MMA Aftermath: 5 Notes From UFC 125

It is time for the next installment of MMA Aftermath.

After every major MMA event, I list five things we were either taught or reminded of by the night of fights.

This edition is for UFC 125, which has to be considered another success for Zuffa.

Brian Stann is now a star in the UFC after demolishing Chris Leben. I can't imagine ever wanting to fight that guy after seeing his power against the usually iron-chinned Leben.

Frankie Edgar stays champ while the challenger Gray Maynard remains undefeated. Now, they can put the same fight on again and charge another $50.

Their boy Clay Guida got to hammer another nail into the Pride coffin with his submission over Takanori Gomi.

But, what did I take from all this? Let me tell you...

5. Davis Should Call It Quits

Since coming on the scene as a cast member on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, Marcus Davis has accomplished much more in this sport than anyone could have predicted.

Davis was 32 during the show, that was five years ago.

Following his defeat at the hands of Melvin Guillard in his UFC debut, Davis put together an 11-fight win-streak, with six of those wins coming in the UFC.

His career reached a high point when he won a spirited split-decision over Chris Lytle in January of 2008.

Since that time, Davis has gone 1-4 with each loss coming in alarmingly brutal fashion. His face following the losses to Dan Hardy and Nate Diaz was especially cringe-worthy.

On Saturday night, Davis was knocked out again, this time by a lightweight in Jeremy Stephens.

He should retire.

Many fighters have proven that age is just a number in this sport, so the fact that Davis will turn 38 this year is obviously not the only factor why he should hang up the gloves.

The fact that he can not compete at this level anymore is clear.

Davis has four children and is currently engaged. I hope for their sake and his own he does not attempt to deny reality.

I read an internet post that stated it cleverly but sadly: "Davis is 1-4 in his last five fights with each loss taking 1 to 4 years off his life."

I hope that's not true, but let's not risk it.

4. Vera Seems Content

At the end of 2006, Brandon Vera was an undefeated heavyweight and about as hot of a fighter as there was in the UFC.

After going 4-0 in the UFC with the fourth win being a first-round knockout of former champ Frank Mir, Vera was held out of action for nearly a year due to a contract dispute between his manager and the UFC.

Fans awaited his return, hoping and partly expecting him to revitalize the heavyweight division.

That would not be the case.

His first fight back was a lackluster decision loss to Tim Sylvia that saw little effort from Vera to fend off his first career defeat. His next bout was a first-round TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum.

Following his first two losses, he dropped down to light heavyweight and has since gone 3-4, losing his last three in a row. His two most recent bouts were particularly devastating, as his face was damaged to the point of necessary surgical reconstruction.

However, in both of those bouts, Vera wore a smile in front of the cameras along with his battle scars, seemingly content with his projected toughness, rather than distraught with his loss.

I'm sure part of it was just good sportsmanship, but in the final round of his loss to Thiago Silva on Saturday, Vera seemed to have no issue with riding out a definite loss with no sense of urgency.

Honestly, I believe that Vera is content with his potential, whether realized or not, and the simple fact he is a professional fighter. Quite different from the ambitious Vera we first met that claimed he would be champion at heavyweight and light heavyweight, simultaneously.

Whatever it is that took that drive out of Vera, it is certainly gone. And it appears that his 2006 win over Frank Mir will always remain the highlight of his forgettable career.

3. Gomi Was Great...

If you're a new fan of the sport, you might not fully realize how great Takanori Gomi once was.

Maybe if you are just hearing all of his accomplishments listed now, you might mistake it for routine hype to build up a few UFC bouts.

But, let me assure you, the fighter we saw lose to Clay Guida on Saturday was once something truly special.

Between 2004—when he made his Pride debut— and 2006, Gomi fought a whopping 14 times. Only two of those fights went to decision, and only once did he lose—a loss he avenged just months later.

In 2005, he became the first and only Pride Lightweight Champion by besting Tatsuya Kawajiri—who just beat Josh Thomson this weekend—and Luiz Azeredo in the same night to earn a shot against Hayato Sakurai for the title.

By winning the fight against Sakurai, Gomi upped his Pride record to 10-0 and his career record to 24-2. This was at the peak of his accomplished career. This was also the same time Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were making their professional debuts.

Gomi was something special in an era that is no more.

Like so many greats that have now clearly lost their edge—e.g. Chuck Liddell, Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva—fans will dispute their lasting stature in the history books. But if you are new to this sport, don't judge the Pride Lightweight Champion off of his loss at UFC 125.

2. Sorry, but MMA Judging Is a Major Problem

If you don't think that Frankie Edgar won the main event at UFC 125, I beg you to watch the fight again.

I know how it is on fight night. You might have company, or you just get caught up in the action. After all, you did buy the fights for entertainment, not to sort through the action with a fine-tooth comb.

But, there are people that actually get paid to pay attention to everything that happens in the cage. Their sole purpose is to not miss any of the action and to be able to remember it all for five minutes at a time.

It really seems like they wouldn't be doing it if they didn't pride themselves in being able to do a competent job. But, I suppose that is a bit naive and apathy is catchy.

After losing the first round 10-8 to Gray Maynard, Edgar dominated the rest of the fight. The main round that comes into question is Round 3. People claim that Maynard won it, and those people are wrong. Simple as that.

Again, please re-watch that round.

Besides a few punches and one takedown that ends in a tight guillotine choke for Edgar, Maynard does nothing in the round. But, of course the judges remember nothing besides one takedown in the last 30 seconds of the round. It's easier that way.

It was a masterful performance by Edgar and a travesty that not only did he not get the victory, but that barely anyone is calling this a robbery.

I guess we will just keep watching, and they will keep denying there is a serious problem in the sport.

I must say, it is a shame they don't even read the judges' names so we can keep track of who the blind ones are.

1. Edgar Is the Real Deal

Whether it was a draw or not, a defense is a defense.

Frankie Edgar has now defended his lightweight championship against B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard. I think it is fair to say this guy is elite.

Not to mention, Edgar has dominated two of the only three other UFC lightweight champions with the third being completely irrelevant.

And to prove what kind of champion he is, after a grueling five-round war with the one man to ever beat him, he was begging to face him again rather than a much softer touch in Anthony Pettis.

If Edgar didn't win you over with this fight, you're not human.