Sorry, I know this is late but it’s the playoffs and I was watching something else last night and don’t pretend you weren’t either (stupid Kopitar) so I’m really not that sorry.

Melendez Vs. Aoki – Lightweight Title

This fight could’ve and should’ve been finished in the fourth round. Aoki couldn’t find an answer for El Niño’s boxing and takedown defense and resorted to Thales Leites’ strategy against Anderson Silva in UFC 97 where he just fell on his ass trying to trap his opponent in his guard. The difference in this fight was that instead of dancing around like Tom Bergeron was cageside taking auditions, Melendez took the fight to him. In the fourth, he timed it perfectly when Aoki was scooting towards him on is butt, El Niño swooped in and caught with a right then a left then another unanswered right. Referee Mario Yamasaki stepped in and Melendez thought the fight was being stopped but Yamasaki was about to stand Aoki up a hair before El Niño landed his first punch and instead of letting it go, he stood them up anyway. Melendez retains his title through a decision and never stopped trying to finish in the fifith.

3.5… lets say Kandisses out of 5. It started slow but finished strong (or at least one of them did).

Mousasi Vs. Lawal – Light Heavyweight Title

King Mo had the advantage in the first round landing a couple punches early and taking Mousasi down with relative ease. When he got him to the ground, though, he didn’t seem to know what to do with him. He was throwing punches but not landing much. In the second was something you rarely see when Mousasi won the striking battle from his back landing several up-kicks and quite a few hook/backhand-hook combinations. Gus Johnson, Mauro Renallo, and Frank Shamrock (they were the commentators, by the by) were all pretty high on Mousasi’s strategy to let King Mo tire himself out on takedowns and dodging his ground-and-pound but in the third, fourth, and fifth round Mousasi was the one fatigued. King Mo didn’t really do anything outstanding to win this fight; he just took Mousasi down, threw some punches from Mousasi’s guard, didn’t get as tired, and is now the new Light Heavyweight Champion.

Neil Young once sang, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” They faded away. 2.5 Kandisses out of 5.

Shields Vs. Henderson

Jake Shields showed a lot of heart and his buddies showed how stupid they are. This fight could’ve ended in the first couple seconds when Hendo hit Shields with the Hammer of Thor (otherwise known as Dan Henderson’s right hand). The Champ recovered only to get knocked down again with Hendo’s adamantium right hand but once again, Shields recovered. After getting his takedown stuffed and almost being put in a crucifix, Shields was able to get on top of Henderson just before midway through the second round and never looked back. It was a dominant performance by Shields taking Henderson down when he wanted, constantly advancing his position, and doing everything but finish Hendo (not something that happens very often).

3.5 out of 5 Kandisses then the stupidity started…

After the fight, Gus Johnson went into the cage to interview the defending Champ and before Gus could ask a second question, Mike “Mayhem” Miller appears out of nowhere challenging Shields to a rematch. Mayhem ensues on national television feeding some of the stereotypes detractors of the sport have. What is going through Miller’s mind to walk into the cage with not just people who don’t like him but the Diaz brothers (who are lose cannons at best) and interrupt their friend’s crowning moment? What did he think was gonna happen? If the answer in anything but what happened, he’s an idiot, and if the answer is exactly what happened, he’s a bigger idiot. That isn’t the type of attention this sport needs especially after a mediocre card.

No MMA breaks next weekend (and no Canucks conflict either). WEC 48: Aldo Vs. Faber will be live on pay-per-view next Saturday, but more on that later this week.