Although the event as a whole was not the most exciting in recent memory, it proved to be one of the more important UFC events of 2011. All in all, the night ended with an amazing main event and two legends calling it quits after years of being at the forefront of the development of MMA as a sport.
Thank you to B.J. Penn and Mirko Filipovich for paving the way for future stars of the sport. You will truly be missed!
9 THINGS I LEARNED FROM UFC 137
1. Brandon Vera has become a shadow of his former self. The once highly touted contender has become nothing more than a glorified gate keeper. I can't remember the last time so much potential fizzled out like that.
2. I don't think Tyson Griffin is mentally in this sport anymore. He's going to be on the receiving end of a lot more beatings if he doesn't figure something out soon.
3. Bart Palaszewski hits friggan hard. Every single punch he threw yesterday had some serious pepper on it.
4. Donald Cerrone may very well be a future lightweight champion. The guy is on an unprecedented roll in the division.
5. Hatsu Hioki turned out to be a whole lot of hype. He fought well, but was not impressive by any means.
6. Roy Nelson has got to be the toughest dude on the face of the planet. They could use his chin to break rocks.
7. Matt Mitrione still has a lot to learn about being a complete Mixed Martial Artist. Even so, the sky is the limit.
8. Cheick Kongo is a weird dude. He ran away for two rounds then put a hurting on Mitrione in the 3rd. I'll never understand a game plan like that.
9. Nick Diaz is the real deal. Period!
RESULTS
So I went 4 and 3 on my picks last night. The things I was right about, I was very right about. Honestly though, two of those fights were controversial and could have easily gone the other way. Overall, that brings my prediction record to 18 - 8. That's still a damn good winning percentage if you ask me.
Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin by TKO in Rd 1
I don't know if I overestimated that ability level of Tyson Griffin, or if I underestimated how much of a savage Bart Palaszewski is, but boy was I wrong about this one. The once revered Tyson Griffin is no longer performing at the caliber that was once expected of him. This was a close fight until Palaszewski decided to unload a barrage of punches that put Griffin away. I actually felt bad for Tyson at one point because Bart was throwing everything at him and it was all landing. I don't know what's next for Tyson Griffin, but he really needs to figure out how to get himself back on track. As for "Bartimus", I look forward to seeing how he performs next time around.
Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver by Submission (RNC) in Rd 1
Once again Donald Cerrone proves that those WEC lightweights are no joke. Every time I see Donald Cerrone fight I'm more impressed with his abilities. He is literally going out there and running through people. What's really crazy is how easy he makes it look. At no point in this fight did it look like he was in any trouble. Siver was repeatedly hurt and when Cerrone smelled blood, he went after it and finished the fight. Hopefully, he'll be taking a little break after last night because that was his 4th fight this year. I'm really interested to see where he fits in with the rest of the lightweights in the UFC. Hopefully, Dana White will recognize that he's only one or two wins away from a title shot and make it happen.
Hatsu Hioki def. George Roop by Split Decision
I'd just like to point out that while my prediction turned out to be wrong, I was completely right about this fight being much more evenly matched then most thought. I honestly scored the fight for Roop, but it could have gone either way. The fight itself didn't turn out to be overly exciting but Hioki did show solid grappling. At one point he had Roop mounted for over 3 minutes, but unfortunately, he wasn't exactly offensive with it. Maybe he'll be more impressive in his next outing.
Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran by Unanimous Decision
Most will probably disagree with me, but I found this to be one of the more entertaining fights of UFC 137. Sometimes you have to appreciate a technical grappling battle like the one that occurred between these two competitors. This fight turned out to be a stale mate for the most part as neither fighter really did much to damage his opponent. Regardless, it was fun watching them fight for position and play the chess match that is a good ground battle.
Also, sweet guillotine escape by Scott Jorgensen.
Roy Nelson def. Mirko Filipovich by TKO in Rd 3
Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that Roy Nelson is one tough mofo? With the exception of Frankie Edgar, I don't think there's a man alive that can take a punch better than he can. At certain points during the fight, "CroCop" hit Nelson with shots that could have dropped an elephant, but "Big Country" just kept on moving forward. Mirko Filipovich is a legend and his days in Pride will always be memorable. Unfortunately, he just never found his stride in the UFC. This was his final fight and shortly after he officially announced his retirement. I'm saddened to see him go.
Cheick Kongo def. Matt Mitrione by Unanimous Decision
I'm not even sure what to make of this fight. For the first 3 minutes of the first round, there was exactly 1 punch thrown between the two fighters. Mitrione said it best in between rounds when he said the Kongo just kept running away. Round 2 was much of the same. The last round Kongo finally turned it on and put a beating on Mitrione like he had yet to receive in the UFC. I guess a win is a win, but I doesn't have to be quite so ugly. Mitrione still has a ways to go before he is truly considered a contender, but he showed last night that he has what it takes to hang in there when it counts. This fight could very well have ended in a draw.
Nick Diaz def. B.J. Penn by Unanimous Decision
What a show these two put on. I would have paid the full PPV cost just to watch this fight. There was not a dull moment for the entirety of the 15 minutes they went at if for. The 1st Round went to Penn for sure. Diaz came back with a vengeance in the next two rounds and dominated B.J. with boxing like no one has ever done before. You have to applaud the toughness of B.J. Penn though. Once again, the cardio of "The Prodigy" was the biggest question mark going in to this fight and it turned out to be his downfall. The pressure that Diaz was able to put on him was too much for B.J. and he looked completely drained by the half way point of Round 2. After the fight, Nick Diaz called out GSP and what do you know, GSP responded. Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz will now take place on Super Bowl weekend. Carlos Condit did the right thing and stepped aside for the Champion vs. Champion matchup.
After the fight, B.J. Penn decided to call it quits and retire from the sport of MMA. What can I say? Thanks B.J.!
I really believe that Nick Diaz has what it takes to beat GSP. I for one can not wait until Super Bowl weekend. For the first time in years GSP is actually fired up to fight. I personally could care less if Nick Diaz doesn't show up for every press conference from here until he retires, the man always shows up to fight.
A message to GSP.........."Don't be scared Homie"
Submission of the Night: Donald Cerrone
KO of the Night: Bart Palaszewski
Fight of the Night: Nick Diaz vs. B.J. Penn
I give UFC 137 a solid B. Mostly because the main event was so damn epic!
_________________________________________________________________________________
I hope everyone enjoyed the fights last night. If you haven't had a chance to watch them yet, do yourself a favor and at least watch the main event. You won't be sorry. I promise.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the first ever KneeBar Reactions prediction contest. The turn out was good enough where I'll be doing one again next week.
Don't forget that Bellator 56 was also last night. Those fights are definitely worth watching as well.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @TheGuardFighter
Thanks again for the support everyone.
Until next time.
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