Thoughts & Shots: UFC on Fox 17

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Rafael dos Anjos ended Donald Cerrone’s eight-fight winning streak and cemented himself as one of the most destructive forces in MMA today with his 66-second dismantling of “Cowboy” in the UFC on Fox 17 main event on Saturday. The rematch of their summer 2013 encounter, also won by dos Anjos, was another one-sided affair but this one did not go the full 15 minutes.

Dos Anjos pounded the challenger to the body and seized the advantage. He hammered away at his retreating foe until referee Herb Dean intervened to give him the win and simultaneously halt Cerrone’s title dreams. The impressive victory thrusts dos Anjos into the top-five pound-for-pound debate.

The lightweight titleholder was quick to lament the fact that he has yet to enjoy the rewards most champions reap, at least to this point. He told me after the fight that he hopes he hears from both Reebok and Monster Energy Drinks, two sponsors that have eluded him thus far. Now I know it can be tough for some foreign fighters to get sponsors here in North America, but come on people, this guy has put together an amazing run and deserves some love.

Talking to some people in his camp, it seems there’s a feeling that there’s a lack of respect for dos Anjos and a general sense that he isn’t getting the publicity he deserves. Perhaps that was why we saw the champion call out Conor McGregor -- in his own polite way, mind you -- when he said he would welcome the sport’s biggest star to 155 pounds. I can’t imagine the Ultimate Fighting Championship wanting to send McGregor up to face dos Anjos at this point. Cerrone would have been the big-money fight for the promotion, but that’s now off the table. If McGregor really wants to make the jump up in weight, then the next biggest fight might just be with Nate Diaz.

Diaz just spent 371 days on the sideline after losing to dos Anjos in a fight that propelled the Brazilian into his title bout against Anthony Pettis. He took exactly 15 minutes to establish himself as one of a number of candidates to face McGregor in his initial UFC foray to lightweight. After a close first round, Diaz hit the gas and motored away from Michael Johnson to earn a unanimous decision that had the crowd at the Amway Center going nuts. Diaz frustrated Johnson by continuously taunting him as he pelted him with one-two after one-two. The Blackzilians product answered back with leg kicks and combinations of his own, but once Diaz got the momentum on his side, he never really let him get his game back on track.

I’m sure the folks at Fox might disagree, but I think Diaz’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan was a piece of amazing unintentional humor. For those that missed out when Fox pulled the plug on the F-bomb fest, I suggest searching for a clip online. It’s worth it to hear him call out McGregor while making Rogan chuckle.

With the win, Diaz should have some options, even if he isn’t successful at securing his “Red Panty Night.” He’s a player at lightweight and can insert himself back into the title picture with a couple wins. His ability to move the needle will give him an edge over many of the other 155-pounders looking to climb the ladder leading to dos Anjos.

Soul Searching

Myles Jury shook up his training by switching camps and making the move down to featherweight. His first fight at 145 pounds couldn’t have gone much worse. The highly regarded prospect dropped a quick first-round submission via guillotine to Charles Oliveira just over three minutes into their scheduled three-rounder.

It wasn’t all peachy for the grappling savant. Oliveira missed weight again, this time by nearly five pounds, and it cost him a reported 20 percent of his purse. Both of these guys now have some soul searching to do. Oliveira has to figure out if he really is a featherweight or if he needs to shift up to 155 pounds.

Jury is still a young guy, but after starting his career 15-0, he has dropped two straight. It’s not the end of the world when you consider he lost to Cerrone and now Oliveira, two very good fighters. On the other hand, he just stated in his pre-fight interview that there weren’t any fighters in his new weight class that worried him. While I don’t think it’s time to push the panic button, it may be a good time to worry a little bit.

Meanwhile, Nate Marquardt turned back the clock a bit with a brilliant knockout of the always-game C.B. Dollaway just moments into the second period of their middleweight matchup. “The Great” spoke in his post-fight interview about some of his closest confidants turning their backs on him and was clearly elated to get back in the win column. At 36 years of age, Marquardt is going to need a couple more performances like this one -- and quick -- if he wants to find himself back in the hunt at 185 pounds.

Finally, it was a welcome homecoming for Tamdan McCrory after a six and a half-year absence from the promotion. “The Barn Cat” put on an inspiring performance against Josh Samman and finished him late in the third round for his first UFC win in 81 months. He should be an interesting addition to the middleweight division with his grappling prowess and his penchant for initiating scrambles and chaining submissions together.

Sherdog.com Executive Editor Greg Savage can be reached by email at [email protected] or via Twitter @TheSavageTruth.