The UFC brought a stacked card to the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this past Sunday, where we saw a new lightweight champion crowned in the evening’s main event.
Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson II may not have given the fans 25 minutes of excitement like their first encounter did, but it did produce a solid finish and give “Showtime” his first major title win since 2010.
Additional action had two featherweight contenders put the division on notice with two impressive victories, while a former heavyweight champion showed he is still one of the best big men in the sport.
Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers were from Labor Day weekend.
BIGGEST WINNER
Anthony Pettis – Many believed Pettis was more hype than substance after he lost to Clay Guida in his UFC debut in mid-2011 and looked unimpressive in a split decision victory over Jeremy Stephens later that year.
Those fights seem like ancient history now that Pettis has won four in a row, with three stoppages, and captured the lightweight strap from rival Benson Henderson.
While defeating “Bendo” a second time is impressive in itself, it’s incredible that Pettis was able to tap out a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the first round. Wrestlers beware; “Showtime” is a completely different animal at 26-years-old.
WINNER
Chad Mendes – The former two-time Division I All-American wrestler has turned into a knockout machine ever since Duane “Bang” Ludwig became the striking coach at Team Alpha Male, scoring four consecutive KO’s since a failed title bid against Jose Aldo at UFC 142.
“Money” made a statement by knocking out the iron-chinned Guida, the first time the former Strikeforce champ had ever been stopped in 44 professional fights.
Mendes now has the look of a fighter that could give “Scarface” a run for his money if given the opportunity.
WINNER
Dustin Poirier – “The Diamond” showed he still has plenty of fight left in him against Eric Koch, scoring a convincing decision over a top 10 featherweight.
Poirier’s blend of striking, grappling and toughness make him a challenge for just about anyone at 145 pounds, to the point where you have to wonder how he would’ve faired against Cub Swanson if he had a full fight camp to prepare.
WINNER
Josh Barnett – While it seems to be universally agreed upon that Barnett’s win over Frank Mir was stopped too early, there is no denying that the “Warmaster” was bullying the fellow former champ like we’ve never seen before.
Barnett, known for his high-level submission skills, showed a striking prowess and aggression that immediately puts him on the short list of top heavyweight contenders.
HONORABLE MENTION
Gleison Tibau – The hulking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt scored the biggest win of his career this weekend, earning a hard-fought decision over former WEC champ Jamie Varner.
The win was also his 20th bout with the UFC, making the 30-year-old the youngest fighter to achieve that milestone.
BIGGEST LOSER
Benson Henderson – Despite a perfect 7-0 record inside the Octagon, “Bendo” really needed an impressive victory over Pettis to erase the memory of the now infamous “Showtime kick” off the cage.
That didn’t happen though, as Pettis locked up a picture perfect armbar early in the fight, forcing the champ to call it a night early.
UFC President Dana White already said that he has no interest in booking Henderson-Pettis III any time soon, so it will be a long climb back to the top for Henderson as long as Pettis is wearing the belt.
LOSER
Clay Guida – Don’t look now, but “The Carpenter” has now lost three of his past four bouts and his only victory was a highly-debatable split decision over Hatsu Hioki.
Guida is always going to have impressive heart and cardio, but he does not have any other skills to present a significant challenge against top-tier competitors like Mendes.
LOSER
Frank Mir – Mir has now lost three straight fights, with two of the losses coming by way of TKO. While he came up short against top five competitors, he wasn’t even semi-competitive.
The former champ is no longer elite and should seriously consider hanging up the gloves if he was serious when he said he wants to make one more title run; that simply isn’t happening.
LOSER
Brandon Vera – Following the knockout loss to Ben Rothwell, Vera is just 1-4(1) in his past six matchups, getting TKO’ed in three of those losses.
“The Truth” is almost definitely getting his pink slip based on those numbers, hard to believe from a fighter who said he would simultaneously wear gold in the UFC’s 205-pound and heavyweight divisions.