We spoiled our lead in the headline! May as well jump right into it.
Robbie Lawler’s glorious reign has come to a sad end. Photos by Sherdog.
Tyron Woodley is the New Welterweight Champion!
If Tyron Woodley was going to beat Robbie Lawler, it was going to happen like this. Early in the first round, Woodley feinted into an overhand right and popped Lawler hard. That was all she wrote! Simple, clean, efficient work from the new UFC welterweight champion. Notes:
- Woodley’s still on very unsecure footing when it comes to his reign as champion. He was manhandled by Rory MacDonald not all that long ago, and MacDonald has been manhandled by Stephen Thompson since then. Don’t expect him to hold onto it for long.
- There will be a lot of discussion about whether or not Lawler’s chin is gone. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Any doomsaying about Lawler’s future is premature.
- This is great news for Rory, who could enter into the title picture through the back door despite some ugly losses of late. Meanwhile, this is terrible news for Thompson, who now has to worry about a Woodley vs. Lawler 2 getting booked.
Rose is good, but just can’t get over the hump. Photo by Sherdog.
Rose Namajunas’ Hype Train Got Derailed…Again.
Rose Namajunas is clearly one of Dana’s favorites due to her cute face and savagery in the cage, and she has gotten preferential treatment as a result. When the cage door closes, though, all bets are off and Karolina Kowalkiewicz showed that again at UFC 201. In a back-and-forth fight, she used some devastating knees to the stomach to wear Namajunas out on the way to a decision win. Notes:
- Great performance by Kowalkiewicz. She showed off new striking techniques and out-worked her up close in order to take the win. It was the perfect game plan to deal with a dynamic fighter like Namajunas.
- This was billed as a top contender’s bout…but big surprise, Dana White lied to the fans! Kowalkiewicz may or may not get the next shot at Joanna Jedrzejczyk…but Joanne Calderwood and Jessica Andrade are apparently ahead of her in line.
- Namajunas actually looked mentally tougher than ever before…but it didn’t pay off. Usually she’s a crying mess immediately before and after a fight but here she seemed cool, calm and collected. Maybe she’s like Chris Leben, who fought better mad?
TIMBERRRRRR! @KrylovUFC puts Ed Herman to sleep with a massive headkick knockout! #UFC201
https://t.co/24eQqCy13o— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 31, 2016
Nikita Krylov is a Monster!
Ukrainian assassin Nikita Krylov posted his fifth straight stoppage win at UFC 201 by smashing serviceable veteran Ed Herman in the first round with a big headkick. It was an ugly win but, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, it was an exciting one. Notes:
- 25 fights deep into his career, Krylov is yet to go to the judges. Including the knockout of Herman, he has 8 knockouts and 13 submissions in his 21 wins. That’s an amazing statistic.
- Krylov is just 24 years old and has 25 fights to his name! That’s insane!
- Despite owning the longest winning streak in the division (outside Jon Jones), he isn’t going to get a title shot. He is yet to beat anybody in the top-10, but should be in line for a jump up in competition from here.
Who would’ve thought a guy named Benoit wouldn’t be a standup dude? Photo by MMA Fighting.
Ryan Benoit is a Dirty SOB!
Remember how the UFC cut Paul Daley for suckerpunching Josh Koscheck after their fight in 2010? Well, Ryan Benoit is like Paul Daley, except he’s pretty bad at fighting. After beating on Sergio Pettis after the bell, Benoit posted yet another performance for the lowlight reel by popping Freddy Serrano late after the horn in their fight. Notes:
- Benoit is a pretty terrible fighter, but fighting dirty seems to be a big help for him. He’s now 2-0 in fights where he cheapshots opponents.
- Serrano is…not very good. He has an extensive wrestling background, but has little else to speak of. Add to that how he’s 36 years old in the flyweight division, and he’s pretty much guaranteed to wash out of the UFC before too long.
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