Last night (Nov. 16, 2013), at the UFC 167 event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Canadian Georges St. Pierre successfully defended his UFC Welterweight Championship with a grueling split decision victory over Johnny Hendricks. Hendricks was an underdog by roughly 2 to 1 at the books, and he came very close to pulling off the upset, but in the end the judges sided with GSP. St Pierre will likely take some time off, as he will likely not be booked again until at least the second quarter of 2014. Who he will face is another question… One potential threat to the welterweight champion emerged in the form of Robbie Lawler. Lawler also won a split decision over the division’s resident protege Rory MacDonald. MacDonald is still young and will be heard from again, but some of the luster has come off of him. Lawler showed that he is a professional with a very deep and experienced game, and he could be the next contender up to face St. Pierre. Lawler has three wins in a row in the UFC, and this one gave him a top name in the division on his resume, so Lawler may have pushed himself to the top of a crowded heap of contenders. Rashad Evans re-established himself as a top fighter at 205 lbs with a first round erasure of Chael Sonnen. Evans flashed his strong wrestling and positional game, as he finished from the mount and resisted Sonnen’s takedown attempts. Evans may still be best served with a drop to 185 lbs, where there is a lot of diverse competition right now, while 205 is drying up for Evans, who is basically a re-hash there. Another fighter that kept his star rising is Tyron Woodley, who scored a KO of Josh Koscheck and very well may have sent the former alumni and star of The Ultimate Fighter season one into retirement. Koscheck has dropped three in a row now, including two in a row by KO, and he is on the plus side of 35 years old. Certainly Koscheck’s best days are behind him, and Woodley’s best is yet to come. Woodley needs another good name in the division next, possibly Rory MacDonald. Donald Cerrone took annther step forward in his up and down career, winning by submission over Evan Dunham in the second round. Cerrone is in a rough 2-2 stretch and needs a step up win next over a top opponent. Perhaps a rematch between him and Benson Henderson would help him raise his stock back to near the top again. 170 lb. Title: Georges St. Pierre vs Johny Hendricks highlights
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans vs Chael Sonnen highlights
170 lbs.: Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald highlights