
(Props: WatchKalibRun)
After laying low for most of the month, the completely arbitrary numerical rankings system known as The Potato Index has been jarred from its slumber following this weekend’s absolutely insane "Aldo vs. Faber" event. And now, it’s time for some scores to be handed down with the wrath of a fat goth chick. Let’s hit it…
Jose Aldo +199
Aldo did what most of us expected him to do, which is run through the California Kid like a hot knife through corn-rowed butter. But his unfortunate stalling in the last round — when he could have put Faber out of his misery at any moment, or at least followed his corner’s advice and let Faber up when he went down — suggested that the WEC featherweight champ is cool with just running out the clock sometimes. It’ll be a problem if it becomes a habit. For now, you can’t get too mad at him, especially since Faber absorbed a level of damage that would have stopped almost any other fighter.
Urijah Faber -74
His hometown paper may be calling for his retirement, the freakin’ vultures, but let’s look at the positives: Faber still has one of the most passionate followings in all of MMA. He will not quit, no matter how bad things are going for him. And although his legacy at featherweight may be ending, there’s still a bantamweight division in the WEC that would probably love to have him. Time to set up Faber vs. Torres?
Ben Henderson +213
It was the perfect performance to erase the memory of his controversial first victory over Donald Cerrone, and made a strong case for him as one of the top ten lightweights in the world. But why go on as the big fish in a small pond? The UFC needs lightweight contenders, and he’s got everything it takes to make the jump.
Donald Cerrone -144
Like Kenny Florian in the UFC, Cowboy just can’t make it happen when there’s a belt on the line. And a first-round submission loss is definitely not the way he wanted to go out. He’ll probably get his rematch with Varner now, but it’ll be a while before he’s given another title shot.
Manny Gamburyan +387
Gamburyan was supposed to be just another rung in Mike Brown’s climb back to title contention. Instead, the Anvil took advantage of a tentative early showing by the former champ and knocked his block off. Now, Gamburyan is in the featherweight title mix himself, following previous wins over John Franchi and Leonard Garcia. Yes, Karo Parisyan‘s cousin from TUF 5. That Manny Gamburyan. It’s a crazy world.
Mike Brown -897
You’re gonna let some broad screw with your head to the point where you get knocked out by Manny Gamburyan in the first round? Nah, player.
Leonard Garcia +134
You have to give credit to Garcia’s heart, even if his gas-tank failed him and his technique broke down right after his hand did. And it’s not his fault that the judges blew the call. The dude put in one half of the WEC’s version of Griffin vs. Bonnar, times a hundred. We can’t wait for the inevitable rematch.
Chan Sung Jung +1,160
He came into WEC 48 known more for his awesome nickname than for his fighting prowess. And now, he’s a star. Even in "defeat," Jung established himself as a featherweight contender and a fan favorite. We hope he has a long career in the WEC.
Shane Roller +111
If he didn’t already get smoked by Ben Henderson last year, he’d probably be the WEC’s #1 lightweight contender right now, after his quick choke-out of Anthony Njokuani. Instead, Roller will probably have to take at least one more match — perhaps against fellow rising star Anthony Pettis — before he gets green-lighted for another dance with Smooth.
Anthony Njokuani -1,500
The much-hyped knockout artist gets punked on the ground, then follows up the weak performance by lashing out at Shane Roller as a "fag" who wasn’t man enough to stand and bang. What do you do for an encore, Anthony, get arrested for surprise sex?
Scott Jorgensen +120
Any day you can avenge a loss is a good day, and Jorgensen did it in dominant fashion. (Maybe his game really has "evolved 180 degrees"?) Look for Scotty to be groomed for a bantamweight title shot after Joseph Benavidez gets his.
Antonio Banuelos -96
A tough loss in a pivotal fight. With so many great 135-pound contenders emerging, Banuelos will have to work even harder to stay on the radar.
Zuffa +435
We were all a little skeptical when we first heard that Zuffa was going to try to charge us for a WEC event, but they managed to make it work by combining the WEC’s always-entertaining fighters with the UFC’s top-notch production (and commentators, and announcer) into a single brand-less pay-per-view extravaganza. And for those of us who actually bought it, it turned out to be worth every penny. Unless the buy-rate was a total disaster, we’ll be seeing more stacked cards in the future, with bigger paydays for the fighters. Everybody wins.
The state of MMA judging -350
I would score this event a 10 out of 10 if not for two things: The last round of Aldo vs. Faber, and the woeful result of Garcia vs. Jung, which was one of the most indefensible decisions I’ve ever seen in MMA. One of the judges who gave it to Garcia was Nelson "Doc" Hamilton, who you may remember as the guy who scored Machida vs. Rua I for Machida then changed his mind when it was far too late to matter. I’d be curious to hear what Hamilton says about his latest judging masterpiece after re-watching the fight.
The CagePotato.com Gambling Addiction Enabler -275
None of you actually took our advice about the underdog picks and the parlay bet, right? Okay, good. Thank God.
(BG, +1,000,000)


Chan Sung Jung got robbed!