UFC 103: Things I Learned Last Night

1. Something Like a Phenom-Enon

I have no problem admitting I was dead wrong about Vitor Belfort.

While the trouble he had making the 195 pound catch weight limit still worries me, there are no questions remaining about what Vitor Belfort has returned to the UFC and the type of danger he presents for everyone in the middleweight division.

Glancing blows dropped Rich Franklin before a fast-paced flurry ended things. It's hard to train for a fighter with that kind of hand speed.

2. Next Up: Anderson Silva

The middleweight champion has shown little interest in fighting Dan Henderson or Nate Marquardt, so Belfort's impressive performance Saturday night should skyrocket him to the the top of the title contenders list.

Now, we've said before that different fighters could cause problems for Silva and repeatedly been proven wrong and Belfort may be no different. But Belfort may be the first guy to stand across the ring from "The Spider" who possesses the same kind of deadly striking ability as the undefeated Pound-for-Pound king.

Hopefully, all sides are interested and we can make this fight come to fruition early next year.

3. Cro Cop is Finished

He looked spent from the time the second round started, throwing very few strikes and showing no real defense against the attacks of Junior dos Santos.

As much as the Mirko Cro Cop highlight reel is still one of the most impressive collections of knockouts around, those days are gone, as is the opportunity for the UFC to use his as a headlining name anywhere other than overseas.

His decision to enter the arena wearing an old Pride t-shirt says it all; those were the glory days and when he was at his peak, but unfortunately, those days and that organization are long gone.

4. Cigano Is the Real Deal

Junior dos Santos continues to impress inside the Octagon, running his UFC record to 3-0 and bringing down another high profile name.

The key will be how the UFC proceeds from here; while you certainly can't have him take a dramatic step back in competition, a lot of the top level heavyweights are currently contracted to fight.

While he's not quite ready for a title shot, he's definitely leapfrogged Cain Velasquez in my books and could make for an interesting fight against Frank Mir if (when?) MIr disposes of Cheick Kongo.

5. What to Do With the Welterweight Division?

First, Josh Koscheck scored the impressive knockout he needed to erase the memory of Paulo Thiago starching him last February.

Then Paul Daley made things even more interesting by laying a beating on Martin Kampmann, announcing his presence in the UFC in impressive fashion.

So now what do you do? Mike Swick is still needs a top-tier challenger after missing out on the action last night in Dallas, and there is no one cemented as the No. 1 Contender to Georges St-Pierre's throne.

My bet is that Koscheck gets a title shot simply because Jon Fitch got pounded on too recently to get a rematch and no one else fits the bill.

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