UFC’s third trip to Vancouver, Canada played out the way the local fans hoped, as native British Columbian Rory MacDonald (pictured) scored the most impressive (in this writer’s eyes) victory of the night in the co-Main Event. The rest of the card at UFC 174 played out in a fairly straightforward, and, at times, lackluster, manner. Still, there were plenty of new storylines to take away from Saturday night’s action. Here’s what we learned from the UFC’s sixth Pay-Per-View event of the year.
‘Ares’ title shot is coming…soon
Watch out Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald is coming for your belt and he’s gaining momentum. The 24-year old’s dismantling of fellow top contender Tyron Woodley left no doubt that Ares is, with Robbie Lawler, one of the two biggest threats to Bigg Rigg’s title reign.
MacDonald was on the attack from the outset, as he charged across the Octagon and forced Woodley to the fence almost immediately. The crowd favorite thrilled the fans by continuing the aggressive onslaught for the full three rounds and earning a 30-27 victory on all three scorecards.
A waiting game is likely up next for MacDonald. He has lost just twice in his pro career, but one of those came in a split-decision against Lawler. A rematch between those two to see who gets the next title shot seems like a logical decision, especially since MacDonald seems to be rapidly improving. Whether Ares gets his shot this year or next, it’s coming and the bearded Bigg Rigg should be prepared.
Demetrious Johnson is alone at the top
As of right now, it’s clear that ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson has no match in the flyweight division. The technically superb fighter dominated challenger Ali Bagautinov for five rounds, getting taken down twice but still managing to win all five rounds on each of the judge’s scorecards. It was an efficient, economical fight for the champ, who has now defended his flyweight title four times and remains the only fighter ever to hold the belt in the UFC’s 125-pound division.
Johnson’s win opened up some questions, however. It’s unclear whether such a workmanlike effort, brilliant as it was, will encourage casual fans to buy Pay-Per-Views headlined by flyweights in the future. Obviously, Johnson’s only responsibility as a fighter is to win; it’s not his job to promote his fights. On the other hand, his division would be in a much better place in the minds of the UFC brass if he had scored a highlight knockout, especially on a night when most fights ended in decisions. Will we see flyweights in a Main Event again? If the fans that headed for the parking lot before the Main Event ended are any indication, the answer is, “Not in the near future.”
Ryan Bader deserves more top-quality competition
I mentioned in my preview column for this event that Bader has been looking for a win against a big-name opponent in order to move up the rankings from the lower top-10 of the light heavyweight division into the circle of elite contenders chasing Jon Jones. No. 11 Rafael Cavalcante seemed like a decent challenge for ‘Darth’ Bader but the winner of Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter rolled through the former Strikeforce champion like a hot knife through butter, winning all three rounds handily and expertly staying away from the heavy-handed Cavalcante’s power.
Once again Bader showed that he is at least worthy of a fight against the upper echelon of the 205-pound division. We’ve been here before with the 31-year old, however. We’ve seen him get manhandled by Glover Teixeira, Lyoto Machida and even Jones himself, before Bones was the champ. If he gets another fight against a top-5 opponent, will the result be the same? He certainly deserves a shot after his evisceration of Cavalcante, but he’ll have to show fans that he’s finally ready to take the next step in his pursuit of a rematch with Jones.
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
