TUF 24 Finale: Johnson vs Elliott – Winners and Losers

I’ll just come right out and say it – the UFC’s frantic run to end 2016 is exhausting.

Weeks upon weeks of one event after the other is one way to burn out fans is a very risky thing for the UFC, as fans have been consistently unimpressed with each upcoming card. It’s almost appropriate to be cynical when star power is watered down significantly and cards are mostly comprised of fighters that aren’t always top-level but are working their way up. Fans consistently run into this problem when we end up with long stretches like this, and it is a big ask to continue to test the patience of your audience while developing talent.

Yet even with this in mind, we end up with cards like this one. Sure, like almost every Winners and Losers post for an FS1 card that I’ve done as of late, the obligatory disclaimer that this is where the sausage is made still rings true. This particular card had very few ranked fighters, some newer talents including fighters on previous editions of TUF, and a solid trio of great matchups at the top. And all in all, we saw a little bit of everything here. Cards like this are always capable of of producing pleasant surprises that shake things up significantly. What was supposed to be a forgettable event with a champion — that has historically not been a major draw — eliminating another overmatched foe became much more than that. It was not a card for the ages, but the main and co-main events are now both among the most important in the short history of that division in the UFC.

• Winners

Demetrious Johnson – There is no argument to be made against this – this was the absolute greatest thing to happen to Demetrious Johnson. This was the fight. This was the fight that Johnson needed to really show what he was made of. Much has been made of Johnson’s exponential growth and improvement between fights, and this was supposed to be another walk in the park for him. After all, if a savvy and polished veteran like Benavidez couldn’t beat him, how could Elliott? If an Olympic-caliber wrestler couldn’t pose the massive challenge that was expected in the grappling department, what was Elliott to offer? Now, Johnson has something that can be sold in the form of an instant classic in which he was not only made to look human, but vulnerable. Overcoming that hardship and coming out on top in grappling exchanges while still relentlessly pursuing the finish showed the “heart of a champion” that people talk about when it comes to all-time greats. Not only that, but in a division that most people assumed was cleaned out, he gets a fresh new nemesis with a funky style that’s absolutely fearless. Much like Anderson Silva gaining momentum after the Chael Sonnen fight, this could elevate Johnson a level or two if him and Elliott are indeed marketed correctly. Of course, that all hinges on whether or not Elliott decides to even stick around at flyweight at all.

Tim Elliott – Tim Elliott was supposed to walk down to the cage for what was to be his execution. Instead, he gave conventional wisdom two proverbial Diaz middle fingers and turned the whole thing on its head. After blazing through the Ultimate Fighter house in one of the most intriguing and exciting runs in recent memory, he made a most triumphant return to the UFC and showed he belonged in the big show. He didn’t just survive, he went toe to toe with a man considered by many to be the absolute best in the business today, and gave him the stiffest challenge he’s faced since the ill-fated draw against Ian McCall years ago. Not only was this closer than expected, it was a fight that had some big moments for Elliott, who often threw caution to the wind and emerged as an exciting and intelligent offensive fighter. Nobody expected much of him because Johnson is still just that damn good, but Tim went from being drummed out of the UFC to the regionals and screaming right back with a performance for the ages. This raises his stock significantly, especially after winning one of the most (if not the most) talent-rich seasons of TUF ever made. Not bad for a guy that had to fight a champion that beat both his coaches. Speaking of the coaches…

Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo – Another exciting bout, and the perfect co-main for the headlining act. Two dynamic fighters that are capable of putting on exciting and technical performances, and they end up in a close bout where the case could be made for either to have won. While Benavidez is in the tough position of being in a small division where he already lost twice to the champ (including getting finished the last time), he might eventually get another shot after this win. More than anything, it shows he may be slowing down just a tad, but is still elite in his division. As for Cejudo? Sure, he lost on the scorecards, but the UFC is known for rewarding this type of performance, especially against such high-level opposition. This does more than erase the TKO loss to Johnson in his last outing and still keeps him safely in the top 5. Both were able to shine brightly tonight, and they deserve much praise for their effort.

Jared Cannonier – Heavyweight is an absolute mess and has been so for some time, but it’s great to see some of the new up and coming guys engaged in a fun fight like this. Cannonier is still raw and got into a lot of trouble in the grappling early in the fight, but still managed to come out on top and improves to 2-1 in his UFC run after a debut loss due to strikes against Shawn Jordan and a knockout win against Cyril Asker back in April. Not a massive step up, but it shows some tenacity and could be a good start to getting him out of the lower ranks at light heavyweight.

Brandon Moreno – Moreno went from being the fighter that lost in the opening round of TUF 24 against Alexandre Pantoja, to being a replacement fighter that ended up serving a massive upset of Louis Smolka. This is now his tenth consecutive win, and everything in his game looks better and far more polished. With recent developments at flyweight, it’s not impossible for him to land just around or even in the top 5 with another win.

Jamie Moyle – Moyle reminds me of Korean Superboy, because she’s like that younger sibling that you can’t help but cheer for. Her work at Syndicate has shown great development, and she continues to close the gaps in her game that have been present since her time in Invicta. She had yet another tough and scrappy battle to win her UFC debut, perhaps her grittiest performance ever. Great way to introduce yourself to the non-TUF audience.

Rob Font improves to 3-1 with a devastating finish of a replacement opponent, and looked a lot better once he really got loose after the opening minute. Dong Hyun Kim keeps his spot in the UFC after an 0-2 start where he was finished via strikes both times. Anthony Smith showed that killer instinct he displayed against Josh Neer in VFC and Brock Jardine in RFA. He moves on to 2-1. Devin Clark bounces back from his debut loss to 1-1 in the UFC, and gets more much-needed experience – even if it was in a largely unappealing fight. He still keeps his spot and has room to grow.

• Losers

Gray Maynard – This is tough to watch, albeit for far different reasons that some of his other recent losses. Maynard snapped a four-fight losing skid to beat Fernando Bruno, only to lose this fight where he couldn’t get anything going. This wasn’t like the infamous fight against Clay Guida, Hall actually engaged and struck Maynard. The problem is that he did so on his terms, and Maynard had absolutely no answers for him. He couldn’t use his wrestling effectively, and Hall stayed safely out of position to not have to engage Maynard with close quarters boxing. While some of us were clamoring for him to retire a while ago, at least he’s not fighting top ten talent and getting thrown in with fighters that can give him even more brain trauma. Still, Maynard has to know he’s close to the end. He needs to call it quits for his own good. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

Ryan Benoit – This could go either way. Benoit might stick around even though he now falls to 2-3, since he’s a good athlete with a solid wrestling pedigree in a smaller division. On the other hand, it’s a division that’s changing drastically as of late. Some if not all of the fighters from the latest TUF season might stick around and round out the division, elevating it significantly. That means they’ll be less shy about shedding talents like Benoit, and we’ve seen some flyweights cut since last year as well (like Tim Elliott).

Kailin Curran – No way to sugarcoat this, but she’s done. 4-4 overall as a pro, but all four of her losses are in the UFC with her lone win being over Emily Kagan last year. She came in with some much-deserved hype due to her athleticism and talent, but it just hasn’t clicked together in the big show. She had a respectable showing against Paige Van Zant before Paige took over and got the finish, was winning against Alex Chambers before getting submitted, and can’t seem to find what she needs to beat her opposition. Sad to say, but she’s getting cut.

Brendan O’Reilly – Another fighter that’s getting cut. Now at 1-3 in the UFC, he’s been fighting at welterweight and lightweight – arguably the two most stacked divisions in the sport. It’s not impossible for him to make his way back, but he’s got some work to do.

Elvis Mutapcic – After working very, very hard to finally accomplishing his dream of reaching the UFC (read that, it’s excellent), he might not stick around. A unanimous decision debut loss to Francimar Barroso was followed by a draw, and now a TKO finish. Maybe the draw won’t be held against him, but he didn’t look great in this particular fight… and that most certainly will. 50/50 odds on him being cut, but I personally hope he gets another shot.

Matt Schnell comes in as a replacement fighter, but ultimately gets finished in the opening round. Not the end of the road by any means, and may not be held against him heavily if he acquits himself well in the next bout. Josh Stansbury drops to 1-1 in his loss to Devin Clark. Much like Matt Schnell, that usually doesn’t mean much. He could still end up in hot water if he doesn’t perform well in his next bout.

• Neither

Jorge Masvidal and Jake Ellenberger– This isn’t even the fault of either fighter involved, just a freak accident that ends in a TKO on paper but not much else. It might as well not have happened, which is a major shame considering how good Masvidal was looking early in the fight. Maybe they’ll get a rematch, but don’t hold your breath. No mobility up or down for either guy here.

Sara McMann – Another former Olympian, McMann continued to use her wrestling base to work her way to superior position and earn a tough submission win. This is her first win with a finish since her UFC debut against Sheila Gaff in 2013, and while it may not look like much, might bump her up slightly in a very messy 135 division. She currently sits at #7, and the only fighter above her coming off a loss is Cat Zingano. Then again, Davis was out due to her pregnancy for over a year and was unranked. Very little mobility if any for McMann here.

Ryan Hall – Say what you will, he won that contest. He outpointed Maynard by using his kicks and not letting him establish his range, ran like hell to avoid tight exchanges against the fence and dropped to inverted positions as soon as Gray got in close to avoid big punches. So, he took advantage of his strengths and minimized risk to beat a grizzled veteran in a fight most fans were flustered by. Then again, it seemed to have flustered Maynard even more. The fact of the matter here is that Hall outstruck Maynard on the feet as well and remained active enough to not get penalized for stalling. It’s just the fight game, folks. For better or worse, it takes all kinds. This could’ve been a bigger coup for Hall, but this sort of performance doesn’t do fighters too many favors.

Ion Cutelaba – Hear me out, here. Yes, he’s 1-2 in the UFC. Still, you can’t cut a guy after that performance. You simply have to give the guy another shot. He’s a lot of fun and deceptively athletic, which light heavyweight is going to need. This loss shouldn’t affect him much.

Alexis Davis – Her last fight was her win against Sarah Kaufman in April of 2015, and this loss puts her at 4-2 in the UFC after a long hiatus against one of the toughest fights in the division. She pretty much stays in the same spot here, unranked and without losing her spot since she had no momentum to lose.