UFC 183 RECAP

By: Michael Gilman @MikeyGilz

After a night mixed with performances ranging from highly entertaining to highly confusing, UFC 183 is officially in the books. Let’s get the run down of some of tonight’s action in this weeks re-cap!

John Lineker def. Ian McCall via Unanimous Decision: A highly entertaining fight from 1.5 members of the UFC”s 125 division saw John Lineker take an impressive unanimous decision victory of Ian McCall, proving what eye pokes, groin shots and greasing and deflated footballs have already shown us… Cheating helps you win. Seriously. John Lineker should consult with a doctor to remove any needless pieces of vestigial body parts to help him make the flyweight limit, because he is a very impressive fighter who is just pissing into the winds of a title shot by missing weight. Who knows where Lineker goes from here, but my guess is 135lbs. At 2-3 in his last five fights, McCall should focus his training on not getting punched in the face so much if he hopes to get back to the top of the division.

Miesha Tate def. Sara McMann via Majority Decision: The marketing machine of the UFC is going to be partying “Hangover” hard after super-marketable Miesha Tate weathered the early storm to come back and defeat the opposite of super-marketable, Sara McMann. A great display of heart and grit from Tate to come back and use her grappling to “McMann-handle” (HA!) the Olympic wrestling silver-medalist , McMann. With the win, Tate can still be a face for the UFC to showcase in the women’s 135 division. She won’t be fighting for a title any time soon, but she is the perfect female fighter to put on a Fox card to help get eyes on other contenders. As for McMann, it’s back to the drawing board. If you’re an unmarketable grinder who has already lost to Rousey and Tate… good luck.

Thiago Alves def. Jordan Mein via 1st Round TKO: I remember one time I was rounding third base with the best looking girl in my high school when her dad came home and ended my night in less time than it took you to read this sentence. That must be how Jordan Mein feels right now. After punishing the UFC veteran, Alves, for the entire first round, Mein stepped to the center of the cage in the second round and promptly had his soul kicked to the Underverse. Thiago Alves showed amazing heart his trademark lunch money-taking power to earn his 2nd win in a row since returning from his two-year layoff from the Octagon. Expect Alves to challenge a top 10 Welterweight in his next fight to see where he truly stands in today’s UFC.

Thales Leites def. Tim Boetsch via 2nd round arm-triangle: After some early success on the feet, Tim Boetsch was easily outclassed on the ground by the super(ior) grappler, Leites. After narrowly escaping one arm-triangle, Leites(and his grotesquely swollen face) immediately transitioned to the opposite side and secured the same choke for the victory. Tim Boetsch is what he is, a tough gatekeeper for anyone the UFC wants to launch into the top ten, and that’s exactly what happened tonight. Leites has been on a tear since being released from the UFC back in 2009, compiling an 11-1 record since then without seeing a loss since mid 2010. Expect to see Leites face a stiffer test in his next fight with an entire top ten full of fresh foes.

Al Iaquinta def. Joe Lauzon via WTF was the ref thinking TKO: I understand this is MMA, and I want to see “JUST BLEED” fights as much as the next guy, but I have no idea what the referee was thinking when he let this fight go on for as long as he did. Joe Lauzon was staggering around the cage like a drunkard for the better part of 30 seconds before the referee had finally had his blood thirst quenched and waved it off. The win puts Iaquinta at 6-2 in the UFC and a step in the direction of the top 15. You have a better chance of winning the Powerball than you do getting to the top of the UFC 155 division, but Iaquinta could have a bright future ahead of him if he continues to prosper under Serra/Longo. As for Lauzon, stop laying wood to the ref’s wife.

Tyron Woodley def. Kelvin Gastelum by Split (!) Decision: Split decision? Whatever. I can’t help but look at Tyron Woodley and think “He should be better than he is. He has every physical gift imaginable but just never seems to have “it.” He fought the worst Kelvin Gastelum we’ve seen in a while and never really seemed to be able to put it together. I think Woodley has what it takes to compete with the very best if he can just take that next step. Speaking of Gastelum, he was effectively beaten out of the welterweight division tonight, as Dana confirmed in the post-fight presser that Kelvin is now officially a middleweight.

Anderson Silva def. Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision: After some first round antics from Nick Diaz, including laying down on the mat and turning his back to Anderson, the fight really seemed to stay at a low simmer throughout the entire 25 minutes. Nick landed a solid amount of kicks and punches, but never really seemed to threaten Silva in any physical way. Silva landed harder and with more accuracy throughout the fight and Diaz’ face was worse for the wear as a result. For me, the fight was “meh” at best, with the most entertaining moment coming in the post fight interview when Nick claimed to think he won all five rounds. Who knows where either guy goes from here? Both could retire, both could fight GSP next, both could throw spinning shit. Idk, I’m out.