UFC 98 Unaired Fights Re-Cap

UFC 98: Unaired Fights
5/23/09
MGM Grand
Las Vegas, Nevada

Lightweight Fight- Dave Kaplan (3-2) vs. George Roop (8-5)

Roop has a 3” reach and a 7” height advantage.

R1- Kaplan came into the fight with a cut on his nose and Roop opened it up early. Kaplan got a take down in the last minute of the round but didn’t do anything with it. Even fight through the first round but Kaplan was starting to figure out Roop towards the end of the round..

R2- Roop went in for a knee but got taken down but couldn’t do anything with it. Kaplan got another take down about half way through the round but again didn’t do anything before stand up. Kaplan got yet another take down. Not a lot of damage done in this round but it definitely went to Kaplan.

R3- Kaplan got another take down about a minute into the round and moved around until he got into the mount position but couldn’t do anything from this position either.

I think you have to give this fight to Kaplan. This was a competitive fight but honestly neither of these guys have the skill currently to be in the UFC. I would be very surprised if Roop is back for another fight. Kaplan might be back just based on the fact that he’s an entertaining guy.

Judges score cards say: 29-28 Kaplan, 30-27 Roop (huh?), and 30-27 Roop. Somehow the judges scored the fight in favor of George Roop by Split Decision. I though Kaplan took the second and third rounds.

Winner: George Roop by Decision (Split)

Lightweight Fight- Phillipe Nover (6-1-1) vs. Kyle Bradley (13-6-1)

Nover was the runner-up to Efrain Escudero on TUF Season 8.

R1- Bradley pushed Nover down and hit a couple of shots and Yves Lavigne stopped the fight way early.

“What is going on? Oh My God. That is a terrible decision by Yves Lavigne. Oh No. Oh Nooo. Oh No. You know we need to make a rule where if the referee screws up like that we let them fight again. Oh it was a terrible decision.” – Joe Rogan

“That’s a big, big screw up by Yves Lavigne”- Joe Rogan

I was wondering why the crowd was killing Yves Lavigne all night during the Main Show. Now I know.

Winner: Kyle Bradley by TKO R1 1:03

Welterweight Fight- Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) vs. Brandon Wolff (7-3)

This is an epic battle of Japan vs. Hawaii. Both guys are coming off of losses. Yoshida is coming off of a vicious knockout at the hands of Josh Koscheck.

R1- Yoshida got a take down and went for a guillotine. Wolff rolled through but Yoshida held on to the move and Wolff taped out in Yoshida’s guard.

Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida by Submission (Guillotine) R1 2:24