The stacked fight card for UFC 181 promised high-stakes action. It didn't disappoint.
The first shock of the night didn't even come from inside the cage, but rather from an announcement outside of it. Former WWE wrestler CM Punk was announced as the latest addition to the UFC roster, per Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report:
CM Punk announcement from the UFC. pic.twitter.com/85gsvJfAbG
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) December 7, 2014
However, the night was about much more than the addition of a crossover star. There were plenty of big things that happened that will shake up the UFC landscape at UFC 181. Here's a look at the results from the evening and some of the biggest storylines to develop.
UFC 181 Main Card
- Robbie Lawler def. Johny Hendricks, split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
- Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez, submission (Round 2, 1:53)
- Travis Browne def. Brendan Schaub, TKO (Round 1, 4:50)
- Todd Duffee def. Anthony Hamilton, knockout (Round 1, 0:33)
- Tony Ferguson def. Abel Trujillo, submission (Round 2, 4:19)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Urijah Faber def. Francisco Rivera, submission (Round 2, 1:34)
- Josh Samman def. Eddie Gordon, knockout (Round 2, 3:08)
- Corey Anderson def. Justin Jones, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Raquel Pennington def. Ashlee Evans-Smith, submission (Round 1, 4:59)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Sergio Pettis def. Matt Hobar, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Clay Collard def. Alex White, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Storylines of the Night
Josh Samman Has Serious Power
Entering UFC 181, Josh Samman was best known as "that one guy on that one season of The Ultimate Fighter." Now, he's best known as the guy who absolutely laid out Eddie Gordon with a head kick.
The 26-year-old showed some weaknesses on the ground. Gordon most likely won the first round with a controlling ground attack. However, it didn't take long for Samman to turn things on a dime in the second round.
An explosive left high kick immediately sent Gordon tumbling back to the mat so emphatically that Samman already raised his hands in victory before he hit the floor. A quick look at Twitter explained just how violent the knockout was:
OH. MY. GOD. What a knockout by Josh Samman! Holy cow
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) December 7, 2014
Amazing come from behind KO win from @JoshSamman brings the @MandalayBay crowd to their feet! #UFC181
— UFCONFOX (@UFCONFOX) December 7, 2014
Whelp. Josh Samman just won Knockout of the Night. Oh lordy. Good for him, too. Very emotional fight for him.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 7, 2014
Josh Samman with one of the most incredible head kick knockouts I have ever seen!
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) December 7, 2014
Samman still has a long way to go in his development as a fighter. That was just his second official UFC fight, and there were some weaknesses to be exploited. However, wins like that are the kind that can get a fighter noticed and moving toward bigger and better things.
Anthony Pettis Is a Special Athlete
Gilbert Melendez had a game plan against Anthony Pettis. He executed the game plan well.
It didn't matter. That's what happens when a fighter runs into an opponent who is simply superior to them.
In the first round, it looked like Melendez was going to be able to turn this bout into a classic. His ability to close the distance with Pettis and force the bout into a slugfest was perfect for neutralizing Showtime's powerful kicks.
But even a wonderfully executed game plan isn't enough to beat someone who is just better. Ultimately, Pettis' superior athleticism caught up to El Nino. The champion quickly latched onto a guillotine choke in the second round and forced the tap to retain his belt.
Melendez spoke to that athleticism after the fight, per Fight! Magazine:
Melendez: 'He made me feel a little old today with his speed.' Kind words for @Showtimepettis. #UFC181
— FIGHT! Magazine (@fightmagazine) December 7, 2014
Pettis might not be the traditional strong wrestler that fits the mold of most champions. He's never going to be a fighter who can go out and control an opponent with his grappling for five rounds. But he's able to utilize his quickness and speed to capitalize on favorable positions.
That makes him a dangerous champion moving forward.
We Have a New Welterweight Champion
The post-Georges St-Pierre welterweight era is far less secure than the era that preceded it.
The rematch between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler didn't quite live up to the first one. The two combatants combined for 229 total significant strikes landed. Their first bout brought about 308 of those strikes, per FightMetric.
However, it did illustrate a simple truth about the welterweight division—it's wide open.
Lawler earned the nod on two of the three judges' scorecards. But this was far from an emphatic win. In fact, it only served to spark even more interest in a third matchup of the two fighters to finally even the score after two nearly even bouts in the books.
Throw in the fact that we still don't know how No. 2 contender Rory MacDonald would do in the Octagon with either of these fighters, and it's clear that issues are far from resolved in the welterweight championship picture.
