UFC 145 Results: Questions Answered and Lessons Learned

UFC 145 was built almost completely around the rivalry and title fight between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. But that doesn't mean that there weren't some very intriguing fights outside of the main event.

After an entire night of fights, it's easy to say that we learned a lot about the featured fighters and what the future may hold for them going forward. 

Jon Jones Is the Best in the World

I doubt anyone thought otherwise, but at this point Jon Jones should be considered the best fighter in the world.

In his short MMA career, he has defeated Shogun, Rampage, Lyoto Machida and now Rashad Evans. His performance against Evans showed that he's so incredibly well rounded that the consensus is that there really isn't any challenges left for him at 205. 

The UFC has found their poster boy for the next decade. And he's the best fighter in the world. 

No One Should Ever Question Rashad Evans' Chin

It's said every single time Rashad Evans enters the cage: "Yeah, but what about his suspect chin?" Last night, Rashad proved that his chin could hold up against one of the hardest-hitting fighters in all of MMA. Sure, he was rocked at times after receiving those ridiculous standing elbows, but he recovered quickly and was able to fight on. 

Until Rashad starts getting knocked out on a regular basis, we need to stop talking about his chin being suspect. 

Rory MacDonald Needs to Be Tested Against Top Competition

The UFC screwed up when they threw Rory MacDonald to the wolves too soon in his UFC career against Carlos Condit. Rory wasn't ready at that time for such a step up in competition. He learned from that loss and was able to make several improvements to ensure that never happens again. 

After last night, it's certain that he is ready for a step up in competition. He trucked Che Mills and proved that he needs to be tested. 

Miguel Torres Is No Longer an Elite Bantamweight

There was a time when Miguel Torres was considered not just the best bantamweight in the world, but also one of the top pound-for-pound fighters. It made sense—he dominated the division for so long that there was no way to not place him on the same level as the best fighters in the world. 

Unfortunately, those days are long gone and Torres isn't the same fighter he once was. Maybe it's that his body just can't hold up in wars or maybe it's that lighter fighters age faster than the heavier guys, but Miguel Torres looked old last night. 

Sometimes Flash KOs Aren't Enough

When Stephen Thompson made his debut at UFC 143, people were ready to crown him as one of the best young welterweights in the sport, and for good reason. He had a flashy head kick knockout and a solid kickboxing background. 

Unfortunately, he just isn't ready for the UFC at this point in his career. He lacks any semblance of a ground game and just isn't a threat outside of his strikes. If he can't keep the fight standing, he'll be further exposed as a one-trick pony.