A MOVE TO MIDDLEWEIGHT THE ONLY LOGICAL PATH FOR ALVES
No matter what he does next, the UFC 100 welterweight title challenger will have to start over. He’s lost three of his last four, and while they’ve come to quality talent, a change in scenery might be the only way for Alves to get back into title contention.
The road to a title shot at 170 pounds is pretty well closed; Alves would need to avenge his losses to Story and Fitch, and those opportunities aren’t coming any time soon. As such, perhaps a fresh start 15 pounds up would be the best approach moving forward.
Though Alves made weight for the second straight fight, the massive American Top Team product has the frame and fearsome striking to at least make a little noise in the middleweight ranks. With the dearth of talent in the division thanks to Anderson Silva’s ongoing reign, it could conceivably only take a few quality wins for Alves to put his name in the mix.
There aren’t nearly as many punishing wrestlers in the 185 pound ranks as there as populate the welterweight division, another reason Alves should seriously consider a change in address; all three of his recent losses came as a result of being out-wrestled.
It will be interesting to see what the “Pitbull” does next.
BRIAN STANN’S FUTURE BRIGHTEST OF ALL
Last week was Brian Stann’s coming out party.
While his impressive knockout victory over Jorge Santiago was the exclamation point at the end of the week, the star potential of the former Marine began to shine through starting with Wednesday’s press conference.
Simply put, Brian Stann has the potential to become the face of the UFC. No, I’m not joking. The decorated war hero is as well spoken as they come, with life experiences that connect to those who may not identify with the sport otherwise. Physically, he looks like the part as well; square jaw, a toothy smile, and a welcoming handshake for everyone who approaches.
His development inside the cage only ups the ante.
Stann said during the build up to Saturday’s fight that his goal for 2011 was to make his way into the top 10, and with his impressive showing at UFC 130, he’s already reached that goal. While he didn’t have a next step mapped out by the time he took to the dais at the post-fight presser, don’t be surprised if you’re seeing a lot of Stann in the coming months.
With a place in the top 10 secured and oozing marketability, Stann is poised to become a major star. And if he keeps on improving between each fight the way he has of late, he could be challenging for the middleweight title in the near future as well.
THE GREAT SCORING DEBATE FROM UFC 130
Demetrious Johnson took home a unanimous decision win over former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres on Saturday night. Some people had no issues with the verdict, while others cried foul, leading to the next edition of the ongoing scoring debate in MMA.
Few would argue that Torres took the opening round; all three judges saw it that way, and everyone else did too. However, the next two rounds have been being discussed since the decision was read.
With the fight being contested on the ground, Johnson was in top position for the bulk of the final ten minutes, sporadically landing with hands, but never coming close to securing a finish in any way, shape or form. Conversely, Torres spent that same period working off his back, hunting for submissions, attacking with the occasional elbow and executing numerous sweeps.
How does a fight like that get scored?
Some feel the judges got it right, awarding Johnson the final two frames for being on top and securing the takedowns that brought the fight to the floor in the first place. Others, however, felt that the effort Torres delivered off his back, and working towards finishes was enough to overcome the positional advantages Johnson held.
My card had Torres coming out ahead, and while I can see Johnson taking one of the final two rounds, you need to do more than just maintain positional control to take a round on my scorecard, that doesn’t seem to be the case with everyone.
How did you score it?
BOETSCH IMPRESSES, GROVE NOT SO MUCH
Tim Boetsch made his middleweight debut a successful one, earning a clean sweep of the scorecards to take a unanimous decision over Kendall Grove.
The former light heavyweight not only looked in far better shape having cut down to 185 pounds for the first time, but he was able to use his strength advantage to dominate the fight in its entirety. His wrestling base returned in force, as he not only dragged Grove to the ground at will, but also delivered a powerful slam or two in the process. It was a strong debut at his new address for Boetsch.
On the flip side, Grove continued to frustrate and disappoint. The former TUF winner has spent the last four-plus years alternating between quality performances and bad outings, and Saturday night came down in the latter column.
The Hawaiian has been on the verge of being cut in the critic’s eyes for a while now, and Saturday’s loss could be the final straw. White was unsure of his future following Saturday’s event, and while he’s always admired Grove’s willingness to accept whatever fight he’s offered, the bottom line is that the results haven’t been there for quite some time.
With a new addition to the division stepping forward, maybe a long-time member of the pack gets let go?
26 WINS AND COUNTING
Somehow, Renan Barao has managed to bring his winning streak to 26 without gaining much attention. How does that happen?
After earning a solid victory over Cole Escovedo in the UFC 130 opener, Barao should be in line for a move up the fight card next time out. In a sport where every impressive streak eventually comes to an end, the UFC would be best served taking advantage of what the Nova Uniao product has going right now.
The lighter weight classes have continually delivered the most exciting performances card after card. With a winning streak that stretches a quarter of the way to a hundred and a skill set that brings excitement to every fight, Barao could start finding himself further up the lineup from now on.
With an ever increasing schedule and a need for new stars, Barao and his 26 fight unbeaten streak could be the next bantamweight to be given a big push in the UFC.