These were the three biggest surprises and the three biggest disappointments from UFC on FOX 16. The Surprises Miesha Tate — I figured Tate would outwrestle Jessica Eye, but never did I think she’d outstrike her as well. But she did just that, dropping Eye in the first round with punches, and then beating her on the feet for the rest of the fight. It was a terrific performance by Tate, and it earns her a third fight against Ronda Rousey, should she beat Bethe Correia at UFC 190. Tom Lawlor — No one was sure what to expect from Lawlor against Gian Villante. Not only was Lawlor moving up in weight, but he was also coming into the fight off of a two-year layoff. But it didn’t matter, as he was able to catch Villante’s chin and brutally finish him in the second round with strikes. Lawlor isn’t a contender at 205lbs, but he’s a damn good gatekeeper, and deserves a top-15 opponent in his next fight. James Krause — One of the most impressive finishes on the card belonged to Krause, who finished off Daron Cruickshank in the first round with a rear-naked choke. Krause needed to win to save his job and he did just that with his best finish inside the Octagon yet. He’s not a contender, but he’s a solid mid-tier fighter at 155lbs. The Disappointments Takanori Gomi — Gomi is a legend of the sport, but getting knocked out by Joe Lauzon means your career is over. Gomi’s chin is completely shot, his ground game is terrible, and he doesn’t bring anything to the table outside of maybe landing a haymaker. He might get into the Hall of Fame one day, but right now, his time is up. Daron Cruickshank — Most figured Cruickshank was a better fighter than Krause, but he sure didn’t seem like he was, as he was thrown to the mat and then choked out in the first round in what was his worst performance inside the Octagon to date. Considering he’s winless in his last three fights, there’s a very real chance Cruickshank is cut. Eddie Wineland — Coming into his fight against Bryan Caraway off of a year-long layoff, it was hard to get a grasp on where Wineland’s mental state was at. Despite being the better striker, he clearly was afraid of breaking his jaw again and just didn’t do enough in the fight, ultimately losing the decision. He might retire after this performance.
