UFC on FOX 11 had some of the UFC’s biggest names on a stacked main card. The event, altogether, delivered, and was undoubtedly enjoyed by the masses worldwide.
In a match-up of Heavyweight title contenders, Travis Browne battled Fabricio Werdum in the main event. After 25 minutes of thrilling action, Fabricio Werdum scooped the judges’ scorecards for a Unanimous Decision victory. The Brazilian also made history on the night by being the first fighter to land a successful takedown on Travis Browne.
Werdum dominated the first three rounds, landing multiple takedowns along with slick combinations on his feet. Browne tried forging a late comeback in the latter rounds but fatigue eventually caught up, and he wasn’t able to pull off anything substantial.
It was, however, later reported that Browne had suffered a broken hand and a possible broken rib during the tussle, which may have explained why the American’s performance wasn’t on par with his previous outings.
The women took center stage in the co-main event, as Miesha Tate triumphed over Liz Carmouche in a hardly contested affair. Carmouche had a strong showing in the first round, scoring takedowns at will en route to an easy 10-9 lead. But Tate’s huge Guillotine choke attempt towards the end of the second round evened the score 20-20 heading into round three. Tate, though, was dominant in the final five minutes, and at one point, came close to submitting Carmouche with a Rear-Naked Choke as well. She took home a Unanimous Decision victory in the end.
Elsewhere, Donald Cerrone secured a spectacular come-from-behind submission victory over Edson Barboza. In the main card’s opener, ‘The Soldier of God’ Yoel Romero showcased his wrestling prowess by out-wrestling division staple Brad Tavares for a lopsided decision win.
So with that, it’s that time again where we at MMASucka.com play “matchmaker” and derive match-ups that could materialize for the main card winners. Sitting on the matchmaker’s armchair is no easy task by any standards so if your solutions differ from ours, state them in the comments section below.
Let’s get started!
- Name: Yoel Romero (8-1)
- Who he should face next: Winner of Luke Rockhold (11-2) vs. Tim Boetsch (17-6) at UFC 172
After beating a top ranked contender in Brad Tavares on Saturday night, former Olympic wrestler, Yoel Romero, might have neatly secured a spot in the top ten rankings. Romero is easily one of the division’s hottest talents right now and it would only be fitting for the Cuban to continue his string of match-ups against top opponents. Luke Rockhold takes on Tim Boetsch at UFC 172 next weekend and it would be sensible to have the winner of that bout face Romero next in the summer.
- Name: Donald Cerrone (23-6, 1 N/C)
- Who he should face next: Michael Johnson (15-8)
A match-up between veterans in the UFC’s Lightweight division, Cerrone-Johnson is a sure-fire favorite to deliver fireworks. And mind you, this isn’t a step down in competition for Cerrone by all standards. Michael Johnson has established himself as one of the division’s menacing strikers, and with a three-fight winning skid in his pocket, he’s rightfully earned a shot at one of the division’s top contenders. This bout has all the ingredients in place for an actual classic. Expect a striking clinic between the two as well, should this match-up materialize in the near future.
- Name: Miesha Tate (14-5)
- Who she should face next: Rematch w/ Sarah Kaufman (17-2, 1 N/C)
Sarah Kaufman topped Miesha Tate under the Strikeforce banner in 2009, however, both women have improved in leaps and bounds since that meeting. Although Tate has had a lot of downs since linking up with the UFC ranks, she’s still considered to be in the upper echelon of the women’s Bantamweight division. Likewise, in fact, can be said of Kaufman too, who gained her first UFC victory this week at the TUF: Nations Finale. As yet, neither fighter is in the picture for a title shot, so perhaps this match up will give us an indication of who deserves to be in the contenders pit and who does not.
- Name: Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1)
- Who he should face next: Cain Velasquez (13-1)
It was predetermined before the event that the winner of Werdum-Browne would face the champ, Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title next. Werdum enters this bout on a run of four straight wins. The Brazilian looks ever-impressive with each passing match-up, and could prove to be Velasquez’s toughest test to date. The champ, meanwhile, needs no introductions. His credentials are nothing short of stellar and as with previous title defenses, he will be the favorite heading into this one. While not official, the bout is expected to take place in Mexico by year’s end.
For full UFC on FOX 11 results, click here.
*Pictures credit: Ultimate Fighting Championship
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