UFC Fight Night 136: The Real Winners and Losers

UFC Fight Night 136's main event saw heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik stun former title contender Mark Hunt with a signature submission on the ground at Moscow's Olympic Stadium.

Both men are north of 40 and toward the end of their careers, but they were hoping to get one last run at the top.

In the co-main event, Jan Blachowicz got a submission of his own against a returning Nikita Krylov for his fourth straight win.

The preliminary fights were something of a slog, but the main card came through with meaningful action. But no matter how lackluster some of the early showings were, fighters got their hands raised and marched forward in their UFC careers.

Winners: College Football Fans

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They got to avoid watching the dreadful Fight Pass preliminary card.

And maybe that is taking it too far. Perhaps the fights weren't all that awful, but there were better things to be watching early on Saturday than the six-fight prelims.

The first was a 30-25 sweep for Merab Dvalishvili over Terrion Ware. It wasn't competitive or overly exciting, and the underwhelming action continued from there.

Remember Rustam Khabilov? He had a split-decision win against Kajan Johnson; that is how downtrodden this preliminary card was. Fans who woke up early to tune in were treated to some rough outings, while college football fans got to flip around the best games.

They are the true winners.

Loser: Herb Dean

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With CB Dollaway turtled up, conceding the fight, Herb Dean watched him take a beating without stopping the action for several seconds.

Eventually the contest was stopped, but way too late.

This isn't the first time Dean has been late, but it is the most recent example of how poorly officiated MMA fights are, even at the highest level. Dean is supposedly one of the best referees in the sport. Can that be the case when he can't recognize a fighter not intelligently defending himself?

Truly terrible.

Loser: Thiago Alves

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He was a former title contender at 170 pounds, but the loss on Saturday put an end to any hopes Thiago Alves could return to former glory.

Alexey Kunchenko beat Alves on all three cards.

Alves wasn't completely outclassed or beaten to a pulp, but he didn't show anything to suggest he can still compete against the elite. The performance made a good case study of why Father Time is undefeated.

The American Top Team standout has been around a long time. Eventually, all the training and battles catch up to your body, and it appears they have for Alves.

Winner: Shamil Abdurakhimov

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As with much of the show itself, Shamil Abdurakhimov's win over Andrei Arlovski wasn't super exciting, but it was crucial for Abdurakhimov to beat a former UFC champ with name value. 

An emphatic win would have put Abdurakhimov into the thick of things at heavyweight, but the more muted victory may be more beneficial. The UFC can give him another fight before thrusting him into the upper echelon. Abdurakhimov will be able to avoid lofty expectations.

The heavyweight division can swing wildly and quickly. Any victory is big, but adding a name to one's resume will help to bolster a claim for contention.

Winner: Jan Blachowicz

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Jan Blachowicz entered the UFC with a fair amount of hype, but a 2-4 start ruined the thought that he could be a factor in the light heavyweight division. Saturday's win over Nikita Krylov put him on a four-fight win streak and a 6-4 overall UFC record.

He has turned into the fighter people expected.

This was supposed to be Krylov's big moment. After leaving the UFC, he was set to return and show why he was a fan favorite by knocking off the much maligned Blachowicz. Instead, Blachowicz forced fans to take notice once again.

Blachowicz's submission victory also was a showcase of his well-rounded skill set.

Is Blachowicz going to be a champion? That is still a tall task, but Saturday's performance showed he has adjusted and become a true contender. This is what the UFC thought they were getting in 2014.

Winner: Aleksei Oleinik

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In the first two minutes of the main event, it appeared it would be an easy night for Mark Hunt.

Hunt landed violent low kicks to Aleksei Oleinik's lead leg. The damage was evident: He was having trouble putting weight on it, and it seemed only a matter of time before Hunt found the knockout.

Oleinik's grit and determination would not allow that, though.

In fact, Oleinik landed a heavy shot of his own that wobbled Hunt, and he secured a takedown soon after. Hunt tried to escape, but Oleinik stuck with him and took his back. Hunt had one minute to survive until the end of the round, but Oleinik sunk in the rear-naked choke to force the tap.

The win forces the UFC to take him seriously as a heavyweight threat, and it should put him into a marquee heavyweight tilt in his next fight. Oleinik is near the close of his career, but that close may include a shot at UFC gold.

While he has back-to-back victories inside the Octagon in a shallow division, Oleinik still needs another big win or two before challenging for the title, but Saturday's win put him in position for a fight with another top contender.