LAS VEGAS -- UFC 187 was a phenomenal event. Was it the best main card in UFC history -- as some (clearly) very excited people suggested? No, probably not. But it was very good.
Less than one month after the UFC stripped Jon Jones of the title, Daniel Cormier has already put the belt around his waist and built a storyline for his first title defense by getting into it with Ryan Bader at the postfight news conference -- where there just happened to be dozens of cameras on hand to capture it.
And middleweight champion Chris Weidman turned in a headliner-worthy performance from the co-main event, starching Vitor Belfort in under a round to the dismay of the entire country of Brazil. That's now three Brazilian former champions in Weidman's wake, but who's counting?
There were other performances to discuss beyond those two and let's get to them now, in our UFC 187 report card.
(A+) Andrei Arlovski (Round 1 TKO win over Travis Browne) You would have had no idea the big man fought with a pre-existing calf injury, had it not been revealed after the fact. Things have gotten pretty wild with Arlovski -- and I'm not even talking about the fight anymore. A 12-year veteran who gets knocked out in three of four fights and then comes roaring back to win nine of 10 fights against quality competition just doesn't happen. This is an exception to the rule here. Four years ago, Arlovski was on the scrap heap. Today? Is it that crazy to think this guy COULD beat someone like Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos, etc., to earn a UFC title shot? Crazy.
(A+) Donald Cerrone (Round 2 TKO win over John Makdessi) Cerrone is that favorite movie you've watched a billion times but it's still not old. Dude walks out in a cowboy hat, breaks another grown man down with kicks that could render livestock unconscious and rolls into a UFC news conference with a beer in hand. Seemingly two months later, he does it again. And again. And it's awesome every time. This fight was no different. John Makdessi was still sort of "in" the fight based on his consciousness level alone, but this thing was done well before Cerrone broke his jaw with a head kick. Cowboy is a No. 1 contender at this point, period.
(A) Daniel Cormier (Round 3 submission win over Anthony Johnson) This fight looked exactly as it had to look if you're DC. You go into a cage with the intention of taking Anthony Johnson to the ground, you have to assume you're going to get hit a few times along the way. Cormier stood up to more than a handful of lethal shots and eventually got the fight where he needed it to be, off the feet. So long as Johnson was upright, things looked dicey for Cormier, but he carried himself like a champion, worked through the rough spots and dropped one heck of a sound bite on his way out of the Octagon. Nicely done.
(A-) Chris Weidman (Round 1 TKO win over Vitor Belfort) Ah, yes. Now I remember. Weidman's wrestling is actually the strongest part of his game. That's a scary thought, considering how good his standup has looked in recent fights. He was definitely hurt in the first round, but the way he handled it actually makes Saturday's performance more impressive. He fought Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida ... was hurt by Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida ... and yet, lived to tell about it and ultimately recorded dominant wins over both. The ability to weather storms is a quality UFC champions HAVE to possess and Weidman's got it.
(B+) Joseph Benavidez (Unanimous decision win over John Moraga) "Beefcake" took more damage on the feet than we've grown accustomed to, but once he got John Moraga to the floor this fight was not competitive -- and that, on the other hand, is something we've grown VERY accustomed to. Benavidez deserves another title shot right now, but that's not realistic and even he is willing to admit that. Hopefully, though, the UFC doesn't banish him to fights that make no sense. He's on a three-fight win streak. Give him a real fight.
(B) John Dodson (Unanimous decision win over Zach Makovsky) It wasn't his best performance but let's think about it for a second: He was fighting on nearly a year-long injury layoff against an opponent who had sparred with him in the past and was familiar with his speed and skill set. And he was never really getting "beaten" in the fight -- even when he couldn't get into rhythm, he seemed more or less under control and, by the end of three rounds, clearly won. I'm not going to nitpick this. It's a "W" and it's a ticket to Demetrious Johnson. Dodson will be an underdog, but he can win that fight.
(B-) Anthony Johnson (Round 3 submission loss to Daniel Cormier) The thing about Johnson is that what makes him great can also work against him. The (sometimes wild) power shots Johnson throws have the capability of knocking anyone senseless, but additionally, throwing them can wear him out and leave him open to takedowns. Had he fought a little more under control, would the fight have been different? Ultimately, it's a useless question because that aggressive, revved-up style is just how Johnson fights -- for better or worse. It almost won him the title in the first round, but it also left him very vulnerable in the second and third.
(C) Vitor Belfort (Round 1 TKO loss to Chris Weidman) It's hard to predict exactly where Belfort will go from here -- and how he'll be remembered. What he's accomplished in the cage during the past 18 years is nothing short of remarkable. The "TRT" era tag will forever be attached to his legacy -- it just will be. Although Belfort's career is definitely unique, it's not all that uncommon in that rarely is a prize fighter remembered in terms of black and white. Belfort's legacy is ... complicated, as are those of so many others.
(C-) Uriah Hall (Split decision loss to Rafael Natal) The mystery of Hall continues. This was not an easy fight against Rafael Natal, but it was a fight (on paper) Hall should have won. This has been a recurring theme for Hall -- losing fights that (on paper) he should be winning. He looked tired in the third round of that Natal fight, but he didn't look done and it was Natal's pace and volume that was probably the difference. In other words, Hall walked out of the cage on Saturday with something left in the tank. Why? Empty the tank, Uriah. Please.
(C-) John Makdessi (Round 2 TKO loss to John Makdessi) Makdessi deserves credit for stepping in on short notice, although if you think about it, this was as much an opportunity for him as it was any kind of favor he was doing the UFC. This was a chance for him to cut the line at 155 pounds, make a huge jump in the rankings. Yes, it was on short notice, but it's not as if he wasn't in shape. He fought 28 days ago and won in the first round. Not saying he shouldn't receive praise for stepping in, but it's not as if he had nothing to gain here. Guy was tough as nails, taking the amount of damage he did in this fight. Here's to a speedy recovery.
(C-) Mike Pyle (Unanimous decision loss to Colby Covington) Pyle has fought since 1999 (he made his professional debut against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, of all people). He has had 38 pro fights. This decision loss to Colby Colvington, along with a loss to Jordan Mein in August, was the FIRST TIME Pyle has lost back-to-back fights in his career. That is incredible, man. But now for the uncomfortable question: If Pyle can't win this matchup, against a good but not great MMA wrestler, with a low level of experience and very little knockout power, what matchup is left for him at age 39?
(F) Travis Browne (Round 1 TKO loss to Andrei Arlovski) Anything can happen in the heavyweight division but Browne can't simply blame this one on eating a big shot. He's one of the most athletic heavyweights in the world, but his skill level appears stagnant. He was fighting an opponent in Andrei Arlovski he presumably was pretty familiar with -- and he got lit up. It's not time to throw in the towel on Browne as a title contender ... but athleticism alone isn't going to get him there. And right now, that still appears to be just about all he's working with.