UFC on Fuel TV 2 Results: The Real Winners and Losers

UFC on Fuel TV 2 is in the books. There were some very important matchups on the televised portion of the card that had divisional importance. Because of the outcomes, there will be some very interesting fights to be made in the future. 

Alexander Gustafsson impressed, as he systematically picked Thiago Silva apart for three rounds to win a unanimous decision. There was some hinting during the broadcast that he could be the next man to face Jon Jones, but those thoughts are way too premature. 

The biggest surprise of the card was Siyar Bahadurzada putting Paulo Thiago to sleep with a right hand. It was as vicious a knockout as we've seen in the UFC, and Baha is the current front-runner for Knockout of the Year honors.

There were some big winners and even bigger losers Saturday night, so find out who impressed and who didn't in the UFC's first show in Sweden. 

Winner: Brad Pickett

Brad Pickett was the first winner of the UFC on Fuel TV 2 broadcast in Sweden with an impressive rear-naked-choke win over Damacio Page. 

It was the best performance of Pickett's Zuffa career, as he fought a technical fight and worked his vastly improved wrestling. But it wasn't his wrestling that impressed me most. Instead, it was the power he displayed in his hands. I joked about his nickname "One Punch" in my predictions, but he had legitimate power and dropped Damacio Page. 

Speaking of my predictions, totally got that one right.

Loser: Damacio Page

The loser of the first fight of the Fuel broadcast, Damacio Page was very unimpressive against Brad Pickett.

Actually, that's not fair. Damacio Page fought exactly like Damacio Page—he started fast and pressured Pickett with punches and kicks but faded after the first round. His submission defense continues to be his biggest weakness. 

This was also his third straight loss and may be the last time we see Damacio Page inside the UFC Octagon. 

Winner: John Maguire

John Maguire stopped DaMarques Johnson by arm bar in the second round. It was a fantastic grappling battle between two underrated submission artists, with both fighters having difficulty maintaining positional dominance on the ground. 

This win puts him in the upper echelon of the division with guys like Amir Sadollah, James Wilkes and Matt Riddle. He's not going to challenge for the title anytime soon, but defeating Johnson definitely elevates him to a higher level of competition. 

Loser: DaMarques Johnson

It's a shame that DaMarques Johnson has to be called a loser, because until the fight ended in submission, he was very impressive when battling John Maguire on the ground. It's a disappointing loss, as Johnson made no attempt to defend the armbar.

Johnson continues to lose a fight after every big win—one step forward, one step back. 

Winner: Dennis Siver

I had absolutely no expectations for Dennis Siver at featherweight. He looked extremely drawn out at the weigh-ins on Friday and still came in one pound overweight. That's usually a sign of a bad weight cut. Surprisingly, it didn't affect his output or cardio in his fight with Diego Nunes. 

I don't believe he'll be a world champion at the weight, but his presence creates some interesting matchup opportunities. His involvement at featherweight also changes the lightweight landscape, which is always a good thing in combat sports. 

Loser: Diego Nunes

Diego Nunes showed again that he is functionally a mediocre taekwondo fighter. He has flashy kicks, but throws them one at a time and is tentative to follow up with his hands. His game is very low on combinations. He gives the illusion of a versatile attack but he's surprisingly limited and showed it tonight.

It's a shame because he's a young fighter in a division that needs depth. If he can figure out a way to increase his offensive output, maybe he'll be an elite fighter. Until then, he's in the same league as Josh Grispi—all sizzle, no steak. 

Winner: Siyar Bahadurzada

Well, I was totally wrong about this one, huh? 

I thought that Siyar's lack of big-show experience would be a difference maker in his fight against Paulo Thiago. Instead, he landed a monster right hand that put Thiago immediately to sleep.

It was vicious in the best possible way, and with it, Siyar has established himself as a player in the UFC's welterweight division. Not bad for a day's work.

Loser: Paulo Thiago

Karma hit Paulo Thiago in the face today in the form of Siyar Bahadurzada's fist. It was likely payback for when he straight lamp'd Josh Koscheck in his UFC debut. 

There's not too much to say about Paulo Thiago. The fight was over almost as soon as it started.

Thiago is obviously talented, but I kind of feel like he got old. I just don't see him challenging at the top of the division in the future. Shame, really. 

Winner: Brian Stann

Brian Stann looked absolutely awesome in his fight against Alessio Sakara. Early on he definitely fought like the version of himself who took the WEC by storm, but eventually settled in and used proper footwork and head movement. 

The TKO was also one of the weirdest I've seen in MMA. Stann put Sakara to sleep and stopped his assault. The referee then jumped in to stop the fight. Good for Stann to recognize when an opponent is out and not continue to destroy Sakara's brain. 

Also, fantastic post-fight speech from Stann who was humble about his big win. 

Loser: Alessio Sakara

Alessio Sakara fought like Alessio Sakara. His chin is extremely suspect at this point in his career, and he can't take a shot to the jaw. There's also the huge issue in his overall skill level.

He was outclassed at every facet of MMA against Brian Stann. While there hasn't been any regression in skills, he's definitely not developing. 

Despite the losses, he remains a .500 fighter in the UFC. 

Winner: Alexander Gustafsson

Alex Gustafsson entered the fight riding a wave of success. A lot of people didn't believe he would be able to successfully take the step up in competition, as he still lacks MMA wrestling. The thought was that Thiago Silva hits really hard and would put Gustafsson to sleep.

Instead, Gustafsson fought an incredibly technical fight against an overmatched Silva. Using beautiful footwork, Gus' demonstrated his hand speed and accuracy, as he picked Silva apart for three rounds. 

Some believe Gustafsson is ready for Jon Jones. That's unlikely, but expect to see him in a title eliminator in his next fight. 

Loser: Thiago Silva

A year away from any sport often proves too much for an athlete. This was the case with Thiago Silva's return from suspension. In the pre-fight breakdown, Mike Goldberg stated that Silva had taken a year off to deal with a nagging back injury. It was nice of the NSAC to suspend Silva while he healed up. 

Silva just couldn't figure out Gustafsson's range. It looked like every single punch was coming up a few inches short and "The Mauler" made him pay dearly. There were some instances when he fought like the murder-faced fighter that he is, but those were few and in-between dominant striking combinations from Gustafsson.

It's a rough loss, but he's still young and will rebound. 

Winner: Swedish Fans

It seems we say this every time the UFC enters a new market, but the Swedish crowd was absolutely incredible. They cheered loudly for Swedish fighters and were vocal every fight. When fans provide a great atmosphere, the whole card just seems to be a lot more enjoyable. 

The most memorable moment was the brutal reception that Norwegian fighter Simeon Thoresen got when he walked into the cage to fight Besam Yousef. It was reminiscent of a Brazilian crowd, and I joked on Twitter that they were singing "You're gonna die" as a tip of the hat to the Rio fans.

Dana was so impressed that he even thought out loud that they should do Jones vs. Gustafsson in Sweden.