Last Thoughts on UFC 118, Bellator 27

As I’ve been a bit under the weather lately, I never really got the chance to get my final say in on some of the happenings of two important recent events- UFC 118 and Bellator 27. I’m not one to let timeliness get in the way of being able to say what I want, so who cares if the rest of the world has moved on? Let’s discuss the two events one last time, shall we?

Can Maynard beat Edgar again?

When Frankie Edgar first faced Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 13 in April of 2008, he ended up with his first career loss. Maynard hung with Edgar during the standup portions and really impressed the judges when it came to out-muscling the smaller Edgar for takedowns and against the cage.

Now, the two will face each other yet again, with considerably higher stakes. Edgar has really solidified his spot as the best lightweight in the sport with a second consecutive win over BJ Penn, and Maynard, love him or…well, I don’t know if anyone really hates him. How about “love him or don’t care one way or the other”? In any case, Maynard has continued to do what he does: outperforming opponents, stifling them and winning fights by any means necessary. It just so happens that the necessary means often require a full fifteen minutes of action.

Interesting, then, that I think the biggest advantage Edgar will have is the extra ten minutes on the clock when the two face off in a five-rounder. Edgar has shown himself to be a supremely quick, well-conditioned athlete and I think he could make Maynard look frustrated and slow, especially in the championship rounds.

Can Maynard bully Edgar around enough to take the fight, though? While this fight may not be the kind to get your blood pumping, it will definitely be “interesting”, if not earth-shattering.

What is Nate Diaz thinking?

Diaz ran into a wall of sorts at lightweight, facing wrestlers who can keep him from taking them to where he has a decided advantage, while also going up against spry cardio-machines who could put the pressure on him and stay out of trouble.

Now, after a quality win at welterweight and what looks like a new lease on life, he takes the time to do what? Well, call out Gray Maynard, of course!

The same Maynard who earned a title shot that night, putting him about three losses away (or wins for Diaz) from a rematch making any kind of sense.

The same Maynard who had a sloppy boxing exhibition with Diaz that no one is in a hurry to see again.

Yeah…that makes sense.

I don’t see Diaz becoming a true title contender in either division, but there are more intriguing matchups for him at welterweight, and he already showed that he didn’t have what it took to get any momentum going at 155 pounds. Also, why he would really want to cut that much weight again is beyond me, but what do I know?

What’s next for Demian Maia? Who knows?

Maia, a former title contender at middleweight, took a firm sideways step with his effort against the game, but unheralded Mario Miranda. Maia isn’t getting a sniff of a title shot as long as Anderson Silva holds the middleweight title, of course.

So what’s next for him? I have no idea. If the UFC wanted to, another Maia win could put him in line to face Chael Sonnen, if Sonnen is able to finish the job in his rematch with Silva. It would make sense, since Maia tapped him out last year and Sonnen’s famously-porous submission defense will keep the drama present. I wouldn’t mind seeing Maia face Alan Belcher as originally planned. The problem is that there are tons of those “striker vs. grappler” matches you could make with Maia, and it’s all pretty played out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Maia against a surprisingly-resurgent Chris Leben in order to give Maia a chance for a showcase win leading into a possible title shot…if Sonnen prevails. Otherwise…maybe a rematch with Marquardt? Does anyone want to even see that?

Joe Warren is the real deal

I harbor no ill will towards Joe Soto, but it is good to see Bellator Fighting Championship add another legitimate top ten-ish talent to their ranks, as Warren once again proved on Thursday that he has nearly limitless potential. Warren’s short MMA career has been an interesting one, as he came right out of the gate by upsetting Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto in his second pro fight.

However, each step of the way, there have been naysayers to make excuses or try to rationalize Warren’s quick success in the sport. It’s interesting that MMA fans feel the need to defend the sport’s honor by arguing against the talents of someone like Warren, or Brock Lesnar before him, when they are able to transition quickly and rather easily to MMA.

There have been enough failures in the effort to transition successful amateur wrestling, professional boxing, or even pro football careers to MMA that no one has to be worried that someone like Warren’s success will somehow hurt the sport’s legitimacy. The thing is, people like Warren are special athletes, and they do special things. It may sound obvious, but try telling that to the denizens of your average MMA forum.

I’m excited to see what is yet to come for Warren. While many fans groan in disappointment when a “newb” comes into the sport and does well, I think it’s great. It adds excitement to see someone step into the cage and to watch while having no real idea just how good they can be or what else they will be able to do as they continue to improve. As long as they are working hard to diversify their skills and are truly dedicated to the sport, there is no reason to be reluctant to embrace fighters like Warren. And with each passing fight, there are less possible reasons to doubt him, either.

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Tags: Anderson Silva, Bellator, Bellator 27, BJ Penn, Chael Sonnen, Chris Leben, Demian Maia, Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Joe Warren, Mario Miranda, Nate Diaz, Nate Marquardt, UFC, UFC 118