UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva was a night of finishes. Seven of the night’s ten bouts were concluded before the final bell. New title contenders were named, and other fighters brought themselves closer to the main event, marquee fights that they desire. With a number of fighters earning big wins, matchmakers can go a number of ways with the winners from last Friday’s event.
Antonio Silva vs. Mark Hunt
“Bigfoot” took advantage of a his opponent’s knee injury when he landed a thudding overhand right, and became the first man to defeat Travis Browne. With his two-fight losing streak now ended, Silva can now take steps toward becoming the impact fighter that many expected him to become once he moved from Strikeforce to the UFC. While he is still a long way off from earning a shot at the UFC Heavyweight title, he could be placed in some captivating bouts in the division, and Mark Hunt fits the mold perfectly.
Riding a three-fight win streak, Hunt has become a fan favorite due to his penchant for walking into the cage and throwing haymakers with anyone willing to exchange. That style has earned him some big knockouts since moving over to the UFC, and even had fans clamoring for him to step into a heavyweight title shot. While his resume isn’t as strong as those of other fighters, he is a draw that would help bolster a free televised card if placed in a main card spot.
Jake Ellenberger vs. Mike Pierce
Both Ellenberger and Pierce have hung around the welterweight division for some time and proven that they are tough outs for any competitor in the weight class. As the year draws to a close, the title picture at 170 pounds will soon be fleshed out , as both a title bout and number one contender fight are scheduled to occur at UFC 154. Once those two bouts are completed, Pierce-Ellenberger could be booked in order to determine which fighter would be considered for a title eliminator in early 2013. While the bout wouldn’t be an exciting slugfest, it is exactly what is needed to help strengthen the names of these fighters.
Michael Johnson vs. Jim Miller
Riding a three-fight win streak, Michael Johnson has shown that he may be the fighter to watch from Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. His comeback victory against Danny Castillo was amazing in every respect, and helps place him within the ranks of the top 15 to 20 fighters at 155 pounds.
Jim Miller has been a stalwart lightweight fighter for the majority of his career. While he hasn’t been able to get over the final hurdle and earn a title shot, he’s been considered one of the best in the division for a long time. However, he needs to start another long streak of victories before he will be considered a top contender at lightweight, and a fight against Johnson would be a start in that direction. Jim Miller vs. Michael Johnson would be a strong undercard matchup on a Fox or FX event.
Diego Nunes vs. Cub Swanson
Diego Nunes and Cub Swanson have been on the fringes of title contention within the featherweight division since their days in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization. However, since the merger with the UFC, neither athlete has been able to push himself to the top of the division. Nunes has come close, but he was defeated in a number one contender’s fight by Kenny Florian.
Swanson has been on a three-fight win streak recently, and he capped it off with a highlight reel knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 152. Swanson’s campaigning for another fight with Jose Aldo, but he will need a much longer streak than he currently owns to get another shot at the man that defeated him in less than a round.
Nunes vs. Swanson is a featherweight fight that could be used as an opening bout for a Pay per View card, or featured on the main card of any of the televised events scheduled for 2013.
UFC on FX 5 was the third event in a four-week stretch for the organization, and was not a letdown in any sense. Going forward, fight fans will have a number of potential contests to look forward to watching.
