UFC 128 Results: Jon Jones and the Real Winners and Losers

UFC 128 is in the books, and Jon Jones has forever left his imprint on the sport, as he defeated the previously top-ranked light heavyweight in the world in dominant fashion.

But Jon Jones wasn’t the only winner from the big event.

While some fighters had what may turn out to be the biggest night of their careers, others will head home feeling the sadness and weight of a loss on their shoulders.

So let’s take a look back at the event and examine who the real winners and losers were from UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones.

Winner: Mike Pyle

As I explained earlier this week, Mike Pyle may very well be a dark horse contender for a UFC Welterweight Title shot within the next year.

Ricardo Almeida is no joke and is truly one of the most physically talented 170 pound fighters on the planet. Though Pyle didn’t run through him and only barely won a unanimous decision, the win will still be looked upon very favorably by the UFC and matchmaker Joe Silva.

Pyle has now won three straight fights, including ending the undefeated record of John Hathaway at UFC 120. It may be time to give him a shot at one of the top contenders in the division. 

Loser: Ricardo Almeida

Ricardo Almeida is a 10-year veteran of the sport who has the talent to be one of the top contenders in the welterweight division.

His skills on the ground were an obvious concern for Mike Pyle at UFC 128, as he really did not attempt to take down the third degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, Almeida was not able to take advantage by opening up his standup a bit more than he normally does.

With this loss, Almeida has now lost two of his last three fights for the first time since 2002. He remains highly talented and a threat to defeat just about anyone in the division, but the loss pushes him back down the rankings.

Winner: Nate Marquardt

Nate “The Great” Marquardt has been a mainstay near the top of the middleweight division for years now, and got back on the winning path last night when he defeated Dan Miller.

While it is true that the win over Miller wasn’t the most spectacular of his career, the win should have been an important one for Marquardt’s confidence. But it didn’t seem that it was.

Though he seemed fairly happy in a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, Marquardt also expressed a desire to drop to 170 pounds.

If he can get to 170 and still have anywhere near the strength he does now, the already stacked welterweight division just got another potential contender.

Loser: Eliot Marshall

After nearly a year fighting outside the UFC following a disappointing loss to Vladimir Matyushenko, Eliot Marshall made his return to the world’s top MMA company at UFC 128.

But for Marshall, the return was spoiled by fellow UFC veteran Luiz Cane, who knocked him out just 2:15 into the first round.

He shouldn’t be in danger of getting cut yet, but Marshall will need to get back in the win column if he hopes to guarantee his position in the UFC going forward.

Marshall did likely make some people in UFC management happy, though, as he took the fight in replacement of the injured Karlos Vemola.

Winner: Dan Miller

Dan Miller may have lost his fight at UFC 128, but the performance he put on against Nate Marquardt is very inspirational.

Miller took the fight on about a week’s notice when Yoshihiro Akiyama had to pull out of the fight following the disaster in Japan.  The UFC was very happy to have Miller step up to the plate, even though he was considered a step down in competition for Marquardt.

Miller has lost four of his last six fights, all to fighters who are in or very near the top 10 at middleweight, but he has never been finished. 

Loser: Mirko Cro Cop

Mirko Cro Cop has struggled ever since coming to the UFC in 2007, but the had never been knocked out in back-to-back fights prior to his last two fights against Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub.

Though Filipovic looked significantly better against Schaub than he did against Frank Mir, the outcome was practically the same. Both fighters frustrated the former kickboxer by avoiding his powerful left leg before knocking him out late in the third round.

At this point, one has to wonder if Cro Cop still has it, but even more so if he still wants it.

Winner: Jim Miller

The younger brother of Dan Miller, Jim Miller made a big stamp on the UFC lightweight division last night. He improved to 9-1 in the UFC by defeating the previously unbeaten Kamal Shalorus by knockout in the third round of a very exciting fight.

Miller may have springboarded himself into a title shot in the near future after George Sotiropoulos’ loss to Dennis Siver last month. Miller has been very impressive during his seven fight winning streak and deserves a chance to prove himself against Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard.

Loser: Shogun Rua

Ouch.

Never in the career of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has he been so thoroughly dominated in a fight as he was at the hands of new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon “Bones” Jones.

While Jones was the betting favorite in the fight, few expected things to go quite as easily as they did for the 23-year-old rising superstar. After all, he was facing Rua, who had gone on a very similar run back when he was around that age and was widely believed to be the best light heavyweight in the world.

Shogun will have another chance to get his title back some day, but this loss had to be very disheartening.

Winner: Brendan Schaub

Though he has still not defeated a top 10 fighter, Brendan Schaub won his fourth straight heavyweight fight last night at UFC 128. “The Hybrid” knocked out former No. 2 ranked heavyweight, Mirko Cro Cop, in the third round of their bout.

It was just the second time in his career that Schaub had made it out of the first round, but he looked good in a competitive fight against a legend. The knockout punch he landed in was reminiscent of the knockout Cro Cop suffered from a head kick by Gabriel Gonzaga.

Schaub should see a step up in competition for his next fight and possibly a bigger paycheck. 

Loser: Seriously, Shogun Rua…

Did I mention how badly Shogun got beaten before?

Seriously, he looked like he was in a car wreck and had to be revived by the paramedics on scene.

Let’s not forget that this is a guy who has stepped in with and defeated some of the greatest fighters of all time at 205 pounds. Jon Jones ran through him like he was nothing.

Wow.

Winner: Urijah Faber

“The California Kid” seems to have revigorated his career as a bantamweight since dropping the 10 pounds to get there late last year.

Faber struggled early with Eddie Wineland, who seemed to have his number in the standup game, but by the end of the fight, Urijah’s relentless pace and speed were just too much. He was unable to finish the tougher-as-nails 26-year-old from Indiana, but the unanimous decision was an obvious one.

It appears that the next fight for Faber will be against the UFC Bantamweight Champion, Dominick Cruz, as both fighters have called one another out in recent weeks.

Faber defeated Cruz once earlier in their careers, but both fighters have matured in the four years since the bout. If Faber is able to take the title from Cruz, he may just see himself back near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. 

Loser: Rashad Evans

How could Rashad Evans be a “loser” in all of this when he is next in line for a title shot, you ask? Because he is the next poor soul who has to face the real-life superhero that is Jon “Bones” Jones.

Evans has the natural physical skills to stay competitive with almost any fighter on the planet, but Jones has been untouchable in the UFC.

With Rashad Evans leaving Greg Jackson’s camp, he will be in for a change of scenery, as well as a tough mental game, as he tries to prepare to fight a guy who is being trained by the very same people who trained himself.

Good luck, Rashad.

Winner: Jon Jones

The big winner from UFC 128 should come as no surprise to anyone, and it is Jon “Bones” Jones. 

The 205 pound phenom dismantled and tossed aside the world’s top-ranked light heavyweight in impressive fashion to bring home the first championship belt of his already amazing career. No person who has ever fought Shogun has done anything near what Jones did to him, and that’s saying a lot considering the long list of top opponents he has faced throughout his career.

Jones made things even more entertaining when it was revealed that just hours before the fight, he had chased down and subdued a robber for an elderly couple.

Whether the story has been exxagerated or not is questionable, but it’s also irrelevant, as it will stick in the minds of fans no matter what. This superhero-like action will only help add to the mystique that is Jon “Bones” Jones. 

More big money fights are on the way for Jones, who appears to be the leading candidate thus far for fighter of the year in 2011. 

UFC 128: Shogun Rua vs. Jon Jones: Results, News and More