UFC 133 had its share of surprises, ranging from the good to the bizarre. And while not everyone went away completely happy with what they saw -- particularly Dana White, who's distaste for speedos in the Octagon is now well documented -- it did make for an entertaining night.
Now that it's all over and we've had a day to decompress and digest, let's take a closer look at Saturday night's big winners, losers, and everything in between.
or "Rampage" Jackson for the title, but let's be real. The first Jackson-Evans fight wasn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination, and the blood seems to be a whole lot badder between Evans and Jones. If that fight does materialize down the road, it will be huge.
-- all very good fighters. But then, that's what the UFC is. If you can't pull out a win every once in a while, even in the tough ones, do you really deserve to be there?
. Thanks to Hallman's exhibitionism, Ebersole pocketed an extra $70,000. The least he could do now is give Hallman a few bucks to go get a decent pair of pants.
Biggest Matchmaking Question Mark: Vitor Belfort
so soon, and most of the other top middleweights are already spoken for. That means more waiting and more doubt, as the UFC struggles to find someone it can put in against Silva without it feeling like reruns.
, and there his inexperience cost him. There's no question that he has the physical tools. Now we just have to see if, despite his youth, he has the mental ones as well.
The mistakes he made in the "Rampage" Jackson fight -- reaching for half-hearted takedowns, following his opponent around the cage -- were on display again in his loss to Alexander Gustafsson. As a result, he was just as unsuccessful with his takedown attempts in this fight as he was in his last, and he made for an easy target once Gustafsson zeroed in on him with those uppercuts. Hamill is still a talented fighter who can give a lot of people problems, but something's got to change. I don't know whether it's his training camp or his mental approach, but if he keeps doing the same old thing every fight, he's going to end up with the same old results.
Most Gracious in Defeat: Tito Ortiz
Maybe he's benefiting here from having set the bar so low in recent years, but regardless, let's give the man some credit. After getting stopped by that brutal knee, Ortiz offered no excuses. He didn't come into the fight with a cracked skull. He wasn't plagued by back problems that would have left a normal man crying in a dark room. He was at his best, he said, and it just wasn't good enough. You see? That's how you take a loss with dignity. It's tough because, realistically, every fighter has excuses if he wants them. There's always something that didn't go quite right in training camp. There are always nagging injuries or old wounds or just a sluggish feeling that you can't explain. The problem is, fans don't want to hear it. At least, not right after the fight. Ortiz seems to have finally learned that, and hey, better late than never.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Ivan Menjivar defeated Nick Pace via unanimous decision at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Nick Pace (right) collides with Ivan Menjivar at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Ivan Menjivar kicks Nick Pace at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Johny Hendricks def. Mike Pierce via split decision at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Johny Hendricks raises his arms after his fight against Mike Pierce at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Johny Hendricks (right) punches Mike Pierce at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Johny Hendricks knees Mike Pierce at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Johny Hendricks kicks Mike Pierce at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rafael Natal def. Paul Bradley at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rafael Natal is ready to face Paul Bradley at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Chad Mendes talks to Joe Rogan after his win over Rani Yahya at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Chad Mendes def. Rani Yahya via unanimous decision at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Chad Mendes ground and pounds Rani Yahya at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Chad Mendes punches Rani Yahya at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Chad Mendes is ready to face Rani Yahya at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Alexander Gustafsson def. Matt Hamill via second-round TKO at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Alexander Gustafsson celebrates after his TKO over Matt Hamill at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Alexander Gustafsson TKOs Matt Hamill at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Alexander Gustafsson pounds away on Matt Hamill at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Matt Hamill tries for the takedown against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Matt Hamill is introduced to fans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Alexander Gustafsson enters the cage for his fight against Matt Hamill at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Mike Pyle is checked on after his TKO loss to Rory MacDonald at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald beats Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald celebrates after stopping Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald celebrates after stopping Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald punches Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald punches Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Mike Pyle escapes from a guillotine choke by Rory MacDonald at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald attempts a guillotine choke against Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rory MacDonald enters the cage to face Mike Pyle at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort knocks out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort gets face to face with Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort acknowledges the crowd before his fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort makes his entrance to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Yoshihiro Akiyama awaits Vitor Belfort at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Constantinos Philippou beats Jorge Rivera via split decision at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Constantinos Philippou clashes with Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
The guest Octagon Girl Chrissy Hubbard holds up the round sign at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Constantinos Philippou punches a turtled Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort celebrates with teammates after his win over Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort walks to his corner after beating Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Vitor Belfort lays out Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Dennis Hallman is introduced at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Brian Ebersole waits for his fight to begin at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Brian Ebersole ground and pounds Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Brian Ebersole ground and pounds Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Brian Ebersole stops Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Brian Ebersole defeats Dennis Hallman at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz is helped to his feet after his loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans TKOs Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans TKOs Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans TKOs Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans tries to trap Tito Ortiz in a crucifix at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz attempts a guillotine on Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans ground and pounds Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans punches Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans punches Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans waits for the fight to start at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans greets Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz electrifies the crowd at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Bruce Buffer announces the main event fighters at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz looks at Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans gets introduced to face Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans enters the cage to face Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans enters to fight Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz gets pumped to face Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans pounds away at Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz disappointed with his loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Tito Ortiz greets Dana White after the fight at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Rashad Evans beats Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Jorge Rivera readies to face Constantinos Philippou at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Constantinos Philippou moments away from facing Jorge Rivera at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Mike Brown beats Nam Phan via unanimous decision at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Nam Phan punches Mike Brown at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Nam Phan punches Mike Brown at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Nam Phan punches Mike Brown at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Nam Phan punches Mike Brown at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Mike Brown stands on his corner at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Mike Brown dominates Nam Phan in the first round at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Paul Bradley accidentally pokes Rafael Natal in the eye at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Paul Bradley (right) punches Rafael Natal at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Paul Bradley clashes with Rafael Natal at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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UFC 133 Fight Night Photos
Paul Bradley attempts to take down Rafael Natal at UFC 133 on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
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Most Fun: Brian Ebersole
There's a fine line between not taking yourself too seriously and turning yourself into a walking joke, and right now Ebersole is walking it perfectly. From his horsing around backstage to his signature hairrow, he stands out without being ridiculous. More importantly, he also comes to fight. The beating he put on Hallman was positively brutal. Who wants to pipe up and say something about his chest hair after seeing that? He seems to have a good grasp on when it's time to joke around and when it's time to be serious, which is exactly what separates an entertainer from a clown. He's now 2-0 in the UFC with wins over two high-level veterans of the sport. For his next fight, it might be nice to see him face an opponent who's a little closer to his prime (in other words, maybe not Matt Serra, as Ebersole suggested), but either way I'll still be watching with great interest. In a sport that sometimes feels overrun with grim tough guys, it's nice to have an equally dangerous jokester around to lighten the mood from time to time.
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