9LikesIs Arlovski going to get a fight any time soon or is he done after his last 2 snooze-fests?
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Here are some thoughts on what happens next for the 3 winners from yesterday's card who I think have a chance to make an impact in their respective weight classes.
Winners
BJ Penn
Dominating performance by BJ Penn. Joe Stevenson is a really solid fighter and Penn just completely dominated him in all aspects of MMA. Penn looked in good shape(great shape for him), cardio really wasn't tested but it didn't look like he was getting tired. His striking which tends to be overlooked because he's such a wizard on the ground was awesome. He nailed Stevenson with just about everything he threw. When Stevenson came out in the second with an aggressive stance was was throwing almost every punch in the book, Penn stayed calm and picked him apart. It looks like Penn is firing on all cylinders right now.
Next fight is easy for Penn, it'll be Sean Sherk, some sites are speculating it'll happen in May. This will truly be a great fight. Sherk has proven to be a force at 155 pounds but he hasn't been tested yet. It'll be interesting to see if Sherk can take Penn down. Penn has awesome takedown defense but as the fight wears on he gets easier to take down. Sherk has solid boxing, but I think Penn's is better. Penn obviously has the edge in BJJ but Sherk has great submission defense. I give Penn the advantage because he has more ways to win but it's as close a fight as any.
Fabricio Werdum
Nice comeback win by Werdum, I thought he was done for after seeing him get chopped down by those huge leg kicks from Gonzaga. He clearly lost the 1st round, and he came out in the second round guns blazing. I think he overwhelmed and surprised Gonzaga, credit to Werdum for not quitting, that first round was pretty rough for him.
Werdum has some solid wins on his resume, Gonzaga of course, Allstair Overeem, and Aleksander Emelianenko, so he obviously has some talent. Not sure what is next for him, maybe match him up against Cheick Kongo? That would be an interesting fight, Werdum with his submissions and Kongo and his dangerous striking.
Marcus Davis
Another win for Davis, this makes ELEVEN in a row for Davis. I knew he was on a win streak but I didn't know it was that long. Looking at his wins, none are really of the highest caliber but 11 wins is a row, can't ignore that. Remember Davis came into MMA as strictly a boxer but he has really evolved into a complete fighter. He is making noise in the WW division and he deserves a step up in competition.
MMAmania suggested a Jon Fitch-Marcus Davis, I think that would be a good fight, but might be a big step up for Davis. Maybe a fight against Koscheck is Kos gets by Dustin Hazlett. Or perhaps a fight against Diego Sanchez. That would be a pretty good scrap I think.
Borinka, here's a more concrete answer to your question.Originally Posted by borinka99
http://mmajunkie.com/2008/01/19/andr...t-jake-obrien/
Ok, here are some post fight thoughts some losers from the card who I think still have a future in the UFC.
Losers
Joe Stevenson
Joe was outclassed against Penn, but I don't think he has anything to be ashamed off. Penn at his best is just too good for damn near everybody at 155 pounds. Hell Penn at 100% would beat a ton of fighters at 170 pounds as well. Joe was game and he showed a ton of heart fighting with that cut. Penn is just at another level.
Stevenson is still young and has plenty of skills to succeed in this division. I think the UFC will give him some time off here to recover, he took a lot of punishment in this fight. When he comes back he should get a top 10 guy, I'd like to see him fight Huerta or even Frankie Edgar. If he Kenny Florian beats Joe Lauzon that fight would make sense as well.
Gabriel Gonzaga
Tough loss for Gonzaga, he had that fight and let it slip through his fingers. It didn't even look like he was that hurt when the ref stopped the fight. Seemed more like he just quit while he was pinned up against the fence.
I still think Gonzaga has a future, but it seems like when the fight doesn't go his way he folds. I would still love to see a Gonzaga-Arlovski fight. I think time wise that sets up well, if Arlovski fights against O'Brien in March. That would make for an exciting fight, both guys have great standup. Gonzaga is skilled on the ground but Arlovksi is no slouch either.
Kendall Grove
Grove was looking like he was a star on the rise but he's suffered two brutal knockouts in his last two fights. The knock on Grove has always been his chin, while I think anybody would have been rocked by the punches he's been hit by, I think the last fights have shown that his defense is severely lacking. Grove has a sick ground game, I'm not sure why he doesn't try to take the fight to the mat as soon as possible.
Not sure what's next for Grove but for sure his next fight is a must win bout. I'd like to see him fight Jason MacDonald. MacDonald has had success against other TUF fighters. It would be a good clash of styles since both guys possess solid ground games.
No doubt, 11 wins in a row is impressive but it's time to see him fight somebody in the top 10, or even the top 15. I'd love to see him fight Diego or Kos like I mentioned in my post. That'll prove if Davis is for real or not.
I think fighting at 155 kinda forces BJ to be in at the very least decent shape. And it did look like went the extra mile and was in very good shape. Penn seems dedicated now, I mean he's still young, he was immature earlier when he should have beat Jens and should have been Uno. Now I think he realizes that he has to be in shape to fufill his potential. I still think Sherk will be in better shape than him, but BJ Penn with decent-good cardio is the most dangerous man in the division. Can't wait for that fight.
Who are you considering the favorite in this fight?
I didn't see it, BJ sure did have a ton of energy hitting himself in the face after the fight. Didn't seem like he gassed, he paced himself really well in the second round, when he got up he looked fine.
Also I kinda dispute the fact about one more round and we would have seen the same BJ. He had put so much punishment on Joe that even if the fight went to the third and BJ gassed, Joe wouldn't have been able to do anything.
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