In a fight that left much to be desired, Couture edged Vera via narrow unanimous decision on scores of 28-27 across the board.

This controversial call has already fueled great debate among the MMA community. Many insiders, including UFC colour commentator Joe Rogan, are dissatisfied with the decision.

They are citing the unanimous verdict in favour of Couture as "another example of bad judging in the sport."

Personally, I thought the fight was close enough for Couture to warrant the decision, although his performance was unremarkable.

Remarkable for a 46-year-old warrior? Yes. Remarkable enough to prove he could dominate the 205-pound weight class? Not quite.

Couture stuck to a solid gameplan, but he found himself in deep water several times throughout the light heavyweight bout.

Like a shark going in for the kill, "The Natural" was the aggressor for the better part of 15 minutes, controlling Vera in the clinch and pushing him up against the cage. But Couture did little to threaten or damage the Lloyd Irvin-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt.

On the other hand, Vera, often referred to as a muay thai machine, was neutralized when forced to play Couture's game of clinch warfare.

After tasting Vera's power in the opening stanza, Couture realized he could not go blow-for-blow and needed to revert to his wrestling base. This came as no surprise since Couture indicated in pre-fight interviews that he would do what he does best, which is wrestle. And wrestle he did.

But the big surprise was Vera's excellent takedown defense and his ability to neutralize Couture when he desperately shot in. Vera showcased underrated wrestling ability to thwart Couture's relentless takedown attempts and force him to fight standing up, even if it had to be in the clinch.

"The Truth" was unfazed since Couture struggled to score any damaging strikes while pushing his body up against the octagon. He muscled Vera around and remained in control, but he did little to hurt Vera in that position.

In the second round, Vera connected with a crunching knee to the body, which made Couture turn his back and plummet to the floor. Moments later, Vera seemed on the verge of victory as he charged in and dropped bombs on the fallen UFC Hall of Famer.

Couture, a man who repeatedly displays the resilience of a champion, recovered by closing his guard and covering up before the bell sounded. At this point in the fight, it became abundantly clear that Couture wanted no part of Vera standing.

The second round was over and the consensus score was one round a piece. Couture won the first with aggression and control. Vera won the second with striking, effectively dropping Couture and nearly finishing the fight. The third frame would decide which fighter was going to have their hand raised if the bout was left to the judges.

Couture seemingly got a second wind before starting the final round. He began letting his hands go as he charged forward with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts. Vera's speed advantage became all too apparent as he dodged most of the shots. However, Vera could not stop Couture from leaning on him against the cage.

With little time remaining and the fight hanging in the balance, Vera scored with more body kicks and surprised Couture with a knee-tap takedown. Vera proceeded to move to mount where he dropped blows on his idol before Couture scrambled back to his feet.

Time expired and the judges ultimately scored the bout in Couture's favour.

The line has been blurred between judging in the UFC under the "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts," compared to judging criteria for the now-defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan.

Under PRIDE rules, Vera definitely won due to a greater effort to finish the fight and a greater accumulation of damage on his opponent.

I prefer PRIDE rules because fights should be judged as a whole rather than on a round-by-round basis. Mixed martial arts isn't boxing. By using a similar scoring system to the sweet science, we are blurring the line between the two sports and consequently preventing MMA from continuing to evolve. A fight is a fight and it should be scored as such.

However, under unified rules that are used to score UFC bouts, this fight becomes much closer to call. A large emphasis is placed on octagon control and effective aggressiveness. Couture obviously prevailed in those two categories, at least in the opinions of the three judges sitting at ringside.

While I don't share Rogan's disdain for the decision, I am in agreement that reform for scoring MMA must be implemented soon. Fans and critics alike can agree that criteria should be clearer and judges must undergo more comprehensive testing.

Until then, we will be subject to more questionable calls like Couture's win over Vera, Michael Bisping's hometown win over Matt Hamill, Forrest Griffin's unanimous title victory over Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida's recent triumph over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Judging aside, we can draw several important conclusions from this fight.

Couture's chin may not be what it once was, but the former two-division world champion is still a threat at light heavyweight. Couture's in-your-face style continues to be effective even if he's vulnerable standing and trading with physically stronger opponents.

The list of intriguing matchups for Couture at 205 pounds is vast. He is focused on the belt and a potential shot at kingpin Machida, which might make sense after he wins another fight in the division.

For his next bout, Couture should face the winner of the Rashad Evans-Thiago Silva tilt at UFC 108 on Jan. 2.

With a win over a top-five fighter, Couture would prove his worth as a legitimate contender and be 2-0 since dropping down.

Other potential fights for Couture include the winner of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane, Rich Franklin, Keith Jardine, Forrest Griffin, among others.

Meanwhile, Vera proved he is capable of winning big fights as a headliner. To many fans, he already won.

Upon hearing the decision, the visibly heartbroken Vera embraced his wife Kerry, who is set to face Kim Couture, Randy's ex-wife, at a Strikeforce Challengers event on Nov. 20.

Although Kim continues to improve, she will be tested against a world-class female kickboxer and could be in for more than she can handle. If everything goes according to plan, Kerry will avenge a loss for the Vera family name.

Where does Vera (Brandon) go from here?

He proved he is worthy of testing himself against the top of the division and is now asking for someone in the top five. He exhibited strong will, scintillating striking and legitimate power in the Couture fight. He is a threat to any top fighter on any given night, plain and simple.

It makes sense to give the winner of Evans-Silva to Couture and the loser to Vera. With a win over a top-ranked fighter, Vera will find himself surrounded by hungry contenders at the top of the UFC's prized division.

At that point, Vera will seal his own fate.

He will have two choices: embrace the pressure or break under it.

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Dan Hardy vs. Mike Swick

It's not my idea of a sensible title matchup, but Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy appears to be all but official.

The loud-mouthed Brit utilized calculated counterpunching to pick Swick apart over three rounds before notching a unanimous decision on scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

From the get-go, Swick found himself in trouble after a right hand from Hardy grazed him early in round one. Swick attempted numerous takedowns, all of which were stopped with ease.

Hardy continued to outclass Swick with more punishing shots while managing to avoid any dangerous submission predicaments, including a third-round guillotine choke attempt.

Taking nothing away from the hard-fought victory, Hardy could find himself in big trouble if he is matched up against St-Pierre.

Swick was a tough test, but neither man was ever ready for a title shot.

Hardy fights St-Pierre next and the likely outcome will be his first loss in the UFC. A setback against St-Pierre shouldn't hurt his career and we can expect him to bounce back in a division blossoming with young talent.

What about Swick?

There are many potential opponents in the stacked welterweight division, many of whom could give the American Kickboxing Academy product an opportunity to redeem himself.

A rumoured fight against Martin Kampmann never materialized. That's an option, as are the winners of Karo Parisyan vs. Dustin Hazelett, Paul Daley vs. Carlos Condit and Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg.

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Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

The night's MVP award should definitely go to "The Count."

He vowed to erase the memory of a disappointing loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100 and he did so so emphatically on Saturday night in Manchester.

Kang was prey and Bisping devoured him, leaving him bloody, battered and worn down before referee Dan Miragliotta came in for the rescue at 4:24 of the second round.

The first round went to Kang, who tested the hometown hero's chin early and knocked Bisping down with a straight right hand. The Canadian tried to capitalize from top position, but Bisping's defensive jiu-jitsu skills prevented Kang from doing any major damage.

Often overlooked is the fact that Bisping has been training BJJ with Paul Lloyd Davies since he was eight years old. He was able to hang with Kang, a legitimate black belt under Marcus Soares, by actively moving his hips between half guard and full guard. Bisping effectively prevented Kang from maintaining an advantageous position where he could reign down strikes.

Nonetheless, Kang won the round and seemed on the verge of upsetting the crowd favourite.

In the second round, fans were treated to a rejuvenated Bisping. The Wolfslair Academy standout shifted the momentum on Kang and secured a takedown before pummeling him with a cavalcade of powerful punches.

With a cut under his right eye and blood now streaming down his face, Kang managed to get back up. Feeling that victory was within reach, Bisping pounced on the visibly staggered Kang with a violent flurry of blows. Kang tried to survive but eventually fell to his knees while still eating punches before Miragliotta halted the action.

If there was ever a question of Bisping being a worthy fighter in the UFC, it was answered with a stellar performance against Kang.

Bisping has a great opportunity to progress further up the UFC ladder by continuing to face top talent in the division.

Yushin Okami and Patrick Cote would be good tests for the Brit, as would be the winners of Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller or Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Kang, meanwhile, could only afford to lose once more before he will be cut by the UFC.

He is 1-2 since joining the promotion, winning a decision against outmatched Xavier Foupa-Pokam and dropping fights to Bisping and Alan Belcher.

For his next fight, Kang should be matched up against a fighter that will test his ability to perform at an elite level. If he can't dispatch an opponent the caliber of Kendall Grove, Chris Leben, Nate Quarry or Alessio Sakara, his days competing for the UFC could be nearing an end.

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Matt Brown vs. James Wilks

In an entertaining display of technical skill, Brown stopped Wilks' takedown attempts and made him pay with better striking before eventually stopping him with ground and pound in the third frame.

In the second round, Brown sent Wilks tumbling to the ground with a flying knee attack and pursued "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 9 welterweight winner with an assault from top position. The durable Wilks was still game as he he tried to secure his opponent's leg for a submission, but Brown persevered to fight another round.

The third round saw Wilks nearly secure a tight kimura for the win, but Brown shifted his hips from side to side before escaping and securing the full mount. From there, Brown dropped some solid punches on his defenseless foe before referee Leon Roberts called it a night.

Brown's impressive win was unsurprising and moves him further up in the welterweight division.

Now riding a three-fight winning streak and a 4-1 record in the UFC, Brown could use a step up in competition. The UFC can give him a chance to avenge an earlier career loss to Chris Lytle or match him up against another decent prospect such as Jonathan Goulet, Kevin Burns, Marcus Davis, Rory Markham or even undercard winner John Hathaway.

Even in defeat, Wilks showed great heart and utilized numerous submission attempts when he was in trouble. Up next for the man known as "Lightning" should be someone the caliber of T.J. Grant, Yoshiyuki Yoshida or Ben Saunders.

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Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

In one of the most surprising fights of the night, TUF 9 winner Pearson devastated the well-travelled veteran Riley before stopping him with a cut at 4:38 of the second round.

Pearson's clinch work was first-rate as he hurt Riley with a multitude of punches, kicks and knees throughout the fight.

Living up to his hard-to-finish moniker, Riley remained in the fight even while being on the receiving end of a fierce attack. It was a knee that busted Riley's nose up, which prompted referee Marc Goddard to terminate the contest in round two.

Riley was expected to control the fight and get the better of his opponent standing, but to the pleasant surprise of the roaring British fans at the Manchester Evening News Arena, Pearson ran right through the 41-fight veteran.

Pearson proved he is a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. Fighting in a division jam-packed with compelling potential opponents, Pearson is continually evolving his game and setting himself up for a lengthy run in the organization.

At this point in his career, Pearson can test himself against anyone in the division. Before long, he can become one of the company's most prominent draws in England.

As for Riley, he is likely to become a gatekeeper for the promotion. If he loses another fight, it would not be surprising if he gets the pink slip.