Ground and Pound - Fightnews

Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez put on a "Fight of the Year" contender in Bellator that probably won't get it's due in the coming months. That fight happened hours before an amazing UFC fight unfolded featuring stars of today and yesteryear. UFC 139 was a soap opera full of storylines that fight fans of any generation can appreciate. With that I give you the "High Fives" from UFC 139 - the five most promising storylines to take away from a spectacular UFC event.

5. "American Psycho" looking impressive.

Carrying a two-fight win streak into his UFC 139 bout with the physically impressive Kyle Kingsbury, "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar had quietly passed around the idea of hoping to get a "dream fight" with former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. After dominating Kingsbury for three rounds and taking a lopsided decision (one that included a 30-25 scorecard), Bonnar (14-7) has now strung together enough solid wins for the wheels of that showdown to begin turning.

While Jackson was hoping to face Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on the Japan card in February, Rua will likely be on the mend for a bit and Jackson, who doesn't have a spot secure on that Japan card, isn't too happy about it. Enter: Stephan Bonnar. Jackson and Bonnar have a few things in common at the moment. Aside from being able to put on a striking display on the feet that can leave a fight fan breathless, they both have had to deal with losing to former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin. The winner of a potential Jackson-Bonnar matchup could get a chance at redemption later in the year against Griffin but regardless, Bonnar's recent success has earned him the right to face better fighters. A bloody showcase with Rampage in Japan just might be exactly what that fight card needs.

4. Torres getting back on track.

I wonder how it feels to be Miguel Torres. One minute you are 37-1, the reigning kingpin of a quietly-discussed bantamweight division and thought to be one of the best fighters walking the planet. Then you go 2-3 in your next five fights and you find yourself buried on the undercard at UFC 139 while less accomplished fighters are given time on television and pay per view. It can't be easy to digest on it's own. It has to be harder knowing your opponent, Nick Pace, decided to weigh-in at 141 pounds (five above the bantamweight limit).

Forever the consummate fighter, Torres didn't falter. Turning in a workmanlike effort against Pace, Torres pulled together three solid rounds and walked away with a unanimous decision victory and much needed win. At 30 years of age and having lost his three fights since 2009 to #1 contenders like Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, it's safe to assume Torres has plenty to give to the sport. Rebounding from a razor-thin defeat to Johnson to beat Nick Pace is one thing, continuing the momentum as the fighters get tougher is another. If Torres wants his belt back - the belt he held for so very long - he's going to have to walk through some very bad men to get it. But at the very least, Miguel Torres and his destiny run towards a title is a soap opera reserved for something more than undercard slots. I would hope that Torres has earned that much respect.

3. Two middleweights proving they belong.

Two aged middleweights entered the Octagon on Saturday night with plenty to prove. Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1) needed to show UFC brass and fight fans that he was capable of continuing a career free of head trauma and devastating knockout losses. Cung Le (7-2) needed to prove to the MMA world that he was not only invested in becoming a serious mixed martial artist but that he could hang with the likes of a legend like Wanderlei Silva inside the Octagon.

Both men didn't disappoint. Le took the opening round of the bout with an array of phenomenal kicks and spinning back fists and Silva, who weathered the storm and came back from being rocked a few times, showed enough gameplanning and cardio to last long enough to make his presence felt. When the fight ended, Silva would be determined as the winner by TKO but both men had put on a display of skills that warranted heavy pats on the back. If Silva can continue to pace himself in fights, avoid vicious shots to the head and find spots to be aggressive, he could continue to be a tough out for anyone at 185 pounds. If Le dedicates himself to training and getting in shape, his striking skills could take him a long way in the UFC - even at 39 years old.

Saturday night's co-main event wasn't just about wins and losses. Two warriors with extremely different backgrounds in striking showed fight fans glimpses of what made them both stars. Silva's torrid pace and wicked aggression. Le's hellish kicks from any angle imaginable. It was the kind of fight that could have easily spelled the end for one or both combatants. It turned out to be the kind of fight that could very well be the beginning of something special for each of them.

2. Faber earning his trilogy fight.

How can you not like Urijah Faber? Even if the former WEC champion has had recent setbacks to Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz during his title shots, his personality and resume keep him in the discussion of contendership. Then he goes out and dominates a former WEC champion in Brian Bowles by submission and earns himself another crack at Cruz and the title.

There might have been more important UFC fights on Saturday from a historical perspective but as far as title pictures go, Urijah Faber (26-5) besting Bowles makes the 135-pound division's elite all the more clear. Dominick Cruz holds a belt, Urijah Faber is chasing that belt and there's another crop of talented fighters trailing them both by a wide margin. Had Faber lost, his chances of ever reclaiming a title might have slipped through the crack. But with a fork in the road of his MMA career, his impressive performance proved he's still one of the most well-rounded and elite fighters on the planet today. Good enough to beat anyone - including Dominick Cruz.

1. Henderson and Rua's PRIDE Classic.

Many thought Dan Henderson (29-8) and "Shogun" Rua (20-6) would engage in an epic contest to decide one of the next challengers for Jon JOnes' 205-pound belt. Few could have foreseen the fight unfolding in such a legendary fashion.

For three rounds, the 41-year old Henderson battered and bullied Rua with hammering right hands, knees, solid clinch work and an arsenal of offense that helped him become a two-division champion in PRIDE. And after the gas tank ran dry, it was Rua still standing in front of Henderson, ready to do battle in the championship rounds of a non-title fight. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua would not go quietly into the night. No amount of punishment Henderson could dish out would vanquish him and he would answer the call for two rounds he would go on to clearly dominate.

As the scorecards were tallied following the fifth and final stanza of a war between potentially the two best light heavyweight fighters ever, Henderson had accumulated enough points in the first three rounds to withstand Rua's epic comeback and trial in survival. Three 48-47 cards were read and into the history books both men went, not only as legends of their craft, but for producing one of the finest, most meaningful displays of combat ever seen inside the UFC.

Years from now, people will still be talking about this fight, the way it unfolded, the way it was scored and how it impacts both fighters legacy. It might not have even been the best pure MMA fight that fans witnessed over the weekend but it seems like it meant more, even with no title on the line.

What Michael Chandler was able to do to Eddie Alvarez on the Bellator 58 card for the lightweight title was impressive. It was a bloody, brutal fight that should win "Fight of the Year" if things don't get really crazy in December. But what Shogun and Hendo gave us wasn't about this year. It was about closing a door on an era of fighting in Japan. It was about two of the biggest stars from the beloved PRIDE organization settling a score that needed to be settled. It was about hardcore fans, casual fans and new fans of MMA coming together to witness a battle between Hall of Fame fighters from a different era of fighting. There will never be a better way for mixed martial arts to officially graduate from the PRIDE era of combat than what transpired at UFC 139. Three of the defunct promotion's biggest stars shined on a night dedicated to them. And though UFC 139 never got the UFC promotion and hype it so richly deserved, it doesn't really matter. It was a card for the ages, capped off with a fight for the ages. It was brilliant, scintillating and poetic, in a sense.

Dan Henderson might have been the only one to officially have his hand raised at the conclusion of UFC 139 but it felt like a win for the fans, a win for the UFC. The lights went dim, the screen fades to black and the curtain drops. UFC 139 was over. And it was a great night for MMA.