UFC 119 was not the worst event I have ever seen. It was however the worst main event that I have seen. Two fighters that didn’t seem to have much desire to fight walked around each other until one of them got lazy enough to get KOed with a sloppy knee. Alas, no one who heard Cro Cop talk before this fight should have really expected much from him. But for all the talk Mir does, you would expect serious attempts to get the fight the ground and “earn another trophy for his wall.” Alas, the fights that we should be concerned took place earlier in the night. Chris Lytle and Matt Serra may not have had the most technical battle but they certainly weren’t boring. Matt Mitrione and CB Dollaway impressed on the spike TV portion of the card. Evan Dunham and Sean Sherk tore the house down and while Sherk came away with a win, Dunham might have actually gained more from the fight. After a full night of fights (or at least what were billed as fights) its time to look forward.
Ryan Bader vs. Rich Franklin
The word on the street is Bader vs Jon Jones is next on the docket, but I side with sherdog.com on this one in thinking the UFC might want to think twice about sacrificing one prospect to another. Nothing in Bader’s performance at 119 leads me to believe that he has a chance against Jones unless he lands that big looping right. Jones wont worry about his wrestling or his hands. That is not to say that Franklin would be a cakewalk. Franklin will be more willing to let his hands fly than Nog. Bader will get a chance to test his wrestling and his standup against another vet and see just how close he is to a title shot. Franklin on the other hand gets to fight a name opponent that is on the opposite end of the spectrum from his last and demonstrate that he can hang with the young athletes at 205.
Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson
You know who won’t let Frank Mir have a lazy fight? Roy Nelson. You know who wont be afraid to bang with Frank Mir? Roy Nelson. You know who wont be afraid to go to the ground with Frank Mir? Roy Nelson. I think everyone in the MMA universe, including Dana White has a lot of time for Roy Nelson now. He is coming off a tough lose to a future title contender and deserves a top-level fight to come back on. Mir on the other hand can’t deserve to take a huge stride up the ladder when you consider his last two fights. Both men provide solid tests for one another and should more thoroughly articulate where each belongs in the division.
Chris Lytle vs Jon Fitch
I would say Lytle vs Alvez here but Alvez has a dance partner. The UFC has never wanted to give Jon Fitch an easy fight and I think the time is now to give Lytle a chance to line himself up to take the next step. Lytle always delivers excitement and is very dangerous in all areas of the fight. Fitch is oft criticized for his “boring” style and could use a well rounded, blue-collar fighter to push the pace on him a bit. Both men want to take a step toward the title and they are both probably two fights away. Neither guy is in a protected position in the UFC so why not put them against one another and see who really wants a title fight.
Kenny Florian vs Sean Sherk II
Both fighters are very different fighters from their first meeting. Both guys are trying to make their way back to a title shot and both guys need quality wins. I don’t think anyone is ready to make this a number one contenders fight but it would certainly be a step in the right direction for both fighters. Sherk beat a prospect now he needs to fight an established fighter while Florian would love to avenge a loss and get back on the winning track, proving that he is maturing and developing. Sherk needs to prove that he is back to being The Muscle Shark and not that short stocky relatively ineffective boxer we saw before his string of injuries. Florian would make him use all his skills and that is what we need to see from Sherk.
Evan Dunham vs Takanori Gomi
Gomi is coming off a huge win and Dunham is coming off the most productive lose of anyone’s career. Many people adamantly believe he won the fight. Gomi would be a perfect fight for Dunham, a quality fighter and big name. Additionally the fight would test Dunham in a different way than Sherk did. Gomi wouldn’t exactly be taking a step down either. Dunham didn’t lose any fans at UFC 119 and everyone will be eyeing his return to the cage bringing some more attention from American fans to the Japanese fighter. Both guys would gain a great deal with a win. Both fighters get a big opportunity with this fight and a serious title contender could be born out of it. .
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