UFC 118 post-fight analysis: Edgar silences critics with second defeat of Penn, Couture beats Toney

UFC 118 delivered clear answers with the double-headliner of defending UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn 2 and Randy Couture vs. James Toney.

While Edgar proved that his first win against former UFC Lightweight Champion Penn was not a fluke and he is the rightful owner of the belt, UFC legend Couture kept his promise to teach accomplished boxer Toney the holes in his mixed martial arts game which were apparently big enough to drive a truck through.

Although Penn had refused to acknowledge his first loss to Edgar by not adding 'former' to his UFC title on his twitter profile he most certainly had to face the music when Edgar repeated his dominating performance in their rematch last night.

Edgar kept doing what he does best which is outscoring his opponent with incessant takedowns, ground and pound, as well as plenty of strikes that kept Penn from finding his rhythm. With eight wins via decision Edgar has proven that his strategy is not only smart but obviously effective even against a well-rounded and highly skilled fighter such as Penn.

Penn, on the other hand, started the first round out strong with an obvious focus on overpowering and submitting Edgar. But Edgar proved to be a true escape artist by slipping out of any holds and reversing positions almost effortlessly. While Penn seemed to get increasingly irritated throughout the five round of this title bout Edgar kept increasing his speed which made it impossible for Penn to catch up in points on the judges' scorecards. With only a clear finish as possible option for a win Penn struggled against an ever elusive Edgar who darted in and out of Penn's range at lightning speed.

Both fighters already knew the result before the official decision was announced and this time no one was surprised when Edgar was declared the winner via unanimous decision.

-->Watch the UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn fight highlight video on ESPN.

In the other main event which was hyped up as classic MMA vs. boxing showdown, Couture put Toney through an express MMA clinic with an immediate takedown and subsequent submission via arm-triangle choke at 3:19 in round one before Toney had the chance to even land one single punch. It seems highly unlikely that Toney will ever set foot in the octagon or any other MMA cage for that matter after hopefully realizing that it takes more than big words to win in MMA. Nevertheless, he stands to make $750K- $1 Million for his listless performance.

--->Watch the UFC 118: Toney vs. Couture fight highlight video on ESPN.

Complete UFC 118 fight results.