UFC 126 Post-Fight Analysis: The Aftermath
The excitement the UFC 126 event generated was surely worth it. Silva had an electrifying knockout, Franklin and Griffin took the end, and Jon Jones had a surprisingly entertaining victory against Bader. So where do these fighters go from here and what do the results of February 5, 2011 mean for UFC fighters and their future?
Following Jon Jones’s performance, it was announced that he will fight Shogun Rua in just over a month from now at UFC 128 for the light heavyweight title. Jon Jones further proved his legitimacy as a competitor after putting undefeated UFC fighter Ryan Bader in a modified guillotine choke. Jon Jones had some key takedowns throughout the match against a fortified fighter to show his strength on the ground as well. Jones may be the toughest competitor Shogun has seen so far while defending his belt.
Reigning middleweight champion Anderson Silva continued his dominance over the middleweight class after defeating Vitor Belfort with a quick front kick to the face, which knocked out Belfort. The fight started without incident with both fighters circling for nearly three minutes until the knockout occurred. Could it be Silva’s next fight against St. Pierre? We won’t know until after the result of St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields, but if St. Pierre wins, this super fight could become a reality. As for Belfort, he will continue to be a strong competitor in the middleweight class. A return to fight Silva again after a while would not be unlikely.
The Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin fight went until the last minute. Both fighters are getting old and it takes each one to put in a good performance to show Dana White that they are still top-tier competitors. Forrest Griffin controlled most of the fight against Franklin and came out with a victory, but both fighters proved they had the ability to compete at an elite level. Franklin and Griffin will return for more matches in the UFC.
Other notes of the night include Jake Ellenberger defeating Carlos Rocha in a split decision, and Miguel Torres defeating Antonio Banuelos by unanimous decision. Anderson Silva received the award for knockout of the night; Jon Jones received the award presentation of the night; Donald Cerrone vs. Paul Kelly received the fight of the night award; These prizes are worth $ 75,000 in UFC bonuses.
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