10 Things Learned: WEC 52, UFC 122 Edition

10 Things We Learned Last Week: A WEC 52 / UFC 122 Combo Plate

Two Zuffa events hit the air last week for nothing more than the cost of your monthly cable bill. In the spirit of the upcoming merger between the WEC and UFC, rolling the recaps of WEC 52 and UFC 122 into a single piece seems right, for a number of reasons.

For starters, neither show carried enough weight to merit ten true talking points, but also because the dynamic action that did come from the second-last WEC event plays so well against the not-so-impressive offering from the UFC.

Soon we won’t be talking about two events and how the lighter-weight fighters could spice up these Spike TV offerings, so why not get a head start on the proceedings and work the week that was in tandem.

Faber Shines in Bantamweight Debut

After waiting an extra couple of months for the debut of long-time WEC star Urijah Faber in the bantamweight division, the former featherweight champ didn’t disappoint.

Faber looked more than impressive in dominating Takeya Mizugaki en route to a first round submission win. Back closer to his collegiate wrestling weight, the drop to 135-pounds clearly wasn’t an issue, as Faber looked as fast and as fit as he’s been in recent memory. Mizugaki was supposed to be a stern challenge, but instead, Faber made quick work of his opponent and placed himself near the top of the contender heap.

While nothing was promised, a speedy trip to a title shot for Faber makes perfect sense. In addition to having history with current champion Dominick Cruz, Faber is one of the few WEC additions who have the name recognition needed to help sell a UFC pay-per-view.

Okami Wins, Could Get Fitch’ed

Yushin Okami’s days as the best middleweight to never receive a title shot appear to be over. Saturday night, the Japanese fighter earned his tenth and most important UFC victory, out-pointing Nate Marquardt in a close and uneventful outing to earn the title of #1 contender and a 2011 shot at UFC gold.

While Dana White reaffirmed Okami’s shot after the event, the victory was as vanilla as they come, putting little charge into the German crowd and those watching at home. Wins like that have caused title opportunities to disappear in the past. Just ask Jon Fitch.

With the middleweight title tentatively set to be defended in February, an additional four-month stretch until the next bout wouldn’t be unreasonable. Depending on how things play out for Chael Sonnen with the CSAC, it wouldn’t be wholly unbelievable to see the suspended Team Quest fighter replace his friend opposite the reigning champion.

Is It Time to Reduce the Greg Jackson Praise?

There is no question that Greg Jackson and his charges have had great success inside the Octagon, but has the time come where we’re heaping too much praise on fighters coming out of the New Mexico outfit?

Marquardt fell short on Saturday night, fighting too cautiously to accomplish anything, a criticism that has been levied against the Jackson camp quite frequently recently. While guys like Jon Jones and Brendan Schaub are emerging, Keith Jardine’s decline counteracts that success. Additionally, how much of the success that comes out of New Mexico is natural and how much is nurtured by the MMA Yoda and his fellow Jedi?

Two Shows Combine to Show Why Merger Makes Sense

In so many ways, watching the two events in rather short succession illustrates why the move to bring the lighter weight fighters of the WEC into the fold works so well right now.

Both shows featured a number of lesser known fighters, but while the action from the WEC event more than made up for the anonymity, the UFC’s efforts fell short. Adding the dynamic talents who have made WEC events must-see cards over the past two years into the roster, the UFC should be able to reduce, if not eliminate, events of this nature entirely.

Additionally, more divisions mean the opportunity to showcase more meaningful fights. Outside of the main event, nothing on the UFC 122 fight card was overly important in terms of contention. With two more divisions worth of contenders to contend with, the meaningless bouts that made up the main card in Germany can be shuffled to the preliminary portion.

Lastly, bringing in three divisions worth of talent will force the UFC to trim their roster. Let’s just leave it at that.

Benavidez in a Curious Position

Perennial bantamweight contender Joseph Benavidez stepped up to face Wagnney Fabiano on short notice when Brian Bowles got hurt. Thursday night, he proved once again that he only loses to fighters named Dominick Cruz, catching the BJJ black belt in a nasty guillotine choke halfway through the second round. In the process, the Team Alpha Male product put himself into a curious position.

What do you do with Benavidez moving forward? He’s beaten Miguel Torres and now Fabiano, as well as Rani Yahya, but lost to Cruz twice in the last fifteen-months. A third fight is nowhere near the horizon, neither is the flyweight division where many believe Benavidez would thrive. There is also the added angle of the addition of Benavidez’s mentor Faber to the division, a potential opponent the young star surely wouldn’t consider.

Koch Didn’t Need a Big Name Opponent to Make a Big Impression

Eric Koch had every reason to come into his fight with Francisco Rivera a little flat and uninspired. Two weeks earlier, his original opponent was pulled for a title opportunity at UFC 125, leaving Koch to face the unknown and unbeaten Rivera on short notice.

None of that mattered.

The youngster delivered an emphatic knockout, connecting with a headkick early in round one that looked eerily similar to the kick teammate Anthony Pettis used to finish Danny Castillo back in March. While his opponent wasn’t as well-known, Koch’s performance was impressive nonetheless.

Siver and Several Newcomers Shine

German kickboxer Dennis Siver earned his second UFC victory on German soil Saturday and he looked impressive in the process.

Siver was faster than opponent Andre Winner in the stand-up department, picking the quick Brit apart with his kickboxing before a hard counter left put Winner on the canvas. From there, the local favorite showed some jiu jitsu skills, trapping Winner’s arm inside a body triangle while sinking in a rear naked choke for the win.

A pair of newcomers stole the show on the undercard.

Though Karlos Vemola debuted earlier in the year as a heavyweight, his first light heavyweight fight was an eye-opener, as the muscular Czech pounded out a first round stoppage against Seth Petruzelli. In the opening bout of the evening, Carlos Eduardo Rocha spoiled Kris McCray’s post-TUF debut, forcing the former finalist to tap to a kneebar in the first round.

End the Tape Delay Era

The UFC has used the business model of the WWF/E throughout their climb to the pinnacle of the sport, and they need to do the same in regards to using tape delay.

Back in the day, the sports-entertainment juggernaut used to tape shows in advance and run them at later dates, unconcerned about the developments of the event getting out over the then non-existent or omnipresent Internet. That ended a long time ago for the WWE, as rabid fans broke storylines and ruined surprises.

Once again, the UFC could follow their lead, as these tape-delayed shows continue to fall flat with fans in a time when there is no need.

Saturday’s show came off extremely long due to the commercial breaks and canned interviews. What makes it more frustrating is that despite cutting all entrances and having a three-hour broadcast window, fans only received two “bonus fights,” and both ended extremely quickly.

People aren’t going to keep waiting around for results from mediocre cards that offer nothing extra, so just bite the bullet, air them live and see what happens.

Bad Judging Can Swim

The poor judging that has plagued events on this side of the Atlantic made the trip to Germany on the weekend, as a pair of decisions offered further evidence that reform is needed.

How does Nick Osipczak earn a 30-27? Whatever judge turned in that card should not be allowed to sit next to a cage ever again. The Brit did absolutely nothing in the final frame of his fight with Duane Ludwig, yet one judge felt good about giving him the nod. Unreal.

And how does Krzysztof Soszynski pitch a perfect game against Goran Reljic in the very next fight? While it’s hard to convey the closeness of a fight in scoring each round, that didn’t look like a 30-27 sweep from where I was sitting.

These are things that need to be explained and corrected, quickly. If we’re talking about these things after every event – and we are – than it is a major problem. When those same issues are crossing the Atlantic Ocean, it’s clear that there are more problems here than just Cecil Peoples and Glen Trowbridge can be blamed for.

Next Generation Arriving Every Day

Michael McDonald is not only the youngest fighter employed by Zuffa, the 19-year-old is also the youngest fighter on the Zuffa roster with a win.

Thursday night, the California-based prospect pushed his record to 11-1 with a first round submission of Clint Godfrey in his first and only fight for the WEC. Next time you see him, McDonald will be competing inside the Octagon, and if things keep going the way they have, you’re going to be seeing a lot of him.

The youngster is part of the next generation of mixed martial artists, fighters that came up learning every aspect of the sport simultaneously. These young upstarts present a well-rounded base, and like Rory MacDonald before him, McDonald has made a quick climb through the regional ranks to the highest level in the sport.

Many more will be coming soon.