First, Melvin Guillard took it on the chin in the Octagon then came a few more shots during the UFC 136 postfight press conference.
Guillard was the victim of a major upset (closed as a minus-600 favorite at some off-shore sports books) against Joe Lauzon, then during the postfight, the victor and Dana White said they thought the former title contender was too cocky for his own good.
"He came dancing in there like he'd won, like he'd just won the fight ... instead of being serious," White said (0:45 mark). "It'd be one thing if it went to the ground and Lauzon submitted him, but he rocked him twice and then submitted him."
Guillard came out swinging for the fences from the get-go. He got crushed by a left hook and down he went. It was all over in 47 seconds for Guillard. This after he told the New Orleans Times-Picayune he was expecting to knockout Lauzon.
"I never predict the round, but I know I will get a knockout," Guillard said before the fight. "It's no pressure, but I want to outperform everyone on the card. I can't wait. And I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about what I'm going to do."
He also called Lauzon a featherweight.
Lauzon said he was irked to find out that Guillard had spent part of Saturday afternoon hanging around the UFC Fan Expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center. That's not unusual for Guillard though on fight days. He told us in the past that he doesn't like to sit in his hotel room on the Friday and Saturday of fight weekends. Getting out and talking to the fans actually relaxes his nerves.
Later during the postfight proceedings, White mentioned Guillard again. When referencing his own focus on the huge Fox televison debut on Nov. 12, White said he didn't want to pull "a Guillard" and lose track of his goal. That stings.
Guillard made it back from the brink of lot worse. Now the 28-year-old has to regroup and try to tear through the division again.
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