Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held an overseas event for the first time this year for as UFC on FUEL TV 7: "Barao vs. McDonald" went down yesterday (Feb. 16, 2013) in London.
Five of the 11 bouts on the card ended inside the distance while the co-main and main event ended in judge's decisions, respectively.
Interim UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao successfully defended his interim title for the first time in the main event with a four-round submission victory over Michael McDonald.
Also, on the undercard on FUEL TV; Cub Swanson, Jimi Manuwa, Gunnar Nelson, James Te Huna, and Matt Riddle picked up victories over their respective opponents.
In a sport like mixed martial arts (MMA), each bout can only have one winner and one loser. Earning a victory inside the world-famous Octagon is the highest of highs while suffering a defeat in front of millions of viewers can be the lowest of lows.
Every competitor who steps foot in the cage is looking for that moment of glory. Some capture it, others don't.
There were several shining stars on the UFC on FUEL TV 7 fight card as well as an equal amount of disappointments. With that said, it's time to name the biggest winner and biggest loser from the event in London.
The biggest winner of the night was Renan Barao. The Brazilian methodically picked apart Michael McDonald in the UFC on FUEL TV 7 main event en route to a fourth-round submission victory and his first interim bantamweight title defense. Barao was never overly aggressive in the fight; he picked his shots and landed pinpoint strikes when he needed to. When the opportunity arose to end the fight with a submission off a scramble in the fourth round, the 25-year-old took advantage and secured an arm-triangle choke. Barao is quickly making a case as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world as he has won 20 fights in a row and is undefeated in 31-straight fights. There aren't many big significant match ups to make in the bantamweight division, but Barao vs. undisputed champion Dominick Cruz is certainly a bout that stands out at 135-pounds.
With his fourth-straight win, Cub Swanson tied the record for longest win-streak in UFC featherweight history with his unanimous decision victory over Dustin Poirier in the UFC on FUEL TV 7 co-main event. Swanson had his ups and downs throughout the contest, but going into the third round of what was likely an even fight, the Team Jackson-Winkeljohn product stepped up to the plate and ensured he won the final frame decisively. While he may not have got the stoppage win, Swanson became just the third man to defeat Poirier and there's no denying he is one of the top contenders at 145-pounds.
Danny Castillo deserves a tip of the cap for making Paul Sass look helpless over three rounds on the preliminary portion of the card. "Last Call" picked up a unanimous decision to rebound from his knockout loss to Michael Johnson last year, showing his mental strength to come back from a highlight reel loss. .
The biggest loser of the night was Michael McDonald. "Mayday" came up short in his first-ever UFC title fight, succumbing to a fourth-round submission at the hands of Renan Barao. McDonald put in a valiant effort over the course of the 15-plus minute battle; however, he failed to make history by becoming the youngest champion in UFC history. The upside for the 22-year-old is exactly that, he's 22. There is a tremendous amount of room to grow going forward but that does not change the fact he came up short on the biggest stage of them all, making him the biggest loser of the evening.
Jorge Santiago once again failed to deliver the goods inside the Octagon as the Brazilian kicked off his third UFC stint on a low note with a unanimous decision loss to Gunnar Nelson. Santiago is a talented fighter, but it seems that once he steps under the bright lights of the UFC he crumbles and can't get the job done. The 32-year-old lasted the three-round duration of the fight against a grappling sensation, but that doesn't mean much when the end results is a 1-5 UFC record dating back to 2006.
Ryan Jimmo was inches away from a knockout victory but could not manage to come through with the victory as he allowed James Te Huna to come back from a major first-round deficit to earn a unanimous decision win. The Canadian look sharp from the outset, landing a clean head kick early on. Jimmo's downfall was his inability to finish the fight as Te Huna regained his composure and took over the action to score the win. Following a seven-second knockout in his UFC debut, Jimmo looked on his way to an equallu impressive sophomore effort, but it simply was not to be. On top of the sting of his opponent coming back, Jimmo saw his 17-fight win-streak come to an end and was handed his first defeat since his debut MMA fight in 2007.
Josh Grispi fell to 0-4 under the UFC banner and is likely going to receive his walking papers from the organization following his fourth consecutive loss. Andy Ogle controlled Grispi to a decision loss in a fight that perfectly summed up how underwhelming his most recent string of performances has been. "The Fluke" looked promising in the early going when he nearly locked up a submission on Ogle, but once things began to get a little shaky Grispi's confidence plummeted and the 24-year-old unraveled. It's clear at this point Grispi has no business competing with the world's elite in the UFC, but the one upside for him is the fact he is still young and has time to rebuild.
Who were your biggest winner and loser from UFC on FUEL TV 7? Let us know in the comments in the comment section below.