Thoughts & Shots From UFC 196

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

Everyone by now has had a bit of time to let the events of UFC 196 on Saturday sink in and to reflect on the seismic shifts that occurred in the aftermath of the massive upsets that went down at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Nate Diaz and Miesha Tate delivered a pair of noteworthy performances and cemented their places in MMA lore with tandem come-from-behind wins that shook up a few Ultimate Fighting Championship weight classes in the process.

Back to Featherweight Goes ‘Mystic Mac’

I know I said Conor McGregor wouldn’t be fighting at featherweight again, but in the wake of his stunning loss to Diaz, it seems like I’m going to have to eat those words. Perhaps I got caught up in the McGregormania, but I didn’t think he’d be the one to gas in the second round. I figured Diaz would be the fighter running on fumes after taking the fight on short notice.

I know the plan, prior to the fight, was for McGregor to call out welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Knowing what we know now -- McGregor is much more suited to 145 or 155 pounds -- it may have been a blessing in disguise for the iconic Irishman. He did not hold up well to a blown-up lightweight’s power, so I’m not sure how he could have survived a Lawler onslaught.

As it stands, it looks like he’ll be headed back to defend his featherweight title. The only question: Against whom will he defend it? Usual suspects Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo top the list, but there’s no clearly defined frontrunner as far as I can tell. Both fighters understandably want the shot. Aldo is looking to avenge his 13-second loss from December, and Edgar wants to punish McGregor for all the heat he has directed his way over the last year or so. Edgar also believes McGregor has avoided him and feels he should get his chance to add another UFC belt to his hall-of-fame resume.

You can’t go wrong either way, but I’d like to see Edgar get the first crack. Aldo had his chance and lost in the blink of an eye. If McGregor wins against Edgar, then you have your next defense already set, provided the lightweight division doesn’t come calling for “Mystic Mac” once again.

Short Stay at the Top

Holm was confident in her preparation when she sat down with media in Los Angeles about 10 days before her first title defense. She discussed her training and what she gave up to make sure she was ready to keep her throne.

With that said, it was pretty surprising to hear her discuss being “complacent” after her stunning technical submission loss. Truth be told, I think it was Tate’s dogged nature and determination that foiled Holm’s plans. She only needed to stay awake and avoid a second 10-8 round to hold onto her title, but Tate, knowing she needed a finish, went after it like a starving animal.

Tate has had a whiff of both the UFC and Strikeforce championships before and was well aware she would not likely have another chance to achieve her goal of holding a major title if she let this one slip away. Her fierce resolve was on full display as she grimaced in full exertion while sinking and then finishing the rear-naked choke that would render Holm unconscious.

It was a career-defining performance for the Washington native and one that should set her up for the ultimate redemption match with her archrival Ronda Rousey. That’s right: Rousey should be up next, no questions asked. That’s the big-money fight, and the UFC is in business to make the fights that do big business.

I know some people would argue that Holm deserves an immediate rematch, but honestly, from a business perspective, this may be the best outcome for all parties involved. Think about it: Rousey comes back and squares off with Tate at UFC 200. Either way you go, there is a huge fight lined up afterwards. If Rousey can get her head on straight, a win over Tate seems likely. Then you do the Holm rematch, provided she can get a win in the interim. If Tate exercises her Rousey demons, then you have Tate-Holm 2 ready to rock.

No matter what happens, the women’s bantamweight division looks like it will be serving up some big and entertaining fights throughout 2016.

Sketchy Scorecards

I know the right person won, with Corey Anderson having his hand raised after a comeback in the last two rounds against Tom Lawlor. However, I can’t get over the fact that two scorecards gifted him the first round, where he was clearly rocked and backpedaling for most of the frame. Judges Chris Lee and Adalaide Byrd -- two of the more notorious serial killers of fighters’ hopes, dreams and paychecks -- inexplicably gave Anderson the opening frame.

I know I’m both preaching to the choir and sounding like a broken record, but when judges routinely display their inability to get scores even remotely correct, there needs to be some sort of transparent discipline. I know athletic commission directors usually have a debriefing after each show, but the results of those sessions really need to come to light if we are to believe anything productive is being done.

The fact that judges who have shown over and over again that they just don’t get what’s going on in the cage are assigned repeatedly seems to inform the buying public that its concerns are not being taken seriously. I hope we can get some more insight into the critical process that follows each major card and get an idea of the arbiter’s thought process when there’s a glaring discrepancy like this. The fact that the right guy won shouldn’t play into the debate about these atrocious scores.