UFC 192 started off as such a promising fight card.
The Houston PPV event, headlined by a light-heavyweight title fight, kicked off with five thrilling stoppages in the first six fights. However, the ride was brought to a screeching halt when the remainder of the fight card, including the first four fights on the main card, was pasted with lackluster decisions.
Then along came the main event.
Cormier and Gustafsson set the stage for one of the best fights of 2015 when they battled for the better part of five rounds to determine who would leave Texas as champion. The fight was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts and a brutal display of grit and determination. It arguably took years off the careers of both men.
Ultimately, several prospects showcased their evolving skill sets, veterans showed waning glimpses of their fading primes, and a Fight of the Year candidate sent the crowd home satisfied.
Winners
Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson salvaged a rapidly fading fight card when they put on an entertaining five-round thriller full of back-and-forth action and surprising twists and turns. Cormier shied away from his wrestling pedigree and opted to strike with the lanky Swede, which certainly helped heighten the drama. The end result was a Fight of the Year candidate and a split decision victory for the reigning champ. While Cormier will now ponder the inevitable rematch with Jon Jones, Gustafsson will have to contemplate how he will rebound from two consecutive losses in the Octagon.
Ryan Bader earned one of the most significant wins of his entire career with his unanimous decision victory against former champ Rashad Evans. Bader's striking looked especially sharp and he used it strategically and effectively to secure the win. Bader now holds 13 wins at light heavyweight, which ironically ties him with Evans and places him behind Jones (15). However, despite his consistency and post-fight call out, Bader is unlikely to get the next shot at the title. Given that Jones is a mere formality away from returning to the Octagon to challenge for the title, Bader will have to wait a little longer for his opportunity at the gold.
Albert Tumenov looked phenomenal in his Saturday showing on the UFC 192 prelims and outclassed Alan Jouban en route to a first round KO via face plant. It was arguably the best performance in the Russian's career and undoubtedly set him up for a significant step up in competition in the near future. Tumenov told BloodyElbow earlier in the year that he planned to finish 2015 ranked in the Top 10 at welterweight. While that is unlikely, he is well on his way to achieving that in 2016.
Adriano Martins has branded himself as a Russian slayer of sorts. It began with a split decision victory against Rustam Khabilov in February and blossomed with a vicious KO of Islam Makhachev on the preliminary portion of the UFC 192 broadcast. He was able to land a spectacular counter right hook that flattened the Dagestani prospect and handed him the first loss of his professional career. Given that Martins continues to impress, he deserves a significant step up in competition for his next Octagon outing.
Sage Northcutt arrived in the UFC with a 5-0 record and an exceptional amount of hype for a relatively unknown fighter. It took him all of 57 seconds to advance his record to 6-0 and make an emphatic statement as the third youngest fighter to step into the Octagon. He handled the attention with a naive confidence that only a fearless 19-year-old could posses and likely set himself up for a bright future with the promotion. He certainly has the look and flashy style to help carve himself a fanbase and grow his starpower. The sky is the limit for the (rather unfairly) gifted Texan.
Losers
Rashad Evans had the odds stacked against him from the beginning: a two-year layoff with multiple injury setbacks will affect even the most elite of fighters. While Evans may be a former champion, he is certainly not the fighter he once was. Evans looked understandably rusty in his return against a tough opponent and is now in a tough transitional spot as he gradually shifts from professional fighter to professional broadcast analyst. Maybe his loss to Bader will hasten the process altogether.
Islam Makhachev suffered the first loss of his professional career on Saturday night after he ended up on the wrong side of a KO. He looked disappointed immediately thereafter and disputed the result but a replay quickly showed that he was flattened with a picturesque counter right hook that temporarily separated him from his senses. The Dagestani prospect, who trains under the tutelage of Khabib Nurmagomedov's renowned father as well as at the American Kickboxing Academy, made some clear mistakes during the fight - he left himself wide open as he attempted to close the gap - but they are issues that can be fixed over time.
Other Notes
Joseph Benavidez beat Ali Bagautinov by unanimous decision but the fight was far closer than the final scores suggested. Not only did Benavidez fail to impress against an opponent who had been out of the Octagon for more than 15 months, he looked like a fighter past his prime. Benavidez slowed down as the fight progressed and was unable to break down the Dagestani's counter game. In short, Benavidez's days as a top flyweight may be coming to an end.