What We Learned from UFC 131

1. Junior Dos Santos is STILL a Bad Dude – This just in folks, Dos Santos is really good. While that may not be news to most fans of the sport, it is probably the biggest thing we can take away from UFC 131. The number one contender is getting mixed reviews despite his spotlight win. Many fans were impressed by his patience, his technique and his ability to keep the fight where he wanted (a skill that continues to be overlooked). However, UFC president Dana White contends that Dos Santos needs to be more well rounded if he hopes to dethrone Cain Velasquez. Regardless of where you stand, JDS’s mashing of Carwin’s face earned him a title shot and represents another notch his climb to the top of the division.

2. Shane Carwin has Serious Heart – Never having been a big fan of Shane Carwin the fighter I was pretty confident in the outcome of this fight. Much to my bewilderment I found myself bewilderingly impressed by Mr. Carwin after his UFC 131 lose. As I preemptively called the fight in the first round, while JDS beat Carwin’s face, only for the amusement of my friends, Carwin was surviving – little more, but surviving all the same. He took an epic beating from one of the most proficient hitters in heavyweight MMA and he got right back up and went 10 more minutes to finish the fight. Carwin may have lost the fight but he made the judges make that call, a valiant effort by any standard.

3. Kenny Florian Can Make the Weight – The question was never whether or not he could make weight. I always pretty much assumed he could get to 145 pounds. The question was whether he could make weight and still perform at a high level. He may not have finished Diego Nunes but did enough to earn a victory over a very tough featherweight. Florian will likely now pursue his third UFC title shot, this time at 145 pounds against Jose Aldo, representing perhaps his best chance at capturing a title to date. And this is where we learn a lot about just how good Aldo is. Florian should be even closer to form in his second fight at 145 pounds and provide a litmus test for the highly touted 145 pound champion.

4. Mark Munoz Is Ready For The Next Step – It is a real shame that Maia and Munoz couldn’t both win that fight as neither man looked to warrant a step back. Munoz however did enough to earn the judges nod and for that I tip my hat to him. The time is now for a step up in competition. The middleweight division is stacked with talent and will provide no shortage of challengers for the young wrestler. Personally, I wont be surprised if they pit him against the likes of Brian Stann or the Leban/W. Silva winner, all of which I think he would match up favorably against. A tougher test might be Vitor Belfort (if he is able to get past Akyama) or Chael Sonnan (if he is able to sort out his legal issues). One way or another Munoz is on his way up - that much we know for sure. It is his next test that will be telling in terms of the UFC’s plans.

5. It’s Coming! - As eluded to earlier, the biggest fight in HW MMA is now set… again. Junior Dos Santos will step into the cage against Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Since April of 2008 the two have put down 14 heavyweight fighters in the UFC and fallen to none. Key wins for Dos Santos include Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fagricio Werdum – for Velasquez: Brock Lesnar, Big Nog, Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell. In that time only three fights have gone the distance. When was the last time that two so dominant fighters have been on such a collision course? While this will likely not break attendance or PPV records it may mark the biggest and most important HW title fight the sport has seen, at least since Fedor vs Cro Cop in the Pride FC days. UFC 131 gave us a lot but most of all it gave this epic bout the gift of life.