Jay Primetown takes a look at the five biggest storylines to develop from UFC 186 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. #1 The Mouse is at the Top of the UFC Kingdom – With each passing fight, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that there is a new fighter at the top of the UFC kingdom. Demetrious Johnson has never lost a fight in the flyweight division. When the UFC added the weight class in 2012 it was unknown which fighter would emerge at the top of the pack. Eight wins later and a dominant championship run, “Mighty Mouse” has proven to be as dominant a champion as any in the organization. Only Jon Dodson appeared to give Johnson any sort of trouble during his lengthy title run. Mighty Mouse’s partnership with Matt Hume has proven to be one of the most successful in the sport. Johnson has shown to be the most well-rounded fighter in the organization with excellent movement, technical striking, fundamentally sound wrestling, and a dominant top game. All of those skills were on display against a young, hungry opponent in Kyoji Horiguchi. The Japanese fighter was able to be competitive for a round with Johnson, but the champion’s relentless pace and skill set allowed him to dominate later in the fight. Johnson worked hard in the final round to secure a submission win in the final second of the fight. It was the perfect way to end what was a brilliant game plan and performance. For Mighty Mouse, there appears to be no weaknesses in his arsenal. In times where Jon Jones future is in question, one can absolutely make the case that Johnson is the champion to have the longest title reign. It will take a truly special performance to knock Mighty Mouse off the top of the UFC food chain. #2 Losing a Market – Canada has one of the strongholds for MMA for the better part of the last decade. The long title run of Montreal’s own Georges St. Pierre certainly buoyed the popularity of the sport in Canada. The country was not only home to several sold out PPV events, but to the UFC’s first every stadium show at the Rogers Centre (UFC 129) which attracted a record of 55,724 fans to a UFC event. Those times appear to be the highlights for the sport in the country which certainly appears to be on a downward cycle when it comes to MMA. With St. Pierre’s leave of absence from the sport, Rory Macdonald is now the face of the sport in the country. Unfortunately, he hasn’t developed the traction many thought he would. Furthermore, the UFC certainly hasn’t catered to the market in the last couple of years. Diminished events and a floundering television deal have really defused the momentum the sport has had in the country. The most eye opening occurrence may be UFC 186 itself. The UFC made the decision to close off half the venue due to poor ticket sales. That just shows where the sport is currently in the mindset of Canadians. Unfortunately for Canadian fans, the outlook appears bleak with little positivity in sight. #3 Buy or Sell – Two long time, well known fighters were in feature fights on the main card. We’ll play a little game where we buy or sell stock in their fight prospects over the next 12-18 months. Michael Bisping. BUY. Michael “The Count” Bisping has proven to be one of the most consistent fighters in the history of the UFC. One of the longest tenured fighters in the organization with 23 fights under the UFC banner, Bisping continues to show why he’s a top 10 middleweight. Physically he may not be the same fighter he was five years ago and it’s clear his eye is no longer 100%, but his work ethic, conditioning, defensive wrestling, and striking are just as good as they ever have been. Those skills were on display in a solid matchup with CB Dollaway. Bisping defended well enough against a very good wrestler to take over in the last two rounds to take a clear decision. He will struggle against dynamic strikers, but physically he should be able to compete at a high level for at least a couple more years. Rampage Jackson. SELL. After a two year hiatus in Bellator, Rampage returned to the UFC. The 36 year old fighter squared off with Brazilian Fabio Maldonado. It was designed as a showcase fight for the former light heavyweight champion; Jackson did enough to win on the judge’s scorecards. However, it seemed as if his punching power has diminished in the last couple years. Furthermore, one has to question his work ethic as he will be paired against some of the better fighters in the division. Will Jackson defend the takedowns? Or will he only continue to train for stand up action? Given his commentary and rather lethargic performance, he may be a great fade opportunity for bettors in his next fight. #4 Brazil’s Brightest Young Hope – In a time in which Brazilians have struggled to break out of the pack and become stars, there may in fact be one in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Thomas Almeida has been on a warpath ever since he started in MMA. He has never lost a MMA fight. In fact, all but one of his wins has come via knockout or submission. What makes Almeida so special is the type of display he showed against veteran Yves Jabouin at UFC 186. The Chute Boxe trained fighter is simply an excellent striker. His movement on the feet and his ability to target different areas of the body with accuracy make him not only fun to watch, but one of the best talents in the division. One could even make the argument he’s the most talented striker in the entire division; high praise for a 23 year old. His first round finish of Jabouin put him into the top 15 of the UFC’s rankings for the first time on Monday. With a ranking and an undefeated record, it won’t be long before Almeida is in title contention. #5 Canadian Bright Spots – The UFC 186 preliminary card was dominated by solid Canadian performances. The first fight on the card saw Windsor’s Randa Markos cement her place in the strawweight top 10 with a decision win over Aisling Daly. It was Markos ability to transition in the grappling situations which were the difference in the fight. Elsewhere, Montreal’s own Olivier Aubin-Mercier showed improved striking along with his solid grappling game earning a submission win over David Michaud. In perhaps the best performance, Chad Laprise really showed off his striking talent in a win over Bryan Barberena. Laprise’s accuracy and fluidity on the feet will make him a tough out against nearly everyone in the lightweight division. Barberena’s pace and conditioning showed some flaws in Laprise’s ability late in the fight, but overall Laprise showed that he’s a real talent and deserving a true step up in competition. At UFC 186, we were witness to some rising talents in Canadian MMA. It’s safe to say that Canada is continuing to produce talent and there is more on the way up.
