UFC 118 Post-Fight Reaction

- When Frankie Edgar beat B.J. Penn at UFC 112, it was almost universally written off as a fluke. There will be no such write-off this time, as Edgar was thoroughly dominant, using his blazing boxing and takedowns to frustrate Penn for a full 25 minutes. Last night, Edgar proved once and for all that he is not a fighter to be underestimated.


- Well, at least until his next fight, because Gray Maynard has the type of style Edgar could not handle the first time the two met. I wonder what the record is for UFC champions defending their titles as underdogs, because I'd be willing to bet that Maynard will be favored when the two meet again.


- Had Penn adjusted and gone for takedowns from the opening bell, this would have been a very different fight. When he finally did mix his game up, he was down three round to none, and needed a finish. The biggest contrast in the bout was the two corners. Any time Penn had success, it was in spite of his corner men, who offered such pearls of wisdom as, "F*ck his speed," and, "He stole something from you, get it back." There was no strategy, no adjustments, just some pep talks you would usually hear in a high school football locker room.


- Gray Maynard is the lightweight equivalent of Jon Fitch. His style won't win him any fans, but can you really fault him when he is so successful?

- Coming off of his bout with against Clay Guida, I thought that Kenny Florian's takedown defense had improved enough that he would find some success against Maynard, but that wasn't the case. It's possible that K-Flo will work his way back to a title shot, but for now he has firmly cemented himself as the ultimate gatekeeper.

- I won't waste much space on James Toney, because far too much space has already been wasted on him. Randy Couture did exactly what everyone expected him to, and the result was never in doubt once the fight hit the ground. I doubt it will be the last we hear from Toney, but it is thankfully the last time we will see him in the Octagon.

- I love how Demian Maia is constantly looking to finish the fight on the ground, but I wonder if it is sometimes detrimental. Multiple times he gave up good position on Mario Miranda to fish for arm bars, and Miranda was able to squirm away each time. Maia might be better served to hold position longer and pound out his opponents instead.

- Instead of dropping back down to lightweight, Nate Diaz should continue to focus on welterweight, where he has looked really good in his two fights. He didn't exactly finish two world beaters, but his combination of unorthodox boxing and jiu jitsu create style fits for his opponents.

- Diaz beat Marcus Davis to the punch on every exchange, and Davis had no answer. Davis looked slow and old, and you start to wonder just how much he has left in the tank.