This past Saturday night, the UFC hit Austin, Texas with their Fight Night series and a card headlined by featherweights Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. Edgar was able to put on a strong performance and he finished Swanson late in the fight to stake his case for the next title shot at Featherweight. Unfortunately, the UFC brass’ infatuation with Ireland’s Conor McGregor means Edgar may still have more work to do before earning another shot at the belt.
UFC 181 also featured two fights in the flyweight division as Chico Camus beat Brad Pickett and Joseph Benavides got a ‘W’ over Dustin Ortiz. Benavides has created a log jam in a division without a full roster, as he has lost two title bids but continues to be a dominant force in the weight class. The next title challenger for champion Demetrious Johnson is likely to come from among Ian McCall, Jussier da Silva or Zack Mackovsky, but if the UFC wants to have a contender developed beyond that, they will avoid putting Dustin Ortiz in there with Benavides.
Also in this blog, we look ahead to the lines for UFC 181’s two title fights. Welterweights Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler meet on Dec. 6, as do lightweights Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez, and we take a look at the lines and where they stand right now.
