MMA on Tap! 01.24.12: A Review and Preview of the World of MMA

Posted by Jon Butterfield on 01.24.2012

A look at who Jose Aldo's next opponent might be, what should be next for Jim Miller after his win at UFC on F/X, what fighter Edson Barboza should fight to the get to the next level and more!


MMA on Tap!

With UFC on FX 1 and UFC 142 in the books, 2012 has already offered us a few sublime moments – as well as a little controversy! From a potential Knock Out of the Year contender in Edson Barboza's spinning wheel kick, to Nick Denis' standing short elbow destruction of Joseph Sandoval, there are plenty of talking points – and we'll discuss each one here on MMA on Tap!


Rewind! Review!



UFC 142 saw the Ultimate Fighting Championship return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the second time in just 5 months, and this time Jose Aldo was the star attraction. The first Brazilian event since Anderson Silva defended his title in dominant fashion against Yushin Okami at UFC 134, Aldo had a lot to live up to – and, sure enough, the real ‘Scarface' made what could arguably be his first truly impressive appearance since the WEC merger. With the previously unbeaten, high-pressure wrestler Chad ‘Money' Mendes favoured to pull out the upset in several quarters, Aldo answered his critics with a vintage knock out, countering a takedown attempt with an exquisitely-timed knee – in the final second of the very first round!

For Aldo, it is his fourteenth straight win, and as the list of viable contenders continues to thin, Zuffa will be hoping that Hatsu Hioki disposes of tough veteran Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144. Should he do so, the world-ranked featherweight number two will surely earn his first UFC title shot. As for Mendes, a bout with the Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung would have major rankings implications.

One man who will not be factoring in the UFC rankings any longer is Anthony ‘Rumble' Johnson. Despite moving up from welterweight to middleweight, Johnson came in far too heavy for his bout with Vitor Belfort - and almost inevitably paid for it with his job. For Belfort, there was a certain justice to his first round submission victory, only the third such win of his career. Now, Belfort will be rewarded with a coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, pitting his wits and skills against Wanderlei Silva ahead of a rematch late this year.

The most predictable result of the night came when Rousimar Palhares knee barred the hapless Mike Massenzio in little over a minute. Entirely untroubled by his opponent, Palhares sent a clear message to UFC match maker Joe Silva that a step up in class is needed. If Brian Stann isn't available, someone like Alan Belcher would make a far sterner test for the leg lock specialist.

Another fighter who caught the eye was Edson Barboza, who annihilated Terry Etim with a brutal third round spinning wheel kick. Out-striking Etim for much of the bout, the outstanding knock out punctuated a highly technical performance from the Muay Thai wunderkind, and will have whet whistles worldwide. A dream opponent for his next bout would be Anthony Pettis, though ‘Showtime' is currently slated to meet Joe Lauzon in late February. If match maker Sean Shelby cannot wait that long to get Barboza another fight, Melvin Guillard would likely ensure a legitimate barn burner. For Etim, Rafael dos Anjos would be well-pitched opposition.

Erick Silva may have lost to Carlo Prater by disqualification, but it was clear who the superior combatant was on the night. Silva, who was paid his win bonus despite the UFC's decision to let the result stand, will likely be rewarded for what appeared to be another lightning fast blitz of a wily veteran. A match with Rick Story would have severe implications for ‘The Horror', who has lost his last two bouts, and let us know how legitimate the young Brazilian really is. As for Prater, he could find himself playing the role of gatekeeper in spite of his victory.

Elsewhere, Thiago Tavares defeated Sam Stout by unanimous decision, extending Stout's run of misfortunes when leaving fights in the hands of the judges. Gleison Tibau could await either fighter. Gabriel Gonzaga made a triumphant return to the UFC, comfortably dispatching overmatched debutant Ednaldo Oliveira. Despite Oliveira's unbeaten record, the 6'7 Brazilian showed very little as Gonzaga took him down en route to a first round rear naked choke submission. Gonzaga will look to build on this victory, and a fight with up-and-comer Matt Mitrione would make sense. Other winners included Yuri Alcantara, who bested Michihiro Omigawa, Mike Pyle, who was too much for Ricardo Funch, and Felipe Arantes, who overcame Antonio Carvalho. Of the three winners, Pyle in particular is capable of fighting far tougher opposition.

Butterfield's Suggested Match Ups:

So what do you think of these bouts? Drop me a comment, and I'll get back to you.

Jose Aldo © vs Hatsu Hioki
Chad Mendes vs Chan Sung Jung
Vitor Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva (confirmed)
Rousimar Palhares vs Alan Belcher
Edson Barboza vs Melvin Guillard
Terry Etim vs Rafael dos Anjos
Erick Silva vs Rick Story
Thiago Tavares vs Gleison Tibau
Gabriel Gonzaga vs Matt Mitrione

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UFC on FX: Miller vs Guillard caught the eye with a string of first round finishes to open the show. Despite lacking any real name value outside the main event, the show wound up being highly enjoyable nonetheless – though certainly not for Melvin Guillard, who has now lost back-to-back fights. Submission specialist Jim Miller found Guillard's brand of striking problematic at first, but it soon became highly predictable. No fewer than five flying knee attempts (of which one connected well) were thrown Miller's way, all inside two minutes. When Miller read the danger for the final time, he planted Guillard on his back and swiftly worked towards a rear naked choke submission. It's a victory that puts Miller right back in the mix at 155, and, as proposed last week, a bout with momentum-laden contender Nate Diaz would produce an outstanding fight.

Veteran Josh Neer picked up his second successive UFC victory against the much fancied Duane ‘BANG' Ludwig, choking the kickboxing ace unconscious inside the first round. Neer, the better-rounded fighter, would be a good challenge for debutant Siyar Bahadurzada, a hard-hitting Afghan-born veteran. Failing that, Brian Ebersole could do with an action-packed bout after the dishwater-dull Claude Patrick fight. As for Ludwig, a striker like Mike Swick could best showcase his skillset.

Pat Barry got back on the winning trail, knocking out Christian Morecraft in 3:38. The world class striker survived an early scare, escaping an armbar attempt before comprehensively outclassing the 6'6 Morecraft on the feet. This marks the third time Morecraft has lost inside the octagon, and he'll be fortunate to get another chance. If he does so, Ednaldo Oliveira would need to prove a lot after his lacklustre debut. As for Barry, a fight with the returning Shane Carwin could make for a truly memorable scrap. Carwin would need a win after two straight losses.

Mike Easton bested promotional newcomer Jared Papazian, at least in the eyes of the judges, in the bantamweight division. With both impressing, and little to separate them, the pair were unfortunate not to land the Fight of the Night award, but expect both to be back inside the Octagon sooner rather than later. Canadian Nick Denis, who annihilated Joseph Sandoval, would make a solid opponent for either.

Elsewhere, Jorge Rivera retired with a victory, overcoming Eric Schafer by second round TKO. The double-tough middleweight Rivera had to fight back after being out-wrestled for much of the second round, but his heavy hands were the key to victory once again. Schafer, meanwhile, will likely take some time off after admitting to lacking the ‘fire' needed to fight at this level. 17-0 Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov impressed with a dominating display against Kamal Shalorus, outwrestling the Iranian import en route to a rear naked choke submission. With fast, accurate and heavy hands in his arsenal as well, Khabib could be a star-in-the-making at 155. Ramsey Nijem would be a good test. Charlie Brenneman comprehensively out-pointed Daniel Roberts in an unexciting affair, but is unlikely to be considered a top contender any time soon. Carlos Eduardo Rocha may have the skills to get a better fight out of Brenneman. Other winners included Fabricio Camoes, who outclassed rookie Tom Hayden, Daniel Pineda, who choked out Pat Schilling in under two minutes, and Nick Denis, who smashed Joseph Sandoval with a series of brutal short elbows.

Butterfield's Suggested Match Ups:

Jim Miller vs Nate Diaz
Melvin Guillard vs Edson Barboza
Josh Neer vs Brian Ebersole
Duane Ludwig vs Mike Swick
Mike Easton vs Nick Denis
Pat Barry vs Shane Carwin
Christian Morecraft vs Ednaldo Oliveira
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Ramsey Nijem
Charlie Brenneman vs Carlos Eduardo Rocha

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The Indie Roundup

One of the biggest independent promotions on the scene, ProElite hosted their third show from the island-state of Hawaii. There, native son Kendall Grove (14-9) bested Japanese favourite Ikuhisa Minowa (52-33-8) over the course of three rounds, picking up a unanimous decision. ‘Da Spyder' has now won two straight since leaving the UFC, having choked out Joe Riggs in under a minute at ProElite 1. It was a good night for unbeaten female Olympian Sara McMann (5-0) as well, as she won in the eyes of the judges against Tokyo's own Hitomi Akano (18-9). There was yet another decision in the night's Heavyweight tournament semi-finals, as Ryan Martinez (7-1) eliminated Cody Griffin (5-3) from contention, though Richard Odoms (7-0) ended Jake Heun's (2-2) night in the second round by neck crank submission. Martinez and Odoms will now meet in the tournament finals.

King of the Cage: Total Destruction saw Tim Means (16-3-1) defend his KOTC Lightweight title in emphatic fashion, TKOing Tye Brown (7-3) with strikes in just 30 seconds. A tough rematch with Dom O'Grady (13-4-1) could be next for Means, following O'Grady's split decision win over former middleweight Bill Albrecht (21-13). Means defeated O'Grady in 2010, also by split decision.

In the Philippines, rising lightweight star Eduard Folayang (11-1) ran through Brazilian Wadson Teixeira (3-3) in under a minute under the Universal Reality Combat Championship banner. The TKO follows on from Folayang's 2011 victory over A Sol Kwon, and is his sixth straight victory.

Brazilian promotion Jungle Fights delivered it's 36th show this weekend, and among the winners were Kleber Raimundo Silva (9-3), Fabiano Soldado (4-0), and Eduardo Felipe (17-9), the latter winning by inverted triangle. Watch the main fight below:

Kleber Raimundo Silva vs Emiliano Sordi


One-time victim of the Daniel Cormier freight train, Soa Palelei (14-3) picked up his first win of 2012, hammering out Henry Miller (6-15) inside the first round. Palelei holds a pair of career best wins over UFC veteran Brad Morris, as well as Japanese heavyweight Yusuke Kawaguchi, and could yet interest Zuffa in regards to their shows ‘Down Under'.

Jackson's MMA Series 7 saw Greg Jackson products Michelle Waterson (9-3) and Henry Martinez (8-1) pick up submission wins against Serial Boxe fighters Diana Rael (3-2) and Ali Hanjani (2-2) respectively on a good night for the famed fight team in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For Waterson, the fight marked ‘The Karate Hottie's' first outing since giving birth.

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Coming Up On Tap!



The final show of January, UFC on Fox 2 features a stellar trifecta of fights set to be topped off by a light heavyweight tilt between Rashad Evans (16-1-1) and the undefeated Phil Davis (9-0). For Mr Wonderful, Rashad will represent easily the biggest challenge of his young career, though there's no doubting the 27 year old's natural ability. Having beaten all of Alexander Gustafsson, Brian Stann, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Davis is yet to find his ceiling – but perennial top contender Evans could see to that. Evans will likely feel most confident in his fast and accurate hands if he can foil Evans' dynamic wrestling, which has often been the key to the unbeaten challenger's victories thus far. Indeed if Davis finds himself second-best in the grappling department, it could be a long and arduous night for the Wonderful one.

One man who will almost certainly possess a substantial wrestling advantage is Chael Sonnen (26-11-1), who will take on late replacement Michael Bisping (22-3) in a contender decider at middleweight. Bisping's fast, high-volume striking game could pose Sonnen problems, but only for as long as the two remain on the feet; Sonnen's takedowns and top control are the obvious issues ‘The Count' will need to avoid if he's to win out here, then. With his outstanding cardio and energy-leaching style, however, you never know.

The third fight to be televised live on Fox will feature another undefeated fighter in Chris Weidman (7-0). Weidman, a strong wrestler with sharp-yet-raw submission skills, will be in for a serious test as world class grappler Demian Maia (15-3) will look to score his first finish in six fights. Maia, whose own takedown ability can never be underestimated, has also shown rapid improvement in the striking department and could be a little too hot to handle for the promising prospect. Whoever wins, it's clear, will no doubt leap up the rankings ladder.

The best of the preliminary bouts will see granite-jawed heavyweight brawler Joey Beltran (13-6) swinging for the fences against former WEC and Strikeforce heavyweight Lavar Johnson (15-5). Johnson, who posted a 5-1 record in WEC before the company cut its heavier weight classes, has a respectable if unspectacular record marred only by back-to-back submission losses heading into this fight. Career best wins over Lolohea Mahe and Virgil Zwicker suggest Johnson may be good competition for the more experienced Beltran, who has now fought 6 times in the UFC, posting a 3-3 record. Certainly of note for those unsure what to expect is that none of Johnson's 20 bouts have ever gone to a decision.

Two lightweights looking to get back on track having dropped a few places in the 155 division will be Evan Dunham (12-2) and Nik Lentz (21-4-2). Lentz is fortunate to have suffered only one UFC loss after his bout with Charles Oliveira was ruled a No Contest due to an illegal knee, but there was no hiding from the one-sided nature of his defeat to Mark Bocek. That may not bode well for the talented grinder going in to this fight with the dynamic Dunham, who ended a two fight skid with a convincing win over Shamar Bailey – Dunham, like Bocek, is unlikely to feel any discomfort engaging in a grappling contest. This could be a sleeper.

Also on the card, heavyweight Jon Olav Einemo (6-2) makes his return to the Octagon despite being cut as part of the Golden Glory cull; now the Norwegian submission specialist takes on PRIDE and UFC veteran Mike Russow (14-1). Russow, perhaps best known for his spectacular come-from-behind win over Todd Duffee, is dangerous and difficult to stop, and has won each of his last ten fights. He is 3-0 in the UFC. The Ultimate Fighter contender Michael Johnson (9-6) will need to get back on track following a first round submission loss to Paul Sass, but in Shane Roller (10-5) he has been handed a very dangerous opponent. With both men capable (and powerful) wrestlers, this could well be decided on the feet if the pair find their grappling negated. That could lead to a very interesting fight. George Roop (12-8-1) returns to action after his razor thin decision defeat to top-ranked featherweight Hatsu Hioki, and he will have plenty of confidence in his striking against a fighter the calibre of Cub Swanson (15-5). Swanson, who made his UFC debut in a losing effort to Ricardo Lamas, will know he needs a win here to kickstart his career in his new promotion. Chris Camozzi (15-5) can afford no slip-ups either against Dustin Jacoby (6-1) after coming undone against Francis Carmont. The rookie Jacoby was out-wrestled in his UFC debut by Clifford Starks, and could find Camozzi's experience advantage a bridge too far.Charles Oliveira (14-2, 1 NC) has no wins in three, despite originally being awarded a stoppage victory over Nik Lentz. He will need to beat Eric Wisely (19-6) if he's to retain any of the lustre he came in with, and judging from Wisely's only Strikeforce appearance (losing a decision to Pay Healy), that seems extremely plausible. Still, who expected to see ‘do Bronx' fighting for his job? Finally, The Ultimate Fighter season 14 contestant Johnny Bedford (18-9-1) will look to build on his win over Louis Gaudinot, though Canadian Mitch Gagnon (8-1) is no joke. With 8 submissions from 8 victories, 7 of them in the first round, Bedford knows he doesn't want to become embroiled in a grappling contest…

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UFC 143 will then bring us a truly outstanding welterweight tilt the following week as Carlos Condit (27-5) looks to defend his top contender status against BJ Penn's final conqueror, Nick Diaz (26-7). Former Strikeforce Welterweight kingpin Diaz impressed in his UFC return fight with his outstanding MMA-oriented boxing, peppering Penn with an incredibly high-volume of combos, en route to a unanimous decision win. Always one to raise the ire of fans around the world, Diaz is a master at selling fights – but his ‘mean face' and street-fighter demeanour won't be needed in making this one a hugely anticipated bout. With both men known for their aggressive, balls-out fighting style, this one is likely to be a war. Condit will certainly not feel like having the carpet yanked out from under him following successive TKO's of Rory MacDonald, Dan Hardy and Dong Hyun Kim – but he's going to have to be at his explosive best if he's to counter Diaz' long, pawing jab and torturous striking techniques. This one should have it all, and will determine the interim UFC Welterweight Champion.

Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) returns to the UFC having been the man to dethrone heavyweight kingpin Fedor Emelianenko, but an unwatchable defeat to Alistair Overeem will hardly have fans salivating just yet. Should he overcome heavy-hitting Roy Nelson (16-6), however, he could quickly establish himself as a major force at 265. Nelson was last seen defeating Mirko CroCop by TKO, but has lost four of his last seven fights. Having only been finished once, though, what are Werdum's chances of scoring another submission win? And if he can't, what else can he offer?

Josh Koscheck (16-5) will find himself in a similar position to Jon Fitch, who was quickly KO'd by Johny Hendricks, when he faces another up-and-comer in Mike Pierce (13-4). It seems the welterweight's old guard are finally being challenged by hungry prospects like Hendricks and Pierce, and this will be another exciting wrestler versus wrestler encounter. As we saw, anything can happen. The question is, who has the better-rounded game?

Scott Jorgenson (13-4) picked up a hard-fought win over Jeff Curran last time out, and looks to build on that as he faces bantamweight wrecking machine Renan Barao (27-1). Fresh off a dominant victory over Brit Brad Pickett, Barao has showcased his outstanding and varied skillset for all to see. Can Jorgenson stifle the dangerous Brazilian? Or will Barao remain undefeated for the 28th straight fight?

Ed Herman (19-8) has returned from a near-two year absence from the Octagon with a vengeance. Wins over Tim Credeur and Kyle Noke seem to suggest Herman is performing at his highest level to date, and that could be bad news for Clifford Starks (8-0), whose wrestling-based attack was too much for fellow rookie Dustin Jacoby last time out. This is a big step up for Starks in terms of both competition and experience levels, and Herman will likely come in a strong favourite.

It will not, however, be as big a jump for Starks as it will be for Max Holloway (4-0), whose promotional debut will see him take on top featherweight contender Dustin Poirier (11-1). Poirier has defeated Josh Grispi, Jason ‘Shotgun' Young and Pablo Garza back-to-back, but how will coming in a heavy favourite affect his mindset and performance? Anything other than a convincing win, for instance, will be seen as a step backwards.

Also on the card, Alex ‘Bruce Leroy' Caceres (6-4) needs to find a second UFC win against Edwin Figueroa (8-1), who defeated Jason Reinhardt last time out. Matt Riddle (5-3) needs to stop the rot when he faces ‘Lil Monster' Jorge Lopez (11-2), who was bested in his UFC debut by Justin Edwards. Riddle has been beaten by Sean Pierson and Lance Benoist back-to-back. Jobs could be on the line. One man who may have a little more time on his side is Rafael Natal (13-3-1), who definitely does not play tennis. Natal is 1-1-1 in the UFC, finally picking up his first win last time out against powerhouse Paul Bradley. Unbeaten 22 year old Dutchman Michael Kuiper (11-0) stands in his way, and the judo expert can boast ten career stoppages. We should quickly find out where both middleweights stand. Finally, Daniel Stittgen (7-1) makes his first octagon appearance in the UFC, stepping up to face fellow debutant Stephen ‘Wonderboy' Thompson (5-0) in a clash of two unknown quantities.


Tap That!

And that's the rest of January lined up for you, meaning I shall next see you in February! Thank you for reading, and if you've got any comments or match making ideas, I'd love to hear from you! For now, I'm Jon Butterfield advising you to keep your MMA on Tap!