Quick Thoughts On UFC 107

Some quick notes on the recent event.

Overall, I think UFC 107 exemplified the increasing divergence between the ‘good’ UFC events and the ‘bad’. Sometimes we receive great cards, as evidenced by UFC 107, and at others we get the ugly stepchild in events like UFC 105 (who cares about Couture v. Vera?).

• I agree with Rogan's comment that Struve is one of those fighters who goes away for six months and comes back with a vastly improved skill-set. At 21 years old, Stefan exhibited signs of real talent against a game Buentello. Not sure if he's ready for the Heavyweight division's rising stars (Cain or Carwin), but I will look forward to evaluate his development after another six months. An interesting match-up would be against fellow young up-and-comer Todd Duffee.
• Kenflo looked very impressive as no one finishes the "Carpenter" in the first round (or at all for that matter), Sanchez included. I actually don't think it was a bad fight for Guida -- his attacks looked a little more potent than his typical showing of constant mediocre pressure. 
• Fitch remains boring to watch. He now has a streak of six straight decision victories.
• Belcher (and his massive calves) looked good...very good. I maintain that his call for a shot at Silva was misguided, but I do think he's ready for a step-up in competition. At the very least, his fights should be featured on the main card going forward.
• Mir looked supremely confident in his fight against Kongo. His new strength & conditioning regimen have certainly done him well. Now tipping the scales at a muscular 264.5 pounds, Mir is/will be dangerous in the heavyweight division.
• Diego Sanchez is a lunatic (in a good way). Since I really like the guy, I felt bad that he was clearly outclassed by a B.J. Penn at the top of his game. Penn's recent loss to GSP was perhaps the best thing for him. In the match, Penn learned that his sizable talents were not enough because there are others with similar skill levels that train with a much greater intensity. It's hard to imagine anyone taking Penn out at 155, though Maynard could prove tricky.