UFC 156 Prelim Recap

Hieron following Woodley's KO.
Photo via Yahoo! Sports.

Francisco Rivera vs. Edwin Figueroa: This was a great way to start off one of the best cards in recent memory. It was well known that both of these guys were most likely going to put on a barnburner and that is exactly what it was. In the early goings of the first round, Figueroa caught Rivera on two occasions and even dropping him with the second punch. Rivera showed great recuperation ability as he came back and made the first round much closer than it seemed it was going to be. Rivera landed several takedowns before the round ended. The second round was a different story though. Figueroa landed a takedown early, but Rivera was able to get back up, showing off his improved ground game. Shortly thereafter, Rivera rocked Figueroa and finished him after landing several huge haymakers.

Possible matchups for Rivera: The former featherweight is really finding his home at 135 pounds. With two straight knockout finishes, Rivera is starting to cement himself as a contender at bantamweight. This wasn’t a flawless victory, so a bout with another up and comer should be put in the works with a fighter like Johnny Bedford.

Possible matchups for Figueroa: Despite this loss, Figueroa is still an exciting prospect. He has potential to be a star with his hispanic background and entertaining fight style. If he wants to get back on track he should face off with Azamat Gashimov, who is coming off of a first round submission loss to Ivan Menjivar.

Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura: We have a very promising fighter in the works ladies and gentlemen. The fight was very close throughout the first two rounds. Camus would slightly out-strike Kimura but then go for the takedown, only to be attacked by a crazy amount of submission attempts. Camus clearly had the better standup so I found it confusing as to why he continually went in for the takedowns. When he went for the takedown in the third, Kimura reversed it and ended up in mount. The rear naked choke came soon thereafter, tapping the Roufusport fighter.

Possible matchups for Kimura: I am in love with Kimura’s fighting style. I love fighters who feel comfortable fighting off of their back and are constantly threatening with submissions. I want the UFC to be smart in developing Kimura into a star, so I would like to see a fight with Issei Tamura to build up his stock.

Possible matchups for Camus: Chico Camus is a very good and well rounded fighter, but one thing that he greatly lacks is fight IQ: it is very poor. He should learn from this fight that he should keep it standing against a guy who is mainly a ground fighter. He should fight the loser of Kyung Ho Kang and Alex Caceres in order to stay with the UFC.

Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: The Strikeforce imports have now started 1-0. Facing off with such a veteran of the sport like Yves is a difficult task, but Isaac Vallie-Flagg seemed very ready for it. He started and ended the fight as the aggressor, something he is very well known for. After a very close first round that showed Ike coming forward while Edwards would land counters here and there, Edwards came back strong. The second was all Edwards as he got Ike’s back and nearly finished him with a rear naked choke. Vallie-Flagg then found his stride in the third round as he consistently moved forward and landed tons of strikes, earning himself the split decision win.

Possible matchups for Vallie-Flagg: A win over Yves Edwards is always a very impressive feat. With a charismatic personality and entertaining fighting style, Vallie-Flagg could build up a nice fan base. I would like to see him fight the winner of Paul Sass and Danny Castillo, who are fighting in a few weeks at UFC on Fuel 7.

Possible matchups for Edwards: There isn’t much more for Yves in MMA anymore. If he doesn’t retire, the only matchups that I would like him to be in are fan friendly fights. If this is what he wants, I would love to see a fight with Donald Cerrone, who is coming off of a TKO loss to Anthony Pettis. Though the fight doesn’t necessarily make sense in the title picture, it does for entertainment.

Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green: Strikeforce: 2. UFC: 0. I was very confident coming into this fight that Volkmann was going to easily dominate this fight. That is how it started out, but Green showed a lot of toughness and skill. Green came back in the second and showed fantastic top control over Volkmann as he elbowed his head multiple times. The third was much of the same as Bobby also showed a great bottom game as he swept Volkmann, getting his back and finishing him with a choke.

Possible matchups for Green: Coming into the UFC, Green was an exciting prospect, but no one expected him to beat up Volkmann the way he did. I would to see a fight with fellow up and comer in Rustam Khabilov, who is coming off of a fantastic first round KO over Vinc Pichel, which came via slam.

Possible matchups for Volkmann: It seems as though every time that I believe Volkmann will pretty easily win, he loses. With him now only 1-2 in his last three, I see him getting released if he loses his next fight. Michael Johnson is coming off of a surprising decision loss to Myles Jury. Johnson and Volkmann should fight in what should be a fun grappling affair.

Jay Hieron vs. Tyron Woodley: Strikeforce imports are going to officially go undefeated tonight. There isn’t much to say about this fight. I felt as though Woodley would grind Hieron out for a decision. It was the complete opposite. Woodley landed a haymaker and ended up knocking Hieron into rigor mortis. It was beautiful, violent, and impressive. Hieron now has an overall record of 0-4 in the UFC. He just can’t keep up with UFC caliber fighters anymore.

Possible matchups for Woodley: Apparently Woodley wanted to prove a point following his loss to Nate Marquardt. He did better against Hieron than anyone ever did. For his second UFC fight, I would love to see him fight Thiago Alves, a fight that could truly be his coming out party.

Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham: Evan Dunham just loves to put himself in slugfests. This one was no different. Tibau came out strong in the first round but Dunham came back and implemented a great gameplan. Evan loves to come out slow in the first round and come back strong. He came out and jabbed Tibau and landed several huge knees in the end of the third round to gain himself a split decision win.

Possible matchups for Dunham: After this very close fight with Tibau, Dunham puts him right back at the brink of contention. He’s not quite there, so I would like to see him fight the winner of Danny Castillo and Paul Sass. I believe a fight between Sass and Dunham would be a very good fight.

Possible matchups for Tibau: Now at 1-2 in his last three, Tibau is starting to fade and head near retirement. There isn’t much left for him so I think he is going to end up as a gatekeeper and stepping stone for up and comers in the UFC. I would like to see him fight John Cholish, who hasn’t fought since his very close decision loss to Danny Castillo.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Main Card Recap

The thunderous right hand.
Photo via Josh Hedges

The UFC delivers again. This event was yet another fantastic card on their small scale that introduced promising fighters, new title contenders, and hometown favorites prevailing in victory. Let's take a look at some of those bouts and some possible matchups for both the winners and losers.

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: This fight came as the biggest surprise to myself and many others. Neer was a huge favorite heading into this fight, and understandably so. Edwards was only 1-2 in his UFC career with his only win being over Jorge Lopez. Edwards really had something to prove. He went out there and backed Neer right up. Neer had to go for a takedown but ended up sticking his head right into a guillotine. Edwards cranked it and choked Neer unconscious at only 45 seconds into the fight. It was surprising and very impressive.

Possible matchups for Edwards: With this win, Edwards has become a very exciting prospect. A win like that over a guy like Neer can give you a huge step in your career. Kyle Noke, who is also coming off of a 45 second upset win over Charlie Brenneman, should face off with Edwards in a battle of exciting fighters to watch.

Possible matchups for Neer: Now with two losses in a row in which he was put to sleep in the opening frame, Neer may very well be released following this fight. If he isn’t, a fight with Chris Clements, who is coming off of a loss to Matt Riddle would be a fun loser goes home fight.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: Although this fight wasn’t the explosive, crazy brawl we hoped for, it was a beautifully fought fight. Whatever Dodson’s gameplan was coming into this fight, it worked to a ”T”. Dodson was in and out landing nice hooks to Formiga and some solid kicks. Because of Dodson’s speed, Formiga wasn’t able to land anything. Eventually in the second round, after already dropping him before, Dodson landed a huge left hook that put Formiga on his butt. A few punches of ground and pound and Dodson became the number one contender at 125 pounds.

Possible matchups for Dodson: Before this fight, Dana announced that the winner would be the first to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title. With Dodson having won the fight and becoming a title challenger, the first ever defense of the belt could be the fastest paced fight of all time. I am very excited to say the least.

Possible matchups for Formiga: The fight didn’t exactly go as planned for the Brazilian. Even though he lost this fight, he is still a top-5 flyweight in MMA. Another fighter who is almost a top-5 is Yasuhiro Urushitani and he will be fighting John Lineker. The winner should fight Formiga to get right back into title contention.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: Both these guys really underwhelmed me in their performances on Saturday. Jake was very timid in attacking and Hieron followed suit. It almost felt like a 15 minute feeling out sparring session. Ellenberger ended up taking the decision, but I would not have argued if Jay won. Ellenberger was just not himself in this performance.

Possible matchups for Ellenberger: Just because you were finished in your last fight, which was a potential number one contenders match, doesn't mean you stop doing what got you there! Chael Sonnen has it right. Whatever got you to where you are doesn't mean you should change it up. Ellenberger needs to go back to what he did before he fought Hieron. Josh Koscheck was his original opponent at UFC 151 but Koscheck was injured and 151 was cancelled. The fight with Koscheck still makes perfect sense.

Possible matchups for Hieron: Despite the fact that he overwhelmed me, it was still impressive that he did arguably win over a top-10 welterweight. He says he still wants a big test but I don't think he is just ready. A fighter looking to become a top contender is Seth Baszynski. The winner between those two would deserve a top-10 or top-15 opponent.

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: Silva seemed to be the better fighter right when it started. Browne tried to throw some pizzazz but it was to no avail. Silva continue to pepper him with some leg kicks and at one point, Browne's knee seemed to have buckled. Silva took advantage of it and pushed him into the fence and landed one the biggest right hands that I have ever seen. It literally looked like he snapped Travis' neck. Browne fell to the ground and Silva landed a few more shots that eventually secured him the first round TKO win.

Possible matchups for Silva: Bigfoot looked awesome in this fight. Even though Browne's knee buckled half way through the first round, Silva still dominated every moment of the fight before hand. With this win, he has become one of the top guys in the UFC. Stefan Struve also pulled off a knockout-upset victory a week ago. A fight between the two could be a number one contenders match for Struve and a win could catapult Silva into a number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Browne: This is only the first loss for Browne in his entire career. He is still one of the most promising fighters in MMA today. A man in a similar position as him is Stipe Miocic. Two promising facing off heavyweights is always entertaining.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Predictions

Uhh... where is Dodson vs Formiga?

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: I completely disagree with Dave on this fight. Some people are saying that Browne is riding some massive hype train, but that simply isn't the case. I feel that there isn't a hype train behind Travis; I feel that he is now a true title contender. Dave said that Browne wasn't able to handle the size of Kongo, but from what I remember, people thought that draw was a BS decision and that Browne should have won. That was early in his career anyway. He has been on an absolute roll as of late. Silva, on the over hand, has been massacred in his last two fights against two top-5 opponents in Daniel Cormier and Cain Velazquez. Although Travis Browne isn't on the same levels as those two guys, I have a feeling that he will one day become a top-5 heavyweight. Silva's isn't chin isn’t all that great and Browne has a lot of power. Travis will land a big shot and drop him early = Browne via 1st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: It's great to see Hieron back in the UFC. Since his release from the UFC, he has done great, he even arguably defeated top-10 welterweight Ben Askren. But Ellenberger is on another level to that of Hieron's latest competition. Ellenberger has the striking power and strength advantage while Hieron has a minor grappling advantage. Ellenberger should win this but I have this weird feeling that Hieron is going to submit him = Ellenberger via unanimous decision.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: Finally, the debut of Formiga. I have been waiting for this for a long time and they didn't give him an easy fight. John Dodson is possibly the fastest fighter in the UFC not named Demetrious Johnson and he also holds a crazy amount of power for a guy that only stands at 5 feet 3 inches. This fight is the typical striker vs. grappler matchup that almost never disappoints, and it's a very hard one to predict. Dodson didn’t look all that great in his last outing while Formiga is riding a three fight win streak with wins over both Michael William Costa and Mamoru Yamaguchi. Both these guys will inevitably challenge for the 125-pound title but Dodson is in his prime right now. I see him dominating the first two rounds, but Formiga winning the third = Dodson via unanimous decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: Yeah, this fight is on the main card. The only plausible reason this is, is because they are both very scrappy fighters. Edwards, though, is nowhere near the level of Neer. Even though Neer is coming off of a first round KO loss that was to a very underrated welterweight in Mike Pyle. Neer should dominate this fight everywhere it goes = Neer via 3rd round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Prelims

Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens = Stephens via 3rd round KO. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Michael Johnson vs. Danny Castillo = Johnson via split decision.

Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares = Tavares via unanimous decision.

Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann = Volkmann via split decision.

Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski = Nunes via split decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN!

Darren Uyenoyama vs. Phil Harris = Uyenoyama via unanimous decision.

Marcus LeVasseur vs. Carlo Prater = LeVasseur via unanimous decision.

Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson = Pierce via split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: This fight should be interesting. We could see a crazy slobber knocker or a boring “stare affair” (I’m going to trademark that). Silva will be Browne’s toughest test. Silva has not been doing well, being brutally KO’d in his last two fights, but that was against much better opponents than Travis Browne. This fight will truly show us where Browne stands in the division. This fight is very tough for me because Silva has looked so bad and Browne has looked so good. But the determining factor for me is this: Browne has only beaten one big heavyweight in the last 2 years (Stefan Struve) and couldn’t handle Cheick Kongo’s size and strength. Silva is a massive human being with great grappling skills. I think Silva will out grapple Browne in a boring fight. = Silva by unanimous decision.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: This is a strange fight to me. Jake is coming off of a big loss but that came at the end of a 6 fight rampage through the welterweight division. Hieron hasn’t fought in the UFC since losing to Jonathan Goulet in 2005. But Hieron has been on a tear but not against world-class opponents. I think Ellenberger will be faster, stronger and have better striking. Hieron might have the better wrestling but I think Ellenberger will take this fight handedly. = Ellenberger by unanimous decision.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: This fight will be nuts. Dodson is one of the most entertaining fighters alive and Formiga has never disappointed either. I cannot wait for this one. The winner of this will be the first challenger to Demetrious Johnson’s brand new Flyweight belt. I am not sure if either of these guys can handle “Mighty Mouse” but we will find out soon enough. Dodson has beaten the tougher competition over the years but in order to win, he has to have better cardio then he showed in the Tim Elliot fight. Should be an interesting fight but I am going with the guy who is already 2-0 in the UFC = Dodson by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: Not sure why this is on the main card above the laast three prelim fights but whatever. This fight should be all Josh Neer. Neer got put out cold in his last fight but that was against a high level talent in Mike Pyle. Justin Edwards is nowhere near Pyle’s level. Edwards is not UFC quality and will get destroyed. = Neer by submission in round 1. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Prelims

Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens: Stephens by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson: Castillo by split decision.

Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares: Tavares by unanimous decision.

Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann: Volkmann by unanimous decision.

Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski: Nunes by split decision.

Phil Harris vs. Darren Uyenoyama: Darren by unanimous decision.

Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater: Prater by submission in round 2.

Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson: Pierce by split decision.