Originally Published: January 23, 2012

Miller returns; Rivera says goodbye

Gross By Josh Gross
ESPN.com
Archive

The blueprint for Ultimate Fighting Championship events on Fuel TV and FX is this: a mix of fan favorites, new faces and established contenders who, most likely, will be matched in the night's main event.

Tweet, tweet

Twitter Don't miss a moment of the latest MMA coverage from around the world. Follow us on Twitter and stay informed. Join »

That's how it went down Friday in Nashville, at least, a card capped by Jim Miller's return to contendership. While Miller stands out for his opening-round win over Melvin Guillard, untested commodities like Nick Denis (11-2), Daniel Pineda (16-7) and Khabib Nurmagomedov made statements inside the Octagon. Each UFC debutant won by stoppage, with Denis and Pineda going so far as to overwhelm the opposition. It doesn't get any better than Denis' standing elbow KO over Joseph Sandoval (6-2).

While kids arrived on the big stage, a grizzled veteran said goodbye.

Say this for middleweight Jorge Rivera: He, like Chris Lytle in August, went out in style. It was an A-worthy performance from the Massachusetts mauler, which is the perfect place to start.

From A to F, here's how the fighters faired in Nashville:

UFC on FX 1 grades

Jorge Rivera
 A

Jorge Rivera

As Kenny Florian said on Twitter: "Congratulations on a great career to one of the toughest guys to step into a cage." You can quibble with the idea that the retiring Jorge Rivera, who finished Eric Schafer (12-7-2) in the second round, produced a "great career" -- he leaves UFC with an 8-7 record (20-9 overall) -- but the "toughest guys to step into a cage" part is accurate. Rivera, 39, is one of these fighters who did it for the love of the sport. He sniffed contendership, though that was a fleeting idea. He was, for the most part, an entertainer. In action, not words (though Michael Bisping might disagree). Best wishes to "El Conquistador," a budding gym owner in Milford, Mass.

Jim Miller
 A-

Jim Miller

Is Jim Miller, 28, the next lightweight No. 1 contender? I say no, not yet. He needs another win even after taking care of business against Melvin Guillard, whose power and speed can be enough to trouble anyone at 155 pounds. Not on Friday, though. Miller (21-3) was banged around a bit, but he found a takedown, maneuvered to Guillard's back and sunk in a rear-naked choke at 2:04 of the first round. The win rights Miller's ship after a decision loss to Benson Henderson in August. I'd like to see Miller fight Nate Diaz next, with the winner securing a title shot.

Pat Barry
 B+

Pat Barry

Pat Barry, 32, survived to fight another day. Losing to Christian Morecraft would have sealed Barry's deal as a subpar heavyweight, one who despite a big personality didn't belong anywhere near the UFC. I'm not putting much stock in beating Morecraft as a sign that Barry (7-4) "belongs" at this level, but at least he won. He showed submission-defense awareness and poise in tight spots, and he hit the mark with a ripping left hook to the head that essentially ended the fight.

Khabib Nurmagomedov
 B+

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Quite an impressive UFC debut for "The Eagle." Khabib Nurmagomedov, 23, handled Kamal Shalorus, outworking and outwrestling the Iranian to great effect. The Russian Sambo stylist pushed his record to 17-0 and answered critics that felt his resume was a result of weak competition. Most impressive was how the lightweight melded a typically reckless Russian style with a controlling top-game, which eventually set up a rear-naked choke finish in the third round.

Charlie Brenneman
 B

Charlie Brenneman

Message to welterweights out there: If you can't outwrestle 30-year-old Charlie Brenneman, don't bother trying to win. He's a classic wrestler turned MMA fighter in the sense that he's comfortable taking down and holding down the opposition. Unless he runs into foes who can stop that part of his game, "The Spaniard" will win. The problem for him, though, is this: The welterweight division is stacked with wrestlers, several of whom are bigger and better than he is. He'll beat the Daniel Roberts of the world all day, every day, but that's not enough. This is the year Brenneman (15-3) steps up or gets lost in the shuffle.

Mike Easton
 B

Mike Easton

He's more than Dominick Cruz's hypeman, but watching Mike Easton in the cage it's easy to understand why the 27-year-old bantamweight is perfectly suited for the job. Energy. Boundless energy. That's Easton (12-1), a strong fighter out of Maryland who looks poised for major advancements in his game. He's a good addition to the 135-pound ranks and is someone fans can remember.

Josh Neer
 B-

Josh Neer

Josh Neer (33-10-1) made the most of one takedown against Duane Ludwig to secure a first-round submission. He has a long way to go to get consideration as a threat in the welterweight division, but know this about the 28-year-old Neer: He always comes to fight. That is perhaps his best attribute, which could keep him around the UFC. Winning certainly helps as well, and he's been on the correct side of the ledger in his last two bouts.

Jared Papazian
 B-

Jared Papazian

Even in losing, Jared Papazian, 23, showed himself to be a game fighter, someone worth watching again. Many observers, including myself, felt he and Easton teamed up for the best fight of the night. The UFC thought otherwise, awarding $45,000 bonuses to Barry and Morecraft. It's hard to understand why. Papazian (14-7) and Easton brought high energy for three rounds and showed crafted skill.

Duane Ludwig
 C-

Duane Ludwig

Duane Ludwig was solid from the start, but one mistake is all it takes to lose in MMA and that's what happened Friday. The 33-year-old striker took advantage of an onrushing Neer, landing punches, knees and kicks while keeping distance. Eventually, though, Ludwig (21-12) was taken down and he made the mistake of exposing his neck while attempting to stand. For that, the penalty was being choked unconscious.

Christian Morecraft
 C-

Christian Morecraft

Friday's loss marked Christian Morecraft's third setback in four fights. At best, Morecraft (7-3) is a mid-tier heavyweight, which based on the strength of the division isn't saying much. The 25-year-old big man tried to grapple with Barry and nearly found opportunities to win by submission. But his technique wasn't sharp enough to pull it off, and soon enough Barry found the punch he was looking for.

Kamal Shalorus
 D-

Kamal Shalorus

Where was the wrestling? Kamal Shalorus claimed to focus on his grappling roots during this camp, but he didn't show any of it in two-plus rounds against Nurmagomedov. This result must be considered a setback for Shalorus (7-2-2), who 10 months after losing to Jim Miller did not appear to be any better after switching teams and trainers. The UFC lists Shalorus' age at 39. I asked him two weeks ago if he was too old to contend for a championship. He didn't think so. Thing is, age might not even be his highest hurdle.

Melvin Guillard
 F

Melvin Guillard

It's obvious yet nearsighted to assign Melvin Guillard's submission issues to a lack of skill. I think his problem runs much deeper than that: bad decision-making. The 28-year-old lightweight started off strong; however, an ill-timed jumping knee meant that Guillard (29-10-2) afforded Miller a chance to fight in his strongest area. Guillard has done that numerous times throughout his career, and it's the clearest reason he won't get to the top of the division.

Josh Gross covers MMA for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoshGrossESPN.

ESPN Conversations

comments
+ Add your comment

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Follow ESPN's MMA coverage on Twitter »

MORE MMA HEADLINES

MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM

Most Sent »