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1. Jon Jones is officially an elite light-heavyweight.
Mr. Jones got a thing going on...
Not many fighters on the planet can claim such a diverse and advanced skill set. The lovechild of Anderson Silva, Karo Parisyan, and Randy Couture has ripped through the sea of the UFC's light-heavyweight division like a maelstrom, leaving a vast wake of destruction in his path.
The virtually undefeated phenom is the best young fighter in all of MMA, and at just 22-years of age it's scary to think that Jones has not yet come close to his full potential. Jones, already among the best strikers in the light-heavyweight division, and certainly the divisions' most creative, has, in back-to-back fights, out-grappled and pounded-out two of the divisions best wrestlers: 2004 U.S. Olympic team freestyle participant Matt Hamill, and highly underrated Greco-Roman practitioner Brandon Vera.
Add his elite-level creative striking, and now clearly elite grappling and ground-and-pound skills to his Dhalsim-like reach and devastating throws, and it looks like Greg Jackson's second light-heavyweight title holder could be just one or two fights away.
2. It's time to mention Junior dos Santos in the same breath as Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, and Cain Velasquez.
When MMA historians look back upon our beloved sport, 2008 will stand out the year of the UFC heavyweight division's resurgence. Current champion Brock Lesnar, and undefeated top contenders Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez all debuted that year with much fanfare.
Touted as the "Big Three" by Yahoo Sports before they debuted, fans, reporters, and even the UFC itself, counted on these three blue-chip prospects to bring new blood into the UFC's stale heavyweight division; and the trio would not disappoint. All three lived up to their enormous potential, and each has now reached the top of their division where they are now poised to battle amongst one another for divisional supremacy.
However, 2008 also marked the debut of a no-name, stand-up fighter from Brazil named Junior dos Santos. The then 23-year-old was essentially "fed" to a surging Fabricio Werdum who was on the fast track to a title fight after consecutive knockout victories over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera. Werdum was expected to easily run though the fresh-faced newcomer en route to a possible title fight with then UFC heavyweight interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but a heavy dos Santos right-uppercut drastically changed the trajectory of both men's lives.
Werdum was subsequently released from the UFC, while dos Santos continued to knock out good fighters. Stefan Struve, Mirko Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, and now Gabriel Gonzaga have all fallen to the thunder in dos Santos hands; and we've yet to see the stoic Nogueira disciple in any kind of trouble during those fights. With his decisive win last night, dos Santos now takes his rightful place along side Lesnar, Carwin, and Velasquez as the future of the UFC's heavyweight division.
3. Cheick Kongo can out-wrestle a boxer.
Cheick Kongo has always been the beautiful girl with the rockin' body, but not too much upstairs. She's fun to go out with for awhile, but ultimately you get bored... and now you just drunk dial her once in a while when you couldn't score at the bar.
Follow me now, I'm bringing it back.
Kongo has all the requisite physical qualities to be a solid contender in the UFC's heavyweight division. He's strong as an ox, and has great kickboxing. He tantalizes fans with his physical skills and sexy knockout power, but he no ground game what-so-ever. No substance to be a real contender, right?
Well, my contention about Kongo's game hasn't changed with his ground-and-pound win over tough-as-nails, Paul Buentello, but let's give him a little credit. It's clear that Kongo's been working on his ground game, and he was able to out-wrestle Buentello and get a decently well-rounded victory, for whatever that's worth.
We'll check in on him again after he faces another wrestler.
4. Brendan Schaub has re-established himself as a top UFC heavyweight prospect.
The last time we saw Schaub, he was face down on the canvas after getting crushed by veteran Roy Nelson at The Ultimate Finale 10. Schaub came into that fight undefeated in four pro fights, knocking out each of his opponents in less than a-minute-and-a-half.
After running through the field on "The Ultimate Fighter" 10, Schaub was pitted against the show's only veteran in Nelson, a former IFL champion. It may have been too big of a step up in competition too quickly for Schaub, who looked like a world-beater against his peers (fellow MMA newcomers) en route to a the show's finale.
In any event, Shane Carwin's understudy got back on track against Chase Gormley last night, knocking out the All-American wrestler in just 47-seconds, and reminding fans that his athletic frame and big power can be a dangerous combination.
5. Gabriel Gonzaga is now officially a heavyweight gatekeeper.
Webster's Dictionary defines "gatekeeper" as a, "person who has charge of a gate and controls who may pass through it."
In fighting, we label someone a gatekeeper if they consistently defeat mediocre or average fighters, but consistently lose to elite fighters.
Gonzaga's UFC wins: Kevin Jordan, Fabiano Scherner, Carmelo Marrero, Mirko Filipovic, Justin McCully, Josh Hendricks, Chris Tuchscherer
Gonzaga's UFC losses: Randy Couture, Fabricio Werdum, Shane Carwin, Junior dos Santos
That is all.
