UFC 181 Results: The Real Winners and Losers from Hendricks vs. Lawler 2
The main event at UFC 181 on Saturday was teed up as the Terminator 2 of 2014. Could this sequel really top the original?
Even though the first bout back in March between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler—which resulted in a close decision win and the vacant welterweight title for Hendricks—was considered one of the best fights of the year, there were thoughts that the rematch could surpass it.
After all, Hendricks, we later learned, fought with a torn biceps. And since that setback, Lawler has been on a bit of a tear, looking better than he ever had as he ripped through Jake Ellenberger and then Matt Brown while Hendricks idled on the sidelines.
And that was only the first of the evening's two title fights. Anthony Pettis, the reigning lightweight champ, also returned from a lengthy layoff. The dynamic knockout artist came back after 16 months away to try and defend his UFC strap for the first time, and did so against Gilbert Melendez, the former Strikeforce and WEC champ who coached against Pettis on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter.
And this was only the beginning. Did someone say CM Punk? Oh yes.
As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Here are the real winners and losers from a glitzy Saturday night in glamorous Las Vegas.
Winner: Robbie Lawler
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We have a new UFC welterweight champion. And that man's name is Robbie Lawler.
Who'd have guessed that such a thing was possible? This is the guy who lost to Lorenz Larkin two years ago. Here's a guy who cut out sparring for six full years. I'm no Pat Miletich of Miletich Fighting Systems, but sparring seems important.
Anyway, it doesn't matter now. Lawler has completed one of the greatest career resurgences this sport has ever seen, and he did it on his own terms.
Early on, Lawler was flat like a week-old 7-Up in a doggie bowl. Or perhaps preoccupied is the better term, as Lawler seemed to be respecting Hendricks' takedown threat quite a bit.
But Hendricks was conservative in his offense, too, especially down the stretch. The judges' final verdict—a 48-47, 47-48, 49-46 split decision for Lawler—was far from satisfying or definitive. But Lawler was the stronger fighter at the end of the contest, and in two of the three most important viewers' eyes, he did enough to win.
It's hard not to be happy for the 32-year-old who started his career back in 2001. But don't get too comfortable, champ. Methinks a rubber match is already in the offing.
Loser: Johny Hendricks
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Never leave it in the hands of the judges.
Johny Hendricks seemed to be on cruise control for some reason. The first three rounds were close, though Hendricks did appear to have the upper hand, repeatedly throwing hook-leg kick combinations and mixing in the occasional takedown to keep Lawler guessing.
But as flat as Lawler was in the beginning, Hendricks flagged in the end. Part fatigue, part pure conservatism, Hendricks took his foot off the gas, holding onto Lawler's leg for long stretches and seeming to constantly calculate and recalculate what the minimum was that he could do and still be considered "busy."
It opened the door for Lawler, who pounded on the inert Hendricks and finished with a wild barrage of strikes that had to have a psychological effect on the judges.
Blame the judges if you like, but also be sure to save some of that for Hendricks, who got them involved in the first place.
Winner: Anthony Pettis
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Well OK, then.
There was never any question Anthony Pettis had the tools—the athleticism, the charisma, the dynamic skills, the nose for the finish. The questions were whether he could get the job done consistently and do so while staying healthy.
The latter question remains open for now, but it may not matter much. He could fight once a year from here on out, and if he fights the way he did Saturday night against Gilbert Melendez, it's unlikely people will complain. They'll take whatever Pettis they can get, and they will enjoy it.
After a slow start that favored Melendez, Pettis turned on what you might call "the juice." Those lightning-quick kicks started finding the mark. The combinations started to flow. And when Melendez waded inside one time too many, Pettis was waiting. He fired a left hand, locked on a guillotine choke and sank to the mat. Melendez couldn't escape.
Is Pettis the best lightweight MMA fighter of all time? I don't think he's quite there yet, but I also can't think of anyone who could've handled the 27-year-old wizard at UFC 181.
Loser: Gilbert Melendez
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It didn't go the way of Gilbert Melendez on Saturday. For a second, though, he found a keyhole through which a glimmer of hope was visible.
Melendez did what a lot of analysts predicted he needed to do to win: close the distance and clinch up with Pettis. Push him against the chain link. Smother him, in other words.
But Pettis was just too slippery. He extricated himself from the clinch, and Melendez was hard-pressed to re-engage it. The rest is history.
Melendez is still a great fighter, and he will win more fights in the UFC. Just his rotten luck that he ran into a buzz saw.
Winner: Josh Samman
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It's hard to imagine a harder year than the one Josh Samman just went through.
The tragic death of his girlfriend, for which he blames himself, understandably put him in limbo. A major injury and rehab followed, as did the death of his stepfather.
What else could the universe throw at this guy? Given all this, it's admirable that he even stepped into the Octagon again, much less notched a Knockout of the Year candidate in his return fight.
But that's exactly what happened when Samman slammed his shin across the face of Eddie Gordon. That shin seemed loaded with all the fire and brimstone he'd been carrying around with him all these many months, and Gordon's eyes were rolled back in his head before he even hit the ground. No follow-up needed.
An ecstatic Samman belted out a cathartic scream seconds later, and one of the brightest stories in a dim MMA year had been written.
"$50,000, please, guys," Samman told broadcaster Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight, in reference to a UFC performance bonus. "I want to change my life. I think I just did it."
UPDATE: Samman got the bonus.
Winner: CM Punk
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The UFC scored a coup for its viewership metrics, if not its combat quality, when officials announced that former WWE champion CM Punk would fight in the Octagon.
"You know, this is something that's been in the back of my mind for a very, very long time," Punk (real name Phillip Brooks) told broadcaster Joe Rogan. "I have a background in kempo. I've done Brazilian jiu-jitsu off and on for a very, very long time. But the idea of being able to step in the Octagon and find out what's inside myself and test myself is an opportunity I was not able to deny myself."
No debut date or opponent are set yet. No training camp headquarters were revealed. Even the weight class is uncertain, though Punk said he would "most likely" fight at middleweight.
But never mind the sketchy details. The announcement was enough to create a social media brushfire. It might be the spark of interest the UFC needs.
Loser: Sacrificial Jaws
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It's been two long years since Todd Duffee last got to knock a dude senseless. And hey, that energy can build up. When you're living tissue over metal endoskeleton, you have certain, shall we say, objectives in life. Objectives you must fulfill.
It's a lesson Anthony Hamilton now knows all too well, and one it only took him 33 seconds to learn. Duffee's last four professional wins, all knockouts, lasted a total—not an average, but a total—of three minutes and 18 seconds.
And it didn't begin or end with Duffee. Samman's aforementioned knockout was pretty unforgettable. And Travis Browne delivered the fireworks pretty much everyone had him pegged to deliver when he punched out the chinny Brendan Schaub inside the first stanza.
Hamilton and Schaub, in particular, felt like animals being fed to the abattoir. And the outcomes Saturday proved that feeling right.
Loser: Francisco Rivera's Eyeballs
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Francisco Rivera might have taken the first round in his undercard topper with everyone's favorite bantamweight, Urijah Faber. He showed very good takedown defense and crisp boxing in the effort. As the second stanza began, Cisco was grinning from ear to ear.
Two minutes later, the grin was gone.
Faber stormed back, landing a big right hand that put Rivera down. Faber swarmed, locked on a choke and Rivera tapped.
At a glance, it seemed like just another notch on the Faber belt, another gutty effort punctuated by his signature submission grappling. But on closer inspection, that right hand wasn't a punch but rather an eye poke.
"I didn't know I poked him, but looking at the replay it's unfortunate for Francisco," Faber said in a conciliatory but unapologetic post-fight statement emailed to reporters by the UFC. "He had a great attitude afterward, my hat is off to him. No one ever wants to make an excuse, but if you have to make one an eye poke is the best one you can have."
UFC 181 Full Card Results
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Main Card
Robbie Lawler def. Johny Hendricks by split decision (Lawler named new UFC welterweight champion)
Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez by submission (guillotine choke), 1:53, Rd. 2 (Pettis retains UFC lightweight championship)
Travis Browne def. Brendan Schaub by TKO, 4:40, Rd. 1
Todd Duffee def. Anthony Hamilton by KO, 0:33, Rd. 1
Tony Ferguson def. Abel Trujillo by submission (rear-naked choke), 4:19, Rd. 2
Preliminary Card
Urijah Faber def. Francisco Rivera by submission (bulldog choke), 1:34, Rd. 2
Josh Samman def. Eddie Gordon by KO, 3:08, Rd. 2
Corey Anderson def. Justin Jones by unanimous decision
Raquel Pennington def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by submission (bulldog choke), 4:59, Rd. 1
Sergio Pettis def. Matt Hobar by unanimous decision
Clay Collard def. Alex White by unanimous decision
Scott Harris covers MMA and other topics for Bleacher Report and other places. Follow Scott on Twitter if you feel so inclined.
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