UFC 133 Results: What's Next For The Losers

The Cinderella story ended just as quickly as it began for "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz.

The MMA legend was soundly defeated at UFC 133 by top light heavyweight contender "Suga" Rashad Evans.

It was a valiant effort from Ortiz, but Evans' striking and wrestling proved to be too much for the aging veteran as he was bullied on the feet and put away with a nasty knee to the body in the second round.

The loss comes just five weeks after Ortiz submitted Ryan Bader at UFC 132 in one of the biggest upsets of 2011.

While Ortiz mulls over his MMA future, Akiyama's UFC tenure could be ended after suffering his third consecutive loss at the hands of Vitor Belfort.

Coming off losses to Chris Leben and Michael Bisping, Akiyama hoped to avoid another loss to avoid getting axed by the promotion, but Belfort's world-class striking and jarring power overwhelmed the Judo specialist.

Will we see Ortiz in the octagon again? Is Akiyama primed for a UFC release? What was Dennis Hallman thinking when he selected his octagon attire?

Here's what to expect from the UFC 133 losers.

Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz's reemergence into the light heavyweight contender's picture was one of the biggest stories of the year.

In what most expected to be his swan song, Ortiz defeated top-10 light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader at UFC 132.

A few days later, he was offered a chance to step in for the injured Phil Davis to take on former nemesis and top 205-pound contender Rashad Evans.

Some will deem Ortiz's decision to step back into the fire against such a high-level opponent a mistake, but a multitude of past accomplishments and his desire to constantly fight the best makes Ortiz an all-time great.

Where does he go from here?

Contrary to public belief, Ortiz still has plenty in the gas tank. It's not like he's losing to lackluster opposition. In six of his last seven bouts, Ortiz has faced world champions and top-10 contenders.

He may not be at a top-10 level any longer, but there are plenty of interesting match-ups involving "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy."

Stephan Bonnar, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Rich Franklin are the first names that come to mind.

Yoshihiro Akiyama

Stylistically, a bout against Vitor Belfort was an uphill battle from the start for Yoshihiro Akiyama.

After getting clipped on the feet, the Asian Games Gold medalist was left limp with a face full of canvas after succumbing to a volley of Belfort punches at 1:54 of the first round.

The loss puts Akiyama in a precarious position in the UFC. He is an incredibly exciting fighter, but the UFC mantra is typically three strikes and you're out.

There are instances where fighters are allowed to hang around after three straight losses. Former welterweight contender Dan Hardy is a perfect example.

If the UFC keeps Akiyama around, he could be paired with Wanderlei Silva, Constantinos Philippou or Alessio Sakara in his next outing.

Dennis Hallman

Thanks to Dennis Hallman, Brian Ebersole walked away from UFC 133 with his ninth straight win and a $70,000 fight bonus.

According to UFC President Dana White, the bonus was awarded to Ebersole for "getting [Hallman's] horrifying shorts off of TV as soon as possible."

Hallman entered the cage in what could be identified as a male thong. Unfortunately for fans, there were a few disturbing positions in the bout that may convince some to cancel their HD subscription.

Ebersole survived a bad position early and punished Hallman with devastating ground and pound that forced the ref to step in at 4:28 of the first round.

Hopefully, Hallman has a change in wardrobe when he returns against Claude Patrick or Mike Pyle.

Jorge Rivera

Jorge Rivera and Constantinos Philippou disappointed in a gifted main card slot.

Philippou did a great job in earning his first-ever UFC victory over a known veteran, but he certainly didn't turn any heads with his split-decision win over an aging Rivera.

"El Conquistador" is respected as a journeyman of the sport, but his in-ring abilities are steadily declining. At 39 years old, the end of a decade long career is quickly moving in on Rivera, who is coming off back-to-back losses.

It shouldn't come as a shock if the UFC goes ahead and gives Rivera the axe, but he'll probably get one more shot with the promotion.

Rafael Natal or Alessio Sakara would be great comeback opponents.

Mike Pyle

Rory MacDonald seems to be destined for great things, and Mike Pyle just seemed like another stepping stone at UFC 133.

The 22-year-old prospect torched Pyle in all areas and picked up the second-round TKO stoppage at 3:54 of the first round.

Pyle was coming off consecutive victories over Ricardo Almeida, John Hathaway and Jesse Lennox.

A devastating loss like this sends the longtime veteran back to the drawing board, but it shouldn't be too long of a process.

Despite the loss, Pyle is still a legitimate threat in the welterweight division, and he'll look to prove it in his next outing.

Brian Ebersole, Claude Patrick and Dennis Hallman could all be on the UFC's radar as future opponents for Pyle.