UFC Wired (Airdate 4/13/08)

UFC Wired (Aired 4/13/08)


Middleweight- Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove- UFC 74- 8/25/07

R1- A couple of shots exchanged early and then they tie up on the cage. Lots of jockeying for position but not much action. The ref separates them due to inactivity. Some exchanges and then Grove ties him up and works him back into the cage. Cote switches on him. Grove is the more aggressive fighter during stand-up but isn’t really hitting anything. Grove goes for take down and is denies. Cote destroys him with a short left hand and then jumps and mounts Grove. Grove gives up his back and Cote is trying to finish but Grove rolls back over. Cote is nailing him. Grove trying to hold on with 15 seconds left in the round but the ref stops the fight.

Real boring fight until the last 30 seconds when Cote exploded when Grove went for a takedown and left himself undefended.

Winner: Patrick Cote winner by TKO (Strikes) R1 4:45


Middleweight- Chris Leben vs. Khalib Starnes- UFC 71- 5/26/07

R1- Leben is the aggressor early. Starnes ties him up but Chris breaks loose. Leben with some strikes. Leben goes for a jumping kick and leaves his feet but Starnes can’t capitalize. Leben gets in a couple of more shots following a leg kick by Starnes. Leben with some wild punches and some of them connecting but Starnes covering up good to minimize damage. Leben looks like he might be punching himself out here. Starnes ties him up but gets pushed off. Leben with some more left hands. Leben misses with a spinning kick and gets takedown down. Big mistake. Leben trying to get a rubber guard as Starnes is in full guard. Starnes ends the round with a flurry of punches. This was a close round. Leben controlled the right up right and it was up right for most of the first round. Starnes got a takedown but did nothing with it until the last 5 seconds of the round. Leben 10-9.

R2- Start of this round is pretty even for the first minute or so. No one with a clear advantage. Starnes lands a nice right hand and then follows it up by taking down Leben and is on top in full guard. Starnes stands up and comes down with a punch and lands a couple more but now they are on their feet again. Starnes clinches him and backs him up against the cage. Starnes with some knees and they separate again. Leben looks tired but so does Starnes. Leben with a knee. They trade jabs. Starnes looks real tired now and Leben is landing some punches. Leben nails a knee. Starnes was real impressive at the beginning of this round but then gassed and Leben got in some good damage towards the end of the round. Round still goes to Starnes but I think Leben might have the advantage in cardio going into the final round. I’ve got the scorecard as 19-19.

R3- They trade some at the beginning and Leben is the aggressor. Leben had him up against the cage and got a couple of blows and then got a kick to the gut. Starnes to the mat and leben falls into his guard. Leben is not doing much on top. Getting a couple of punches in. Leben stands up then gets back on top this time in half guard and lands a short elbow. Starnes flips him over very impressively. Leben punching from the bottom. Leben trying to work the rubber guard. Leben getting in a lot more offense and then Starnes nails a nice elbow. Leben pestering him from the bottom with punches, elbows and kicks. Starnes stands up and then lands a punch and goes into half guard. 30 seconds left. Leben still punching from the bottom. Khalib trying to get some punches from the top but Leben continues to punch. I give this round to Leben as he controlled the first half and then did just as much damage from the bottom as Starnes did from the top.

Somehow Khalib Starnes gets a unanimous decision 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. It was real close but the only round that Starnes clearly won was Round 2. That’s why you don’t leave the match to the judges’ decision.

Winner: Khalib Starnes via Decision (Unanimous)


Welterweight- Interim Welterweight Title Match: Georges St-Pierre (14-2) vs. Matt Hughes (43-5)- UFC 79- 12/29/07

R1- The first minute is active but both guys real cautious as nothing of note has been hit yet. Hughes tried for an early take down but Georges backed down. Hughes again goes for take down but is denied. Georges going for some kicks and then a Superman punch and Hughes goes for a take down but the clinch and Georges takes Hughes down and is on top in full guard. Georges with some light punches from the top. Georges pushes Hughes up against the cage. Georges with some short elbows. Georges with some punches again. Georges dominating so far but not really close to a stoppage. Hughes needs to find a way out. Georges slams Hughes a couple of times. Georges got his back in the last 10 seconds. Easy round to Georges here as he just dominated. Hughes really didn’t even get any offense at all in.

R2- Georges again takes Hughes down. Georges now in half guard. Hughes trying to get some offense from the bottom as he hits an elbow. Georges with some elbows. He’s in full guard now. Georges back on top in half guard and mounts Hughes and has his back with 1:30 left in the round. They battle and Georges has him up against the cage now. Hughes now with Georges leg but can’t get the takedown. They are tied up and Georges with a great take down into side control. Georges with an armbar type move and Hughes taps.

Georges St-Pierre just absolutely dominated this fight from start to finish.

Winner: Georges St-Pierre by Verbal Submission (armbar) R2 4:54.