UFC 104: 10 Things I Learned Last Night

(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

1. Shogun Was Robbed

Before the scores were read, I turned to my wife and said, "49-46 Shogun," feeling that was an accurate result of the fight I just watched. When Bruce Buffer announced all three judges scoring the bout 48-47, I was even okay with that.

Then he said Lyoto Machida was the winner and I was thoroughly confused.

For years, we've been told that being the aggressor, landing the harder strikes and generally inflicting more damage is what leads to victory inside the Octagon. Apparently, we never saw the asterisks and the fine print that says, "except if you're fighting the champion we just spent six months building up."

2. Newsflash: We Have Judging Issues

This certainly isn't brand new information, but when the Main Event of a UFC card draws as much attention for what many, including company President Dana White, saw as the wrong decision, something seriously needs to be done.

Last night's decision trumps the Chase Beebe/Mike Easton in that it took place on the biggest stage of them all. Two judges saw it the exact same way, with Cecil Peoples and Marcos Rosales giving Machida the first three rounds.

Somehow, judge Nelson Hamilton saw the fourth round for the champ, despite the fact that it was clearly the challenger's best round.

Honestly, I could go on for hours with this one and will be talking about it at length tomorrow, so I'll leave it at this: We gotta get this nonsense figured out and stop having these brutal decisions.

3. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Cain Velasquez

I'll be honest: I didn't think Cain Velasquez was ready yet. I also don't mind telling you I was dead wrong.

The AKA and Arizona State product dominated every minute of his fight with Ben Rothwell, setting the frantic pace he always does and overwhelming the overmatched former IFL titlest.

Now, the question is what's next?

Originally slated to face Shane Carwin, Velasquez seems like the logical challenger for whoever emerges from UFC 106 with the shiny, gold belt around their waist. While the UFC might choose to go with the older, more experienced "Minotauro" Nogueira, Cain will certainly get his chance in the near future.

Don't be surprised if he makes the most of it.

4. Anthony Johnson, Middleweight

Injury or not, you don't head into camp looking to drop 50 pounds. While cutting weight in general isn't all that good for you, dropping those kind of lbs is big-time dicey.

All fighters want to gain whatever advantage they can and being the bigger fighter is certainly one of them. But Johnson was six pounds over, walks around above 200 pounds and has the frame, talent, and overall athleticism to seamlessly move to 185 and maintain the hype he currently holds.

That being said, "Rumble" didn't sound like he was in any hurry to jump up in class after perfectly recreating the fight scene from Josh Koscheck vs. "Zenko" Yoshida from UFC Fight for the Troops.

5. How Does Josh Neer Still Have No Takedown Defense?

Last time he set foot in the Octagon, Kurt Pellegrino used superior wrestling abilities and myriad takedowns to score a Unanimous Decision victory over the Miletich Fighting Systems product known as "The Dentist."

So, when he agreed to replace Sean Sherk against Gleison Tibau, I expected he would be prepared for the myriad takedown attempts that would be coming courtesy of the American Top Team lightweight gorilla.

In a word: Nope.

Time after time like Cyndi Lauper, Tibau took Neer to the mat, scoring points en route to a clean sweep on the judges' scorecards.

Apparently, Josh Neer needs to stop agreeing to fight guys who like to work on the ground because he's apparently not planning on improving his takedown defense any time soon.

6. Welcome Back, Joe Daddy

Two fights into his time at Greg Jackson's in Alburquerque and Joe Stevenson looks to be back in the form that made him The Ultimate Fighter and a perennial top contender in the lightweight division.

He outworked and outclassed Spencer Fisher, taking the fight to the floor in the second round and pinning "The King" in an Ivan Salaverry-esque crucifix before forcing Herb Dean to stop the fight.

With back-to-back solid performances, Stevenson is back into the mix at 155. While he's not quite at championship contender level, he's certainly back in the conversation and one more good win could put him back into the title picture.

7. Really? Chael Sonnen?

You're currently logged into Facebook

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