UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2
11/21/09
Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, Nevada
Welterweight Fight- Amir Sadollah (2-1) vs. Phil Baroni (13-11)
Sadollah was the winner of TUF 7 but lost in just 27 seconds in his last fight against Johny Hendricks. Both guys train at Xtreme Couture but Baroni trained for this fight at AKA. Baroni comes out to “Bad to the Bone”. This is Baroni’s first fight in UFC since UFC 51. Sadollah has a 2” height and 3” reach advantage.
R1- Baroni lands some strikes early and knocks Amir off-balance. Baroni lands two good uppercuts. Baroni got a take down about half way through the round but gave up the position after about a minute. Baroni tried a guillotine but couldn’t get it and Amir landed a good knee and barely missed with a big haymaker. Amir is coming on towards the end of the round. Baroni comes out of the round with his face bloodied. Baroni 10-9 but Amir could have stolen that round after Baroni gassed towards the end.
R2- Baroni looks really tired and Amir comes out as the aggressor in this round. Not a real exciting round but I’ve got Amir taking this one to even it up 19-19.
R3- Amir lands some good strikes in the first minute of the round. Amir is doing a good job changing levels in this round and he buckled Baroni against the cage with a good onslaught. Amir wins this fight 29-28 on my score card. Amir did a good job weathering the storm early and then it was all Amir in the last two rounds after Baroni ran out of steam.
Judges score cards: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28
Winner: Amir Sadollah by Decision (Unanimous)
Light Heavyweight Fight- Antonio “Minotouro” Nogueira (17-3) vs. Luiz Cane (11-1)
This is a battle between two Top 10 Light Heavyweight Fighters that fly under the radar. The winner of this fight jumps up into title contention with another win under their belt after this fight. Big Nog and Anderson Silva are in lil Nog’s corner for the fight. Cane comes out to some Jane’s Addiction. Cane is coming off of a decision victory over Steve Cantwell at UFC 97.
R1- Nogueira starts to land some strikes and hits a good left and then another and Cane is on his heels. Nogueira is landing some good strikes and lands some lefts and then connects with a big left that knocks Cane to the ground. Lil Nog jumps on top and this fight is over. Really impressive debut for Lil Nog and he jumps right into the Light Heavyweight Title picture after the Machida/Shogun re-match.
Winner: Antonio “Minotouro” Nogueira by TKO (Strikes) R1 1:56
Chuck Liddell is at the fights tonight to check out Tito/Forrest. New WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo is also at the show and they show some highlights of his championship win over Mike Brown from earlier in the week.
Welterweight Fight- Paulo Thiago (11-1) vs. Jacob Volkmann (9-0)
This is the UFC debut of Volkmann. Thiago is coming off of a decision loss to top contender Jon Fitch at UFC 100. Volkmann comes out to some AC/DC. Thiago has a 3” reach advantage to counter Volkmann’s better entrance music. Volkmann’s nickname is “Christmas”.
R1- Thiago got a take down into side control after the first minute of the round but Volkamann quickly got back to his feet. Thiago got a take down and mounted mid-way through the round. Thaigo lands some strikes but Volkmann got back to his feet without taking any major damage. Thiago landed a big combination right at the buzzer that floored Volkmann. Thiago 10-9.
R2- Thiago caught a Volkmann kick and chopped his other leg to floor him but didn’t follow up on the ground. Volkmann got a take down into side control in the first minute of the round but Thiago got back to his feet without taking much damage. Volkmann got Thiago down again but Thiago flipped him over and took top position. Thiago landed a big shot on the ground towards the end of the round. This round was very close. Could have gone either way.
R3- Thiago caught Volkmann coming in with a right and floored him. Volkmann tried a take down but Thiago avoided it but shortly thereafter Volkmann was able to get on top. Volkmann worked Thiago into a crucifix position and landed some good elbow strikes before Thiago was able to get out of the move. Volkmann slipped of Thiago’s back and Thiago once again assumed control. Volkmann grabbed a choke from the bottom but somehow Thiago slipped out. Thiago landed some good elbows on Volkmann at the end of the round.
Rounds two and three were virtual toss ups. Thiago clearly won the first round. I’m going to say the judges will give Thiago the win via decision. Volkmann really didn’t show much other than his wrestling, he really needs to work on his striking.
Judges score cards say: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27
Winner: Paulo Thiago by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Josh Koscheck (15-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (8-2)
This should be fun. Anthony Johnson is coming off of a destruction of Yoshiyuki Yoshida less than a month ago at UFC 104. Koscheck stopped Frank Trigg in the first round of their UFC 103 fight. The winner of this will move way up the rankings in the wide open Welterweight Division. Cung Le is in Anthony Johnson’s corner. Johnson has the most knock downs per minute in the UFC. Johnson has a 4” height and 5” reach advantage.
R1- Long feeling out process with a few strikes landing for each fighter. Koscheck came in at the two minute mark and got caught and knocked off balance and cornered. Koscheck clinched him to get out of the corner but Johnson defended it and ended up in the superior position. Koscheck was on his knees and Johnson landed a knee to his forehead, which is illegal, and the fight was stopped by the ref. On the re-play it didn’t look like the knee hit him in the head but Koscheck did get poked in the eye at some point. They re-start the fight. Koscheck went for a single and Johnson sprawled and landed hard on the cage and Koscheck finally took him down. Tough round to score as there wasn’t a ton of damage done and the Koscheck take down at the end of the round might have swung the round to him. I believe Johnson had a point deducted so it could be Koscheck up 10-8 at this point.
R2- Koscheck returned the favor with an eye poke early in ths round. Koscheck started to land some good shots but on the re-play the big shot was a poke right into Johnson’s eye. Johnson has a bad history with getting poked in the eye. Johnson landed some good strikes in an exchange and Koscheck may have landed a shot as well. Koscheck got a take down two minutes into the round. Koscheck landed some elbows. Koscheck landed a Rear Naked Choke and Johnson tapped out. Big win for Koscheck.
Winner: Josh Koscheck by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R2 4:47
Post-Fight Josh Koscheck calls out Dan Hardy. Says Hardy hasn’t fought anybody and says he’s the real number one contender.
Vince Vaughn is at the show tonight.
Light Heavyweight Fight- Tito Ortiz (16-6-1) vs. Forrest Griffin (16-6)
This is a re-match from their fight at UFC 59 that ended up a Split Decision victory for Tito Ortiz. Forrest comes out to Chumbawamba’s “I get knocked down, but I get up again”.
R1- Tito got a take down in the second minute of the fight after some brief stand up. Forrest was able to get back to his feet after taking some shots. This was a close round. Forrest won the stand up in the round but Tito got the take down.
R2- Tito got a take down in the first 30 seconds of the round. Forrest got back to his feet without taking any significant damage. Forrest hit a front kick to the face that sent Tito’s mouthpiece flying. Tito got another take down about half way through the round. Tito cut Forrest open really badly. Forrest turned Tito over with about 30 seconds left in the round. Probably 19-19 at this point.
R3- Forrest is the aggressor early in this round. Tito shot in but it was stuffed by Forrest. Tito looks a bit gassed in this round and Forrest is scoring all the points with about a minute and a half left in the round. Forrest stuffed another take down with about 40 seconds left. Forrest wins this round and I’ve got him taking the fight 29-28.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Ortiz, 30-27 Griffin, 29-28 Forrest
Winner: Forrest Griffin by Decision (Split)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
WEC 44 "Brown vs. Aldo" Re-Cap
WEC 44 “Brown vs. Aldo”
The Pearl
Las Vegas, Nevada
November 19, 2009
Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the announcers for the show. Joe Martinez is the ring announcer. The Featherweight Championship is on the line as Mike Thomas Brown will face explosive challenger Jose Aldo. Former WEC Lightweight Champion Rob McCullough will face Karen Darabedyan. In a fight of former UFC fighters Leonard Garcia will face Manvel Gamburyan in a Featherweight Fight.
Lightweight Fight- Will Kerr (8-1) vs. Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1)
This is the WEC debut for both fighters.
R1- Kamal hit a big punch that floored Kerr early. Kamal lands some good strikes and Kerr falls to his knees and the ref stops the fight. Good showing by Kamal as he looked good in the striking face of MMA but didn’t really look like he was tested tonight.
Winner: Kamal Shalorus by TKO (Strikes) R1 1:26
Lightweight Fight- Shane Roller (6-2) vs. Danny Castillo (8-1)
Roller lost back in April to current Lightweight Interim Champ Ben Henderson.
R1- Castillo got the first take down about half way through the round but he couldn’t hold Roller down. Castillo got another take down but Roller reversed it and nearly got a guillotine. Castillo got another take down with a minute and a half left in the round. Castillo 10-9.
R2- Castillo landed some good shots against the cage and then got a take down. Roller landed a couple knees and then got a take down. Roller grabbed a guillotine. Castillo gave up his back and Roller landed some good shots to the side of the head and ear. One round a piece after two rounds.
R3- Roller shot in but Castillo sprawled and got top position. Roller got a take down with two minutes left in the round. Roller locks in a choke and Castillo taps out. Pretty even back and forth fight, nice job by Roller in finishing the fight.
Winner: Shane Roller by Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 3:32
Donald Cerrone will fight Ed Ratcliffe on December 19th and they are interviewed ringside.
Tito Ortiz, Ben Henderson, and Urijah Faber are all ringside for the show.
Lightweight Fight- Rob McCullough (17-5) vs. Karen Darabedyan (8-1)
Karen is Judo and Taekwondo Black Belt who is on a 5 fight win streak. Karen is making his WEC debut.
R1- They are picking their spots early but are exchanging. McCullough looks a little tight and Karen more relaxed. Karen hit a good combo. McCullough landed a good body kick but Karen came back with a good punch that opened up a cut on McCullough. Karen landed some good shots at the end of the round and looks really good so far. Karen 10-9.
R2- Karen got a take down within the first minute of the round but couldn’t get anything before McCullough worked back to his feet. Both guys have small cuts near their eyes. Pretty even round other than the take down that could have been scored either way. Karen is up 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Pretty even and uneventful round to finish the fight. I’ve got Karen taking this fight by virtue of winning the first two rounds on my score card. Could be a split decision.
Judges score cards say: 30-27 Darabedyan, 30-27 McCullough, 29-28 Darabedyan
Wow. No way McCullough won that first round. It’s very rare that you see one judge score a fight 30-27 and another judge score a fight 30-27 in favor of the other fighter. Rounds 2 and 3 were very even.
Winner: Karen Darabedyan by Decision (Split)
Featherweight Fight- Leonard Garcia (17-4) vs. Manvel Gamburyan (11-5)
Garcia has a 5” height and 2” reach advantage. This is the Co-Main Event.
R1- Long feeling out process. Manvel came in for a take down and Garcia fed him a good right hand. Garcia is landing some strikes but nothing too bad. Manvel went for a take down but Garcia sprawled and then Manvel hit Garcia with two low blows. Manvel goes for a take down and Garcia did a good job of keeping the fight on the feet. Garcia hit a good kick but Manvel took it. Manvel shot again but Garcia landed a kick. Garcia 10-9.
R2- Garcia hit a couple strikes and then Manvel shot in for a take down but Garcia did a nice job of sprawling. Manvel missed an over hand right and slipped but because of it he was able to get a slam/take down on Garcia with a minute and a half left in the round. Manvel got in some shots on Garcia and stole this round so it’s even 19-19 after two rounds.
R3- Both guys are throwing punches with bad intentions to start the round. Garcia starts talking and wants a slugfest but it ends up with Manvel getting a take down. Manvel is going to take this round because he was in a dominant position for a lot of the round. I’ve got Manvel taking the fight 20-19 in a close fight.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in favor of Gamburyan
Winner: Manvel Gamburyan by Decision (Unanimous)
Featherweight Title Fight- Mike Thomas Brown © (22-4) vs. Jose Aldo (15-1)
At WEC 41 Jose Aldo destroyed Cub Swanson in 8 seconds with a flying knee. On that same card Mike Brown successfully defended his championship in a 5 round unanimous decision against former champion Urijah Faber.
R1- The first couple minutes they spend going back and forth with both guys landing some offense but nothing damaging. Aldo hits a good punch/kick/knee combo that hurts Brown but Brown clinched Aldo to give himself time to recover. Brown tried to get the fight to the ground but Aldo did a great job of sprawling. Aldo 10-9.
R2- Aldo hit some good strikes on Brown to open the round and Brown again clinched to stop the barrage. Brown went for a take down but Aldo shoved him down and jumped on top. Aldo hit some strikes and then took Brown’s back and just started leveling him with punches and the ref stopped the fight. New Champion and Jose Aldo is the truth.
Winner and new WEC Featherweight Champion: Jose Aldo by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:20
The Pearl
Las Vegas, Nevada
November 19, 2009
Todd Harris and Frank Mir are the announcers for the show. Joe Martinez is the ring announcer. The Featherweight Championship is on the line as Mike Thomas Brown will face explosive challenger Jose Aldo. Former WEC Lightweight Champion Rob McCullough will face Karen Darabedyan. In a fight of former UFC fighters Leonard Garcia will face Manvel Gamburyan in a Featherweight Fight.
Lightweight Fight- Will Kerr (8-1) vs. Kamal Shalorus (4-0-1)
This is the WEC debut for both fighters.
R1- Kamal hit a big punch that floored Kerr early. Kamal lands some good strikes and Kerr falls to his knees and the ref stops the fight. Good showing by Kamal as he looked good in the striking face of MMA but didn’t really look like he was tested tonight.
Winner: Kamal Shalorus by TKO (Strikes) R1 1:26
Lightweight Fight- Shane Roller (6-2) vs. Danny Castillo (8-1)
Roller lost back in April to current Lightweight Interim Champ Ben Henderson.
R1- Castillo got the first take down about half way through the round but he couldn’t hold Roller down. Castillo got another take down but Roller reversed it and nearly got a guillotine. Castillo got another take down with a minute and a half left in the round. Castillo 10-9.
R2- Castillo landed some good shots against the cage and then got a take down. Roller landed a couple knees and then got a take down. Roller grabbed a guillotine. Castillo gave up his back and Roller landed some good shots to the side of the head and ear. One round a piece after two rounds.
R3- Roller shot in but Castillo sprawled and got top position. Roller got a take down with two minutes left in the round. Roller locks in a choke and Castillo taps out. Pretty even back and forth fight, nice job by Roller in finishing the fight.
Winner: Shane Roller by Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 3:32
Donald Cerrone will fight Ed Ratcliffe on December 19th and they are interviewed ringside.
Tito Ortiz, Ben Henderson, and Urijah Faber are all ringside for the show.
Lightweight Fight- Rob McCullough (17-5) vs. Karen Darabedyan (8-1)
Karen is Judo and Taekwondo Black Belt who is on a 5 fight win streak. Karen is making his WEC debut.
R1- They are picking their spots early but are exchanging. McCullough looks a little tight and Karen more relaxed. Karen hit a good combo. McCullough landed a good body kick but Karen came back with a good punch that opened up a cut on McCullough. Karen landed some good shots at the end of the round and looks really good so far. Karen 10-9.
R2- Karen got a take down within the first minute of the round but couldn’t get anything before McCullough worked back to his feet. Both guys have small cuts near their eyes. Pretty even round other than the take down that could have been scored either way. Karen is up 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Pretty even and uneventful round to finish the fight. I’ve got Karen taking this fight by virtue of winning the first two rounds on my score card. Could be a split decision.
Judges score cards say: 30-27 Darabedyan, 30-27 McCullough, 29-28 Darabedyan
Wow. No way McCullough won that first round. It’s very rare that you see one judge score a fight 30-27 and another judge score a fight 30-27 in favor of the other fighter. Rounds 2 and 3 were very even.
Winner: Karen Darabedyan by Decision (Split)
Featherweight Fight- Leonard Garcia (17-4) vs. Manvel Gamburyan (11-5)
Garcia has a 5” height and 2” reach advantage. This is the Co-Main Event.
R1- Long feeling out process. Manvel came in for a take down and Garcia fed him a good right hand. Garcia is landing some strikes but nothing too bad. Manvel went for a take down but Garcia sprawled and then Manvel hit Garcia with two low blows. Manvel goes for a take down and Garcia did a good job of keeping the fight on the feet. Garcia hit a good kick but Manvel took it. Manvel shot again but Garcia landed a kick. Garcia 10-9.
R2- Garcia hit a couple strikes and then Manvel shot in for a take down but Garcia did a nice job of sprawling. Manvel missed an over hand right and slipped but because of it he was able to get a slam/take down on Garcia with a minute and a half left in the round. Manvel got in some shots on Garcia and stole this round so it’s even 19-19 after two rounds.
R3- Both guys are throwing punches with bad intentions to start the round. Garcia starts talking and wants a slugfest but it ends up with Manvel getting a take down. Manvel is going to take this round because he was in a dominant position for a lot of the round. I’ve got Manvel taking the fight 20-19 in a close fight.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in favor of Gamburyan
Winner: Manvel Gamburyan by Decision (Unanimous)
Featherweight Title Fight- Mike Thomas Brown © (22-4) vs. Jose Aldo (15-1)
At WEC 41 Jose Aldo destroyed Cub Swanson in 8 seconds with a flying knee. On that same card Mike Brown successfully defended his championship in a 5 round unanimous decision against former champion Urijah Faber.
R1- The first couple minutes they spend going back and forth with both guys landing some offense but nothing damaging. Aldo hits a good punch/kick/knee combo that hurts Brown but Brown clinched Aldo to give himself time to recover. Brown tried to get the fight to the ground but Aldo did a great job of sprawling. Aldo 10-9.
R2- Aldo hit some good strikes on Brown to open the round and Brown again clinched to stop the barrage. Brown went for a take down but Aldo shoved him down and jumped on top. Aldo hit some strikes and then took Brown’s back and just started leveling him with punches and the ref stopped the fight. New Champion and Jose Aldo is the truth.
Winner and new WEC Featherweight Champion: Jose Aldo by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:20
UFC 106 Preliminaries on Spike TV Re-Cap
UFC 106 Preliminaries
11/21/09
Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, Nevada
Spike TV
Jake Rosholt against Kendall Grove and Marcus Davis against Ben Saunders highlight the Preliminary fights of UFC 106 tonight on Spike TV. Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are your announcers.
Middleweight Fight- Kendall Grove (12-6) vs. Jake Rosholt (6-1)
Rosholt is coming off a submission victory over Chris Leben at UFC 102. Kendall Grove is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 101. Grove has a 5” height and 5” reach advantage.
R1- Rosholt got a take down within the first minute of the fight. Kendall keeps getting up and then getting dragged back down by Rosholt. Kendall really using the cage out of the referee’s view to his advantage and he gets a take down. Rosholt landed a couple of strikes and a knee after getting back to his feet. Rosholt got another take down. Rosholt looked like he was going for an arm triangle but Kendall caught him in an arm bar and Rosholt tapped out.
Winner: Kendall Grove by Submission (Arm Bar) R1 3:59
Lightweight Fight- Jason Dent vs. George Sotiropoulos
R1- George got a take down with two minutes left in the round after both guys had been exchanging some light strikes for the first three minutes of the round. George fought and got the mount and landed some good punches. Dent barely survived to fight in the next round. George 10-9.
R2- George caught a kick and got a take down about one and a half minutes into the round. George went for an arm bar and fought hard and finally got it and Dent tapped out.
Winner: George Sotiropoulos by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 4:36
Welterweight Fight- Marcus Davis (21-6) vs. Ben Saunders (7-1-2)
Davis has won 13 of his last 15 but is coming off of a split decision loss to Dan Hardy at UFC 99. Saunders has a 5” height and 7.5” reach advantage. Saunders is coming off of a TKO loss to Mike Swick, also at UFC 99.
R1- Davis landed some good strikes in the clinch but Saunders returned the favor with some good knees. Saunders bloodied up Davis with the knees. Saunders grabbed Davis in the clinch again and just destroyed him with knees and knocked him out. Really great showing by Saunders.
Winner: Ben Saunders by KO R1 3:24
Welterweight Fight- Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster
R1- A lot of action early which ended with a Larson take down. Half way through the round Foster reverses the position and lands some Ground and Pound. Both fighters were down and Larson kicked Foster in the face and the ref stepped in as it was an illegal blow. A point is deducted from Larson. Larson grabbed a guillotine at the end of the round and they called Larson for another illegal shot because Larson hit Foster when he had a hand down and Larson had him in a guillotine and he kneed him in the head. Another point is deducted from Foster. Foster takes this round 10-7 because of the two point deduction.
R2- Foster hit a good side kick and then got a take down and landed some Ground and Pound. Foster got caught by a big uppercut coming in for a take down and he got hurt badly and he tapped out as the ref stopped the fight.
Winner: Brian Foster by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Joe Rogan interviews Tito Ortiz about his return to UFC and his fight with Forrest Griffin later tonight.
11/21/09
Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, Nevada
Spike TV
Jake Rosholt against Kendall Grove and Marcus Davis against Ben Saunders highlight the Preliminary fights of UFC 106 tonight on Spike TV. Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are your announcers.
Middleweight Fight- Kendall Grove (12-6) vs. Jake Rosholt (6-1)
Rosholt is coming off a submission victory over Chris Leben at UFC 102. Kendall Grove is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Ricardo Almeida at UFC 101. Grove has a 5” height and 5” reach advantage.
R1- Rosholt got a take down within the first minute of the fight. Kendall keeps getting up and then getting dragged back down by Rosholt. Kendall really using the cage out of the referee’s view to his advantage and he gets a take down. Rosholt landed a couple of strikes and a knee after getting back to his feet. Rosholt got another take down. Rosholt looked like he was going for an arm triangle but Kendall caught him in an arm bar and Rosholt tapped out.
Winner: Kendall Grove by Submission (Arm Bar) R1 3:59
Lightweight Fight- Jason Dent vs. George Sotiropoulos
R1- George got a take down with two minutes left in the round after both guys had been exchanging some light strikes for the first three minutes of the round. George fought and got the mount and landed some good punches. Dent barely survived to fight in the next round. George 10-9.
R2- George caught a kick and got a take down about one and a half minutes into the round. George went for an arm bar and fought hard and finally got it and Dent tapped out.
Winner: George Sotiropoulos by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 4:36
Welterweight Fight- Marcus Davis (21-6) vs. Ben Saunders (7-1-2)
Davis has won 13 of his last 15 but is coming off of a split decision loss to Dan Hardy at UFC 99. Saunders has a 5” height and 7.5” reach advantage. Saunders is coming off of a TKO loss to Mike Swick, also at UFC 99.
R1- Davis landed some good strikes in the clinch but Saunders returned the favor with some good knees. Saunders bloodied up Davis with the knees. Saunders grabbed Davis in the clinch again and just destroyed him with knees and knocked him out. Really great showing by Saunders.
Winner: Ben Saunders by KO R1 3:24
Welterweight Fight- Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster
R1- A lot of action early which ended with a Larson take down. Half way through the round Foster reverses the position and lands some Ground and Pound. Both fighters were down and Larson kicked Foster in the face and the ref stepped in as it was an illegal blow. A point is deducted from Larson. Larson grabbed a guillotine at the end of the round and they called Larson for another illegal shot because Larson hit Foster when he had a hand down and Larson had him in a guillotine and he kneed him in the head. Another point is deducted from Foster. Foster takes this round 10-7 because of the two point deduction.
R2- Foster hit a good side kick and then got a take down and landed some Ground and Pound. Foster got caught by a big uppercut coming in for a take down and he got hurt badly and he tapped out as the ref stopped the fight.
Winner: Brian Foster by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Joe Rogan interviews Tito Ortiz about his return to UFC and his fight with Forrest Griffin later tonight.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Strikeforce Challengers Series 11/20/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challengers Series
Memorial Hall
Kansas City, Kansas
November 20, 2009
This is the final Strikeforce Challengers Series of 2009. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined in the booth by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Some fighters to watch tonight are Tyron Woodley, Erik Apple and Rafael Feijao. There is also a very intriguing match-up between Kerry Vera and Kim Couture. I’m sure you recognize those last names if you are an MMA fan. No Jimmy Lennon Jr tonight as the cage announcer is Mike Vale.
Middleweight Fight- Kevin Casey (2-1) vs. Chad Vance (7-3)
Casey is a submission specialist and Vance is a wrestler. Casey has a 5” reach advantage.
R1- Casey got him down early and took his back. Casey got a Rear Naked and go the tap. Quick and impressive victory for Casey.
Winner: Kevin Casey by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1
Light Heavyweight Fight- Aaron Rosa (12-2) vs. Rafael Feijao (7-2)
Feijao is a Muy Thai/Jiu Jitsu fighter who was considered a really hot prospect before a loss in his last fight. Feijao has finished all of his fights as he has 6 KOs and 1 submission out of his 7 wins. Feijao trains with Anderson Silva and has him in his corner tonight. Rosa is a striker who has recently quit his full-time job to concentrate 100% on MMA. Rosa has a 2.5” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- Rosa came out swinging but Fejiao clinched him and landed some good shots. Not much damage done in this round but Feijao controlled the majority of the round. Feijao 10-9.
R2- Feijao hit a good punch/knee combo and then got a take down about mid-way through the round. Elbow strikes are illegal in Strikeforce and Feijao is warned and they are stood back up. Feijao caught Rosa and then started to pound him on the ground and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. A real lackluster fight with an exciting finish.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Welterweight Fight- Erik Apple (10-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (20-7)
Voelker is from Kansas City so he’s the hometown fighter. Apple is a Muy Thai fighter and a wrestler. Voelker has a 2.5” reach advantage.
R1- Apple hit some strikes early and had Voelker in trouble but he couldn’t finish. Apple got a take down but Voelker returned the favor with a minute left in the round. Voelker put a lot of pressure on Apple at the end of the round but I had Apple winning the first 4 minutes so I’ve got the first round scored Apple 10-9.
R2- Voelker lands some strikes to start this round and then got a take down. Voelker hurt Apple and then jumped on top for some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight. Good resilience by Voelker in the first round and then he came out strong in the second to put this fight away.
Winner: Bobby Voelker by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:23
Women’s 135lb Fight- Kerry Vera (1-0) vs. Kim Couture (1-1)
R1- Vera hit some nice knees in the clinch. Vera just landed better more concise shots throughout this fight as Couture seemed like she was swinging blindly. Vera got her up against the cage and just destroyed her. Very impressive showing by Vera.
Winner: Kerry Vera by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:35
December 19th we will see Strikeforce on Showtime as Cung Le takes on Scott Smith and Jacare and Matt Lindland fight each other in each fighters Strikeforce debut. Robbie Lawler will also be in action at that show. In January Strikeforce returns to Showtime with the debut of Herschel Walker and Cris Cyborg will also be on the show.
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)
Back in September Woodley defeated Zack Light by 2nd round submission during a Strikeforce Challengers Series show. Bears is a kick boxer and Woodley is a wrestler. Bears has won 6 straight fights and Woodley is undefeated.
R1- Woodley got a take down in the first minute of the fight. Woodley went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it and they stood back up. Woodley hit some knees and then got a double leg take down about half way through the round and went for an arm triangle. Woodley was able to position his body correctly and got the tap from the arm triangle. Very impressive fight and finish by Woodley.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 2:52
Memorial Hall
Kansas City, Kansas
November 20, 2009
This is the final Strikeforce Challengers Series of 2009. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined in the booth by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Some fighters to watch tonight are Tyron Woodley, Erik Apple and Rafael Feijao. There is also a very intriguing match-up between Kerry Vera and Kim Couture. I’m sure you recognize those last names if you are an MMA fan. No Jimmy Lennon Jr tonight as the cage announcer is Mike Vale.
Middleweight Fight- Kevin Casey (2-1) vs. Chad Vance (7-3)
Casey is a submission specialist and Vance is a wrestler. Casey has a 5” reach advantage.
R1- Casey got him down early and took his back. Casey got a Rear Naked and go the tap. Quick and impressive victory for Casey.
Winner: Kevin Casey by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1
Light Heavyweight Fight- Aaron Rosa (12-2) vs. Rafael Feijao (7-2)
Feijao is a Muy Thai/Jiu Jitsu fighter who was considered a really hot prospect before a loss in his last fight. Feijao has finished all of his fights as he has 6 KOs and 1 submission out of his 7 wins. Feijao trains with Anderson Silva and has him in his corner tonight. Rosa is a striker who has recently quit his full-time job to concentrate 100% on MMA. Rosa has a 2.5” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- Rosa came out swinging but Fejiao clinched him and landed some good shots. Not much damage done in this round but Feijao controlled the majority of the round. Feijao 10-9.
R2- Feijao hit a good punch/knee combo and then got a take down about mid-way through the round. Elbow strikes are illegal in Strikeforce and Feijao is warned and they are stood back up. Feijao caught Rosa and then started to pound him on the ground and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. A real lackluster fight with an exciting finish.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Welterweight Fight- Erik Apple (10-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (20-7)
Voelker is from Kansas City so he’s the hometown fighter. Apple is a Muy Thai fighter and a wrestler. Voelker has a 2.5” reach advantage.
R1- Apple hit some strikes early and had Voelker in trouble but he couldn’t finish. Apple got a take down but Voelker returned the favor with a minute left in the round. Voelker put a lot of pressure on Apple at the end of the round but I had Apple winning the first 4 minutes so I’ve got the first round scored Apple 10-9.
R2- Voelker lands some strikes to start this round and then got a take down. Voelker hurt Apple and then jumped on top for some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight. Good resilience by Voelker in the first round and then he came out strong in the second to put this fight away.
Winner: Bobby Voelker by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:23
Women’s 135lb Fight- Kerry Vera (1-0) vs. Kim Couture (1-1)
R1- Vera hit some nice knees in the clinch. Vera just landed better more concise shots throughout this fight as Couture seemed like she was swinging blindly. Vera got her up against the cage and just destroyed her. Very impressive showing by Vera.
Winner: Kerry Vera by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:35
December 19th we will see Strikeforce on Showtime as Cung Le takes on Scott Smith and Jacare and Matt Lindland fight each other in each fighters Strikeforce debut. Robbie Lawler will also be in action at that show. In January Strikeforce returns to Showtime with the debut of Herschel Walker and Cris Cyborg will also be on the show.
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)
Back in September Woodley defeated Zack Light by 2nd round submission during a Strikeforce Challengers Series show. Bears is a kick boxer and Woodley is a wrestler. Bears has won 6 straight fights and Woodley is undefeated.
R1- Woodley got a take down in the first minute of the fight. Woodley went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it and they stood back up. Woodley hit some knees and then got a double leg take down about half way through the round and went for an arm triangle. Woodley was able to position his body correctly and got the tap from the arm triangle. Very impressive fight and finish by Woodley.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 2:52
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
TUF 10: Heavyweights "Gut Check" Episode Ten Re-Cap
TUF 10: Heavyweights “Gut Check” Episode Ten
Last week was the first Quarterfinal fight and Roy Nelson defeated Justin Wren by decision. This week we have Brendan Schaub against Jon Madsen in the second quarterfinal fight.
There are still a lot of questions on whether or not Matt Mitrione will be able to fight. This is the focus of the first part of the show and they speculate on if he’s really hurt and who would be his replacement. Kimbo, a possible replacement, also gets a minor leg injury while rolling with Demico. Kimbo sees the doctor and he basically tells him that his cartilage around his knee has worn down and that he needs to get his knee drained or take a cortisone injection.
Coach’s Challenge: Beach Volleyball. I’m thinking Rashad will win this as he seems like he’s more athletic. Rampage and Tiki versus Rashad and Mike Van Arsdale for $10,000. Each fighter wins $1,500 if their coach wins. Team Rampage wins 15 to 8 in the first game. Tiki looked like he had a good serve. Team Rashad 15 to 10 in the second game. The third game decides who wins the coach’s challenge and the money. Team Rashad was up 14 to 13 and got the win. Team Rashad wins yet again against Team Rampage and of course Rashad rubs it in.
Rashad talks to Mitrione about fighting and Mitrione tells Rashad that he feels like he’s being pushed into the situation. Rashad says he’s going to take it out of his hands and call Dana and let him know that he is not going to fight. Dana gives the guys the “Do You Want To Be A Fighter” speech. Dana is going to leave the choice up to Mitrione if he gets medically cleared.
Heavyweight Quarterfinal Fight- Brendan Schaub (4-0) vs. Jon Madsen (1-0)
Schaub has a 4” height and 7.5” reach advantage.
R1- Madsen got a good take down a little over a minute into the round but he doesn’t do anything with the position and the fight gets stood back up. Schaub hit a good right hand in the clinch and then tried to grab a guillotine but got taken down again. Schaub is doing a lot of grabbing the cage and his opponent’s shorts. This was a tough first round. Madsen got two take downs but other than that he did virtually nothing. Schaub didn’t do anything either. Madsen wins this round 10-9 by default.
R2- Schaub avoided an early take down by grabbing the cage again. Then Madsen slipped and Schaub again avoided being taken down by grabbing the cage. Lots of standing around, Madsen looks tired. Schaub hits Madsen with two good punches and this one is over. Not a good fight. Schaub basically just stood around, grabbed the cage to defend on multiple occasions and finally hit two good punches for the win. Schaub has a lot of good raw potential but needs a lot of work.
Winner: Brendan Schaub by TKO (Strikes) R2
Fights Remaining (Quarterfinals):
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Justin Wren defeated by Roy Nelson: Episode Nine
Jon Madsen defeated by Brendan Schaub: Episode Ten
Last week was the first Quarterfinal fight and Roy Nelson defeated Justin Wren by decision. This week we have Brendan Schaub against Jon Madsen in the second quarterfinal fight.
There are still a lot of questions on whether or not Matt Mitrione will be able to fight. This is the focus of the first part of the show and they speculate on if he’s really hurt and who would be his replacement. Kimbo, a possible replacement, also gets a minor leg injury while rolling with Demico. Kimbo sees the doctor and he basically tells him that his cartilage around his knee has worn down and that he needs to get his knee drained or take a cortisone injection.
Coach’s Challenge: Beach Volleyball. I’m thinking Rashad will win this as he seems like he’s more athletic. Rampage and Tiki versus Rashad and Mike Van Arsdale for $10,000. Each fighter wins $1,500 if their coach wins. Team Rampage wins 15 to 8 in the first game. Tiki looked like he had a good serve. Team Rashad 15 to 10 in the second game. The third game decides who wins the coach’s challenge and the money. Team Rashad was up 14 to 13 and got the win. Team Rashad wins yet again against Team Rampage and of course Rashad rubs it in.
Rashad talks to Mitrione about fighting and Mitrione tells Rashad that he feels like he’s being pushed into the situation. Rashad says he’s going to take it out of his hands and call Dana and let him know that he is not going to fight. Dana gives the guys the “Do You Want To Be A Fighter” speech. Dana is going to leave the choice up to Mitrione if he gets medically cleared.
Heavyweight Quarterfinal Fight- Brendan Schaub (4-0) vs. Jon Madsen (1-0)
Schaub has a 4” height and 7.5” reach advantage.
R1- Madsen got a good take down a little over a minute into the round but he doesn’t do anything with the position and the fight gets stood back up. Schaub hit a good right hand in the clinch and then tried to grab a guillotine but got taken down again. Schaub is doing a lot of grabbing the cage and his opponent’s shorts. This was a tough first round. Madsen got two take downs but other than that he did virtually nothing. Schaub didn’t do anything either. Madsen wins this round 10-9 by default.
R2- Schaub avoided an early take down by grabbing the cage again. Then Madsen slipped and Schaub again avoided being taken down by grabbing the cage. Lots of standing around, Madsen looks tired. Schaub hits Madsen with two good punches and this one is over. Not a good fight. Schaub basically just stood around, grabbed the cage to defend on multiple occasions and finally hit two good punches for the win. Schaub has a lot of good raw potential but needs a lot of work.
Winner: Brendan Schaub by TKO (Strikes) R2
Fights Remaining (Quarterfinals):
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Justin Wren defeated by Roy Nelson: Episode Nine
Jon Madsen defeated by Brendan Schaub: Episode Ten
Monday, November 16, 2009
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode Nine Re-Cap
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode Nine
Last week we saw Team Rampage get their first win after 7 straight losses as Marcus Jones won in what was the most impressive first round victory to date. Roy Nelson takes on Justin Wren in the first Quarterfinal fight on this episode.
Matt Mitrione is feeling ill from the effects of his last fight and they are teasing him not being able to continue and Kimbo replacing him.
Rampage and his trainers fill Rashad’s car with live chickens. The chickens poop in the car and then Rashad and his guys chase the chickens around the parking lot. Rashad and his guys took it in good stride so Rampage left feeling the joke had backfired.
Heavyweight Quarterfinal Fight- Roy Nelson (13-4) vs. Justin Wren (8-1)
R1- Wren pushes the action early and hit Nelson with some decent shots before Nelson clinched him. The ref separated them and Wren again pushed the action. Nelson started finding a home for his jab towards the end of the round. Wren 10 Nelson 9.
R2- Wren looks like he’s tired and Nelson looks like the crisper fighter in this round. Nelson took this round to even it up 19-19.
20-18, 19-19, 20-18 in favor of Roy Nelson. Wow! How could anybody have scored that first round for Roy Nelson? I think Roy was in a great position to take this fight in the third round but no way he won that first round.
Winner: Roy Nelson by Decision (Majority)
“Trust me. The day we see Roy Nelson in an exciting fight that he made exciting I will give him his props”- Dana White
Fights Remaining (Quarterfinals):
Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Justin Wren defeated by Roy Nelson: Episode Nine
Last week we saw Team Rampage get their first win after 7 straight losses as Marcus Jones won in what was the most impressive first round victory to date. Roy Nelson takes on Justin Wren in the first Quarterfinal fight on this episode.
Matt Mitrione is feeling ill from the effects of his last fight and they are teasing him not being able to continue and Kimbo replacing him.
Rampage and his trainers fill Rashad’s car with live chickens. The chickens poop in the car and then Rashad and his guys chase the chickens around the parking lot. Rashad and his guys took it in good stride so Rampage left feeling the joke had backfired.
Heavyweight Quarterfinal Fight- Roy Nelson (13-4) vs. Justin Wren (8-1)
R1- Wren pushes the action early and hit Nelson with some decent shots before Nelson clinched him. The ref separated them and Wren again pushed the action. Nelson started finding a home for his jab towards the end of the round. Wren 10 Nelson 9.
R2- Wren looks like he’s tired and Nelson looks like the crisper fighter in this round. Nelson took this round to even it up 19-19.
20-18, 19-19, 20-18 in favor of Roy Nelson. Wow! How could anybody have scored that first round for Roy Nelson? I think Roy was in a great position to take this fight in the third round but no way he won that first round.
Winner: Roy Nelson by Decision (Majority)
“Trust me. The day we see Roy Nelson in an exciting fight that he made exciting I will give him his props”- Dana White
Fights Remaining (Quarterfinals):
Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Justin Wren defeated by Roy Nelson: Episode Nine
Sunday, November 15, 2009
UFC 105: "Couture vs. Vera" Re-Cap
UFC 105 Couture vs. Vera
11/14/09
Men Arena
Manchester, UK
Spike TV
The UFC returns to England and Spike TV tonight with a good card. Randy Couture Main Events in a Light Heavyweight Fight tonight against Brandon Vera. Brits Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy are in action against Denis Kang and Mike Swick. The last TUF winner Ross Pearson is also in action as is TUF Brit alum James Wilks.
Lightweight Fight- Ross Pearson (11-3) vs. Aaron Riley (28-11-1)
Riley is fighting out of Greg Jackson’s camp. Pearson is the latest TUF winner and is a Brit so he gets a huge reaction from the fans.
R1- Pearson is landing better strikes in the opening part of the round. Pearson looks really good in this first round and is getting the better of Riley in this first round. Pearson 10-9.
R2- Pearson continues his advantage this round and opens up a big cut on Riley’s head towards the end of the round and the doctor stops the fight due to the cut.
Really good performance by Ross Pearson.
Winner: Ross Pearson by TKO (Ref Stoppage) R2 4:38
Welterweight Fight- James Wilks (7-2) vs. Matt Brown (12-7)
Wilks was the other TUF winner from the same show Pearson was on. Brown is a TUF alum that has looked really good in his last few fights. Matt Brown has been training with Matt Hume.
R1- Pretty even first round. Brown landed some punches in the middle of the round and Wilks towards the end. Brown clamped in a guillotine towards the end of the round but couldn’t hold it and Wilks got a take down. Really close round.
R2- Brown landed a flying knee after Wilks slipped and then Brown went down to the ground and landed some strikes. Wilks was able to grab a leg lock to slip out of the bad position. Brown lands some good punches at the one minute mark. Brown clamped in a triangle but the buzzer sounded. Probably 19-19 right now but the momentum is fully with Brown right now.
R3- Wilks went for a couple of submission early but Brown was able to come back and Ground and Pound Wilks for the TKO win.
Winner: Matt Brown by TKO (Strikes) R2 2:27
Lightweight Fight- Andre Winner (10-3-1) vs. Rolando Delgado (8-4-1)
Delgado has a 4” reach and 4” height advantage.
R1- Winner hit a big time right hand in the first minute and then jumped on top but Roli was able to defend and get out of trouble. Winner hit a huge right hand late in the round and that was all she wrote. Winner looked really good in this fight.
Winner: Andre Winner by KO R1 3:22
Tito Ortiz is on via satellite and Joe Rogan interviews him about next weeks fight against Forrest Griffin.
Middleweight- Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1)
R1- Kang caught Bisping early and followed him to the ground but Bisping was able to lock him up and avoid more damage. Kang stayed on top of Bisping and was able to land some decent shots but Bisping did a good job in avoiding damage. Kang 10 Bisping 9.
R2- Bisping got a take down two minutes into the round. Bisping was able to land some good Ground and Pound. Kang got to his feet but not before taking some good shots. Bisping got another take down and landed more shots. Bisping opened up a cut near Kang’s eye. Bisping got another take down with one minute left in the round. Bisping landed knees to the side and finished Kang via TKO with punches. Good performance by Bisping.
Winner: Michael Bisping by TKO (punches) R2 4:24
Light Heavyweight Fight- Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jared Hamman
This fight was on the pre-show.
R1- These guys throw leather right from the out-set. Big straight right hand from Gustafsson right after a re-start and then he jumped on top and quickly finished the fight. This one was a short but action packed fight.
Winner: Alexander Gustafsson by TKO (Strikes) R1 0:41
Welterweight Fight- Mike Swick (14-2) vs. Dan Hardy (22-6-1)
Swick has a 3” reach advantage. The winner should get a shot at GSP’s Welterweight Championship. This is the Co-Main Event of the evening. GSP is sitting next to Dana White watching the fight.
R1- Lots of clinching in this first round. Neither guy established themselves in this round. Pretty much a deadlocked round.
R2- Hardy landed a punch early that hurt Swick but he stayed on his feet. After that punch they went back to the clinch. Swick landed some shots in the final minute of the round but nothing as good as Hardy’s initial punch of the round. Hardy took this round.
R3- They exchange some leather early in the round with both guys landing shots. Hardy hurt Swick again with a punch but didn’t knock him down. Hardy went for a take down and Swick tried to counter with a guillotine but Hardy was able to get him to the mat. Hardy cut Swick with some elbows but the ref stood the fight back up. Hardy’s going to take this round so I’ve got Hardy winning two rounds and thus the fight.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
Winner: Dan Hardy by Decision (Unanimous)
Post Fight they bring GSP in the cage and hype up GSP/Dan Hardy.
Light Heavyweight Fight- Randy Couture (16-10) vs. Brandon Vera (11-3)
Vera has a 3” reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Vera came out swinging with a kick and then some punches. Randy clinched him against the cage but the ref broke it up after a minute. Randy quickly went back to the clinch against the cage and then got a take down but Vera got back to his feet with little damage. Randy didn’t inflict much damage but he controlled 4 and a half minutes of the first round. Couture 10 Vera 9.
R2- Lots of clinching by Couture. Vera lands some strikes and hurts Couture with a kick and follows him to the ground but Couture locks him up in his guard. Couture clinched Vera up against the cage to the end the round. Vera takes this round and we are at 19-19 going into the final stanza. Randy has a cut near his eye.
R3- Randy landed some good shots to start the round. Randy controlled the first part of the round by clinching Vera against the cage. Vera hit some good kicks after they were separated. Vera got Randy to the ground with under a minute left and landed in full mount but Couture was able to roll out with 15 seconds left and they got back to their feet and exchanged knees and punches. Really close round and really close fight.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all score cards.
Winner: Randy Couture by Decision (Unanimous)
11/14/09
Men Arena
Manchester, UK
Spike TV
The UFC returns to England and Spike TV tonight with a good card. Randy Couture Main Events in a Light Heavyweight Fight tonight against Brandon Vera. Brits Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy are in action against Denis Kang and Mike Swick. The last TUF winner Ross Pearson is also in action as is TUF Brit alum James Wilks.
Lightweight Fight- Ross Pearson (11-3) vs. Aaron Riley (28-11-1)
Riley is fighting out of Greg Jackson’s camp. Pearson is the latest TUF winner and is a Brit so he gets a huge reaction from the fans.
R1- Pearson is landing better strikes in the opening part of the round. Pearson looks really good in this first round and is getting the better of Riley in this first round. Pearson 10-9.
R2- Pearson continues his advantage this round and opens up a big cut on Riley’s head towards the end of the round and the doctor stops the fight due to the cut.
Really good performance by Ross Pearson.
Winner: Ross Pearson by TKO (Ref Stoppage) R2 4:38
Welterweight Fight- James Wilks (7-2) vs. Matt Brown (12-7)
Wilks was the other TUF winner from the same show Pearson was on. Brown is a TUF alum that has looked really good in his last few fights. Matt Brown has been training with Matt Hume.
R1- Pretty even first round. Brown landed some punches in the middle of the round and Wilks towards the end. Brown clamped in a guillotine towards the end of the round but couldn’t hold it and Wilks got a take down. Really close round.
R2- Brown landed a flying knee after Wilks slipped and then Brown went down to the ground and landed some strikes. Wilks was able to grab a leg lock to slip out of the bad position. Brown lands some good punches at the one minute mark. Brown clamped in a triangle but the buzzer sounded. Probably 19-19 right now but the momentum is fully with Brown right now.
R3- Wilks went for a couple of submission early but Brown was able to come back and Ground and Pound Wilks for the TKO win.
Winner: Matt Brown by TKO (Strikes) R2 2:27
Lightweight Fight- Andre Winner (10-3-1) vs. Rolando Delgado (8-4-1)
Delgado has a 4” reach and 4” height advantage.
R1- Winner hit a big time right hand in the first minute and then jumped on top but Roli was able to defend and get out of trouble. Winner hit a huge right hand late in the round and that was all she wrote. Winner looked really good in this fight.
Winner: Andre Winner by KO R1 3:22
Tito Ortiz is on via satellite and Joe Rogan interviews him about next weeks fight against Forrest Griffin.
Middleweight- Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1)
R1- Kang caught Bisping early and followed him to the ground but Bisping was able to lock him up and avoid more damage. Kang stayed on top of Bisping and was able to land some decent shots but Bisping did a good job in avoiding damage. Kang 10 Bisping 9.
R2- Bisping got a take down two minutes into the round. Bisping was able to land some good Ground and Pound. Kang got to his feet but not before taking some good shots. Bisping got another take down and landed more shots. Bisping opened up a cut near Kang’s eye. Bisping got another take down with one minute left in the round. Bisping landed knees to the side and finished Kang via TKO with punches. Good performance by Bisping.
Winner: Michael Bisping by TKO (punches) R2 4:24
Light Heavyweight Fight- Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jared Hamman
This fight was on the pre-show.
R1- These guys throw leather right from the out-set. Big straight right hand from Gustafsson right after a re-start and then he jumped on top and quickly finished the fight. This one was a short but action packed fight.
Winner: Alexander Gustafsson by TKO (Strikes) R1 0:41
Welterweight Fight- Mike Swick (14-2) vs. Dan Hardy (22-6-1)
Swick has a 3” reach advantage. The winner should get a shot at GSP’s Welterweight Championship. This is the Co-Main Event of the evening. GSP is sitting next to Dana White watching the fight.
R1- Lots of clinching in this first round. Neither guy established themselves in this round. Pretty much a deadlocked round.
R2- Hardy landed a punch early that hurt Swick but he stayed on his feet. After that punch they went back to the clinch. Swick landed some shots in the final minute of the round but nothing as good as Hardy’s initial punch of the round. Hardy took this round.
R3- They exchange some leather early in the round with both guys landing shots. Hardy hurt Swick again with a punch but didn’t knock him down. Hardy went for a take down and Swick tried to counter with a guillotine but Hardy was able to get him to the mat. Hardy cut Swick with some elbows but the ref stood the fight back up. Hardy’s going to take this round so I’ve got Hardy winning two rounds and thus the fight.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
Winner: Dan Hardy by Decision (Unanimous)
Post Fight they bring GSP in the cage and hype up GSP/Dan Hardy.
Light Heavyweight Fight- Randy Couture (16-10) vs. Brandon Vera (11-3)
Vera has a 3” reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Vera came out swinging with a kick and then some punches. Randy clinched him against the cage but the ref broke it up after a minute. Randy quickly went back to the clinch against the cage and then got a take down but Vera got back to his feet with little damage. Randy didn’t inflict much damage but he controlled 4 and a half minutes of the first round. Couture 10 Vera 9.
R2- Lots of clinching by Couture. Vera lands some strikes and hurts Couture with a kick and follows him to the ground but Couture locks him up in his guard. Couture clinched Vera up against the cage to the end the round. Vera takes this round and we are at 19-19 going into the final stanza. Randy has a cut near his eye.
R3- Randy landed some good shots to start the round. Randy controlled the first part of the round by clinching Vera against the cage. Vera hit some good kicks after they were separated. Vera got Randy to the ground with under a minute left and landed in full mount but Couture was able to roll out with 15 seconds left and they got back to their feet and exchanged knees and punches. Really close round and really close fight.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all score cards.
Winner: Randy Couture by Decision (Unanimous)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode Eight Re-Cap
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode Eight
Team Rashad is up 7-0 on Team Rampage and looks to make a clean sweep of the first round with only Marcus Jones standing in their way.
Mike Wessel has fought for UFC before and fought Antoni Hardonk. Schoonover and Rampage get into it again this week. We also learn that Marcus Jones doesn’t like insects and people making fun of him.
Marcus Jones (4-2) vs. Mike Wessel (8-2)
Jones has a huge 6” height and 7.5” reach advantage.
R1- Wessel got some shots in early but Jones got a take down in the first thirty seconds of the fight. Wessel was able to spin and take Jones’s guard but Jones quickly tapped Wessel with an arm bar. Really impressive win by Marcus Jones and Team Rampage is on the board! This was probably the most impressive win so far of the competition.
Winner: Marcus Jones by Submission (Arm Bar) R1
“Big Baby is no joke”- Rashad Evans
“Marcus is for real. This guy has some jiu jitsu”- Dana White
The first round is over. Team Rashad 7 Team Rampage 1. Now Dana calls the fighters in one by one and asks them who they want to fight in the next round.
“I feel like I’m driving my kids to school when I’m with you two”- Dana White to Rashad Evans (about Rashad and Rampage)
Fight Announcements (Quarterfinals):
Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren
Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
To close out the show Rampage and Rashad get into another war of the words.
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #3: Justin Wren
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Team Rashad is up 7-0 on Team Rampage and looks to make a clean sweep of the first round with only Marcus Jones standing in their way.
Mike Wessel has fought for UFC before and fought Antoni Hardonk. Schoonover and Rampage get into it again this week. We also learn that Marcus Jones doesn’t like insects and people making fun of him.
Marcus Jones (4-2) vs. Mike Wessel (8-2)
Jones has a huge 6” height and 7.5” reach advantage.
R1- Wessel got some shots in early but Jones got a take down in the first thirty seconds of the fight. Wessel was able to spin and take Jones’s guard but Jones quickly tapped Wessel with an arm bar. Really impressive win by Marcus Jones and Team Rampage is on the board! This was probably the most impressive win so far of the competition.
Winner: Marcus Jones by Submission (Arm Bar) R1
“Big Baby is no joke”- Rashad Evans
“Marcus is for real. This guy has some jiu jitsu”- Dana White
The first round is over. Team Rashad 7 Team Rampage 1. Now Dana calls the fighters in one by one and asks them who they want to fight in the next round.
“I feel like I’m driving my kids to school when I’m with you two”- Dana White to Rashad Evans (about Rashad and Rampage)
Fight Announcements (Quarterfinals):
Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren
Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
James McSweeny vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover
To close out the show Rampage and Rashad get into another war of the words.
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #3: Justin Wren
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Mike Wessel defeated by Marcus Jones: Episode Eight
Friday, November 13, 2009
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers 11/7/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
CBS Saturday Night Fights
Sears Centre
Chicago, Illinois
11/7/09
They start the show with a hard hype push for Fedor and put Brett Rogers over as the “most exciting heavyweight on the planet.” Gus Johnson is the lead announcer tonight and he is joined by Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer. Also on this card is a fight for the vacant Middleweight title (vacated by Cung Le) between Jake Shields and Jason Miller, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will take on Sokoudjou and Antonio Silva will take on Fabricio Werdum.
Heavyweight Fight- Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio Silva (13-1)
Gus Johnson puts over Werdum as one of the top Heavyweight Jiu Jitsu fighters. Silva has a 4” reach and 21 lb weight advantage. Silva is on a 6 fight win streak and is the former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion. Werdum won his Strikeforce debut by submitting Mike Kyle back in August.
R1- Werdum came in for some offense but ate some punches from Silva and then went to the mat. Silva landed a wild right hand and Werdum is trying to just hold onto Silva’s leg and withstand the barrage and he does. Werdum went for a takedown but Silva threw him down instead. Werdum hit a big right hand but Silva clinched and came back with a couple of elbows. Werdum came back and landed some strikes. Silva got Werdum to the mat and landed some strikes at the end of the round. Good first round with Silva taking it 10-9.
R2- Werdum came in early in the round but Silva counter punched and knocked Werdum to the mat. Werdum baited Silva to the ground and eventually flipped him over and got on top of him but Silva got back up with little damage taken. Werdum got another take down with about a minute left in the round. This was a really close round that Werdum might have stolen.
R3- Werdum got a take down about a minute and a half into the round. Silva was able to get to the cage and get back to his feet. Silva landed a punch but Werdum responded with a knee. Werdum landed another knee in the clinch. Werdum grabbed Sliva and got another take down. Werdum finishes the round with some strikes. I’ve got Werdum taking this round. I could see a split decision by the judges. I’ve got Werdum 29-28.
Judges scores: 29-28 in favor of Werdum on all score cards
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Decision (Unanimous)
Light Heavyweight Fight- Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Sokoudjou (7-4)
Mousasi is the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion as he destroyed Babalu Sobral in his last fight to win the title. Mousasi has a 3” height advantage. Sokoudjou has Dan Henderson in his corner. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak.
R1- Mousasi throws a couple of high leg kicks early that deflect off Sokoudjou. Mousasi has really taken the center of the cage and is stalking Sokoudjou but neither fighter has found the range yet. Sokoudjou went for a couple take downs but was fought off. Mousasi landed some shots but Sokoudjou got a judo throw and took Mousasi down. Mousasi rolled him over with about a minute left in the fight but Sokoudjou fought back and flipped him back over with a judo move against the cage. Sokoudjou went for a guillotine and Mousasi got out of it but ate a knee. Sokoudjou landed another judo throw. Mousasi ended the round by getting a take down that might have won the round for him. Very close round that could have gone either way. Sokoudjou has traditionally faded after the first round so it will be interesting to see if he’s improved his conditioning.
R2- Mousasi came in quickly in this round and they clinched and Mousasi landed some minor strikes. Mousasi threw a bunch of punches against the cage but Sokoudjou fought through the barrage. Sokoudjou tried a judo throw but Mousasi reversed it and Sokoudjou actually got the take down. Sokoudjou then pretty much just laid on Mousasi resting. Mousasi grabbed an arm and was able to take Sokoudjou’s guard. Mousasi is landing some good strikes on the ground. The ref stops the fight. Sokoudjou again faded in the second round and Mousasi outlasted him. Mousasi was never in trouble in this fight and while he didn’t look as dominant as his last fight he still fought a good fight.
Winner: Gegard Mousasi by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:43
The show the “stars” in the crowd. The following people are shown: Andrei Arlovski, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Matt Lindland, Shinya Aoki, Cung Le. Le will fight Scott Smith Dec 19th. They also say Lawler and Lindland will be on that show. Aoki will be coming to Strikforce soon and Arlovski is currently training with Greg Jackson
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (23-4-1) vs. Jason Miller (22-6-1)
Shields is the former Elite XC Welterweight Champion and is coming off of a quick victory of Robbie Lawler. Miller comes out with red hair with a black skunk stripe and comes out with some dancers. Miller has a big 5” reach advantage in this fight. Shields has won 12 consecutive fights.
R1- Shields got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Shields took Miller’s back and then moved to full mount. Miller did a good job of getting back to his feet without taking much damage. Shields quickly got another take down. Miller got back to his feet and slammed Shields to the ground with about a minute and a half left in the round. Shields got back to his feet but Miller suplexed him to the ground. Really close round as Shields dominated the first part and Miller the second part. Shields controlled more of the round and landed more strikes but Miller ended with a couple of slams. Shields 10-9 after one round.
R2- Shields got cut at the beginning of the round but didn’t take any damage. Miller got a take down but then Shields quickly got the advantage on the mat. Shields is able to get a full mount but Miller flipped out using the cage and Shields took Miller’s back again. Shields really controlled Miller for the first 4 minutes of this round and is now up 20-18 on my score card. On the re-play it looked like Shields got the cut from a headbutt.
R3- Miller got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the round but Shields quickly got back to his feet and then took Miller down. Shields has full mount and is landing some strikes. About half way through the round Miller was able to get back to his feet. Big John McCarthy stops the fight briefly so Miller’s corner can fix his gloves. Shields got a take down as soon as they were re-started. Miller was able to take Shields back at the end of the round and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke with about 8 seconds left but Shields held on and did not tap. Shields dominated the entire round but almost got choked out with 8 seconds left so it will be interesting to see how this round is scored.
R4- Shields quickly got a take down to start the round and rode Miller for the first half of the round. McCarthy stood them up and Shields again quickly got a take down. Shields easily took this round. I’ve got Shields up on score cards. Miller needs to get a 10-8 round or finish the fight if he wants to win.
R5- Shields got a take down about a minute into the fight. Shields really controlled this round from start to finish. I think Shields won this fight 50-45. Although I could see rounds 1 or 3 going to Miller.
Judges score cards: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 all in favor of Shields
Winner and new champion: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers has a lot of physical advantages in this fight as he has a 4.5” height, 7” reach and 32 lb weight advantage. Fedor is a Sambo/Judo fighter and Rogers is a Boxer/Muy Thai fighter. Fedor is introduced as the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (the belt he won in Affliction) and gets a good reaction from the crowd.
R1- Fedor threw a couple of big bombs at the beginning but missed. It didn’t look like Rogers hit Fedor with anything but his glove may have clipped his nose as Fedor’s nose had blood on the tip. Rogers looks a lot more apprehensive then I’ve ever seen him. Fedor got Rogers down but Rogers quickly got up and they clinched against the cage. Thre is a lot of blood coming out of Fedor’s nose. The announcers say he got caught by a jab. Fedor hit a big left hand and then was able to get Rogers down on the mat. Fedor landed some good punches on the ground. Rogers pushed out of the bottom but as he did so Fedor grabbed a kimura but had to release it and Rogers ended up in Fedor’s guard. Rogers hit some good Ground and Pound. Fedor went for an arm bar and couldn’t get it but was able to get out of the guard. Fedor caught Rogers with a punch as Rogers was really slow to get up and Fedor took the half guard position on Rogers and went for an arm triangle. Still a lot of blood coming out of Fedor. Great first round. Fedor takes this round 10-9 but has been cut badly in a couple of places.
R2- Fedor chants start this round and then some USA chants are started. Fedor got Rogers up against the cage and threw some punches but Rogers was able to block them. The announcers say the doctor believes Fedor’s nose is broken. Fedor landed a highlight reel right hand and Rogers dropped like a ton of bricks. Fedor jumped on top and landed some punches and the ref stopped the fight but I don’t think he needed those extra punches as the big right knocked out Rogers. Really fun fight and a fantastic Main Event for Strikeforce on their CBS debut.
Winner: Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:48
CBS Saturday Night Fights
Sears Centre
Chicago, Illinois
11/7/09
They start the show with a hard hype push for Fedor and put Brett Rogers over as the “most exciting heavyweight on the planet.” Gus Johnson is the lead announcer tonight and he is joined by Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer. Also on this card is a fight for the vacant Middleweight title (vacated by Cung Le) between Jake Shields and Jason Miller, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will take on Sokoudjou and Antonio Silva will take on Fabricio Werdum.
Heavyweight Fight- Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio Silva (13-1)
Gus Johnson puts over Werdum as one of the top Heavyweight Jiu Jitsu fighters. Silva has a 4” reach and 21 lb weight advantage. Silva is on a 6 fight win streak and is the former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion. Werdum won his Strikeforce debut by submitting Mike Kyle back in August.
R1- Werdum came in for some offense but ate some punches from Silva and then went to the mat. Silva landed a wild right hand and Werdum is trying to just hold onto Silva’s leg and withstand the barrage and he does. Werdum went for a takedown but Silva threw him down instead. Werdum hit a big right hand but Silva clinched and came back with a couple of elbows. Werdum came back and landed some strikes. Silva got Werdum to the mat and landed some strikes at the end of the round. Good first round with Silva taking it 10-9.
R2- Werdum came in early in the round but Silva counter punched and knocked Werdum to the mat. Werdum baited Silva to the ground and eventually flipped him over and got on top of him but Silva got back up with little damage taken. Werdum got another take down with about a minute left in the round. This was a really close round that Werdum might have stolen.
R3- Werdum got a take down about a minute and a half into the round. Silva was able to get to the cage and get back to his feet. Silva landed a punch but Werdum responded with a knee. Werdum landed another knee in the clinch. Werdum grabbed Sliva and got another take down. Werdum finishes the round with some strikes. I’ve got Werdum taking this round. I could see a split decision by the judges. I’ve got Werdum 29-28.
Judges scores: 29-28 in favor of Werdum on all score cards
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Decision (Unanimous)
Light Heavyweight Fight- Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Sokoudjou (7-4)
Mousasi is the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion as he destroyed Babalu Sobral in his last fight to win the title. Mousasi has a 3” height advantage. Sokoudjou has Dan Henderson in his corner. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak.
R1- Mousasi throws a couple of high leg kicks early that deflect off Sokoudjou. Mousasi has really taken the center of the cage and is stalking Sokoudjou but neither fighter has found the range yet. Sokoudjou went for a couple take downs but was fought off. Mousasi landed some shots but Sokoudjou got a judo throw and took Mousasi down. Mousasi rolled him over with about a minute left in the fight but Sokoudjou fought back and flipped him back over with a judo move against the cage. Sokoudjou went for a guillotine and Mousasi got out of it but ate a knee. Sokoudjou landed another judo throw. Mousasi ended the round by getting a take down that might have won the round for him. Very close round that could have gone either way. Sokoudjou has traditionally faded after the first round so it will be interesting to see if he’s improved his conditioning.
R2- Mousasi came in quickly in this round and they clinched and Mousasi landed some minor strikes. Mousasi threw a bunch of punches against the cage but Sokoudjou fought through the barrage. Sokoudjou tried a judo throw but Mousasi reversed it and Sokoudjou actually got the take down. Sokoudjou then pretty much just laid on Mousasi resting. Mousasi grabbed an arm and was able to take Sokoudjou’s guard. Mousasi is landing some good strikes on the ground. The ref stops the fight. Sokoudjou again faded in the second round and Mousasi outlasted him. Mousasi was never in trouble in this fight and while he didn’t look as dominant as his last fight he still fought a good fight.
Winner: Gegard Mousasi by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:43
The show the “stars” in the crowd. The following people are shown: Andrei Arlovski, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Matt Lindland, Shinya Aoki, Cung Le. Le will fight Scott Smith Dec 19th. They also say Lawler and Lindland will be on that show. Aoki will be coming to Strikforce soon and Arlovski is currently training with Greg Jackson
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (23-4-1) vs. Jason Miller (22-6-1)
Shields is the former Elite XC Welterweight Champion and is coming off of a quick victory of Robbie Lawler. Miller comes out with red hair with a black skunk stripe and comes out with some dancers. Miller has a big 5” reach advantage in this fight. Shields has won 12 consecutive fights.
R1- Shields got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Shields took Miller’s back and then moved to full mount. Miller did a good job of getting back to his feet without taking much damage. Shields quickly got another take down. Miller got back to his feet and slammed Shields to the ground with about a minute and a half left in the round. Shields got back to his feet but Miller suplexed him to the ground. Really close round as Shields dominated the first part and Miller the second part. Shields controlled more of the round and landed more strikes but Miller ended with a couple of slams. Shields 10-9 after one round.
R2- Shields got cut at the beginning of the round but didn’t take any damage. Miller got a take down but then Shields quickly got the advantage on the mat. Shields is able to get a full mount but Miller flipped out using the cage and Shields took Miller’s back again. Shields really controlled Miller for the first 4 minutes of this round and is now up 20-18 on my score card. On the re-play it looked like Shields got the cut from a headbutt.
R3- Miller got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the round but Shields quickly got back to his feet and then took Miller down. Shields has full mount and is landing some strikes. About half way through the round Miller was able to get back to his feet. Big John McCarthy stops the fight briefly so Miller’s corner can fix his gloves. Shields got a take down as soon as they were re-started. Miller was able to take Shields back at the end of the round and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke with about 8 seconds left but Shields held on and did not tap. Shields dominated the entire round but almost got choked out with 8 seconds left so it will be interesting to see how this round is scored.
R4- Shields quickly got a take down to start the round and rode Miller for the first half of the round. McCarthy stood them up and Shields again quickly got a take down. Shields easily took this round. I’ve got Shields up on score cards. Miller needs to get a 10-8 round or finish the fight if he wants to win.
R5- Shields got a take down about a minute into the fight. Shields really controlled this round from start to finish. I think Shields won this fight 50-45. Although I could see rounds 1 or 3 going to Miller.
Judges score cards: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 all in favor of Shields
Winner and new champion: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers has a lot of physical advantages in this fight as he has a 4.5” height, 7” reach and 32 lb weight advantage. Fedor is a Sambo/Judo fighter and Rogers is a Boxer/Muy Thai fighter. Fedor is introduced as the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (the belt he won in Affliction) and gets a good reaction from the crowd.
R1- Fedor threw a couple of big bombs at the beginning but missed. It didn’t look like Rogers hit Fedor with anything but his glove may have clipped his nose as Fedor’s nose had blood on the tip. Rogers looks a lot more apprehensive then I’ve ever seen him. Fedor got Rogers down but Rogers quickly got up and they clinched against the cage. Thre is a lot of blood coming out of Fedor’s nose. The announcers say he got caught by a jab. Fedor hit a big left hand and then was able to get Rogers down on the mat. Fedor landed some good punches on the ground. Rogers pushed out of the bottom but as he did so Fedor grabbed a kimura but had to release it and Rogers ended up in Fedor’s guard. Rogers hit some good Ground and Pound. Fedor went for an arm bar and couldn’t get it but was able to get out of the guard. Fedor caught Rogers with a punch as Rogers was really slow to get up and Fedor took the half guard position on Rogers and went for an arm triangle. Still a lot of blood coming out of Fedor. Great first round. Fedor takes this round 10-9 but has been cut badly in a couple of places.
R2- Fedor chants start this round and then some USA chants are started. Fedor got Rogers up against the cage and threw some punches but Rogers was able to block them. The announcers say the doctor believes Fedor’s nose is broken. Fedor landed a highlight reel right hand and Rogers dropped like a ton of bricks. Fedor jumped on top and landed some punches and the ref stopped the fight but I don’t think he needed those extra punches as the big right knocked out Rogers. Really fun fight and a fantastic Main Event for Strikeforce on their CBS debut.
Winner: Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:48
UFC 104 Re-Cap
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun
10/24/09
Los Angeles, Ca
Staples Center
Lyoto Machida makes his first defense of his Light Heavyweight Title tonight against Shogun Rua. Cain Velasquez will try to stay undefeated when he takes on Ben Rothwell.
Welterweight Fight (Catchweight of 176)- Anthony Johnson (7-2) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)
Yoshida subbed Brandon Wolff at UFC 98. Anthony Johnson TKO’d Luigi Fioravanti at Fight Night 17. Yoshida is a 4th degree Judo Black Belt. Johnson missed weight for this fight by six pounds. Joe Rogan says he’s been rumored to walk around as big as 220 so his days as a Welterweight might be numbered. Johnson has been training with Cung Le and has Le and Josh Thomson in his corner. Johnson has a 3” height, 8” reach and 6 lb weight advantage.
R1- Johnson landed some punches early in the clinch and then decked him with a right hand and this one is over. Rogan pointed out that these guys looked like they were in different weight divisions. Johnson looked great but he missed weight and he has got to move up in weight if he can’t make the cut to 170.
Winner: Anthony Johnson by TKO (Punches) R1 0:41
Post-fight Johnson said that he had gotten heavy because of a knee injury that he sustained in training for Matt Brown previously. He owned up for not making weight but said that he’s not planning on moving up weight classes yet.
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is in the crowd.
Lightweight Fight- Spencer Fisher (24-4) vs. Joe Stevenson (35-10)
Fisher is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Caol Uno in a very close fight. Fisher is on a 3 fight win streak. Stevenson is coming off of a win over Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision at the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale. Stevenson is currently training with Greg Jackson and has him in his corner for the fight. Stevenson is a jiu jitsu and judo black belt.
R1- Stevenson opened up a cut near Spencer’s eye. Stevenson fights hard for a take down but Spencer stuffs him and the ref breaks up the clinch. Spencer is blinking a lot and having some issues with the blood in his eye. Stevenson finally gets a take down with about half a minute left in the round. Joe lands some good Ground and Pound as Spencer turtled up. Stevenson takes this round and is up 10-9.
R2- Stevenson got a take down in the second minute of the round. Stevenson lands some good elbows in half guard. Stevenson just starts destroying Spencer with elbows and Herb Dean steps in and puts a stop to the fight. Stevenson has looked really good under the direction of Greg Jackson.
They announce the win as tapout due to strikes.
Winner: Joe Stevenson by Submission (Elbow Strikes) R2 4:03
Chris Tucker is at the fights with his sunglasses.
Middleweight Fight- Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
The Dean of Draws Yushin Okami makes it onto the PPV in a televised pre-PPV fight. Okami’s only loss in UFC is to Rich Franklin. Matt Lindland is in Sonnen’s corner.
R1- Sonnen gets a take down in the first minute. Okami keeps getting up but Sonnen keeps taking him back down. Okami gets back to his feet about half way through the round. Sonnen got another take down with about a minute left in the round. Sonnen takes the first round 10-9.
R2- This was a pretty even round but Sonnen seemed to start getting the better of Okami towards the end of the round.
R3- Sonnen got a take down about half way through the round and landed some Ground and Pound but Okami got back up. Okami grabbed Sonnen with a kimura in full guard but could not keep it as Sonnen landed some body punches. Sonnen is going to win this fight by decision. Really good win for Sonnen.
Judges score cards say:
Winner: Chael Sonnen by Decision (Unanimous) 30-27 on all 3 score cards
Catchweight Fight- Josh Neer (25-8-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (29-6)
Tibau comes out to “Iron Man” but doesn’t have any spiked shoulder pads. Tibau is coming off a decision loss to Melvin Guillard. Tibau is fighting out of American Top Team and is a Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. Neer is coming off a decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101. Neer came in at 156.5 lbs and Tibau at 157 so that’s why this is a catchweight fight.
R1- Tibau got a wicked slam early but Neer got back to his feet. Tibau got another big take down/slam but Neer got up again after a short amount of time on the ground. Tibau got a third take down but Neer pushed him off when he tried to pass. Tibau got a fourth take down. Neer got to his feet and Tibau tried to grab a guillotine but Neer quickly slipped out. Tibau took this round 10-9.
Jerry Ferrera (turtle from Entourage) was shown in the crowd during the intermission between rounds. Jeremy Piven (also from Entourage) was shown a bit later.
R2- Tibau starts off the round with another powerful take down but Neer again gets up quickly. Tibau is taking Neer down at will but is not able to hold him down. Tibau was able to get a mount with half of the round left. Neer gave up his back to get out of mount and Tibau tried to get an arm bar but couldn’t and Neer ended up on top briefly. I’ve got Tibau up 20-18 but he seems to be fading a bit.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are at the show tonight.
R3- Tibau started off the round with a take down. Neer was able to stuff three take downs. Tibau gets another take down with two minutes left in the fight but couldn’t hold him down. Tibau finishes the fight with yet another take down. Tibau really dominated this fight with take downs. The only round that was close was the final one.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28
Winner: Gleison Tibau by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Cain Velasquez (6-0) vs. Ben Rothwell (30-6)
Rothwell is making his UFC debut and is a former IFL Heavyweight Champion. Velasquez is a Top 10 Heavyweight and is coming off a big unanimous decision win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 99. Rothwell has a 3” height and 3” reach advantage and has a huge weight advantage of 27 lbs. Velasquez is from California and is a big fan favorite in this fight. Rothwell has won 14 of his last 15 fights and was 9-0 in IFL fights.
R1- Cain got a take down in the first 30 seconds but Rothwell stood back up without taking any damage. Cain got another take down at the two minute mark of the round. Cain landed a couple of punches before Rothwell got to his feet. Cain got Rothwell down again and landed some good punches and looked like he opened up a cut on Rothwell. Cain is starting to land some good punches. Cain landed some hammer fists and then peppered Rothwell with several punches. Cain is just dominating Rothwell so far. Somehow Rothwell survives that round but he took a beating in the second part of the round. 10-8 round in favor of Cain.
R2- Cain opens up the round with a take down and lands some good shots. Cain lands some big shots against the cage and Mazzagatti steps in and stops the fight. Rothwell is upset. Definitely an awkward stoppage but Cain was completely dominating the fight up to that point. Not a good time to stop the fight by Mazzagatti as Cain was landing some good punches but Rothwell was in the process of getting back to his feet.
Winner: Cain Velasquez by TKO (Punches) R2 0:58
Chuck Liddell is at the fights as is Michael Clarke Duncan.
Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Lyoto Machida © (15-0) vs. Shogun Rua (18-3)
Lyoto has had 15 career fights and has never been knocked down. He’s also never lost a round in any of his UFC fights and has absorbed fewer strikes than any other fighter in UFC history. Shogun has also never been knocked down in the UFC and has a 46% strike accuracy percentage (versus 35% of the average fighter). Machida gets a really good reception from the crowd.
R1- Machida hits a few knees early. Shogun clinched Machida a couple of times but didn’t land anything significant. Really close round with neither guy really having an advantage. Shogun was the aggressor but in a title fight I’ve got to give the benefit of the scoring to the champion if neither fighter looked like they won the round. So I’ve got 10-9 Machida (it would be a 10-10 if it was allowed to be scored that way).
R2- Machida landed a couple of strikes in the opening minute. Machida landed a punch on Shogun and knocked him off balance and later hit a leg kick that did the same thing. Machida hit a side kick at the two minute mark but Shogun countered with one of his own. Shogun clinched Machida and landed some knees on Machida’s legs. Another close round that I’ve got going to Machida. Machida 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Shogun opens up with a body kick. Machida counters with a combination. They had two good exchanges where it looked like both guys hit what they went for. Shogun is landing some good leg kicks in this round. Machida landed some punches and Shogun hit a counter as well. Really close round that Machida probably stole with that last flurry. Machida 30-27 on my score card.
R4- Shogun is landing some leg kicks early in the round. Machida slipped and Shogun quickly rushed in for a take down but couldn’t get it. Not a lot of action in this round but Shogun definitely got the better of the little strikes that hit in this round. Machida 39-37 so far.
R5- Shogun continues with the onslaught of leg kicks. But I really don’t think leg kicks should win you a championship unless they are devastating and if they are devastating. Machida landed some knees and Shogun responded with a kick. Shogun landed a couple of strikes with about a minute and a half left in the fight. Close round but I think Shogun did enough to win this round. I’ve got this fight as Machida 48 Shogun 47. Really close fight with 5 very competitive and close rounds. Shogun fought a good fight but I don’t think he did enough to unseat the champion. I could definitely see a split decision by the judges.
Judges score cards say: All 3 judges score the fight 48-47 in favor of Machida.
Winner and still champion: Lyoto Machida by Decision (Unanimous)
10/24/09
Los Angeles, Ca
Staples Center
Lyoto Machida makes his first defense of his Light Heavyweight Title tonight against Shogun Rua. Cain Velasquez will try to stay undefeated when he takes on Ben Rothwell.
Welterweight Fight (Catchweight of 176)- Anthony Johnson (7-2) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)
Yoshida subbed Brandon Wolff at UFC 98. Anthony Johnson TKO’d Luigi Fioravanti at Fight Night 17. Yoshida is a 4th degree Judo Black Belt. Johnson missed weight for this fight by six pounds. Joe Rogan says he’s been rumored to walk around as big as 220 so his days as a Welterweight might be numbered. Johnson has been training with Cung Le and has Le and Josh Thomson in his corner. Johnson has a 3” height, 8” reach and 6 lb weight advantage.
R1- Johnson landed some punches early in the clinch and then decked him with a right hand and this one is over. Rogan pointed out that these guys looked like they were in different weight divisions. Johnson looked great but he missed weight and he has got to move up in weight if he can’t make the cut to 170.
Winner: Anthony Johnson by TKO (Punches) R1 0:41
Post-fight Johnson said that he had gotten heavy because of a knee injury that he sustained in training for Matt Brown previously. He owned up for not making weight but said that he’s not planning on moving up weight classes yet.
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is in the crowd.
Lightweight Fight- Spencer Fisher (24-4) vs. Joe Stevenson (35-10)
Fisher is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Caol Uno in a very close fight. Fisher is on a 3 fight win streak. Stevenson is coming off of a win over Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision at the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale. Stevenson is currently training with Greg Jackson and has him in his corner for the fight. Stevenson is a jiu jitsu and judo black belt.
R1- Stevenson opened up a cut near Spencer’s eye. Stevenson fights hard for a take down but Spencer stuffs him and the ref breaks up the clinch. Spencer is blinking a lot and having some issues with the blood in his eye. Stevenson finally gets a take down with about half a minute left in the round. Joe lands some good Ground and Pound as Spencer turtled up. Stevenson takes this round and is up 10-9.
R2- Stevenson got a take down in the second minute of the round. Stevenson lands some good elbows in half guard. Stevenson just starts destroying Spencer with elbows and Herb Dean steps in and puts a stop to the fight. Stevenson has looked really good under the direction of Greg Jackson.
They announce the win as tapout due to strikes.
Winner: Joe Stevenson by Submission (Elbow Strikes) R2 4:03
Chris Tucker is at the fights with his sunglasses.
Middleweight Fight- Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
The Dean of Draws Yushin Okami makes it onto the PPV in a televised pre-PPV fight. Okami’s only loss in UFC is to Rich Franklin. Matt Lindland is in Sonnen’s corner.
R1- Sonnen gets a take down in the first minute. Okami keeps getting up but Sonnen keeps taking him back down. Okami gets back to his feet about half way through the round. Sonnen got another take down with about a minute left in the round. Sonnen takes the first round 10-9.
R2- This was a pretty even round but Sonnen seemed to start getting the better of Okami towards the end of the round.
R3- Sonnen got a take down about half way through the round and landed some Ground and Pound but Okami got back up. Okami grabbed Sonnen with a kimura in full guard but could not keep it as Sonnen landed some body punches. Sonnen is going to win this fight by decision. Really good win for Sonnen.
Judges score cards say:
Winner: Chael Sonnen by Decision (Unanimous) 30-27 on all 3 score cards
Catchweight Fight- Josh Neer (25-8-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (29-6)
Tibau comes out to “Iron Man” but doesn’t have any spiked shoulder pads. Tibau is coming off a decision loss to Melvin Guillard. Tibau is fighting out of American Top Team and is a Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. Neer is coming off a decision loss to Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 101. Neer came in at 156.5 lbs and Tibau at 157 so that’s why this is a catchweight fight.
R1- Tibau got a wicked slam early but Neer got back to his feet. Tibau got another big take down/slam but Neer got up again after a short amount of time on the ground. Tibau got a third take down but Neer pushed him off when he tried to pass. Tibau got a fourth take down. Neer got to his feet and Tibau tried to grab a guillotine but Neer quickly slipped out. Tibau took this round 10-9.
Jerry Ferrera (turtle from Entourage) was shown in the crowd during the intermission between rounds. Jeremy Piven (also from Entourage) was shown a bit later.
R2- Tibau starts off the round with another powerful take down but Neer again gets up quickly. Tibau is taking Neer down at will but is not able to hold him down. Tibau was able to get a mount with half of the round left. Neer gave up his back to get out of mount and Tibau tried to get an arm bar but couldn’t and Neer ended up on top briefly. I’ve got Tibau up 20-18 but he seems to be fading a bit.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are at the show tonight.
R3- Tibau started off the round with a take down. Neer was able to stuff three take downs. Tibau gets another take down with two minutes left in the fight but couldn’t hold him down. Tibau finishes the fight with yet another take down. Tibau really dominated this fight with take downs. The only round that was close was the final one.
Judges score cards say: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28
Winner: Gleison Tibau by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Cain Velasquez (6-0) vs. Ben Rothwell (30-6)
Rothwell is making his UFC debut and is a former IFL Heavyweight Champion. Velasquez is a Top 10 Heavyweight and is coming off a big unanimous decision win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 99. Rothwell has a 3” height and 3” reach advantage and has a huge weight advantage of 27 lbs. Velasquez is from California and is a big fan favorite in this fight. Rothwell has won 14 of his last 15 fights and was 9-0 in IFL fights.
R1- Cain got a take down in the first 30 seconds but Rothwell stood back up without taking any damage. Cain got another take down at the two minute mark of the round. Cain landed a couple of punches before Rothwell got to his feet. Cain got Rothwell down again and landed some good punches and looked like he opened up a cut on Rothwell. Cain is starting to land some good punches. Cain landed some hammer fists and then peppered Rothwell with several punches. Cain is just dominating Rothwell so far. Somehow Rothwell survives that round but he took a beating in the second part of the round. 10-8 round in favor of Cain.
R2- Cain opens up the round with a take down and lands some good shots. Cain lands some big shots against the cage and Mazzagatti steps in and stops the fight. Rothwell is upset. Definitely an awkward stoppage but Cain was completely dominating the fight up to that point. Not a good time to stop the fight by Mazzagatti as Cain was landing some good punches but Rothwell was in the process of getting back to his feet.
Winner: Cain Velasquez by TKO (Punches) R2 0:58
Chuck Liddell is at the fights as is Michael Clarke Duncan.
Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Lyoto Machida © (15-0) vs. Shogun Rua (18-3)
Lyoto has had 15 career fights and has never been knocked down. He’s also never lost a round in any of his UFC fights and has absorbed fewer strikes than any other fighter in UFC history. Shogun has also never been knocked down in the UFC and has a 46% strike accuracy percentage (versus 35% of the average fighter). Machida gets a really good reception from the crowd.
R1- Machida hits a few knees early. Shogun clinched Machida a couple of times but didn’t land anything significant. Really close round with neither guy really having an advantage. Shogun was the aggressor but in a title fight I’ve got to give the benefit of the scoring to the champion if neither fighter looked like they won the round. So I’ve got 10-9 Machida (it would be a 10-10 if it was allowed to be scored that way).
R2- Machida landed a couple of strikes in the opening minute. Machida landed a punch on Shogun and knocked him off balance and later hit a leg kick that did the same thing. Machida hit a side kick at the two minute mark but Shogun countered with one of his own. Shogun clinched Machida and landed some knees on Machida’s legs. Another close round that I’ve got going to Machida. Machida 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Shogun opens up with a body kick. Machida counters with a combination. They had two good exchanges where it looked like both guys hit what they went for. Shogun is landing some good leg kicks in this round. Machida landed some punches and Shogun hit a counter as well. Really close round that Machida probably stole with that last flurry. Machida 30-27 on my score card.
R4- Shogun is landing some leg kicks early in the round. Machida slipped and Shogun quickly rushed in for a take down but couldn’t get it. Not a lot of action in this round but Shogun definitely got the better of the little strikes that hit in this round. Machida 39-37 so far.
R5- Shogun continues with the onslaught of leg kicks. But I really don’t think leg kicks should win you a championship unless they are devastating and if they are devastating. Machida landed some knees and Shogun responded with a kick. Shogun landed a couple of strikes with about a minute and a half left in the fight. Close round but I think Shogun did enough to win this round. I’ve got this fight as Machida 48 Shogun 47. Really close fight with 5 very competitive and close rounds. Shogun fought a good fight but I don’t think he did enough to unseat the champion. I could definitely see a split decision by the judges.
Judges score cards say: All 3 judges score the fight 48-47 in favor of Machida.
Winner and still champion: Lyoto Machida by Decision (Unanimous)
Sunday, November 01, 2009
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode 7 Re-Cap
TUF 10: Heavyweights Episode Seven “Voices In My Head”
Team Rashad is up 6-0 on Team Rampage and looks to continue their domination after Darrill Schoonover submitted Zak Jensen. Hmmm…seems like I wrote almost the same thing last week. Scott Junk and Marcus Jones are the only hopes for Team Rampage to get on the board with a win. Rashad picks Matt Mitrione to fight Scott Junk. Dana says Junk has fought in the UFC before and is a tough guy. This could be the first win for Team Rampage. This leaves Marcus Jones to fight Mike Wessel in the final fight of the first round.
Rampage and Rashad start the show by getting in each other’s faces. Scott Junk tries to get between them but they just go back at it. Too bad these guys won’t be fighting. People would pay to see this fight.
Matt Mitrione gets into it with teammate Jon Madsen during a sparring session and Rashad reads him the riot act and tells him to channel his aggression into his upcoming fight. The other guys set up a calendar and pick days that they think Meathead (Mitrione) will explode.
Heavyweight Fight- Matt Mitrione (2-0) vs. Scott Junk (6-2-1)
Mitrione has a 2” height and a huge 8” reach advantage.
R1- Mitrione hits a good punch early that floors Junk but he doesn’t follow up. Mitrione hits another shot and knocks Junk down for the second time in the first minute but again doesn’t follow up. Junk is very apprehensive at this point. Mitrione grabs a kick and punches Junk and floors him again. Mitrione starts hitting Junk with some punches while he’s on the ground and if he would have been more aggressive the fight would have been over but again he lets him up. Mitrione is winning this fight by a large margin but isn’t showing any type of killer instinct to finish the fight. Junk wanted the fight to end there but Mitrione didn’t want to finish it. Really sloppy fighting over the next minute. Both guys are tired and Mitrione has very little on his punches at this point. Junk lands some good punches against the cage towards the end of the round. Mitrione won this round but Junk came back towards the end. Dana was pretty excited about the first round but it was really sloppy and both guys were totally gassed in the last half of the first round. Mitrione should have finished this one off in the first two minutes.
R2- Both guys are really tired. Mitrione is landing some strikes but he has nothing behind them. Junk gets a take down in the second minute of the round but the fighters are stood up after about a minute. This is a tough round to judge. Mitrione landed more strikes but had very little behind them. Junk got a take down and landed a couple of nice shots during the round.
Judges score the fight: 19-19, 20-18 and 20-18
Winner: Matt Mitrione by Decision (Majority)
Rampage was not happy with the decision and completely destroyed a door at the training facility. He kicked a whole in it, punched it repeatedly and ripped it in half and threw it on the floor.
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #3: Justin Wren
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Team Rashad #8: Mike Wessel
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
Team Rashad is up 6-0 on Team Rampage and looks to continue their domination after Darrill Schoonover submitted Zak Jensen. Hmmm…seems like I wrote almost the same thing last week. Scott Junk and Marcus Jones are the only hopes for Team Rampage to get on the board with a win. Rashad picks Matt Mitrione to fight Scott Junk. Dana says Junk has fought in the UFC before and is a tough guy. This could be the first win for Team Rampage. This leaves Marcus Jones to fight Mike Wessel in the final fight of the first round.
Rampage and Rashad start the show by getting in each other’s faces. Scott Junk tries to get between them but they just go back at it. Too bad these guys won’t be fighting. People would pay to see this fight.
Matt Mitrione gets into it with teammate Jon Madsen during a sparring session and Rashad reads him the riot act and tells him to channel his aggression into his upcoming fight. The other guys set up a calendar and pick days that they think Meathead (Mitrione) will explode.
Heavyweight Fight- Matt Mitrione (2-0) vs. Scott Junk (6-2-1)
Mitrione has a 2” height and a huge 8” reach advantage.
R1- Mitrione hits a good punch early that floors Junk but he doesn’t follow up. Mitrione hits another shot and knocks Junk down for the second time in the first minute but again doesn’t follow up. Junk is very apprehensive at this point. Mitrione grabs a kick and punches Junk and floors him again. Mitrione starts hitting Junk with some punches while he’s on the ground and if he would have been more aggressive the fight would have been over but again he lets him up. Mitrione is winning this fight by a large margin but isn’t showing any type of killer instinct to finish the fight. Junk wanted the fight to end there but Mitrione didn’t want to finish it. Really sloppy fighting over the next minute. Both guys are tired and Mitrione has very little on his punches at this point. Junk lands some good punches against the cage towards the end of the round. Mitrione won this round but Junk came back towards the end. Dana was pretty excited about the first round but it was really sloppy and both guys were totally gassed in the last half of the first round. Mitrione should have finished this one off in the first two minutes.
R2- Both guys are really tired. Mitrione is landing some strikes but he has nothing behind them. Junk gets a take down in the second minute of the round but the fighters are stood up after about a minute. This is a tough round to judge. Mitrione landed more strikes but had very little behind them. Junk got a take down and landed a couple of nice shots during the round.
Judges score the fight: 19-19, 20-18 and 20-18
Winner: Matt Mitrione by Decision (Majority)
Rampage was not happy with the decision and completely destroyed a door at the training facility. He kicked a whole in it, punched it repeatedly and ripped it in half and threw it on the floor.
Fighters Remaining
Team Rashad #1: James McSweeney
Team Rashad #2: Brendan Schaub
Team Rashad #3: Justin Wren
Team Rashad #4: Jon Madsen
Team Rashad #5: Roy Nelson
Team Rashad #6: Darrill Schoonover
Team Rashad #7: Matt Mitrione
Team Rampage #7: Marcus Jones
Team Rashad #8: Mike Wessel
Eliminated:
Abe Wagner defeated by Jon Madsen- Episode One
Wes Shivers defeated by James McSweeney- Episode Two
Kimbo Slice defeated by Roy Nelson- Episode Three
Demico Rogers defeated by Brendan Schaub- Episode Four
Wes Sims defeated by Justin Wren- Episode Five
Zak Jensen defeated by Darrill Schoonover- Episode Six
Scott Junk defeated by Matt Mitrione: Episode Seven
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