UFC 118 Main Card: Reaction and Matchmaking

Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn

Result: Frankie Edgar defeated B.J. Penn by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, and 50-45).

Reaction: Even after Edgar’s stunning upset at UFC 112, all the money was on Penn heading into this rematch between the two fighters. For the second straight time, Edgar proved his doubters wrong and proved that he is the best lightweight in the world right now.

For Penn, this fight was supposed to prove that his first loss to Edgar was a fluke. Instead, Penn suffered another deflating loss that leaves uncertainty in what will be next for one of the sports' legends. Despite losing a primarily stand-up fight in his first meeting with Edgar, Penn did not appear to make much of a change in his game plan. If Penn would have made more of a commitment to taking this second fight to the ground, the outcome might have been much closer than it was.

Next for Edgar: After defeating Kenny Florian at UFC 118, Gray Maynard has earned the opportunity to challenge Edgar. The fight will provide Edgar the chance to avenge the only loss of his career. However, having lost to Maynard less than three years ago, it will be interesting to see if the odds makers see the champion as an underdog yet again.   

Next for Penn: Takanori Gomi was signed by the UFC as a possible opponent for Penn. That idea fell to the wayside after Gomi’s loss to Florian, but talks of the match-up could begin to resurface now that Penn is no longer the champion. Penn has also recently considered a move to welterweight. If it was up to Penn, an ideal first opponent at 170 pounds would be Matt Hughes.

Randy Couture vs. James Toney

Result: Randy Couture defeated James Toney by submission (Arm-triangle choke) in the first round.

Reaction: Anyone surprised by the outcome of Couture vs. Toney is equally as delusional as Toney himself. Couture is too experienced and intelligent of a fighter to risk any chance of being hit by Toney while standing. The low single was an ingenious plan of attack because it eliminated any chance of Toney landing a punch on the way in.

In no way did this fight prove that mixed martial artists are better fighters than boxers. Simply, it proved that boxers must have a significant amount of training in other disciplines before they can be successful in MMA. That is all that anyone should take from this waste of a fight.

Next for Couture: Couture will probably return to light heavyweight division to finish out his career. One last run at a championship would be magical for the 47-year-old Couture. That run could begin against Rich Franklin or Forrest Griffin. Either fight would draw a huge amount of viewers and would leave the winner only a fight or two away from a title shot.  

Next for Toney: Boxing. It was fun while it lasted, but Toney learned his lesson. You just cannot be successful in MMA as a one-dimensional fighter anymore. At 42-years-old, Toney’s window of opportunity for becoming a mixed martial artist has passed. There is not enough time left in his athletic career for him to improve the many holes in his game. If Toney ever fights in MMA again, it won’t be with the UFC.

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

Result: Demian Maia defeated Mario Miranda by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, and 30-27).

Reaction: Maia bounced back from his loss to Anderson Silva, who was in Miranda’s corner for this fight. Although Maia was unable to finish Miranda, he put on an excellent display of his grappling ability.

While it was a disappointing showing for Miranda, the fact that he was able to avoid being submitted for as long as this fight was on the ground speaks volumes for his skill as a BJJ black belt. Very few fighters would be able to survive the plethora of submission attempts that Maia—one of the best submission artists in the world—threw at Miranda.

Next for Maia: In the week before his fight with Miranda, a lot of possible opponents for Maia were eliminated with the announcements of Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami. A fight against the winner of Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares would make for an interesting rematch or an epic grappling match.

Next for Miranda: Miranda missed a golden opportunity to earn contender status with a win over Maia. Now, there are a multitude of options for his next fight including fellow UFC 118 loser John Salter.

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

Result: Gray Maynard defeated Kenny Florian by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, and 29-28).

Reaction: After wrestling his way past Florian, Maynard will finally get the chance to prove that he should have received a title shot before Edgar. Despite having a victory over Edgar, Maynard was passed over for a shot at facing Penn for the lightweight championship at UFC 112. While many have pegged Maynard as a boring fighter, no one can dispute that he is one of the best in the world at 155 pounds after beating Florian.

For Florian, this fight was another disappointment after climbing his way back to the top of the division. Florian was hoping to receive a third shot at the lightweight title with a win over Maynard. Instead, he will be forced to the back of the line again. At 34-years-old, it is beginning to look like we will never see the belt around Florian’s waist.  

Next for Florian: After continually failing when he reaches the top of the lightweight ladder, Florian may not ever see another title shot. Depending how far the UFC wants to make him climb for another chance like he had at UFC 118, Florian’s next fight could be against Tyson Griffin or a rematch with B.J. Penn.

Next for Maynard: With his victory over Florian, Maynard has earned a title shot against Edgar. After defeating Edgar less than three years ago, Maynard may even be the favorite as the challenger, heading into the title fight.

Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis

Result: Nate Diaz defeated Marcus Davis by technical submission (Guillotine choke) in the third round.

Reaction: Diaz continued his successful move to welterweight with an impressive Fight of the Night performance against Marcus Davis. After the war of a fight that left Davis with baseball size swelling in his right eye, Diaz asked for a top contender at either lightweight or welterweight.

Although Diaz was a terrible match-up for Davis in terms of style, it made for a very entertaining fight. At 37-years-old, we may be seeing the last fights of Davis’ career. Davis never fails to deliver entertaining fights and he is always willing to stand and trade. Hopefully, the UFC continues to match Davis with fighters that are willing to do the same.

Next for Diaz: There is a possibility that Diaz could make a return to lightweight against a contender, but with his recent success at welterweight it is more likely that Diaz will stay at 170 pounds. If so, Diaz could meet Jake Ellenberger or the winner of Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle.

Next for Davis: Davis is probably nearing the conclusion of his UFC career. Never one to back down from a big name opponent, Ricardo Almeida or John Howard could be next for Davis.