The Best Fights of 2009....at the mid-point

The Best Fights of 2009

#1 Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida (Lightweight Fight)- UFC- The Ultimate Fighter Finale- 6/20/09

This fight started in the first round with Diego running across the cage and both fighters throwing strikes at each other. Diego took over and hit Guida with a flying knee strike and Guida was busted open. Guida got a take down that likely kept him in the fight because he was getting destroyed by Diego. Diego got back to his feet and hit a head kick that would have knocked out a lesser fighter. After the head kick, Diego hit another flying knee strike. This was one of the sickest first rounds I’ve seen. I compare it to Eddie Alvarez’s fights in DREAM against Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen.


In the second round Guida got a take down but Diego worked his elbows on the top of Clay’s head and busted him wide open. Guida was busted open on the top of his head and on his nose and Diego was covered in Guida’s blood. This was one of the rare rounds where the guy working from the bottom won the round. The third round was more of the same with both fighters really getting after it and trying to finish the fight. This was a great example of Fighting Spirit. I actually scored this fight 30-27 (the judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, 29-27 in favor of Diego) in favor of Diego but because Guida showed so much heart and fight it makes the top of the list in terms of Fight of the Year.

#2 Scott Jorgensen vs. Antonio Banuelos (Bantamweight Fight)- WEC- WEC 41 6/7/09

This was originally an under card fight that made the telecast because it was so good. Banuelos pushed the action early and Jorgensen struggled early with some eye trouble. Both guys freely threw leather in the first round. In the second round Jorgensen started to get comfortable and started to throw the better strikes. Banuelos made a come back at the end of the round but it was not enough to take the round and I had it even at one round a piece through two rounds. The third action started out with a ton of action as Banuelos went for a take down, Jorgensen countered with a guillotine and Banuelos sprawled out of it and got back to his feet. Jorgensen started to walk down Banuelos in this final round and opened up a cut on his face. The final round saw Jorgensen going for submission, Banuelos surviving and both guys slugging it out. I scored the fight in favor of Jorgensen 29-28. The judges saw it different as they scored the fight a split decision in favor of Banuelos (29-28, 29-28, 28-29). Regardless, it was a great fight.

#3 Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber (Featherweight Title Fight)-WEC- WEC 41- 6/7/09

This was on the same card as Jorgensen/Banuelos and was a re-match from Mike Brown’s first round TKO title win over Urijah in November of 2008. They opened with a very close first round that I gave to Urijah as he hit a big right hand that brought Brown to his knees, had a submission attempt and hit a head kick. Brown controlled the second round by wrestling Urijah. Urijah fought and escaped everything Brown threw at him but Brown won the round to even it up 19-19. Brown started off the third round by taking Urijah’s back and pelting him with some good punches. Urijah came back with a knee followed by a good combination. This was a very close round as Brown controlled where the fight went but Urijah threw the better strikes. I gave the round to Brown putting him up 29-28. Commentator Kenny Florian mentioned during this round that it looked like Urijah had broken one of his hands and that’s why he was not using it to throw punches. During the corner shot (in between rounds) Urijah clearly tells his corner that he broke his hand. In the fourth round Urijah throws elbows since he can no longer punch but Brown did more damage in this round taking a 39-37 led into the fifth and final round. In the fifth round Urijah grabbed a guillotine but could not hold onto it and clamp it in due to his broken hand. The fifth round was very close, I felt Urijah came closer to finishing the fight so I gave him the round and scored the fight in favor of the defending champion Mike Brown by a score of 48 to 47. The judges scored the fight a unanimous decision in favor of Mike Brown by the scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.

During this fight Urijah Faber showed great heart as he hurt both of his hands and was rendered to throwing slaps and elbows for the final two rounds. It was a great performance by both fighters. Discussion raged on the internet in the days after the fight as to whether Urijah deserved another re-match with Mike Brown after having lost to him two times. My answer to that question is absolutely. Urijah came close to winning this fight despite being injured during the fight. When Urijah gets healed he should have a non-title fight and if he wins that then he should be right back in line for a title shot.

#4 Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone (Lightweight Title Fight)- WEC- WEC 38- 1/25/09

Varner hit a good combo to start off the fight and then took Cerrone to the mat and landed some nice Ground and Pound. Cerrone came back at the end of the round but also got a big bump on his forehead for his troubles. Round one went to the defending champion Varner 10-9. In the second round Cerrone was winning the stand up but Varner was able to get take downs. Varner got 3 take downs in the round but couldn’t capitalize at all on 2 of them. When the fight was standing Cerrone constantly had Varner back stepping and on his heels. This was a very close round that I gave to Cerrone to bring the fight to 19-19. Varner landed some good strikes in the third round and took Cerrone down and opened up a cut on his eye. Varner controlled the third round and was up 29-28 going into the championship rounds. The fourth round saw Varner land a good roundhouse kick and get take downs of Cerrone. Cerrone’s guard was active and he actually seemed to be landing more shots from the bottom than Varner was from the top. This was another close round but I scored it to Varner and that put him up 39-37 going into the final round.. Varner got an early take down but Cerrone got up and actually got a take down of his own. As Varner was getting up Cerrone grazed him with a knee to the head. Varner was standing up and then went back down to his knees and then Cerrone hit the knee. It was one of those strikes that was a split second from being a legal blow but ended up being an accidental illegal blow. Varner complained of not being able to see and could not continue. Due to the blow being “illegal” the fight went to the score cards. I gave Cerrone the fifth round so I had the fight scored Varner 48-47. The judges scored the fight in favor of defending champion Jamie Varner by way of Split Decision (49-46, 49-46, 47-48).

In the post-fight interview Varner said he broke his hand in the 2nd or 3rd round. As of the date of this printing, Varner is still not healthy enough to return to the ring. Cerrone is licking his chops at a re-match and will get a shot at winning the “Interim” title in an upcoming fight while Varner continues to heal.

#5 Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin (Catchweight Fight)- UFC- UFC 99- 6/13/09

Both fighters came into this fight in desperate need of a win. Franklin has just dropped a close decision to Dan Henderson and Wanderlei had been knocked out at the hands of Rampage Jackson. The first round was pretty even but Franklin came on strong at the end to take the round. In round two they threw some big time haymakers and Franklin floored Wanderlei with a good shot. Wanderlei came back and hit Franklin with a shot that buckled his knees and then hit another shot that sent Franklin back into the cage. Franklin retaliated with a partially blocked high kick that hurt Wanderlei. Really even round with both guys hurting the other fighters at times during the round. The third round started with Wanderlei as the aggressor and Franklin choosing to stick and move. At one point they were up against the cage and both guys were just throwing bombs. The fans were on their feet at the end of the fight as Wanderlei was throwing elbows and Franklin throwing punches. The fans ate up the final round and this was one of the most even fights of the year. The judges gave the fight to Franklin, I gave it to Wanderlei as I gave him round one and I gave him a very close third round.


The Contenders
Jorge Santiago vs.. Kazuo Misaki (Middleweight Title Fight)- Sengoku 1/4/09

This fight was for the vacant Sengoku Middleweight Title. I scored the first fight for Misaki and the second for Santiago. The third and fourth rounds were virtual toss ups so this fight went into the fifth round being anybody’s fight and both guys looked in decent shape from a cardio perspective. Misaki entered the fifth round with a mouse under his eye. They did some stand up and then Santiago shot in for a take down. A cut opened under Misaki’s eye and Misaki gave up his back. Santiago capitalized and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke for the submission win and became the new champion as he won the title with only a minute and a half left in a five round fight.

Jorge Gurgel vs. Conor Heun (Catchweight Fight- 160 lbs)- Strikeforce- Challengers Series- 6/19/09

Once these guys got going in this fight it was a slugfest. I had Gurgel taking this fight 29-28 (Gurgel won the fight by Unanimous Decision) and both guys left everything they had inside the cage.

Featherweight Grand Prix Second Round Fight- Hideo Tokoro vs. Abel Cullum- DREAM- DREAM 9- 5/26/09

This was a Second Round fight in DREAM’s Featherweight Tournament. Both guys fought with a lot of spirit and in the first round (which lasts ten minutes in DREAM) both fighters threatened to finish the fight at points during this round. Tokoro took over in the second round and spent the first part of the round on top of Collum. Collum went to escape and Tokoro took his back and finished him with a Rear Naked Choke.

Josh Neer vs. Mac Danzig (Lightweight Fight)- UFC- Fight Night- 2/7/09

Danzig got caught early in this fight when he went for a head kick but weathered the storm and hit a good combo about a minute in a half in to even the fight back out. The first round was very good and very close. Neer controlled early, Danzig took the middle part of the round with a knock down and Neer came on strong at the end. Danzig also opened up a cut on Neer’s face. In the second round Danzig got a take down stuffed and Neer unloaded with some good elbows. Neer tried to take his back but slipped off and Danzig took guard. Neer got a triangle with a minute and a half left in the round and Danzig had to tap.

Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle (Welterweight Fight)- UFC- UFC 93- 1/17/09

This fight had a good first round and was really close in terms of scoring. Lytle was the aggressor but got knocked off his feet twice. The second round was another close round. Davis hit more shots, but Lytle seemed like he hit heavier shots. Going into the third round the fight was very even. In the third round Lytle pushed forward and threw some wild shots and they both threw some bombs against the cage. Lytle got knocked to his knees at the end of the round and that probably gave the fight to David. I scored the fight 29-28 Davis but said that I would not be surprised if it ended in a split decision. The judges agreed with me and scored the fight Davis 29-28, Lytle 29-28 and Davis 29-28.

Miguel Angel Torres © vs. Takeya Mizugaki (Bantamweight Title Fight)- WEC- WEC 40- 4/5/09

The first round was a virtual toss up that I gave to the challenger Mizugaki. After that point Torres started to take over and as each round went on it felt like Torres gained more and more control over the fight (as a champion should). Mizugaki showed a lot of heart by hanging in there with the quicker and better conditioned Torres and both guys went down swinging as the fight went to the distance.

Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann (Welterweight Fight)- UFC- UFC Fight Night 18- 4/1/09

This was a really good fight against two evenly matched fighters. For Carlos Condit, this was his first fight in UFC as he came in as the WEC Welterweight Champion (but WEC disbanded their Welterweight division). Kampmann was moving down in weight after being humbled by Nate Marquardt in a Middleweight Fight. The first round could have gone either way as Condit drew blood but Kampmann had 3 submission attempts. Condit took round two by winning the stand up game and the ground game. In round three Kampmann controlled where the fight went. Condit locked on a guillotine with ten seconds left but Kampmann weathered the storm and held onto a close decision victory (29-28 Kampmann, 29-28 Condit and 29-28 Kampmann).

The Best of the Rest

Jeff Curran vs. Joseph Benavidez- WEC- WEC 40- 4/5/09
Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve-UFC- UFC 99- 6/13/09
Cain Velasquez vs. Cheick Kongo-UFC- UFC 99- 6/13/09
Joe Warren vs. Kid Yamamoto- DREAM- DREAM 9- 5/26/09
Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith- Strikeforce- 4/11/09