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PATCHING: UFC Fan Bar Without the Grill 1/28 - Fight for the Troops 2 review, Tito Ortiz and more
Jan 28, 2011 - 5:50:49 PM

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By: Marc Patching, MMATorch Contributor

It's that time once again to meet around the table of UFC discussion and look back at some of the news making headlines in the last week.

A refill of soda – Tito Ortiz has no intention of retiring regardless of outcome against Lil Nog at UFC Fight Night 24

Do me a favor, can anyone answer the question "who does Ortiz think he is?" This is not a fighter on a winning streak, this is a fighter that hasn't won a fight since October of 2006 and commands $250,000 in base pay per fight. Regardless of the performances he has put in during the last four years, Ortiz is no where near as good as what he thinks he is. A defeat to Lil Nog will just add to that, and lesser the value of any fight(s) he has in the future. It's time for Tito to follow his nemesis Chuck Liddell, and retire gracefully with a bit of pride still intact should he lose that fight.

Nacho Chips and Cheese – A review of UFC Fight for the Troops 2

Okay, so my predictions for the main card of this event didn't quite go according to plan, though 3-2 isn't that bad. Let's just say that I won't be underestimating Matt Wiman and Melvin Guillard again, those two were very impressive in their respective victories.

Fight One: Matt Wiman defeated Cole Miller via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

It was a case of total domination virtually from the start to the finish from Wiman, as he totally destroyed a disappointing Cole Miller. The Sakaruba like punches thrown down by Wiman were also a nice touch, a little overused towards the end, but effective enough. The judge who scored the bout 29-28 should never judge in the UFC again, not sure what fight he was watching; in-fact he/she probably attended the same school of judging as those in the Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia fight back at the last Ultimate Fighter finale. Nonetheless, back to drawing board for Miller and a real statement of intent made by Matt Wiman.

Fight Two - Pat Barry defeated Joey Beltran via unanimous decision (30-27,29-28,29-28)

One of the things that really annoys me whilst watching any UFC fight, is when a fighter does not go in for the finish but instead attempts to play it safe. It's during these times that, as a fan watching the event, I wish the guy would get knocked out, just in a vain attempt to teach him a lesson. Pat Barry had every opportunity to finish Beltran; sure Beltran is one tough dude, but the opportunity was there and Barry didn't seize it. Now I could go on further, however Barry's speech at the end was very moving and appropriate for the event so I'll leave off him for now; besides, he did get the win!

Fight Three - Mark Hominick defeated George Roop via TKO

It's really hard to judge this fight, not because of the way Hominick looked, but more to do with the opponent he faced. However, Hominick's striking was right on the money and in a way justifies his billing as the number one contender to Jose Aldo's title. Unfortunately for Roop this may be the end of the road for now in the UFC.

Fight Four - Matt Mitrione defeated Tim Hague via TKO

As much as I would like to say that Mitrione has improved significantly over the last year or so, I can't help but say that Tim Hague seemed to be a hand-fed opponent for him. Let's face the facts, this was Hague's third (and final) chance in the UFC and he blew it just as the majority predicted. Mitrione will face a sterner test in the future, that's for sure.

Fight Five - Melvin Guillard defeated Evan Dunham via TKO.

If it wasn't for the impressive display earlier in the evening by Matt Wiman, then Guillard's would have been the shining light of the evening. I truly underestimated the quickness of his punches; it was almost breathtaking just watching it on television. You have to feel sorry for Dunham, just a few months ago he was the one to look out for in his division; now, after two consecutive defeats you wonder what's next for him. Guillard is seriously one, or possibly two fights away from a well earned title shot. He has paid his dues in the business, and has clearly learnt from the earlier set-backs in his career, something Dunham should take into consideration - that you can bounce back stronger than before.


A little more cheese – Looking forward to UFC 126 over UFC 127

So after much consideration and looking over the two events, UFC 126 is certainly the more stacked of the two, and that's without the debut of "Kid" Yamamoto being on the main card. For me there are three main reasons;

1) Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, as a title fight, is a better main event then BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch.
2) Two of the most exciting prospects currently in the UFC face each other in the Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader matchup
3) Miguel Torres!!

I'll be back next week with my predictions for UFC 126.