UFC 152 Results: Power Ranking the Main Card Bouts

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Not all fights are created equal. That's the reason why Dana White and Co. started giving away cash prizes to the duo who put on the best bout of the night.

On a night where the main card was slightly shuffled and had a lot of gold on the line, fans were expecting their money's worth when the UFC 152 Pay-Per-View began.

Five fights occurred on the main card and each one had its own strengths and weaknesses. Some will be memorable for their exciting action. A couple aren't going to mean much in the long run, but some made an undeniable imprint on the sport.

Here is the power ranking of UFC 152's main card bouts.

5. Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Let me be very clear. If this article ranked every single fight on the card, the snoozefest between Matt Hamill and Roger Hollett would still come in last place. It was a battle between a fighter with no gas and another with no business in the Octagon. Fifteen minutes of pure awful.

Hamill came out of retirement after a year on the shelf; however, he did not appear to be in shape, nor like a man who was coming back in hopes of proving a point.

It still baffles me that this bout got placement on the main card while Evan Dunham vs. TJ Grant was relegated to the FX portion.

4. Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Aside from the greatly-improved takedowns of Michael Bisping, there weren't a lot of memorable moments from his 15-minute affair with Brian Stann.

Two middleweight warriors entered the cage on a mission to prove that they were ready to challenge for the belt, but neither could deliver enough punishment to get the job done.

By no means was this a bad fight, but it did not live up to the hype that fans would have liked in a battle of strikers with above-average power.

3. Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

On any given night, any fighter can step into the Octagon and defeat any other fighter on the planet. While I still feel that Joseph Benavidez is a superior fighter to Demetrious Johnson, I have no problem admitting that "Mighty Mouse" was the better man last night.

Using incredible footwork, well-timed counter strikes and superior wrestling, Johnson was able to snag a decision from two of the three judges and become the first-ever UFC Flyweight champion.

This battle was criticized by fans in the arena and those on Twitter, but it was hardly deserving of the boos that rained on these world-class athletes. At the end of the day, they left blood, sweat and energy in that cage and left the cage with no regrets.

2. Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira

Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

When it was announced that featherweights Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira would square off at Saturday night's event, fans knew to expect a thriller between two guys who finish fights at an alarming rate.

Swanson would continue his string of brutal knockouts by flooring his opponent halfway through the opening round. This is the third consecutive TKO for Cub, and that should help announce his firm placement in the division's top 10.

This heartbreaking loss will ensure that Oliveira is unsuccessful in becoming the youngest fighter to win a UFC championship. It's safe to say that "Do Bronx" will not earn a title shot before the June deadline.

1. Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort

Courtesy of Esther Lin of MMA Fighting

It didn't take long for Vitor Belfort to give fans a reason to get on their feet. Less than 90 seconds into the opening round, fans knew that we weren't going to see the one-sided beatdown that was originally anticipated. Belfort sntatched an armbar that fully hyper-extended the elbow of the champion.

In the nearly four weeks of buildup for UFC 152, I never once considered the possible outcome of Belfort via submission. In fact, outside of a lucky punch, the thought of Vitor doing much of anything didn't cross my mind.

Although Belfort didn't pull off the mega-upset, his magnificent armbar was fully executed, and probably should have led to a submission. 

It was a great way to end the night. Belfort showed us that the old lion still has some fight in him, and Jon Jones got to add another former champion to his already impressive resume.