Surprises and Disappointments is a column featured on MMAOddsbreaker.com after every UFC event, highlighting three fighters who had surprising performances and three fighters who disappointed. Here are the three surprises and the three disappointments from UFC Fight Night 48. Surprises Tyron Woodley — After a disastrous performance against Rory MacDonald at UFC 174, Tyron Woodley needed to win big in a bad way and he did just that, knocking out Dong Hyun Kim in the first round round of their fight at UFC FN 48. It was a huge win for Woodley as it allows him to get his top-five ranking in the division, and another few wins could push him closer to the title shot. Zhang Lipeng — In his second UFC fight, TUF China winner Zhang Lipeng showed he’s actually a decent fighter as he was able to use his wrestling to control Brendan O’Reilly and win a decision on the judges’ cards. Lipeng isn’t going to compete for the lightweight title but he could win a few fights in the division against lower-level opposition. Yuta Sasaki — In one of the prelims, Yuta Sasaki submitted Roland Delorme in the first round in his UFC debut. It was a very impressive performance by Sasaki and he looks like he could be a real contender at 135lbs going forward. I don’t know who the UFC is going to match him up with next, but hopefully they can bring him along slowly as he’s only 24 years of age. Disappointments Dong Hyun Kim — In the co-main event, Dong Hyun Kim’s reckless style cost him as he attempted a spinning back elbow on Tyron Woodley only to get punched in the ear and knocked out. Kim is still a great fighter but losing to Woodley in such brutal fashion means he’s no longer a title contender, although there are still a number of fun fights the UFC could book for him. Danny Mitchell — For the second-straight fight in the UFC Danny Mitchell is a loser, this time losing a competitive decision to Wang Sai. Mitchell’s wrestling was very poor in the fight and although he made it close in the standup, the judges gave it to Sai. At 0-2 in the UFC, Mitchell may get cut from the roster. Roland Delorme — He has now lost three straight fights in the UFC and after being choked out in the first round by Yuta Sasaki, Roland Delorme’s UFC career is likely over. The likeable Canadian just can’t seem to get it done at the highest stage of the sport anymore and after being dominated by UFC newcomers in his last two outings, it’s clear he doesn’t have much left in the tank.
