Thoughts from UFC on Versus 5 and Lowkick.com’s Main Card Awards

I personally didn’t really have the highest of expectations going into the UFC on Versus 5 last night. In my head, I knew this would be a fun card, but I didn’t think it would be as good as it turned out to be. From the Facebook preliminaries to the main TV card, it was full on action and entertainment. There was something for everybody on Sunday night from grappling matches to slugfests and exciting displays of technique.  The UFC on Versus 5 card wasn’t the most star studded event in our sport’s history, but it could potentially be fight card of the year. Were there any title shot implications on the card? What were my highlights of the event? Check out my notes below and the always popular Lowkick.com UFC on Versus 5 main card awards.

Thoughts and questions from UFC on Versus 5:

–Duane Ludwig is no “spring chicken” in the fight game, he’s been around for a long time but he didn’t fight like an old man at all against Amir Sadollah. Saying Duane is a high level striker in Mixed Martial Arts is an understatement. A man who at one time competed at the highest level of K-1 MAX says a lot about your striking abilities. At the age of 33, Ludwig showcased his well-rounded skills combined with his kickboxing background to put on a clinic against Amir Sadollah.

-Does anyone else think the UFC is throwing Charles Oliveira to the wolves too soon? The kid is only 21 and his career is just starting to get off the ground. Already they are booking him against the likes of Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. “The Cowboy” finished off “Do Bronx” in devastating fashion last night in the 1st round via TKO and what an exclamation mark victory. I think Oliveira will be back and with time he’ll live up to the hype that made him a top prospect to begin with.

-Last night was witnessed the best Ben Henderson ever seen in the cage. He destroyed Jim Miller, derailed his seven fight win streak, and took away his shot at the lightweight title with a unanimous decision. “Smooth” looked very good in his fight showcasing superior striking, power, speed, and submission defense. In my opinion it is too early for Ben Henderson to get a title shot at the lightweight strap, but if he puts on a repeat performance in his next fight I think he should get a chance to win that belt. Cerrone vs. Henderson 3 anyone? The lightweight division in our sport hasn’t looked any better, especially with many of Strikeforce’s top 155ers looking to make the jump to the Octagon. The potential match ups are endless.

-To be brutally honest, I felt Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle shouldn’t have been the main event. I understand they were the highlight of the card due to name value, but I feel like the matchup between Henderson and Miller should have been the headliner. However, with this being Chris Lytle’s last fight the main event took on a whole new meaning and it didn’t disappoint. Lytle lured Hardy into a boxing match for three rounds and tagged the Brit numerous times. In the last minutes of the final round, for some reason Dan Hardy attempted a takedown which would lead to his demise in the form of a guillotine choke in the 3rd round. Lytle gets to ride off into the sunset with two bonus rewards and a brand new Harley-Davidson, making him the only (to my knowledge) fighter to retire on a high note. Dan Hardy having lost four straight still has his UFC job, but expect his next fight to have a whole lot on the line.

-The Facebook preliminaries I had a chance to see were awesome! I really enjoyed the grappling clinic by UFC newcomer Jimy Hettes and Alex Caceres which Jimy won via submission. Also Joseph Benavidez displayed some awesome techniques against Eddie Wineland in a fight that was more than worthy of being on the Versus portion of the card.

Lowkick.com UFC on Versus 5 main card awards:

Fight of the Night – Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle put on a hell of a show in a card that contained more than one fight of the night candidate. Honorable mentions go out to Ben Henderson vs. Jim Miller and Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland.

Performance of the Night – We all knew Ben Henderson was good, but he showed off the best performance of his career against Jim Miller last night.

Finish of the Night – Chris Lytle’s guillotine finish won’t be soon forgotten anytime soon. It wasn’t the most spectacular submission I’ve ever seen, but that being the final chapter in Lytle’s career it’s more of a sentimental choice.

Disappointment of the Night – Dan Hardy showed fight fans how to block punches with his face last night. As a fighter “The Outlaw” hasn’t shown much progress and he really needs to step up his game if he wants to continue being with the world’s most popular promotion.

What your memories and “awards” from last night? Drop your two cents in the comment box and let’s take this discussion further Lowkickers!