There’s been a famine of UFC events in the month of July. After nearly a month-long hiatus, UFC returned with a fight card headlined by a light-heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Vladimir Matyushenko, and broadcast on Versus network live from San Diego, California. With a mediocre fight line-up, the most notable thing about this card was the UFC return of iconic MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy, taking his place as the third man in the Octagon for this first time since 2007.
Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin (155 lbs)
Round 1: Both fighters circle, feint and jab. Not much landing early. They continue trading punches and Gomi catches Griffin with a left, then follows up with a right hook that drops Tyson face-first onto the canvas. Gomi jumps on his fallen opponent and the referee quickly steps in to stop the bout. Griffin not happy with the stoppage but it was justified.
Aftermath: After being submitted by Ken Florian in his UFC debut, former Pride FC champion Gomi showed a return to the old form, stopping Tyson Griffin for the first time in his career. Gomi earned the Knockout of the Night bonus for his performance, and claimed in the post-fight interview that he “learned to fight like an American”. The victory earns Gomi a return to the Top 10; however it is too soon for any talk of title contention. For now Gomi can either fight another contender such as George Sotiropoulos, or Joe Stevenson, who was supposed to be Gomi’s original opponent for this event but was forced to withdraw with an injury.
Tyson Griffin was eager to get back into the Octagon after losing a decision to Evan Dunham at UFC 115. Unfortunately stepping up as a short-notice replacement did not work out for him this time, and Griffin finds himself on a losing streak for the first time in his MMA career. His next fight will be a must-win to remain in the UFC. Sam Stout or Denis Siver would make for good ‘rebound’ opponents.
Ranking Impact: Takanori Gomi rises 7 spots to #10 LW. Tyson Griffin falls 12 spots to #32 LW.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Jake Ellenberger vs. John Howard (170 lbs)
Round 1: Both fighters come out swinging, then clinch and trade takedown attempts, but both remain standing. They stall in clinch and the referee Herb Dean breaks them up. Howard charges and swings for the fences. Ellenberger grabs a clinch and takes Howard down. Howard defends well from his guard but can’t get back to the feet, and the action slows down. Referee stands them up and Howard once again looks to strike but gets taken down again, finishing the round on his back. Round 10-9 Ellenberger
Round 2: Howard cracks Ellenberger with a head kick early. Howard follows up with punches and Ellenberger is hurt but has the composure to score a takedown. Ellenberger is now fully recovered and passes into half-guard, mashing Howard’s face with elbows and short punches. Howard eventually is able to get up and blasts off on Ellenberger with winging hooks, but gets taken down again. Howard’s left eye is badly swollen as the round ends. Round 10-9 Ellenberger
Round 3: Howard knows he now needs a stoppage, and comes out with a flurry of punches, then throws a flying knee. Ellenberger evades and Howard slows his assault. Ellenberger scores another takedown, and this fight is as good as done. Not much action on the ground and the ref stands them up again, then has the doctor check Howard’s eye. The eye is shut to a bloody slit, and so the fight ends, giving Ellenberger a TKO victory.
Aftermath: Jake Ellenberger snaps Howard’s win streak, while starting one of his own. This was a close and exciting bout and it looks like both fighters want a rematch due to the unfortunate stoppage.
Ranking Impact: Jake Ellenberger rises 8 spots to #15 WW. John Howard falls 15 spots to #39 WW.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Darren Elkins vs. Charles Oliveira (155 lbs)
Round 1: Elkins uses a strike combination to set up a double-leg takedown. Oliveira immediately sets up a triangle/armbar from his guard. Elkins struggles; Oliveira rolls over and lets go of the triangle, focusing on the armbar and forcing a tap.
Aftermath: Undefeated Oliveira displays slick jiu-jitsu technique in his UFC debut, earning himself a ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus and joining an exciting and highly competitive division. He should next take on Jacob Volkmann, who dropped down to 155 lbs after going 0-2 as a welterweight and defeated Paul Kelly in an untelevised bout for his first victory inside of the Octagon. Darren Elkins falls to 1-1 in the UFC and will likely get another rookie in his next bout.
Ranking Impact: Charles Oliveira rises 66 spots to #75 LW. Darren Elkins falls 59 spots to #151 LW.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Mark Munoz vs. Yushin Okami (185 lbs)
Round 1: A slow start to the fight, with both fighters circling and throwing sporadic strikes. Not much lands for either. Okami has a noticeable reach advantage. Munoz fights for a takedown and eventually scores but Okami gets back up almost instantly. For the remainder of the round Okami successfully defends takedown attempts while landing an occasional punch. Boring round. Round 10-9 Okami
Round 2: Okami advances, landing punches. Munoz attempts a takedown and is blocked again. Munoz swings wildly and most punches miss but one hook finds it’s target and drops Okami. Munoz jumps in to finish but Yushin recovers quickly and reverses, ending up on top of Munoz. Munoz escapes to the feet and continues his assault. Eventually they clinch; Munoz trying for a takedown again and Okami defends. Munoz finally drags Okami down as the round ends. Round 10-9 Munoz
Round 3: Okami comes out swinging. Munoz is backed up against the fence and covering up. Munoz with another failed takedown attempt. Okami keeps landing punches and Munoz falls to his back. He gets up and keeps shooting futile takedown attempts. Okami sprawls and doles out punishment every time. Munoz is gassed and has no answers for Okami. Round 10-9 Okami
Yushin Okami wins a split decision with the scores of 29-28, 29-28, 28-29
Aftermath: Yushin Okami earns another win in his usual workman-like fashion. With Alan Belcher recently pulling out of a scheduled fight with Demian Maia at UFN 22, this may be a good opportunity for Okami to step in as a replacement – assuming he hasn’t suffered any injuries in the Munoz bout and is ready for the quick turn around.
Mark Munoz suffers his first loss as a middleweight, and needs to diversify his skill set to be competitive at this level. A bout with Tomasz Drwal should make for an interesting matchup.
Ranking Impact: Yushin Okami remains #19 MW, Mark Munoz remains #29 MW.
Fight Grade: 2.5/5
Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (205 lbs)
Round 1: Matyushenko looking to strike early. Matyushenko lands jabs and a hook. Jones responds with a couple of leg kicks. Jones lands a spinning back kick, then closes distance and trips Matyushenko to the ground. Matyushenko looks for an arm lock but Jones pulls his arm free and passes guard with ease. Jones in side control, secures a crucifix and launches rapid-fire elbows. Matyushenko is trapped and referee Herb Dean quickly stops the fight. No complaints from Vladimir about the stoppage – he was going nowhere fast.
Aftermath: Jon Jones has looked amazing in his last three fights against fringe light-heavyweight contenders. It’s time to move from fringe to the elite, and Dana White promised in the post-fight press conference that Jones’ next fight will be against a Top-8 opponent. With the champion Mauricio Rua recovering from knee surgery and the top contender Rashad Evans seemingly content to wait for Rua’s return, the available pool of opponents for Jones includes Thiago Silva, Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, as well as the winners of the upcoming bouts between Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida, or Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Vladimir Matyushenko’s next opponent will likely be a mid-level UFC light-heavyweight, such as Stephan Bonnar, Krzysztof Soszynski, or Jason Brilz.
Ranking Impact: Jon Jones moves up 5 spots to #15 LHW. Vladimir Matyushenko drops 6 spots to #34 LHW.
Fight Grade: 4/5
UFC’s second outing on Versus was not a spectacular event, but a decent appetizer for the next weekend’s Pay-Per-View.