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UFC Fight Night Edgar vs. Swanson: 10 Things We Learned Last Night

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Dominant Performance from The Answer

Frankie Edgar made it clear Saturday night that he is very much still near the top of the list of title contenders in the UFC featherweight division, scoring a fifth-round stoppage win over Cub Swanson in the UFC Fight Night 57 main event.

After a tight first round, the former lightweight champion turned to his wrestling and dominated the rest of the way. Once he had Swanson grounded, the Toms River, New Jersey native opened up with ground-and-pound, never giving Swanson the opportunity to get back to his feet. It turned into a bit of a “big brother” situation with Edgar playing the part of the older sibling.

Following the win, Edgar declared that he wants another shot at the title – whether it comes right away or after another victory, the featherweight standout plans on sticking around for the foreseeable future.

This was arguably Edgar’s most impressive performance to date – a remix on his win over BJ Penn from this summer, only it came against a significantly more dangerous opponent. After a win like that, it’s hard to argue against “The Answer” getting another shot at Jose Aldo and the featherweight title.

Timing is Everything in MMA

If Cub Swanson started his six-fight winning streak six months to a year earlier, he would have earned a featherweight title shot, but because it came when it did, the Palm Springs, California native never got the championship opportunity a run of that nature usually produces.

“Killer Cub” had no answer for Edgar’s wrestling on Saturday, absorbing heavy doses of punishment before finally tapping out in the final seconds of the fifth round. It was a demoralizing loss that is only compounded by the fact that there are several other fighters queuing up for bigger fights that he’s now going to have to contend with once again.

Having seen less deserving fighters pick up title opportunities in different divisions along the way, it’s tough to see a hardworking talent that put in the work to earn a shot come up short.

Barboza Improving, Picks Up Biggest Win of Career

Edson Barboza is one of those dudes you kind of forget a little bit when you’re thinking about the lightweight division because he hasn’t had any signature wins at the highest level. Sure, he had the insane knockout of Terry Etim, but in the two biggest spots of his career to date, he’s come up short.

He started to change that in Saturday’s co-main event, picking up a clear unanimous decision win over Bobby Green in a fight that showed he’s continuing to improve and that should vault him into the Top 10.

From the outset, the Brazilian Muay Thai specialist worked his quick kicks and snapping jabs, keeping Green on the end of both throughout. In the second, he staggered the No. 7-ranked lightweight with a spinning wheel kick that didn’t quite land flush and while he continued to circle and move, he also kept the offensive output steady.

Barboza turns 29 in January and has the nasty offensive game to hang with anyone in the division. He’s worked hard on his takedown defence and continues to learn how to use his speed to keep opponents at bay. If he keeps that up, 2015 could be a big year for the talented Brazilian.

Free Advice: Close Fight? Keep Up the Offence in the Final Round

In two different fights on Saturday night, the fighter that ultimately took home the victory made life a little tougher on themselves by backing off the gas in the final round.

Midway up the main card, Chico Camus was clearly the quicker of the two in the exchanges with veteran Brad Pickett. The first was close, with Pickett doing some solid work from top position, but the second was easily Camus’ frame. Instead of keeping up the pressure in the third, he backed off a little, pot-shotting Pickett while maintaining space. Earlier in the evening, James Vick did the same in his bout with Nick Hein.

Unless you’re unquestionably up on the cards – and there are never any guarantees in the great state of Texas – doesn’t it make more sense to do everything you can to clearly swing the scores in your favour? While both Camus and Vick came away with wins, they would have been kicking themselves if the cards went the other way.

By the way, feel free to tell me I’m crazy or don’t know what I’m talking about here. This is just my observation from press row. These dudes do this for a living, so maybe they just know something I don’t.

40 Year Old Dudes with 60 Pro Fights Are Not to be Trifled With

OK, so Oleksiy Oliynyk is only 37, but you get the point.

Just beyond the midway point of the opening round, the Russian submission specialist melted Jared Rosholt with a left hand that sent the three-time All-American wrestler crashing to the canvas in a heap. The follow-up shot was academic – Rosholt was O-U-T, out.

Many expected the fight to be a grind, with the emerging American heavyweight utilizing his wrestling. Instead, he opted to stand and the veteran halted his climb up the rankings in a hurry. While he may not make a run at the title any time soon, Oliynyk is now 50-9-1 for his career… I repeat, 50-9-1.

Those are the kinds of dudes you don’t take lightly. Ever. No matter how good you are.

Jared Rosholt found that out Saturday.

Benavidez Shines Against Tough Ortiz

Joseph Benavidez was the second-best fighter in the bantamweight division when the WEC closed its doors. It has been more of the same since moving to the flyweight ranks in the UFC.

With a pair of losses to reigning champion Demetrious Johnson, the Team Alpha Male standout is stuck in purgatory for the time being, but he showed on Saturday night that he’s still a cut above everyone else in the division with a dominant unanimous decision win over Dustin Ortiz.

Benavidez hurt the Roufusport product with some big shots and really showed the separation in skill level in the scrambles, but for all his efforts, he couldn’t put the gritty Ortiz away. The decision was never in doubt, though, and Benavidez has now earned consecutive victories heading into 2015.

He’s still got more work to do before earning another title shot, but there is no question that he’s capable of picking off anyone in the 125-pound weight class.

Scary Potential: Ruslan Magomedov

When’s the last time you saw a heavyweight throwing scissor kicks in the Octagon? When’s the last time you saw a heavyweight start a combination backing up, land, move forward and close it out with a chopping kick to the thigh?

Ruslan Magomedov does things that you don’t often see out of a dude that is 6’3″ and 246 pounds.

Saturday night in Austin, “Leopard” pushed his winning streak to eight with a unanimous decision victory over Josh Copeland. It was a workmanlike effort that showed both his potential and the areas where the Dagestani heavyweight can still improve.

And that’s the scary part – there is still room for growth. Magomedov turns 28 in a couple days and with continued work with the team at AKA, he could blossom into a legitimate contender over the next 12-18 months. As it stands, he’s an intriguing new addition to the heavyweight ranks.

Judging Isn’t That Hard…

James Vick beat Nick Hein in a close fight where neither guy really went after it over the final 10 minutes, but in the first round, Hein dropped the lanky Texas lightweight twice.

And yet judges Anthony Townsend and Jennie Cardenas still scored that round for Vick.

Listen, judging can be complex and difficult – you’re looking for slight advantages lots of the time, peering around cage posts and trying to catch action on the other side of the cage.

But if a guy gets dropped twice, he didn’t win the round. He couldn’t have, not unless he knocked the other dude down three times. It’s honestly that simple. All you have to do in that situation is ask yourself, “Did that guy get knocked down three times? No, okay, he won the round.”

Here’s the really crazy part: Townsend scored Round 3 for Hein. So he didn’t win the round where knocked Vick down twice, but the close back-and-forth where it was iffy? That one he got.

This wasn’t the only crappy scorecard on the night, but it was the most egregious that’s for sure.

Future Champion Alert: “12 Gauge” Paige VanZant

There are some times where you’re watching a performance and you just know there are big things in that competitor’s future. That’s how it felt watching Paige VanZant’s spectacular debut win over Kailin Curran on Saturday night.

The 20-year-old Reno, Nevada native was on the offensive from the jump, never letting off the gas pedal as she took the fight to the tough Hawaiian in just the third women’s strawweight bout in UFC history.

With only five fights under her belt, VanZant is still a few years away from entering her prime, but already displays some characteristics you like to see in an emerging fighter. She’s always attacking and clearly not fazed by being on the big stage, and as she continues to gain experience, “12 Gauge” should find herself stand near the top of the division, if not sitting in the throne.

Introducing “The Korean Super Boy”

With the volume of events taking place each year, it’s imperative for newcomers and emerging talents to make a statement whenever they can.

Doo Ho Choi clearly got that message.

Just 18 second into the opening round of his first appearance, “The Korean Super Boy” had already picked up a victory, landing two crisp counters on Juan Puig and planting him on the canvas with a right hand down the pipe. Pinpoint follow-ups rained down and referee Mario Yamasaki stepped in.

Featherweight is stacked and continues to be a one of the most consistently entertaining divisions around, but with a dynamic debut in his back pocket and a ton of hype welcoming him to the Octagon, the 23-year-old South Korean instantly becomes a hot prospect to track heading into 2015.



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