UFC on FX 5 Results: Questions Answered and Lessons Learned

UFC on FX 5 is finished. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva defeated Travis Browne and Jake Ellenberger shut down the Jay Heiron hype train once and for all. 

Despite UFC on FX 5 being a somewhat "ho-hum" event in terms of star power, there were a few important, gleaming moments that answered important questions or taught crucial lessons to the MMA world. 

What were these answers and lessons? 

Read and find out!

Jacob Volkmann Is No Joke...

Jacob Volkmann—a fighter who has earned a reputation for being "boring"—steamrolled over fellow wrestler Shane Roller in their contest on the preliminary bouts.

Volkmann took Roller down in short order and then finished him with a rear naked choke in under three minutes. 

Volkmann is improving and is more than just a wrestler; denying that is ignorance.

Unless He's Being Interviewed

The UFC might want to employ guidelines as far as being overtly political in painfully unfunny fashion goes. Volkmann has been an outspoken critic of President Obama and was even visited by the secret service for remarks he made about the nation's Commander in Chief.

However, to the UFC's credit, Volkmann's "Volkmann for President" shirt was conspicuously absent by the time Volkmann was being interviewed by Ariel Helwani backstage. 

Mike Pierce Should Not Be Overlooked

At UFC on FX 5, Mike Pierce became the second man to knock out Aaron Simpson. The only other person to achieve this feat was the stone-handed Chris Leben.

Pierce, while a forgettable figure due to his perceived "boring" fighting style and unremarkable demeanor, doesn't deserve to be overlooked. He's a serious contender and almost all of his losses have been close decisions to top men.

Michael Johnson Isn't a Low-Level Fighter

The name Michael Johnson may elicit a "Who? Oh that guy," but such a talented fighter should be more recognized. 

Johnson came back from a disastrous first round where he was nearly separated from consciousness from both punches and a submission hold and managed to subdue Danny Castillo in the second round by means of a knockout that left Castillo's limbs frozen.

Johnson is here to stay. He's not a can, and he's not a C-level fighter. 

Hype Trains Need to SLOW DOWN

There was hype around Josh Neer because he had a good showing against Duane Ludwig and was training with the Diaz Brothers. 

There was hype around Jussier Formiga because he was demolishing people outside the UFC and was considered the best flyweight on earth by some. 

There was (and has been for some time) hype around Jay Hieron for reasons which are still unknown to me (he lost every fight he ever had in the UFC as well as most of the high profile fights he's been in). 

All three of these fighters had their hype put to rest. 

Neer was choked out cold in under a minute, Formiga was knocked out and Hieron was defeated in a one-sided decision. 

MMA fans and pundits like hyping fighters but, like I've said before, it needs to be done in moderation.

Travis Browne's and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva's Ceilings Are Still Unknown

The contest between Travis Browne and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva was closely fought—until Browne suffered a knee injury that stymied his efforts and contributed to a Silva victory. 

Due to the sudden nature of the fight's end, it's difficult to take any lasting axiom or lesson away from this fight about either competitor. 

We simply don't know what traits to ascribe to either man because the fight may have ended differently had Browne not suffered an injury.

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