Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA Today Sports
UFC 168 kicked off last night, which showcased some great fights for the fans in Las Vegas. Below are the winners and losers of the event:
Winners:
Chris Weidman – Weidman dominated the first round against Anderson Silva, picking up where he left off from the first fight. Even though Silva sustained a ghastly leg injury in the second, it’s a credit to Weidman’s strategy. In the first fight, Weidman got kicked a lot by Silva, and it was clear that Weidman had been working on checking kicks in his camp. He did what he needed to do against Silva, retaining his middleweight crown. He will now face Vitor Belfort in what should be an amazing title fight.
Ronda Rousey – Rousey came into her fight with Miesha Tate the heavy favorite, and she proved to be the superior grappler. She got the submission in the third round, proving that she is still elite after the first. It was a dominate performance from Rousey, who seems to be improving in the stand up department as well. She will now face Sara McMann, which goes down at UFC 170.
Travis Browne – Browne came into this fight the underdog, but he quickly showed why he should be taken seriously. Right when Josh Barnett tried a takedown, Browne landed a brutal knee and followed it up with elbow after elbow. He got the finish in the first round, proving he’s an elite heavyweight. One more win, over Fabricio Werdum, and he will be fighting against Cain Velasquez for the title.
Losers:
Anderson Silva — Silva was looking to recapture his belt from Weidman, who thoroughly beat him in the first fight. Silva seemed focused in this bout, but the leg injury prevented him from continuing in the second round. This is a severe leg injury for Silva, and he may have to hang up the gloves. If Silva does hang it up, he goes down as one of the greatest fighters to ever compete in the sport. He will always be remembered as a tactician on the feet, and the aura he had for many years will probably never be replicated. Hopefully he can make a speedy recovery.
Miesha Tate — Tate was hoping she had improved enough to where Rousey wouldn’t be able to lock up an armbar, but this wasn’t the case. Rousey proved to be the superior athlete and fighter, and Tate will have to rethink some things going forward in her career. She may never be able to be a champion, but she still has time to improve as a fighter and put on some great fights for the fans.
Diego Brandao – Brandao missed weight by eight pounds going up against Dustin Poirier, so things were already stacked against him. Poirier put a beating on Brandao, who wasn’t able to recover after getting rocked. This is a huge setback for him, and he will have to get some things adjusted in terms of his cardio and dieting, especially if he wants to be an elite fighter.
Jeremy Green is a MMA and NFL contributor at RantSports. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
