UFC 148 Results: Up-and-Coming Fighters to Watch for After Impressive Outings

UFC 148 provided us with some intriguing fighters aside from Anderson Silva. We know he's the greatest, but other guys like Chad Mendes also deserve some props for a job well done.

Considering that Silva is also 37 years old, the man can't fight forever and the next wave of great talent is quickly coming up. Regardless of the fashion in which they won, younger fighters like Mendes are at the forefront of UFC's immediate future.

Here, let's check out Mendes and some other fighters from UFC 148 to watch for courtesy of a big win on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev.

Complete UFC 148 results courtesy of UFC.com.

Mike Easton, Bantamweight

The unanimous decision victory over Ivan Menjivar was the eighth consecutive win for Mike Easton. Now with a record of 13-1, Easton is 3-0 in UFC matches and is one of the quickest fighters around.

Easton, if anything, will wear an opponent down by landing a ridiculous number of strikes. And despite not being a takedown artist, Easton has the ability to go for the legs when needed and is a much better ground fighter than given credit for.

His quickness can also act as a defense because instead of having to constantly block, Easton just dodges then attacks with great precision. Only 28 years old, expect to see much more recognition coming Easton's way in the near future.

Constantinos Philippou, Middleweight

He may be 32 years old, but Constantinos Philippou has gone rather unknown in the world of UFC. Fortunately, Philippou won his fourth straight match by taking the unanimous decision over Riki Fukuda.

Currently with a record of 11-2, Philippou didn't make his UFC debut until March of 2011 and has only been fighting professionally since 2008. Still, the man has done well since turning pro and his defensive forte has boded well thus far.

Philippou isn't much of a takedown guy, but he knows how and when to strike with efficiency. Only one of his wins has been by submission, so as long as Philippou remains on foot he's a rough opponent for anyone to battle.

Chad Mendes, Featherweight

To begin his pro fighting career, Chad Mendes started out 11-0 and didn't lose until his first shot at the UFC featherweight championship bout.

On the bright side, UFC 148 was an opportunity to rebound and Mendes did so in impressive form. There, he knocked out Cody McKenzie in just 31 seconds to increase his record to 12-1. Even more impressive about Mendes is how quickly he has adapted to being a mixed martial artist.

A former college wrestler, Mendes has excellent defense and possesses great body control on the ground or standing. Provided he continues to develop that dynamic offensive attack, we'll see Mendes back in the Octagon for another title shot sooner than later.

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