Nate Diaz bounced back from two straight losses to beat always dangerous Melvin Guillard. Diaz was arguably losing the fight before catching his opponent in a modified guillotine to end the bout in the second round. Gray Maynard stayed undefeated with a win over Roger Huerta, vaulting him near the top of the pack in the lightweight division. The third round was the difference as the two battled it out on the feet for the first two rounds before Maynard finally scored a takedown in the third, controlling most of the round and nearly securing a shoulder lock to finish the fight. Carlos Condit came back from a first round loss to earn a split decision victory over Jake Ellenberger. It was the first UFC win for the former WEC welterweight champion and it puts Condit right back in the mix as a contender in the welterweight division. In the opening fight of the night Nate Quarry survived a beating to earn a close decision win against Tim Credeur.
What’s Next for the Winners?
The win for Diaz should put him back on track. Although he’s no where near title contention, the victory ensures his next fight will be another marquee opponent. With Gray Maynard probably needing one more fight before a possible title shot, Maynard vs. Diaz, a rematch from their semi-final bout in The Ultimate Fighter season five, could be an interesting fight.
Maynard has to be considered next in line for a shot at the lightweight belt after Diego Sanchez, but with the Penn vs. Sanchez tilt not happening until December, another fight for the “The Bully” before a title shot is pretty likely. Nate Diaz and Joe Stevenson would both be fine choices.
Condit’s win should put him back into title contention. Martin Kampmann and Mike Swick were supposed to fight to determine who would be George St. Pierre’s next opponent, but a concussion suffered by Swick forced him to drop out of the fight leaving the number one contender slot wide open once again. Chances are, if Kampmann win’s his next fight he will be the logical choice, leaving Swick and now possibly Condit to see who’s next. A Swick vs. Condit fight once Swick recovers is a definite possibility.
The win for Nate Quarry makes it his fourth in his last five fights. A top ten opponent for his next fight is probably in his future as he tries to earn another title shot in the middleweight division. UFC newcomer Yoshihiro Akiyama seems like a good fit.
What’s Next for the Losers?
Melvin Guillard and Roger Huerta both lost close fights and will be eager to get right back in the octagon to redeem them selves. These two guys have exciting styles and it makes sense to pair these two up for their next bout.
After dropping their fights against Condit and Quarry, it will be back to the drawing board for Jake Ellenberger and Tim Credeur. Although both men sport impressive records these match ups were a chance for these fighters to get to the next level. The losses will keep them off the radar a little while longer.
