The Sports Inquirer

Music to listen to: Natural Disaster by The Memorials

Some quick thoughts on UFC Live 5:

-Chris Lytle has shown that you can have a successful career as a “gatekeeper” in the UFC. 

When I mention someone has become a gatekepper for a division in the UFC, it has a negative connotation to many people.   The perception is that if you’re not fighting for a title, you’re not a worthy fighter to even be on a card.

The reality is that while fighters such as Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, Jon Jones, Rampage Jackson and other popular figures are important to increase the brand awareness of the UFC to audiences, you need people like Lytle just as much.

What has separated the UFC and really mixed martial arts from other combat sports like boxing is that the fight cards aren’t top heavy.   The UFC will always have a main event on a fight card that attracts people to watch, preferably a title contest, but you need guys like Josh Koscheck, Chris Lytle, Pat Berry and others to fill out the card and provide a good product overall for the fans.

Chris Lytle had 20 fights in the UFC, never fought for a title, yet was able to keep a job within the organization because he would consistently participate in good fights against top talent, winning some and losing others.  Lytle served as a measuring stick for other fighters to see if they were ready to move up the division.

The retirement came at a perfect time for him personally and professionally.  I’m sure that Lytle will be able to parlay his victory over Hardy into other opportunities outside of the octagon.

-Dan Hardy shouldn’t be cut from the UFC or Zuffa overall.  Losing four fights in a row usually gets you a pink slip from the UFC but Hardy is in a unique situation.

Hardy is an aggressive fighter who usually participates in entertaining contests that are pleasing to see, meaning that he likes to stand and bang and many people say.  Personally, I enjoy a fight with numerous ground initiatives just as much as a slugfest but I’m probably in the minority in that regard.

Furthermore, Hardy is still popular in Europe, particularly England.  It wouldn’t be smart to release a person who generates excitement in a market that you’re continually trying to grow.

I suggest that Zuffa hides Hardy in Strikeforce for his next fight.  If he can’t get a victory there or at least look good in a loss, than it may be time for the company to part ways with him.

-Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone are making things interesting in the lightweight division for the UFC.

The perception was that the fighters from the old WEC promotion such as Henderson, Cerrone, Faber, Brian Stann and others wouldn’t be able to cut it when they moved to the UFC.  However, that perception has to change immediately.

Henderson scored an impressive victory over Jim Miller and is starting to make a case to be a contender in the lightweight division.  Cerrone is starting to do the same after his qin over Charles Olivera to push his record to 3-0 in the UFC in 2011.

-Jim Miller showed why you can’t book title matches before the entire picture is made clear.

Dana White was hesitant to proclaim publically that Miller would get a lightweight title shot if the New Jersey native defeated Henderson at UFC Live 5 and with good reason.

It wasn’t that White didn’t have faith that Miller was good enough to earn the victory.  You just can’t make claims that guys are automatically going to get fights before they’ve even won the current fight on their schedule.

Its fun for fans to start projecting future fights and look ahead to exciting matchups but its hard to do this in any sport, let alone mixed martial arts.

Miller is still an excellent fighter and will probably stay in the title picture in the future but he had a setback against Henderson.

Those are my quick thoughts, what are yours?