Evan Dunham vs. Melvin Guillard
- Going into Saturday night's main event, Evan Dunham was one of the most touted prospects in the lightweight division. Looking to rebound from a razor-thin loss to Sean Sherk in his last bout, many expected Dunham to submit Melvin Guillard and continue his ascension up the lightweight ladder. Instead, Guillard derailed Dunham's hype train with a series of vicious punches and knees midway through the first round. Most impressive for me was Guillard's ability to get back to his feet after Dunham scored an early takedown, then inflict damage while his leg was still hoisted in the air. This type of complete performance is what fans of "The Young Assassin" have been waiting for, one where natural ability and strategy were equally in display.
- The physical talents of Guillard have never been questioned. Blessed with exceptional speed and athleticism, he has the physical tools to be a top-level fighter. However, mental lapses and poor game-planning have been Guillard's Achilles heel, leading to seven of his eight professional losses coming via submission - including six in the first round. Since joining Greg Jackson's camp, though, Guillard has reeled off four straight wins, including Saturday night's blitzing of Dunham, and he looks to finally be putting everything together. Guillard guaranteed in his post-fight speech that he would go undefeated and earn a title shot in 2011. A couple more wins over top-level opponents could see that prediction come true.
- Want to train with Jackson MMA coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn? Sign up on TapouTVTC.com today!
Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague
- Matt Mitrione continued the impressive start to his young MMA career, blasting the more experienced Tim Hague for his third (T)KO stoppage in four career fights. The debate has now been raised as to whether or not Mitrione -- at 32 years old and with years of football wear and tear -- has enough time left to develop into a top-tier heavyweight. That remains to be seen, but with all four career wins coming in the UFC, three in dominant fashion, it is clear that "Meathead" is ready for a step up in competition.
- I remember when Mitrione, along with a slew of other ex-football players, joined the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 10, there was a certain backlash that these athletes were just capitalizing on the growing popularity of MMA. With Mitrione, however, I think his background and general lack of experience have actually been positives. His athleticism has been one of his best assets in the cage, and his rawness has allowed Duke Roufus to mold Mitrione from scratch, rather than working to fix bad habits from a previous fighting style.
Mark Hominick vs. George Roop
- The stakes for Mark Hominick were clear: Win, and earn a title shot against featherweight champion, Jose Aldo. Some fighters would have been entered a fight like that with timidity, content to minimize risk and out-point their opponents. Hominick did the opposite, utilizing pinpoint striking to finish George Roop in under two minutes. Now riding a five-fight win streak, Hominick will find out if his technical skills are enough to dethrone a fighter anointed one of the pound-for-pound best in the world.
- Visit TapouTVTC.com to learn how to box like Hominick with his coach, Shawn Tompkins.
Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran
- It wasn't the trouncing that some expected, but Pat Barry put a hurting on Joey Beltran's left leg en route to a unanimous decision victory. Beltran stuck to his game plan, clinching with Barry and doing damage against the cage, but he was never able to take the fight to the ground to exploit Barry's suspect grappling. When Barry was able to separate, his kicks were the difference maker.
- Check out Pat Barry's pro training modules to learn how to kick like he does.
Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman
- Matt Wiman put on a tenacious performance, dominating fellow Ultimate Fighter 5 cast member, Cole Miller and showing no ring rust after he was forced to withdraw from consecutive bouts with an injury. After netting three consecutive Fight of the Night bonuses -- but going 1-2 in those three contests -- Wiman has rattled off three wins in a row. After such a dominant display over a solid fighter like Miller, Wiman is inching closer towards the top of the stacked lightweight division.
