Benson Henderson walked into Milwaukee as the UFC lightweight champion prior to August 31, but the man who walked out with the belt was Anthony Pettis. This was the second time that Henderson had lost to Pettis, and it was the second time that a championship belt was involved. The first match was fought in Henderson’s home state of Arizona. The second match was in Wisconsin, the home state of Pettis. Both times, Pettis left the victor.

What makes this second match more surprising, if not ground breaking to those in the know, is that Pettis forced Henderson to submit via armbar. This is surprising because Pettis is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Henderson is a black belt. This is akin to a high school pitcher striking out a major league home run hitter. It’s possible, but not something most people are used to seeing. In the world of MMA (mixed martial arts) just because it looks like a one-sided fight on paper, doesn’t mean that it will be a one-sided fight in person.

Contrary to popular belief, the Bay Area is a hot bed for MMA. Numerous gyms in the area specialize in the instruction of the fundamental forms that make up MMA. There are gyms for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and many more. Skyline College happens to be a training ground for numerous amateur fighters as well as one UFC contender. Skyline’s wrestling team, a staple of Bay Area grappling, has been used by Darren Uyenoyama (under contract with the UFC at 125 lbs.) to strengthen his wrestling before fights in the past. Uyenoyama, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is the owner of the FTCC gym in Daly City. If it’s good enough for Uyenoyama, a Bay Area native, then Skyline’s wrestling has an amazing seal of approval.

It will be interesting to see how well Pettis wears his belt, and the list of challengers is long. As for Skyline wrestling, Uyenoyama (nicknamed BC,for Bone Crusher) is still a viable contender in the UFC flyweight division. I, for one, am a fan of both Pettis and Uyenoyama, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2013 holds for both fighters.