukes – a product of Silva’s arrogance in the first fight and a freak broken leg in the second. I’m not sure I agree with that assertion for the first fight. Yes, Silva was trying to clown Weidman. Yes, Silva dropped his hands, which is a cardinal sin in MMA. But Silva tried clowning other fighters and dropped his hands against other fighters before.

The difference? Weidman didn’t take the bait. He stepped up his aggression, which is what the best fighters do. Machida won’t clown Weidman like Silva tried to do, but he will do his patented stick-and-move and basically play keep away from Weidman the entire fight. It’s up to Weidman to close the distance with Machida and give him no breathing room.

I think Weidman will do just that. Machida will avoid being finished, but he won’t avoid being ground into the mat by the master wrestler and ground-and-pound specialist Weidman. It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer to see the rebirth of “The Machida Era.”

Prediction: Weidman by unanimous decision

Let's open up the comment section for fan predictions and see how many folks agree or disagree with my picks. 

Don't Miss Silva vs Stann Live Tomorrow Night

Tomorrow - 'The Axe Murderer' Returns to Japan For A 205-lb. Battle With Brian Stann Wanderlei Silva returns to the land where he became a legend to take on "All-American" Brian Stann in a five round light heavyweight showdown! Plus, Mark Hunt takes on Stefan Struve, Diego Sanchez battles Takanori Gomi and Yushin Okami goes toe-to-toe with Hector Lombard! Live at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on FUEL TV - to find FUEL TV in your area, visit www.fuel.tv See The Prelims Live Tomorrow On Facebook Before the action hits FUEL TV, see the prelims live on Facebook starting at 7:50pm ET / 4:50pm PT Silva or Stann? Make Your UFC Fantasy Picks Now Make your picks today for a chance to win!

UFC on FUEL TV: Silva vs Stann on FUEL TV - Sat. March 2 - Tokyo, Japan UFC 158: St-Pierre vs Diaz on Pay-Per-View - Sat. March 16 - Montreal, Canada

Don't Miss Struve vs Miocic Live Tomorrow

Struve and Miocic Go Head-To-Head in Nottingham - LIVE TOMORROW on FUEL TV Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic battle in the Octagon in a pivotal heavyweight matchup, plus England's own Dan Hardy takes on Amir Sadollah and John Hathaway faces John Maguire! Live tomorrow at 4pm ET / 1pm PT on FUEL TV - catch the replay at 10pm ET / 7pm PT All-New Ultimate Fighter Tonight On FX Team Carwin earned the first victory of the season last week - can Team Nelson respond? Tonight at 10pm ET/PT on FX Tickets On Sale Now At Evenko.ca for GSP vs Condit in Montreal There can only be one undisputed welterweight champion, and in Montreal, Quebec, champions Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit go head-to-head for the world title! UFC 154 Presented by the United States Marine Corps - Saturday, Nov. 17 - newsletter presale ends tomorrow at 9:59am ET, use password MONTREAL - public onsale starts tomorrow at 10am ET

UFC on FUEL TV: Struve vs Miocic on Fuel TV - Sat. Sept. 29 - Nottingham, England UFC on FX: Browne vs Bigfoot on FX - Fri. Oct. 5 - Minneapolis, MN