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

The Ultimate Fighter 8 Episode 8 Re-Cap

The Ultimate Fighter 8- Episode 8 Re-Cap
Team Noguiera vs. Team Mir

Team Nog had been eating Tom Lawlor’s fruit tray every day (I thought he was eliminated). So Lawler decides to get back at them by pissing in his own fruit tray.

Light Heavyweight fight is selected by Frank Mir and he choices Dave Kaplan to take on Phillip Nover. Should be a good fight as I have these guys as the top 2 based on my limited exposure to them.

Team Nog comes home and starts snacking on the pee filled fruit platter and they are eating it! Wow.

“The fruit tasted completely normal. In fact, it may have tasted better than normal”- Kyle Kingsbury

Dave Kaplan was a division 1 wrestler and has a background in Tai Boxing.

Now, somebody is eating Phillipe Nover’s sushi and they plan to add a very special surprise to Nover’s sushi and whoever is eating it. They add some sperm to the sushi. Wow, this is getting rough. Dave Kaplan eats it! Kaplan tells them that they will have his fecal matter on them within 3 days.

Junie gets pissed off during practice and is upset because no one wants to train with him.

Lightweight Fight- Dave Kaplan vs. Phillipe Nover

Nover has a huge 8” reach advantage in this fight. He also has a 3” height advantage.

R1- Nover lands some really good shots early and Kaplan crumples to the ground and Nover jumps on top but Kaplan defends well. Phillipe hits some shots and then rolls over to a Rear Naked Choke and destroys Kaplan in short order. Very impressive victory for Nover and he just became the odds on favorite to win the Lightweight Division of this seasons Ultimate Fighter. Dana White compares Nover to GSP.

Winner: Phillipe Nover by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

Krzysztof Soszynski faces Kyle Kingsbury next week in the last Light Heavyweight fight before the semi-finals.

Light Heavyweight Rankings:
1. Krzysztof Soszynski
2. Ryan Bader
3. Vinny Magalhaes
4. Eliot Marshall
5. Kyle Kingsbury

Lightweight Rankings:
1. Phillipe Nover
2. Efrain Escudero
3. Junie Browning
4. George Roop
5. John Polakowski

Eliminations:
Tom Lawlor (ranked #2 LH) eliminated by Ryan Bader (Round Two)
Shane Nelson (ranked #5 LW) eliminated by Efrain Escudero (Round Two)
Shane Primm (ranked #5 LH) eliminated by Eliot Marshall (Round Two)
Roli Delgado (ranked #7 LW) eliminated by Junie Browning (Round Two)
Jules Brunchez (ranked #3 LH) eliminated by Vinny Magalhaes (Round Two)
Dave Kaplan (ranked #1 LW) eliminated by Phillipe Nover (Round Two)