HYDEN BLOG: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from UFC Fight Night 127

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Jimi Manuwa (Photo credit Per Haljestam © USA Today Sports)

UFC Fight Night 127 was this past weekend, and it had some exciting moments. Let’s get to the rundown.


UFC Fight Night 127

GOOD- Leon Edwards stops Peter Sobotta

Edwards got repeated takedowns and was working his ground-and-pound. It was solid, but what really made this fight special was the fact that Edwards got the stoppage at 4:59 of the third round, the latest stoppage in UFC history for a three-round fight. What adds to the craziness is that Paul Craig got a submission win earlier in the card at 4:59 of the third round as well, which is also a record. So, in the same night we got the latest submission and the latest stoppage in UFC history for three round fights. I like stats.

Tom Duquesnoy vs. Terrion Ware

This wasn’t anything great, but Duquesnoy got back on track with the decision win here. He’s young and has a lot of potential. That also means he’s got areas he needs to work on. I’m sure he’ll continue to improve with each fight and soon he’ll be making waves in the bantamweight division. This was a solid win, one that gives you a little confidence but also lets you know that you have a long way to go to be great. In other words, what a younger prospect sometimes needs to have happen in order to light a fire in him.

GOOD- Jimi Manuwa vs. Jan Blachowicz

These guys went back and forth at each other for the full three rounds. Blachowicz generally got the better of things and that’s why he won the decision, but Manuwa fought hard as well. Blachowicz nearly stopped Manuwa in the first round, but Manuwa survived. This was just one of those fights that gets you excited as a fight fan. They both put it all out there and you have to respect them for doing so. Blachowicz should enter the Top 10 rankings while Manuwa likely falls out of them. Good win for Blachowicz.

GOOD- Alexander Volkov stops Fabricio Werdum

Werdum started strong, by getting some early takedowns and submission attempts. Volkov just didn’t look like himself, he wasn’t throwing strikes at the pace that he normally does. He was apparently picking his spot, though, and in the third round he started turning it on. He was landing shots on Werdum and dropped him but Werdum was able to make it through the round. However, in the fourth round, Volkov stopped Werdum for the win and remains undefeated in the UFC.

We’re seeing some new younger guys in the heavyweight division in the UFC and that’s exciting. You got to love and respect the guys who have been here for a while, but it’s always nice to see some new faces. Volkov has put himself into a great spot for a possible title shot. I don’t know if the UFC will go for that or not, but Volkov has as strong a case as anyone in the division, and probably the strongest case.

If Cain Velasquez can ever get off the milk carton and back into the cage, I could see the UFC giving him the title shot next. I think Volkov has a much stronger case than Velasquez, but this is the UFC and they don’t go by conventional thinking a lot.

This is all To Be Determined, though, because we still have the awesome champion vs. champion fight to look forward to with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier challenging UFC heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic in July. That’s not quite four months away and a lot can happen in between now and then. Also, the winner will have to have some recovery time and a chance to heal up from any injuries and stuff like that, so we’re looking at several months before the next title shot after the upcoming one. That means there’s plenty of time and maybe Volkov fights again? If he were to fight again and win, that would almost assuredly guarantee him the next shot. This is the UFC, though, so maybe not. For now, though, Volkov can celebrate this big win and continue to improve his game as he waits for answers.

Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank


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