Joe Ferraro

The sense of satisfaction Mauricio (Shogun) Rua, right, and his camp felt after capturing the belt must have been euphoric.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's third stop on Canadian soil produced another successful event, but now that UFC 113: Machida vs Shogun 2 is officially in the history books, let's examine the various story lines that will shape the foreseeable future for some of MMA's biggest stars.

The main event

My initial prediction may have been correct, but I was way off on the timeframe. For the past seven months, since their original bout at UFC 104, no one was able convince me that Lyoto Machida would win the rematch with Mauricio (Shogun) Rua. While many disagreed with me (including Dana White, Ed Soares, Randy Couture and Shogun himself) I felt as if Rua was mentally in Machida's head, and while The Dragon's exterior showed otherwise, perhaps on the inside it was a different story.

This devastating loss may just be the best thing that could happen to Machida. Losing often defines a true champion's heart, and it makes for an exceptional return to the Octagon. So whomever is next for Machida, I would sure hate to be in their shoes. The only negative that may come from this bout for Machida is the "afraid to get knocked out again" effect -- something that is a common complication for many boxers and mixed martial artists.

Just look up legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach's take on this subject. In my own research, I have had many a fighter (and their camps) tell me the first knockout is very difficult to overcome; fighters may get gun shy as they fear getting in too close and getting knocked out again. Mind you, I doubt this will happen with Machida; he's just too good.

As for the new champion, I asked him specifically during the post-fight press conference how it felt to finally achieve the apex of his potential. His turbulent ride from being No. 1 in the world, to suffering multiple injuries and subsequent surgeries, his disappointing losses and performances, to his ascension up the 205-pound ladder, and now, the kingpin of the division. His response was politically correct, but having watched Shogun since his third pro bout in 2003, I firmly believe the sense of satisfaction he and his camp feels must be euphoric.

I'm also sure there is a sprinkle of "disdain" for those that doubted him, as they greet the many bandwagon jumpers who are now looking for seats to ride the wave that will be "The Shogun Era."

For whatever it's worth, I believe Shogun will be the first fighter since Chuck Liddell to successfully defend the title on numerous occasions, and stop the alternating championship changes, that has seen five different champions, in just as many years.

I will catch up with Shogun on Wednesday, as he will be in Toronto to get his perspective on the potential challengers to his shiny new belt. As it stands, the winner between Quinton (Rampage) Jackson vs. Rashad Evans at UFC 114 will get the next crack at the title, while others like Randy Couture and Anderson Silva will soon be knocking on the door. There's also a rematch Shogun would love to take vs. Forrest Griffin, a loss he seriously wants to avenge.

On the horizon, Jon (Bones) Jones... but that's still three or more fights away (for both fighters) as is any hope of seeing Strikeforce champion (King Mo) Lawal or contender Gegard Mousasi.

Co-main event

Going into the welterweight contender bout, my theory was simple: this was Josh Koscheck's fight to lose. If he decided to strike with Paul Daley, he'd be playing with fire and would likely get burned. The obvious strategy was to do what he did -- take Daley down, and away from his strength and maul him until the finish presented itself.

What I didn't see coming, was what my producer Bobby Torrens kept telling me -- "Kos is playing it safe." I disagreed, but was wrong, as I believe he would eventually go for the finish. Dana White agreed with Torrens' assessment but understood there was too much on the line for Koscheck to lose.

Now that he has the title shot and coaching spot opposite GSP on TUF 12, what we will likely see is Kos' incredible ability to trash talk and infuriate all MMA fans. The role of "bad guy" is one he has embraced, and the dichotomy that will be his role vs. "good guy" GSP will make for an incredible buildup on Rogers Sportsnet, as the season will likely lead to a massive pay-per-view buy rate, as the two welterweight collides, later this year.

Kudos must go to Koscheck and his camp for not reacting to Daley's sucker punch after the fight concluded. If they would have responded, we would have seen another debacle inside an MMA cage, but thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. Except, of course, for White.

The UFC president was livid and when I read his lips as he walked into the Octagon to confront Daley, I knew it wouldn't be pretty for the Brit. Then, at the post-fight press conference, White announced that "Semtex" was cut, and no matter how high he would climb the 170-pound ladder (and pound-for-pound ladder for that matter), he would never fight in the UFC again.

I believe the punishment was harsh, but I can definitely concur with the organization's call. Daley's post-fight actions were uncalled for, but they were the actions of a frustrated fighter, unable to implement his game plan, while his opponent was in his ear, whispering obscenities as the fight was coming to an end. While it does not excuse his actions, I do believe the UFC should sit him down and hear out "why" he did what he did. Give him a chance to explain himself, and if they still agree with their decision, then fine.

I also believe the organization (along with the Quebec Athletic Commission) should investigate Koscheck's rolling around on the mat, withering in pain, after an illegal knee attempt to his head was shown to have completely missed, during the multiple replays that showed in the arena. Kos may have been injured from "something" but what was it? Some said it was the edge of Daley's shorts, or his toe nails, another finger in the eye, etc... what was it that had Kos rolling around like that? If it was something legitimate, case closed -- if he was faking, then he must be spoken too, and reprimanded.

I'll admit that I did chuckle when Koscheck addressed the Montreal crowd by informing them that his Pittsburgh Penguins will defeat the Habs, and following that, he will defeat GSP. But on second thought, the human PR reel nearly incited a riot in the Bell Centre. The American was booed mercilessly throughout the fight with multiple derogatory chants berating him after the first round. It was surely difficult for him to overcome, so his post-fight commentary was an obvious response to those who were voicing their displeasure.

The Kimbo Experiment Is Over

Kimbo Slice's loss to Matt Mitrione was the final straw that broke the camel's back. I have my own beliefs as to why the UFC cut the ratings phenom, but it appears as if they had enough. Kimbo wasn't improving, his stamina was lacking, but I'm still slightly surprised they cut him. He is a crowd favourite, and arguably received the loudest cheer, outside of the Canadian fighters.

Kimbo was a licence to print money for the UFC, and a very humble guy. Every encounter I had with him was golden. This guy seriously gets his role within the MMA landscape, and never once believed his own hype. He always believed he had to work hard to earn his paycheque, but unfortunately, the end result wasn't enough for the UFC to keep him. Where he goes from here, remains to be seen, but Strikeforce, Dream, etc., are all viable options. There is already talk of Kimbo vs. Herschel Walker, so we'll see how it all unfolds.

As for "Meathead," I spoke to him throughout fight week and to say he was a completely different guy in real life than on the reality show, would be an understatement. I had the pleasure of discussing fight strategy with not only Mitrione, but his new team, which featured Pat Barry and legendary Thai boxer and coach Duke Roufus. Barry and Roufus did a masterful job with Mitrione's Muay Thai, but what really stuck out for me was Matt's ground game. In only his second fight, he looked really good, but the question remains... where does he go from here, as the UFC's heavyweight division is a dangerous one to develop under. Rumour has it that his next opponent may be Joey Beltran.

Speaking of Beltran, "The Mexicutioner" defeated "The Thrashing Machine" Tim Hague on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Edmonton native, three weeks was just not enough to prepare for Beltran, but the fact he put it all on the line was a victory in and of itself. He may have appeared slower than normal, but you could see it in the third round, when he mounted Beltran -- he was physically exhausted, took a deep breath, and went for the finish. Kudos to both guys for an exceptional fight that showed their hearts as warriors. When I interviewed Hague after the bout, he was very emotional and was walking around with a long "cane-like" staff to keep himself standing.

London, Ont.'s Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout won another fight of the night bonus after going to war with Jeremy (Lil' Heathen) Stephens. From our Octagon-side seat, many of us noticed that Stephens' timing was slightly better than Stout's, as he was able to narrowly beat Sammy to the punch for the majority of exchanges. Going into the third round, Stout threw caution to the wind, and even though he fell short, he received high praise from the UFC brass after the event. As for Stephens, I suggest paying close attention to this lightweight as he continues to quietly climb the ladder and is a serious threat to many of the elite guys in the top ten.

Patrick Cote's loss to Alan Belcher came after being devastated with body kicks from Belcher's left shin. Then, he wasn't able to recover from being slammed on his face (which is not considered illegal according to the Unified Rules of MMA -- spiking on the top of the head is), and "The Talent" quickly took Cote's back and submitted him with a rear naked choke. Cote also suffered a broken hand, which he will undergo surgery to repair, while Belcher sees his status at middleweight skyrocket.

The question I asked his coach, Roufus, on Sunday night was whether he'd rather fight Anderson Silva or fight for the title, seeing as Dana White stated Silva will likely fight Chael Sonnen, then Vitor Belfort, and if victorious, will likely be asked to relinquish his belt and move up to 205 pounds. Roufus' response was both, as Belcher may one day consider moving up to light-heavyweight as well.

Cole Harbour, N.S.'s T.J. Grant had a tough scrap with Johny Hendricks and will likely head back to the East Coast and work on what he believed he did wrong. I spoke to him afterwards and he was very positive and adamant that he will be back in the gym to correct the wrongs and make them right for his next bout. Mark my words, we have not seen the last of Grant and he will be back stronger than ever.

Victoriaville, Que.'s Jonathan Goulet came to see me in media row and apologized for losing to Marcus Davis. I balked at his apology and said to never do so again -- this guy trained so hard for his bout and simply lost to a fighter who was on point in Montreal. Goulet is a warrior and is one of those guys who doesn't say much (hairstyles aside) and simply takes his blue collar work ethic to the TriStar gym every day. He is a role model to the Quebec MMA fighters and still has plenty of gas left in his tank.

As for Joe (El Dirte) Doerksen, who would have thought he could have recovered from that first round vs. Tom Lawlor, to submit him in the next frame. The joke along media row was that Lawlor's legendary ring entrances are a fresh infusion to the sometimes repetitive ones we are used to seeing, but his tribute to Apollo Creed was a very active one. I stated he should monitor his energy release and slow down a little. He has to fight while he he's burning unnecessary calories while walking to the Octagon.

I know, I'm digressing, but Lawlor has shown an unending amount of cardio in the past (think Aaron Simpson fight) but appeared to fade quickly last Saturday night. Either way, he is such a great asset to the UFC roster -- his Dan Severn tribute at the weigh-ins was amazing.

So what's next for El Dirte? Well, his next bout will actually be outside of the UFC, for coach Giuseppe DiNatale's Canadian Fighting Championship 4, scheduled for Saturday, June 4 in Winnipeg. Doerksen is scheduled to face off against Ontario's Shawn (Machine Gun) Marchand.

My fingers are crossed for sportsnet.ca blogger Jason MacDonald, who suffered a broken tibia, fibula and dislocated ankle after landing awkwardly in his bout vs. John Salter. Here's hoping The Athlete has a speedy recovery and returns to action soon.