Conor McGregor (16-2) Becomes A Bit More “Notorious”
MAIN EVENT OF UFC 178 A DUD
Flyweight (125) champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (21-2-1) submitted Chris Cariaso (17-6) in the second round by kimura in the main event of UFC 178 to retain his title. It was a fight that was just as non-competitive in action as it was on paper, and provided the lone blemish on an otherwise solid card. The average viewer simply does not care about the flyweight division, and this bout will do little to change that. Official time of the stoppage was 2:29.
AN MMA STAR IS BORN AT UFC 178
“The Notorious” Conor McGregor (16-2) managed to garner a great deal of the headlines on a card featuring the flyweight championship of the world and the return of former bantamweight (135 lb.) champion Dominick Cruz (20-1). The featherweight (145) is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the UFC, and 10% of ticket sales to UFC 178 in Vegas came from Ireland. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV was packed with Irish fans who made the long trek across the pond in support of their fighting Irishman. McGregor did not disappoint, as he destroyed Dustin Poirier (16-4) in 1:46. McGregor ran his mouth a lot in the buildup to this fight, and backed up all of his trash talk with an impressive performance. The sky is the limit for McGregor, who has been calling for a fight with champion Jose Aldo (24-1) for a while now.
ALVAREZ GETS RUDE WELCOMING TO UFC
Former Bellator lightweight (155) champion Eddie Alvarez (25-4) lost a competitive fight to Donald Cerrone (25-6, 1 NC) that saw both men take some serious punishment. Alvarez looked good in spots but did not do enough to win. Cerrone moves closer to a title shot with his victory. Alvarez did prove that he belongs in the UFC, but will need to bounce back in a big way to make himself relevant in the division.
DILLASHAW VS CRUZ IS FIGHT TO MAKE
Dominick Cruz destroyed Takeya Mizugaki (20-8-2) in 1:01 on the prelims, and showed the world he is back in a big way. The former champion was stripped of his belt due to injury, and looks like he is in great form to get that belt right back. He picked up right where he left off after nearly three years away from the cage. T.J. Dillashaw will have his plate full with Cruz should they square off, and I’d give the edge to “The Dominator” based on their recent performances. I think Cruz is able to avoid getting hit a bit better than Dillashaw, and will use his size advantage effectively to dethrone the champ.
UPSET ON BELLATOR CARD
Brandon “Bull” Halsey choked out Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) in 35 seconds to become the middleweight (185) champion in the main event of Bellator 126. It was a great win for Halsey, who went into the fight with much less MMA experience than the veteran Russian. In the co-main event, Marcin Held (20-3) won the lightweight tournament over Patrick Freire (13-6) with a unanimous nod. Decent event for Bellator that brings a possible star to the table in Halsey.