10 Things We Learned at UFC 132

Looking back at the stories to emerge from UFC 132

THE BANTAMWEIGHTS ARE ON THE MAP

The first bantamweight title fight in UFC history officially put the division on the map.

Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber paired up to deliver the kind of fight followers of the WEC and hardcore MMA fans have come to expect from the 135 pound division, going the distance in an instant classic. Casual fans who weren’t paying attention before this will definitely be keeping an eye on the lightest division in the UFC from here on out.

Lost in the rivalry between the two participants was the importance of this fight. A dud would have deadened the division with the audience that was getting their first big-fight exposure to the 135 pound fighters.

This fight needed to live up to the expectations that come with being the main event. For 25 frenetic minutes, Cruz and Faber went above and beyond. Not only did this fight bolster Faber’s standing as a superstar, but it established Cruz as a legitimate champion and one of the best in the business with the audience that didn’t know who he was before this week.

With a tremendous main event and a history of delivering highly entertaining bouts, we should see more bantamweight bouts getting a chance to shine moving forward.

CRUZ A DIFFICULT PUZZLE TO SOLVE

Saturday night, Faber came the closest to figuring out the bantamweight champion of any of his recent opponents. Though it wasn’t as one-sided as the 50-45 score from Sal D’Amato suggests, the end result remains the same: Dominick Cruz is going to be difficult to beat.

While Faber landed the heavier individual strikes, the incredible volume of strikes that Cruz offers is impossible to ignore. Mixing in well-timed takedowns and spending very little time in a defensive posture works in his favor as well. As he continues to hone his approach and add new wrinkles, it’s only going to get harder to deal with the champion’s chaotic style.

Notice I didn’t say he’s unbeatable, proclaim this “The Cruz Era” or anything like that; we’ve all learned our lessons in that regard. Faber had the right idea of loading up on every exit situation, and people are going to continue to chip away at Cruz’s style. But the champion will continue to adapt, continue to refine his approach, and continue to make the bantamweight division one to watch.

See all of our exclusive UFC 132 photos

WHAT NOW FOR FABER?

By no means do I intend for this to take away from the tremendous performance Faber just put forward at UFC 132. He looked outstanding, went toe-to-toe with Cruz for 25 minutes, and proved he’s still one of the very best fighters in the world. But where does he go from here?

Faber is too talented and dangerous to risk putting him in the cage with an emerging prospect like Michael McDonald, Renan Barao or Demetrious Johnson. He’s already gotten the better of Eddie Wineland, is training partners with Joseph Benavidez, and very close with Scott Jorgensen. That doesn’t leave him many options at this point in time.

What’s more is that despite looking good against Cruz, the loss drops “The California Kid” to 0-4 in championship bouts over the last 32 months. As well as he did against Cruz on Saturday night, I don’t see the results changing if they were to meet for a third time.

It will be interesting to see who the UFC decides to match Faber up with next. Personally, Faber versus Miguel Torres seems to make perfect sense right about now.

LEBEN LIVES UP TO HIS NAME AGAINST “THE AXE MURDERER”

Chris Leben was indeed “The Crippler” on Saturday night. The original bad boy of The Ultimate Fighter ate a good shot from Wanderlei Silva that seemed to get his attention. Less than 30 seconds later, the fight was over.

The heavy-handed Leben unleashed a right that caught Silva right behind the ear, jolting his equilibrium and giving Leben the opening he needed to seal the deal. A series of lefty uppercuts followed, and in no time flat, Silva was face down on the floor as an ecstatic Leben celebrated in the cage.

It was a much needed win for the 30-year-old, coming off a first round loss to Brian Stann at UFC 125 on the opening day of 2011. With the middleweight division being so wide open, there are a number of different options for Leben now that he’s got another win under his belt.

Another potential slugfest with Vitor Belfort would certainly be entertaining, provided “The Phenom” gets through Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133. So too would a pairing with Alan Belcher if he’s able to get through Jason MacDonald in September.

We’ll have to wait and see what direction Joe Silva goes with Leben next. Either way, this was an exhilarating performance and one that continues to show that when he’s focused and fit, Leben is a dangerous fight for just about anyone.

END OF THE LINE FOR WANDERLEI?

Seeing Silva laying face down on the canvas, you have to wonder if this is the end of the line for “The Axe Murderer.” Dana White openly lobbied Chuck Liddell to hang up the gloves after his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 115, and he says he’s going to do the same thing with Silva.

He’s 2-6 over his last eight fights, a stretch that goes all the way back to his final two appearances in the Pride ring. He’s 35-years-old and been through countless savage battles that have left him a shell of his former self in the cage.

After having only been TKO’d twice in his career prior facing Mirko Cro Cop at Pride Final Conflict Absolute, four of Silva’s last six losses have been crushing knockouts that left him in a heap on the mat. He is a tremendous ambassador for the sport and beloved around the world, but his skills are deteriorating and there is no reason for him to continue taking the kind of punishment he’s endured in recent years.

The decision to walk away is never an easy one, but it looks like it’s time for Silva to call it a career.

SIVER-WIMAN DECISION HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR MORE LIBERAL SCORING

Welcome to the unavoidable judging section. It seems we can’t go a single event without there being an issue to discuss regarding the officials.

First and foremost: Matt Wiman was not robbed. Chase Beebe was robbed against Mike Easton in the UWC a couple years back. This was nothing like that fight. People toss around the term “robbery” way too liberally in the analysis of this sport.

Secondly, I can understand both the final result and the frustrations. This was a very close fight, with the first and third rounds being difficult to judge. Wiman clearly won the second, and I could see people making a case for the middle frame being scored 10-8.

My scorecard had it a draw with Dennis Siver winning the first and last, Wiman earning a 10-8 in between for 28-up at the end of the bout.

Arguing the scores does nothing at this stage; they’re in the books, they’re not getting changed, so all we can do is move forward. To that end, I think this bout is another great example of the need for more liberal scoring in this sport.

With the way the scores came out, Siver’s two close round were scored the exact same as the round that Wiman won going away, and that isn’t right to me. This is far from the first time we’ve seen this happen, but with judges reluctant to hand out anything other than a 10-9 round in most cases, we end up with fights like this.

Because the judges seldom stray from offering a series of 10-9 scores, Siver earns the same for taking the first frame 60-40 as Wiman did for his shutout in the second. That doesn’t make sense, and it won’t improve unless judges are given the chance to be a little more forthcoming with even rounds and something other than the old standby score.

I’m sure each judge would say that the first and third rounds were “tight 10-9’s for Siver” while describing the second as “a clear 10-9 for Wiman.” We shouldn’t be putting adjectives on the action because when the final bell sounds, those adjectives don’t carry any value. Degrees of 10-9 don’t help Wiman, but a 10-8 in the second would have.

DID I FALL ASLEEP AND WAKE UP IN 2004?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but did I see Tito Ortiz celebrating a win in the Octagon on Saturday night? I could have sworn I saw the former light heavyweight champion doing his customary “Gravedigger” celebration in the center of the cage.

For the first time in more than five years, Ortiz earned a win in the UFC. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” caught Ryan Bader with a tight right hand, followed him to the ground, and sunk in a guillotine choke to secure the win. Not only id the victory earn Ortiz Submission of the Night honors, it helped him stave off retirement for at least one more fight.

Very few people expected to see Ortiz having his hand raised on Saturday night, myself included. After a five year drought, this victory puts Ortiz back into the discussion in the division he once ruled.

Knocking off the top 10 ranked Bader – and his massive drawing power — puts Ortiz in line for another marquee opportunity moving forward. I smell a rematch with Lyoto Machida.

Check out our exclusive Tito Ortiz interview

CARLOS CONDIT: #1 CONTENDER

Heading into Saturday night’s event, nobody was sure whether the welterweight showdown between Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim would in fact produce the next challenger for the 170 pound title. Both had been doing well, but were either really ready to step into a title shot?

Condit answered that question in emphatic fashion, flattening Kim with a flying knee before pounding out a speedy victory to secure Knockout of the Night honors. The win should move the former WEC champion into the number-one contender position, poised to face the winner of October’s battle between Georges St. Pierre and Nick Diaz.

“The Natural Born Killer” is now 4-1 in the UFC and riding a four fight winning streak, with finishes in each of his last three bouts. While he came into the UFC and even this fight slightly under the radar, his dominant performance against the previously unbeaten Kim should have solidified him the top spot on the list of contenders.

GUILLARD EMERGES FROM LIGHTWEIGHT LOG JAM

While Dennis Siver earned a spot on the main card and came away with a victory, Melvin Guillard was the breakthrough lightweight of the night. With his second consecutive first round finish, “The Young Assassin” asserted himself as one of the top contenders in the division.

Guillard made quick work of Shane Roller, knocking out the Oklahoma State wrestling product before the halfway point of the opening round. It was the 28-year-old’s fifth win in a row, and one that should cement him in the upper echelon of the lightweight division.

He’s 4-0 since moving his training to Greg Jackson’s gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and unbeaten since a Fight Night loss to Nate Diaz in September 2009. He also holds a quick knockout victory over Siver from earlier in their careers as well.

Though there is a glut of talent in the top end of the division, Guillard is right there in the thick of it. He’s going to have to remain patient and probably put away another top contender before earning a title shot. With the way he’s looked as of late, I doubt that will be much of a problem for Guillard.

BEST CARD OF THE YEAR

There is something about these Fourth of July events. Without fail, they always end up delivering a great deal of excitement and ranking amongst the top events of the year. This year’s installment was no different.

Three dramatic first round finishes, a neck-and-neck decision, and a five round epic for the bantamweight title on the main card, with two more finishes on Spike and a couple of entertaining decisions on the Facebook free stream to boot; not a bad night of fights at all.

Right now, I’d have to give UFC 132 the nod as the top event to date in 2011, though I have a feeling UFC 134 in Rio will claim the throne at the end of August. Either way, this marks back-to-back very entertaining events, with three of the last four being stellar.

One last point of interest, at least for me: my top two fights in the UFC this year have come from the lightweights (Edgar-Maynard 2) and the bantamweights (Cruz-Faber 2). I just thought I’d share that with all the people who still seem to think the lighter weight classes aren’t worth watching.