Three things we learned from UFC 201
UFC 201 was another thrilling and unpredictable event in what has turned out to be a wild 2016 in mixed martial arts. Tyron Woodley upset Robbie Lawler in the main event to win the welterweight title, ending the second-longest title tenure in terms of days presently.
1. Karolina Kowalkiewicz will fight Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the strawweight title
During Karlolina Kowalkiewicz's post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he suggested she would be fighting Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the strawweight title in her next fight. Many assumed this could be a bout to determine who would fight for the title next, but that wasn't how the fight was billed and it wasn't official. This win sets up an all-Polish title fight, potentially in New York City if Jedrzejczyk had her way.
But apparently Rogan jumped the gun, with UFC president Dana White telling MMA Junkie's John Morgan that the fight isn't official yet and he gave it a "maybe." Rogan doesn't seem like the person who would reveal information without approval, but there is something interesting going on here. Jedrzejczyk has previously said she would also consider the winner of the fight between Joanne Calderwood and Jessica Andrade as her next opponent as well.
That being said, Kowalkiewicz is undefeated, including two wins in the UFC and seems to be a legitimate contender when a clearer option doesn't stand out.
• Takeaways from UFC 201: Stars and highlights
2. Tyron Woodley is seeing dollar signs
Whenever an event ends, fans and media alike can't help but speculate about what fights will be booked next. The general consensus seems to be that newly crowned welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will fight Stephen Thompson next, but Woodley doesn't see it that way. During a post-fight interview with the UFC on FOX crew, Thompson asked Woodley point blank if they would be fighting
Woodley shot him down, saying he could fight Lawler like he wanted and calling out Nick Diaz. Woodley went as far as to say he wanted to fight Diaz, who is coming of a suspension, at UFC 202 when Nate Diaz fights Conor McGregor on August 20th. The reasoning? Money according to Woodley.
Then, during the post-fight press conference, Woodley also called out Georges St-Pierre, reiterating his desire for a big money fight.
While either of those fights would certainly be more marketable than Woodley vs. Thompson, it doesn't seem likely to happen, at least not at UFC 202. The Diaz brothers aren't fans of fighting on the same card. But Diaz-Woodley is the more likely of those two scenarios to happen.
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3. Jake Ellenberger isn't done
Coming into UFC 201, Jake Ellenberger was 1-5 in his last six fights and was on his way out of the UFC. But then Ellenberger dropped Matt Brown early in their fight, continued to unleash damage before he finished it a few minutes with a vicious liver kick, collecting a huge win with his back against the wall.
During the post-fight press conference, Ellenberger said this "up there" as one of the biggest moments in his career. UFC president Dana White told Megan Olivi in a post-fight interview that Ellenberger pleaded for one more chance to prove he deserves to be in the UFC and he delivered.
Can this mount a string of wins in the UFC? Probably not. Will it keep him around a little bit longer and at the very least afford him another chance to fight in the cage and extend his career in the promotion? Absolutely.
