Five Observations About UFC 150

Frankie Edgar seems to have a way of courting drama. Ever since Edgar won the lightweight title back in April 2010, he has only had one clean win, his shutout over B.J. Penn at UFC 118. His other fights have all had some element of controversy or near-defeat before victory. Win, lose or draw, it's always eventful in some way.

The agony of defeat was on Edgar's face shortly after the judges' decisions were read off at UFC 150. He clearly thought he won, and many fighters, media members and fans agreed. Of course, it wasn't so simple. Afterward, Dana White said that the division would move on, and Edgar knows he'd have a long climb back to the title challenger role in the lightweight division.

While Edgar didn't explicitly say he was moving down to featherweight, expect him to make his divisional debut there the next time he shows up to the octagon.

On to the observations...

1. Ben Henderson still has work to do to truly establish himself as the champion
The lightweight should certainly celebrate his accomplishment, because at the end of the day, the decisions of the judges are the only ones who truly count, and they believe Henderson beat Edgar twice. But let's face it, the fans make the sport, and lots of them believe Henderson lost one or even both of the matchups. Certainly, there are others who feel that he beat Edgar twice, but I'd guess that's a minority opinion.

Henderson started off the rematch brilliantly with his leg kicks, but after working to cut down Edgar's mobility, he didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to stop his lateral movement. That gave Edgar the space to employ his footwork, and that kept things closer than they could have been. Another surprise was that Henderson only tried one takedown. Where is the guy who had 10 takedowns in 11 tries in his first two UFC fights? If Henderson turns into a purely standup fighter, he won't be quite as difficult a puzzle to solve for future opponents like Nate Diaz. On the other hand, takedowns put him in danger of Diaz's subs. Because Diaz is dangerous everywhere, it's the kind of fight that can really, truly legitimize Henderson as the champion he already.

2. Body shots are criminally underused
You can understand why MMA fighters tend to become headhunters. With small gloves, it's easy to reason that you can put a punch through your opponents' defensive guard. But it isn't always so easy. Fighters protect their heads first and foremost. So why aren't there more body shots in MMA?

Leave it to a 20-year-old to show the veterans the effectiveness of the underused technique. Max Holloway used a liver shot as the key strike in his fight-ending sequence against Justin Lawrence. Generally speaking, body punching requires slightly more guts and confidence, because your hand move lower and further away from you, taking it longer to move back to defensive position. In other words, it leaves you a little more exposed than a head shot. But time and time again, we see that body shots well used are fight-changers.

3. We can probably close the book on Melvin Guillard as a contender
Guillard is still just 29 years old, so maybe this is a little premature, but his continued problems against the division's best names make him a long shot to get to the top of the lightweight division. To be sure, losses to fighters like Nate Diaz, Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone are nothing to be embarrassed about, but the fact of the matter is that Guillard has yet to earn the signature win that proves he can get over the hump.

Just as worrisome is the fact that he's been hurt with standup strikes in two of his last four fights. In the past it seemed like Guillard could be hit with a hammer and continue forward, but perhaps his long fight history is catching up to him. Guillard always shows flashes of brilliance, and it's easy to get caught up in those moments, but right now he still has a lot of work to do.

4. Fighting Jake Shields is like swimming against a riptide
Shields doesn't always fight pretty -- the Denver crowd largely booed his fight and his win -- but Shields knows what he's good at, and he tries not to deviate from it. Once Shields gets you to the ground, he's absolutely smothering. The thing about Shields that frustrates fans is that he rarely looks for ground strikes. When he does, he's often just using them as a diversion for his real goal, advancing position. Shields wants to force his opponent to make positional mistakes so he can advance his own, and then look for a submission. He didn't get the tapout against Ed Herman, but he did what he does best and got the win.

And that leads us to the last observation...

5. When you make a plan, try to stick to the plan
Shields did it on Saturday. His opponent, Ed Herman, did not. Herman opened up the fight smartly. Because he trains year-round in elevation, Herman felt he was going to have a conditioning advantage against Shields, and so decided to set a grueling first-round pace to tire Shields out. That was fine. The only problem is he never moved on to the second step of the plan, to open up and out-strike the slower, more tired fighter. Instead, he clinched and clinched, even when his corner told him to work free and let his hands go. Because of it, Shields rarely had to try to punch his way inside and risk strikes against him. Instead, he was already in a clinch, and got multiple takedowns as a result.

Things always look easier from the outside of the cage of course, but Herman got off to a smart start, and I'm sure when he thinks back, he will consider the fight a lost opportunity.

Grid View

• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson drills Frankie Edgar with a head kick during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Franke Edgar enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson gets checked out by the commission during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar face off during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson attempts a guillotine choke on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson's mother cheers for him during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson fires a kick to the ribs of Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar lands a right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar follows up on a dropped Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson gets corner advice between rounds during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos UFC Octagon ring girl Arianny Celeste during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson lands a knee on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson lands a head kick from the ground on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson taunts Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar lands a right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar lands an outside leg kick on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos UFC Octagon ring girl Brittney Palmer during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar lands another right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar fires a right hand to Ben Henderson's face during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson throws a knee to Frankie Edgar's ribs during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson is hit with a right hand by Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson raises their hands in victory during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson is declared the winner during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos UFC commentator Joe Rogan interviews Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Ben Henderson poses with coaches and teammates during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Melvin Guillard eats a head kick from Donald Cerrone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Donald Cerrone enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Donald Cerrone eats a left straight from Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Referee Josh Rosenthal stops the fight between Donald Cerrone and Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Donald Cerrone walks off after knocking Melvin Guillard out during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Donald Cerrone is declared the winner over Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Donald Cerrone poses with coaches during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields lands an elbow on Dave Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields hears his name announced before the fight during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields attempts a straight armbar on Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields' fingers nearly rake the eyes of Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields lands a body kick on Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jake Shields is declared the winner during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami tags Buddy Roberts with a right hand during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Buddy Roberts throws left hands during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Buddy Roberts lands a straight left on Yushin Okami during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami gets corner advice in between rounds during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami and Buddy Roberts exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami pounds on Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami ground and pounds Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami tries to lands punches on the back of Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami is pulled off by the referee during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami celebrates his victory over Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Yushin Okami is declared the winner over Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Fans of Yushin Okami celebrate his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Justin Lawrence blasts Max Holloway with a right hand during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Max Holloway and Justin Lawrence exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Msx Holloway nearly lands a left high kick on Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Justin Lawrence lands a spinning back fist on Max Holloway during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Justin Lawrence lands a jab on Max Holloway during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Max Holloway fires a knee to the ribs of Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Max Holloway connects with a left hook on Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Max Holloway follows up on a hurt Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Max Holloway celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Tommy Hayden and Dennis Bermudez exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez gets checked by the commission during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Tommy Harden works for a choke on the back of Dennis Bermudez during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez throws bombs from the top during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez locks up a guillotine on Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez celebrates his victory over Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez is declared the winner over Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Dennis Bermudez talks to UFC commentator Joe Rogan during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez rocks Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jared Hamman punches Michael Kuiper during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jared Hamman strikes Michael Kuiper during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Michael Kuiper drops Jared Hamman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Michael Kuiper finishes Jared Hamman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Jared Hamman appears to be in pain during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Michael Kuiper celebrates his TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez looks to finish Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez looks to finish Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez celebrates his win after Ken Stone is pulled off of him during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez celebrates his 17-second TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Erik Perez celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus battles Dustin Pague on the ground during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus battles Dustin Pague on the ground during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus elbows Dustin Pague in the face during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus celebrates after his fight during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus picks up a unanimous decison win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Chico Camus, second from right, celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Nik Lentz slams Eiji Mitsuoka during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Nik Lentz celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Nik Lentz celebrates his first-round TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
• UFC 150 Photos Nik Lentz celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.