UFC 101: Stock Report

The UFC gave Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a great event Saturday night, featuring a card filled with potentially great fights. However, after several boring bouts, the co-main events delivered, as “The City of Brotherly Love” witnessed two of the world’s best fighters, in B.J. Penn and Anderson Silva.

Silva and Penn headlined the section of winners from UFC 101, as their fighter stock shot through the roof, along with their pound for pound standings. However, with rising stock, comes falling stock, and none fell harder than Forrest Griffin and Kenny Florian.

The first event in Pennsylvania gave rise to big winners and enormous losers. Divisional ranks were altered, fan favorites were tested, and two of the sports elite reigned victorious. Now the winners and losers may see where they stand as the fighters’ stocks have soared or sunk per UFC 101.

Rising Stock

Anderson Silva

Not only did Anderson Silva absolutely demolish Forrest Griffin in the evening’s co-main event, he displayed his devastation in a first round demolition, marking his second first round destruction in the UFC’s 205 pound division.

After two lackluster performances in defense of his UFC middleweight belt, Silva has done everything to silence the critics for now, along with rising in status among the world’s elite. Doubts of Silva taking the number one spot on the pound for pound rankings have to be erased after a performance of such magnitude, where the former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin simply could do nothing.

Now, the UFC is in yet another bind with the man who has to be considered the world’s best, as Anderson Silva took down what was considered his toughest opponent to date.

Silva’s next move will most likely be a title defense of his 185 pound belt, unless the UFC keeps him at the explosive 205 pound division. However, the difficult part remains in finding a competitor who has even the most remote chance of ending Silva’s middleweight reign.

Dan Henderson seems to be Silva’s next opponent at middleweight, in a rematch that, if Silva fights the way he did last night, is more ill-fated for Henderson than their first. However, the Team Quest star may be the best option for matchmaker Joe Silva, and it is naïve to count anybody, especially middleweights top contender, out of a fight. Unfortunately, squashing “The Spider” remains the most unlikely of scenarios, at least at middleweight.

The obvious match up for Anderson Silva is seen by many as a fight with Lyoto Machida. However, the friendship held by these two elite make this fight seem highly unlikely, bridging the gap towards nearly impossible. However, neglecting a fight’s possibility, especially one of this nature, falls under the category of criminal, justifying any speculation surrounding the bout, even with the chances of this fight happening extremely thin.

B.J. Penn

B.J. Penn’s last couple of months following his devastating loss to Georges St. Pierre left the lightweight champion of the UFC in a sticky situation. The greasing scandal from UFC 94, the comments about Georges St. Pierre and steroids, and his long time battle with the media have left Penn with a lot to prove.

And he proved it.

After a four round disection of Kenny Florian, Penn reminded the fans of the sport exactly where he stands as a mixed martial artist, and that is at the top of the 155 pound division, along with a certain spot in the top five pound for pound elite.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?