Rematch with “Rampage” Makes Sense for Griffin
Forrest Griffin returned after a 15 month layoff to take a unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Rich Franklin on Saturday night. The victory reinserts the former 205-pound champion into the title picture, and a date with an old friend makes the most sense moving forward.
Provided that Quinton Jackson gets by Thiago Silva at UFC 130 in May, a rematch between the TUF 7 coaches is both a possibility and probably the best potential matchup for both moving forward. A meeting with Lyoto Machida could be put together if Machida defeats Randy Couture in Toronto as many believe he will, but we’ve seen Griffin against an elusive counter-striker before and it was not pretty.
In Jackson you have an opponent who presents a good stylistic partner for the charismatic fan favorite, but also an adversary with whom he shares a history. Their five-round battle for the 205-pound strap at UFC 86 was highly-entertaining and the result was debated; some still feel that Jackson should have retained the title and this would be a chance to resolve some of those lingering doubts.
Franklin’s Future in Doubt
Where does the former middleweight champion go from here?
He was contemplating retirement following his UFC 103 loss to Vitor Belfort, and while dropping a unanimous decision to Griffin may not be as demoralizing or physically damaging, but it still leaves Franklin in a precarious position. Unless the UFC is planning on debuting a legends division, Franklin might have to accept a place lower on the totem pole than he may like.
There is a job available as the high-end gatekeeper of the light heavyweight division, the post having been vacant since Keith Jardine was sent packing after losing to Matt Hamill. Having already beaten Hamill himself and having a more decorated history, Franklin would be an obvious candidate and the right kind of veteran jack-of-all-trades to have in such a role. But does he want it?
Fighting up-and-comers doesn’t have the same appeal as filling co-main event slots against established stars, and outside of a meeting with Randy Couture, who else is there that ranks as a comparable contemporary for Franklin to face?
He’s already lost to Machida once in his career and adding seven years to the match-up doesn’t help “Ace” at all. Either half of the upcoming Rogerio Nogueira-Tito Ortiz tilt could work as well, with Stephan Bonnar being an option as well, but none of those match-ups screams “Must See TV.”
Personally, I’d say it’s a better direction for Franklin than stepping in with younger, faster, stronger opponents like Phil Davis or Ryan Bader, but only time will tell what “Ace” is going to do next.
Jake Ellenberger: Be Careful What You Wish For
You can understand the letdown to go from fighting the #2 welterweight in the world to facing a relatively unknown newcomer, but Saturday night, Jake Ellenberger showed that he needs to be careful what he wishes for moving forward.
While the Nebraska native came away with a split decision victory over Carlos Eduardo Rocha thanks to Adelaide Byrd’s 30-27 scorecard for his opponent, the 25-year-old Ellenberger failed to deliver the kind of performance that leads me to believe he should be standing in with the elite of the welterweight division just yet.
After escaping the an opening round that saw Rocha dominate on the ground, Ellenberger stayed outside for the most part, landing sporadic solid hands and connecting on a pair of late-in-the-round takedowns to seal the victory. While some will complain that those two takedowns should not earn Ellenberger the nod in the final two frames, the truth is that his stand-up had a greater impact and the takedowns only put him further ahead, at least on my scorecards. You have to remember, successfully putting Rocha on his back counts for something, and is more than his opponent managed over the final 10 minutes.
Still, after fixating on Fitch in the build-up to this fight, his cautious and overall underwhelming performance in victory isn’t going to do Ellenberger any favors. While he may get a slight bump up in stature next time out, say the winner of Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann, a fight with a Top 5 opponent isn’t something he should be looking for quite yet.
Perfect Gameplan Leads Torres to Impressive Victory
Former WEC champion Miguel Torres discussed his change in strategy and style a great deal with us in the weeks leading up to his UFC debut. Saturday night, he stayed true to his word and executed his game plan flawlessly to cruise to a unanimous decision victory over Antonio Banuelos.
There are those who felt that Torres should have gotten his opponent more, taking a few more risks in order to finish the fight, but that isn’t who the former bantamweight title holder is anymore. Torres’ devil-may-care, take two to get one days are done, replaced by a more measure, more cerebral, more cautious fighter focused on collecting wins before earning critical acclaim from the fans.
Some will call it “point fighting” or “boring,” but I call it sound tactical strategy; when you have a ridiculously reach advantage, are landing your jab and cross at will and your opponent is willing to stay at the end of both, why change up the program? More importantly than obtaining my approval, White said after the fight that he was impressed with Torres’ performance and thought he fought a perfect fight, and that is the only real opinion that matters.
Give Credit to Mendes and Johnson
There is further talk about Japanese MMA being dead or dying in the wake of Michihiro Omigawa and “Kid” Yamamoto having unsuccessful outings at UFC 126. While brands like DREAM and SRC may be struggling, Saturday’s performances have far more to do with the men who beat the Japanese superstars than the critical condition of the sport in their homeland.
Chad Mendes and Demetrious Johnson simply out-performed their respective opponents on Saturday night; both utilized tremendous game plans that mixed solid striking with perfectly timed, perfectly executed takedowns to keep Omigawa and Yamamoto guessing. While it’s easy to view these defeats as further proof that Japanese MMA is no longer producing top tier talent, the more accurate assessment is that Mendes and Johnson are both legitimate contenders in their divisions and would be a tough out for anyone, Japanese or otherwise.
In fact, Mendes probably earned a title shot with his win, while Johnson continues to climb the bantamweight ladder, despite probably being more well-suited for the often discussed flyweight division that has yet to materialize.
This wasn’t about the muddled state of affairs that is Japanese MMA; these were a pair of quality performances from a pair of talented fighters, and they deserve to be recognized for their wins instead of being cast aside while people take Omigawa and Yamamoto’s defeats as a sign to start writing the obituary for JMMA.
Good Start for Cerrone
Beating Paul Kelly doesn’t make Donald Cerrone an instant contender in the 155-pound division; the talent pool is far too deep and Kelly was still swimming in the shallow end.
That being said, the polarizing Greg Jackson pupil showed off his slicker jiu jitsu game, baiting Kelly into providing an opening for a body triangle by playing high on his back, and worked quickly and efficiently to sink in a choke when the opportunity present itself. No matter who it was against, earning a victory in your UFC debut is vital, and now Cerrone has something to build on.
With the division currently deeper than it has ever been before, the 27-year-old “Cowboy” doesn’t need to be rushed into the deep waters; there are myriad contenders already established and lined up looking for a shot at the lightweight title, so Cerrone can be brought along incrementally, with televised fights and a chance to continue to show off his personality.
He has a solid blend of skills, a great group of guys surrounding him and the charisma to be someone fans latch onto one way or an other; a lightweight version of Josh Koscheck or Dan Hardy perhaps. While his win over Kelly doesn’t prove the ’55s from the WEC belong or that Cerrone is a champion in the making, it’s a good start and that’s all that matters.