PENICK: Five non-title UFC main events that should have gotten five rounds

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Dana White's announcement on Thursday that all main event fights signed moving forward will be contested in five rounds - whether for a title or not - is a great move on the part of the UFC. By allowing an extra two rounds for the top fights on each card, it will allow more fighters an opportunity at closure where a number of recent fights didn't have it. Just in the past two years, no less than 14 main non-title main events have gone to decision, with a number of them ending in either controversial decisions, draws, or simply being fights in which two more rounds would have been beneficial to both fighters and the fans. The following are five non-title main event fights I personally would have loved to see get two more rounds during that stretch, starting from the most recent.

Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann - UFC on Versus 3 - March 3, 2011

This fantastic three round fight really could have benefited from more time for both fighters. Sanchez won a unanimous decision, but it came as a controversial result as many felt Kampmann had won two rounds. In my report of the fight in March, I gave the first and third rounds to Kampmann, but noted that the second and third rounds were both very close. Sanchez was continuously moving forward in those rounds and throwing combinations, but he was also getting lit up by Kampmann at times, and at the end of the bout it was Sanchez who looked the worse for wear. Had they gotten an extra two rounds, Kampmann may have been able to continue with the damage he was inflicting on Sanchez in the fight. But Sanchez was delivering punishment of his own, and an extra two rounds could have also allowed him to pick up a more convincing win than the debated decision. Either way, this is one fight that could have been greatly improved by receiving extra rounds.

B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch - UFC 127 - February 27, 2011

Had this fight gotten the five round treatment, we very likely wouldn't be sitting with unresolved issues between the two of them right now. After surprising everyone with a wrestling first gameplan, Penn picked up the first two rounds of the fight before Fitch put him on his back in the third. Working from top position, Fitch dominated the final round with a ground and pound attack, and in taking a 10-8 round the fight ended in a draw. With Penn losing steam into that third round, Fitch would have been more likely to either finish the fight or at the very least work to a clear decision without the draw. However, had it been a five round fight, Penn may have employed a different strategy himself. Again, however, the end result was an unsatisfactory draw, and the lack of decisiveness has both fighters in an unclear spot in the division.

Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson - UFC 123 - November 20, 2010

This fight seemed like it was only getting started by the time the third round ended last November. The two fought fairly tentatively through the first two rounds, as they were both trying to get a feel for one another in the fight. The third round saw some great exchanges from each, with Machida turning on the offense and Jackson landing some shots of his own. It really seemed like the early part of what could have been a fantastic fight, but unfortunately found itself cut short. With Rampage edging out a decision that many didn't agree with, an extra two rounds would have given both a chance to make a more decisive claim for the fight.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Rashad Evans - UFC 114 - May 29, 2010

Yes, two fights with "Rampage" from last year could have greatly benefited from an extra two rounds. But in this fight with Evans, it was actually Jackson who was turning things around in the third. Evans had controlled the first two rounds of the fight, but then Jackson dropped him in the third and came close to finishing the fight. But Evans recovered, and took the decision. This heated rivalry could have come to a more decisive conclusion in the fourth or fifth round, and it's certainly a shame we didn't get a chance to see that happen.

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - UFC 102 - August 29, 2009

The heavyweight main event of UFC 102 pit these two legends against each other in what wound up being one of the most exciting fights of 2009. Nogueira dropped Couture a number of times and nearly finished him of with some tight submission attempts, but Couture fought through and made it to the end of the third round. An extra two rounds of that gutsy effort and Nogueira's best performance of his UFC career would have been a pleasure to watch.

Honorable mentions: Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz II (UFC 106), Rich Franklin vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 99), Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida (TUF 9 Finale), Martin Kampmann vs. Carlos Condit (UFC Fight Night 18)

Alex Andrade  Jermaine Andrè  Yoji Anjo  Ao Hailin  Shinya Aoki