UFC on FOX 6 brought an action-packed evening to the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

We saw the passing of the guard at light heavyweight, as well as the next fighter to earn himself a contender shot at lightweight.

The UFC’s first flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson, also made his first successful title defense, though challenger John Dodson didn’t go away quietly.

Let’s evaluate who the biggest winners and losers of the evening were.

BIGGEST WINNER

Anthony Pettis: The last WEC lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis made Donald Cerrone look like nothing more than a tall, blonde punching bag on Saturday night.

His liver kick TKO was a thing of beauty, so it’s no shock he also got the “Knockout of the Night” bonus.

After two decisions that questioned “Showtime’s” value in the division (a loss to Clay Guida and a win over Jeremy Stephens), pundits were unsure of Pettis would ever live up to the hype.

Consecutive first round knockouts over perennial contenders Joe Lauzon and Cerrone should shut the critics up and could potentially give Pettis a long-awaited rematch with UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson. Not a bad way to spend your 26th birthday.

WINNER

TJ Grant: It’s easy to overlook Grant’s ridiculous knockout of Matt Wiman since it was on the prelims and the main card was very strong … but wow, what a finish by the Canadian.

Grant and Wiman were both fringe contenders after convincing wins over Evan Dunham and Paul Sass, respectively, but Grant showed he is ready for a top 10 opponent.

After his win, Grant respectfully stated that he’d love a scrap with contender Jim Miller next. If Gray Maynard doesn’t want Miller next, Grant would make for a fun, exciting fight.

WINNER

Ricardo Lamas: The 30-year-old Lamas was just another face in the crowd at lightweight, but has really found his grove at 145-pounds.

He has really shored up his submission game and ground and pound since cutting the additional 10 pounds and it has paid big dividends.
His TKO win over Erik Koch was absolutely vicious, and marks his third win in a row over featherweight contenders (Cub Swanson and Hatsu Hioki) being the other two.

You can’t blame him for wanting the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Jose Aldo next week, especially since they are on the same fight schedule.

WINNER

Demetrious Johnson: The flyweight champ had some issues dealing with John Dodson’s power and counter striking early in the fight, getting dropped twice in round two alone.

However, “Mighty Mouse’s” experience and conditioning was the difference maker, simply obliterating the former “Ultimate Fighter” in the championship rounds.

The bout wasn’t without controversy due to Johnson’s knee to a downed opponent in the fourth round and UFC president Dana White added fuel to the fire by saying he would’ve deducted a point.

Regardless, an impressive win by Johnson and it’s tough to imagine who could beat him at 125-pounds.

BIGGEST LOSER

Donald Cerrone: “Cowboy” is a very respectable 6-2 inside the Octagon, but after losing to Nate Diaz at UFC 141 in Dec. 2011, he was fast-tracked to another title eliminator on Saturday.

The concept wasn’t insane: Cerrone was dominant in his two wins over Jeremy Stephens and Melvin Guillard, but that made his quick loss to Anthony Pettis that much more devastating.

Cerrone had nothing to offer against Pettis and was simply embarrassed before “Showtime” decided to end the fight at 2:35 in the first round.

By getting crushed in two title eliminator bouts in a little over a year, Cerrone has all but guaranteed he is never going to be more than a gatekeeper in the UFC’s lightweight division.

LOSER

Quinton Jackson: “Rampage” showed up against Glover Teixeira in great shape and showcased vintage striking and submission defense in the first two rounds.

The problem was both his striking and takedown defense were pretty porous and easily exploited by his Brazilian counterpart.

The former PRIDE star showed he still has some gas left in the tank, but his decision to move on from the UFC is hard to question. It will be interesting to see if Bellator gives him an offer or not.

LOSER

Erik Koch: Koch came into this fight with a 13-1 record and was scheduled to face featherweight title holder Jose Aldo twice in 2012, only for the fight to be derailed twice before Frankie Edgar jumped him in line.

It was all too predictable that he’d lose to the surging Ricardo Lamas Saturday night, but the fact that he won the first round only to suffer a devastating TKO in the second round is pretty insane.

Koch is a dynamic striker that has youth on his side (24-years-old), but he never deserved a fight with “Scarface” and this loss proves it. He was just in the right place at the right time and it will be interesting to see how he regroups from here.

LOSER

Clay Guida: With so many fighters suffering brutal knockouts at UFC on FOX 6, it may seem a little crazy to but a competitor who won a split decision in the loser column.

However, public perception is everything and the majority of fans and analysts believe that Guida should have lost his featherweight debut against Hatsu Hioki.

Guida was looking to be fast-tracked to a title shot with a convincing win over a top 10 featherweight, but “The Carpenter’s” recent style of scoring takedowns and defending submissions for rounds at a time isn’t going to raise his stock anytime soon.