The Ten Things We Learned At UFC 137

8. Hatsu Hioki’s American-style win

Hatsu Hioki’s win over George Roop wasn’t a vindication for Japanese mixed martial arts. Far from it.

But none of that mattered last night. He needed to avoid the curse that has followed Japanese superstars into the Octagon over the past two years. In short, he desperately needed a win. He got one, and he did it in a most unlikely way: by using smothering, Chael Sonnen-esque top control from the mount and good old American wrestling. Instead of standing and trying for an exciting fight – which most Japanese imports tend to do on their first night in the big show because they are used to the Japanese mentality where exciting fights are more important than wins – Hioki realized he was being outgunned standing and decided to take the fight to the mat.

It was a smart move. It wasn’t pretty, not by a long shot, but it was smart. Hioki earned a razor-thin win and moves on to fight another day. He’s not ready to face the likes of Jose Aldo or Chad Mendes just yet, but he gets to stick around. He won’t single-handedly revitalize the failing Japanese MMA world, but he’ll have his chance to face the top fighters in the world. That’s all he’s asking for.

9. Tyson Griffin’s time is over, for now

I remember the days when everyone pined for a rematch between Tyson Griffin and Urijah Faber. It was the featherweight fight that would finally decide the best in the world. I wanted to see that fight in the worst way.

My, how things change.

Faber is now a perennial contender at bantamweight, runs several successful businesses and is one of the most popular fighters in the sport. Griffin, meanwhile, had to cut from lightweight to featherweight just to avoid being released from his UFC contract. He scored a win over Manny Gamburyan in his first outing as a UFC featherweight, but the second time around was an unmitigated disaster.

Griffin missed weight by three pounds and couldn’t lose any more water, so his bout with Bart Palaszewski became a catchweight fight. Guys who miss weight don’t exactly become Dana White or Sean Shelby’s favorite fighters. Griffin topped off the weekend by getting absolutely steamrolled and knocked out by Bart Palaszewski on the first televised fight of the night. The knockout was so bad, in fact, that Griffin had to be assisted by several security guards for well over a minute because he could not stand under his own power.

Griffin is 3-5 since UFC 90 in 2008. He doesn’t have a truly great win since beating Clay Guida in a barnburner back in 2007. Featherweight wasn’t the magical answer to everything that ailed him, which leaves him between a rock and a hard place. He was a fan favorite for a long time and that probably allowed him more leeway when it came to his contract, but those days are done and gone. I expect his UFC days to be done and gone as well.

Carlos Condit

10. Carlos Condit is getting royally screwed, but they’ll make it up to him

Dana White says Carlos Condit agreed to step aside and allow GSP to fight Nick Diaz. Condit’s agent, Malki Kawa, says Condit did no such thing and that St-Pierre chose to fight Diaz over Condit. The entire situation is he said, he said at this point, so we’ll focus on the other stuff.

It’s a shame. Sure, you can argue that Condit wouldn’t even have the title shot in the first place if Nick Diaz hadn’t gone crazy and missed mandatory media events. That’s completely true. But the fact remains that Diaz did, in fact, miss mandatory events and was pulled from the title fight for not being a professional.

Condit accepted the title fight and immediately jumped on a plane to Las Vegas to fulfill those obligations that Diaz couldn’t be bothered to attend. He accepted every interview and did everything he was asked to do, all while preparing for the biggest fight of his life. His title shot was delayed when St-Pierre pulled out with a knee injury, but figured he’d get his chance in a few months, after St-Pierre healed. He was patient, as he always is.

Instead of facing St-Pierre on Super Bowl weekend, Condit will likely step in the cage with someone like Josh Koscheck or Jake Ellenberger. He’ll no doubt face an extremely dangerous welterweight, and it won’t be an easy fight. In essence, Condit will have to earn his title shot all over again, and a loss means he’s going to the back of the line yet again.

I understand why we’re seeing Nick Diaz thrust back into the title fight with St-Pierre. It’s easily the biggest money fight that the UFC can make for 2012, and you sure don’t want to risk that kind of big-money fight when you have a chance to put it together. You strike when the iron is hot, as the old saying goes, and the iron is hotter than it’s ever going to be.

None of that means much for Carlos Condit at this point. He’ll put on a brave public face, and I’m sure the UFC will compensate him for losing the title fight. But deep down inside, he has to be crushed, and nobody can blame him for feeling that way.