Johnny Eduardo is Johnny Dangerously at UFC FN 40

Coming into this fight Eddie Wineland was one of the biggest favorites in UFC history. Johnny Eduardo showed that he did not care about the odds or the rankings. He just went out and KO’d Wineland in the first round with two violent right hands.

As the fight started Kenny Florian praised the footwork, movement, feints and fakes of Wineland, who is very good in all of those areas. He explained that those elements allow Wineland to get away with holding his hands down low. Most fighters get knocked quickly if they carry their hands as low as Wineland. He has thrived doing this throughout his career.

Only Eduardo’s teammate, UFC champion Renan Barao had stopped him via strikes before this fight. With all of Florian’s talk about Wineland’s elusiveness it was Eduardo who was the one who was impossible to hit. Wineland threw 56 total strikes/significant strikes and only landed 6. That was good for just barely 10 percent.

Eduardo had great movement throughout the round and started to get his timing down as the round entered the last minute. Wineland did do a decent job of avoiding Eduardo’s strikes who landed 11 of 20 total/significant strikes for a 56 percent success rate.

He only needed the last two devastating right hands. As Eduardo ducked down and to his left to avoid a Wineland right hand he also threw a left hook that glanced off of Wineland’s chin. It also moved his head back and over to his left. This put it on a collison course with Edaurdo’s right hand. It landed cleanly and rocked Wineland who zombie shuffled backwards.

The force of the right hook propelled Eduardo for a step and a-half in the other direction. He quickly followed Wineland over staying balanced and ready to deliver the knockout blow. He was not reckless and when got to Wineland he paused for just a half of a beat and then unloaded another huge right hand that sent Wineland crashing to canvas.

A couple of needless punches from Eduardo to satisfy the referee and the fight was over. It was a huge win for Eduardo. Wineland was ranked number four and had just fought Barao for the title.

This victory definitely puts Eduardo in the top ten. As far as what’s next for him, that is an easy one. Eduardo was scheduled to fight Michael McDonald back in 2011 and was forced to pull out due to injury. It would be a great fight for them both. Eduardo would be one of the better pure strikers that McDonald has faced. While he would provide Eduardo with a tough test as well. McDonald can strike with him as he is more technically sound than Wineland and he has a better offensive wrestling game.

If McDonald thinks he has an advantage on the ground then he will try to take the fight there. It would be interesting fight to gauge wear Eduardo is in the division. If he wins one or two more fights in the same spectacular fashion we will have an interesting situation. He would in theory be in line for a title fight only right now his teammate and training partner Barao holds the title. Right now he gets to enjoy a long awaited win after almost two years off. It was an impressive highlight reel return to the octagon for Eduardo.