Bellator 17
Bellator Fighting Championships
Wang Theatre
Boston, MA
May 6, 2010
Fox Sports South
Tonight we have the semi-finals of the Lightweight tournament and a super fight between current Lightweight Champion and former UFC slugger Josh Neer. Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith are the announcers for the show.
Lightweight Semi-Final Fight- Toby Imada (26-13) vs. Carey Vanier (8-2)
Imada beat James Krause in the first round by arm bar submission in the second round. Vanier beat Joe Duarte by TKO in the third round of their fight. Vanier has won 7 straight fights and has finished 7 of his 8 wins (5 KOs). Vanier has been mentored by Roger Huerta earlier in his career so that's a good story if they both advance to the finals. Imada has finished 25 of his 26 wins with 16 coming by submission. Vanier has a background in wrestling and Imada has a background in judo.
R1- Vanier tried an early take down and had to struggle for it but completed it within the first minute of the fight. Imada quickly got back to his feet with no damage taken. Vanier threw two quick kicks and partially landed one and then landed a strike. Vanier is looking good early. Imada grabbed Vanier and tried a submission but ended up on his back. Imada went for a knee bar but Vanier got out and then got a take down straight to full mount. They stood back up and both landed some strikes in the clinch. Vanier hit a sick German Suplex. Good first round. I give round one to Vanier 10-9 but I think he's going to have a tough time winning this fight unless it goes to decision.
R2- Imada landed a good knee early in the round. Imada is more aggressive this round and landed some strikes and then grabbed a knee bar. Vanier was able to escape but Imada tried for an arm bar and Vanier had to tap. Really impressive showing for Toby Imada in round two. Good fight!
Winner: Toby Imada by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 3:33
Lightweight Semi-Final Fight- Roger Huerta (21-3-1) vs. Pat Curran (10-3)
Tournament favorite Roger Huerta advanced in the first round by submitting Chad Hinton in round three with a knee bar. Pat Curran finished his first round fight against Mike Ricci via knockout in the very first round. Jeff Curran is in Pat's corner for the fight. The winner of this fight will face Toby Imada in the tournament finals for a shot at the Lightweight Title and Eddie Alvarez.
R1- Curran snapped off a head kick in the opening moments but it deflected off of Huerta's noggin and did not damage him. Not a lot of action in the round. I felt like Curran scored more with strikes. Huerta started to come on towards the end of the round but I gave the round to Curran 10-9.
R2- Huerta lands some early leg kicks. Huerta is much more aggressive this round. Curran went for a take down but was denied. Huerta took this round and I've got it 19-19 after two rounds.
R3- Lots of clinching early in the round with Curran landing knees and Huerta landing strikes to Curran's thigh. Huerta went for a take down but Curran slipped out. Both guys really starting to throw some leather as we get down to under two minutes left in the fight and it's anybody's fight to win. Huerta took Curran's back and took him down. Curran switched out and landed a knee and then let Huerta go. One minute left and whoever is more impressive in this last minute will probably take the fight. Curran got a take down with 50 seconds left but Huerta immediately got up. Huerta looked like he landed more strikes down the stretch. Razor thin fight that's probably going to go to Huerta since he was pushing forward more in that round. Realistically this would be a 9-9 or 10-10 round and this should be a draw but if you have to pick someone i'll pick Huerta but only by an eye lash. Would like to see some CompuStrike stats for this fight.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all score cards
Winner: Pat Curran by Decision (Unanimous)
Well Bellator has to be upset with that upset as they were clearly banking on Huerta to fight Eddie Alvarez. The Lightweight Finals are now set with Toby Imada against Pat Curran and the winner facing Eddie Alvarez.
Catchweight Fight (160 lbs)- Eddie Alvarez vs. Josh Neer
Bellator just jumps right into this fight without the intro that they usually do. Strange. Alvarez holds the Bellator Lightweight Championship but this is a non-title fight as it's being contested at a catchweight.
R1- Alvarez got a take down with a minute and a half gone from the round. Alvarez landed some strikes. Alvarez really controlling Neer through the first three minutes of the fight. Alvarez lands more good strikes from the top position. Alvarez mounted and landed some good strikes but Neer was able to flip him over and Alvarez got back to his feet. Alvarez got another take down with under a minute left in the round. Alvarez passed guard and mounted again but didn't have a chance to do much more damage. Borderline 10-8 round as he just dominated Neer. Neer has shown the ability in the past to absorb a lot of punishment and continue to fight so he's still in this fight but not for long if he continues to allow Alvarez to take him down.
R2- Neer landed some strikes but then got taken down. Neer has been busted open over his eye. Alvarez took Neer's back and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke while Neer was on his feet and Neer collapsed and this fight is over. Fantastic fight by Eddie Alvarez. Neer is not at the level of Alvarez but Neer was the bigger fighter so this is a pretty big win for Alvarez considering how convincingly he destroyed Neer.
Winner: Eddie Alvarez by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R2 2:08
Heavyweight Fight- Pat Bennett (1-0) vs. Cole Konrad (2-0)
Konrad is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion and trains with Brock Lesnar. Konrad had to cut weight to make the Heavyweight limit.
R1- Bennett threw strikes early but then got clinched and taken down within the first minute of the fight. Konrad is smothering Bennett and it looks like Bennett is bleeding from the mouth. Konrad mounted with a minute left in the round. Bennett gave up his back and then Konrad flipped him back over. Konrad going to town on Bennett as the round ends. Borderline 10-8 round.
R2- This is the first time Konrad has been into the second round of a fight and he's noticeably tired. His biggest weakness so far is his conditioning and based on his size he could easily get into better shape. This second round has been like one of those TUF fights where the guys are just exhausted. Konrad starts to land a couple of strikes. Konrad took this round but only because I can't remember Bennett throwing a strike in it. Why is this fight on after Alvarez/Neer?
R3- Bennett comes out quickly with a flurry but didn't land anything. Bennett threw some leather up against the cage and looked like he landed a good one that momentarily stunned Konrad. Bennett took this round but Konrad won the fight. If Konrad seriously wants to be an MMA fighter then he needs to drop some weight and get in better shape. He clearly had cardio issues and it was probably a combination of dropping so much weight and carrying extra weight. He looked good in the first round but if he was in there against a high level striker he would have been toast. It's only his 3rd pro fight so he's got a lot of time to correct his issues but it's time to hit the gym.
"There comes a time when you want to win or you just want the fight to be over. I think Cole Konrad may just want the fight to be over"- Jimmy Smith
Judges score card: 30-26, 29-28, 30-27. Not sure how Konrad won that last round as he didn't do anything but he definitely won the fight. He got a round of boos from the fans after the fight.
Winner: Cole Konrad by Decision (Unanimous)
Next week is the Featherweight Semi-Finals. Georgi Karakhanyan fights Joe Warren and Wilson Reis fights Patricio Pitbull. Should be two good fights. They also say Hector Lombard will fight Paulo Filho in a Super Fight but shockingly (sarcasm) there have been reports the Filho has pulled out of that fight.
Showing posts with label Roger Huerta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roger Huerta. Show all posts
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bellator 13 4/8/10 Re-Cap
Bellator 13
Bellator Fighting Championships
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
April 8, 2010
Fox Sports South
Tonight is the debut of Season Two of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Tonight we will see fights from both the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions. Bellator is an interesting promotion as they are running 8-fighter tournaments in 4 different weight divisions (featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight) this year. The biggest names tonight are former UFC fighter Roger Huerta and up and coming Featherweight Joe Warren. These tournaments will run from April 8-June 24. The tournament champions will win $100,000 and the right to fight for the Bellator World Championship in their weight division. Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith are the announcers for the show. The Bellator fights will be three five minute rounds with no elbows to the head and no kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight- Georgi Karakhanyan (12-1-1) vs. Bao Quach (17-9-1)
R1- Quach got Georgi down early with a push and jumped on top of him but Georgi got back to his feet. Georgi tried to unload on Quach but didn't look like he hit anything too damaging. Both guys really going after it. Georgi landed a flying knee but Quach pulled guard with a guillotine attempt and then dropped that and attempted to take Georgi's back. Georgi hit a devastating knee on Quach and Quach just slumped to the mat and this one is finished. Great opening fight for Bellator!
Winner: Georgi Karakhanyan by TKO (Strikes) R1 4:05
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight- Joe Warren (2-1) vs. Eric Marriott (17-2)
Marriott has won 9 consecutive fights. Warren only has 3 fights but one was a victory over Kid Yamamoto and his only loss was to current DREAM champion Bibiano Fernandes.
R1- Warren immediately went for and completed a take down and held Marriott down for the first two minutes of the fight. Warren got a take down slam with about two minutes left in the round. Marriott tried to get an arm bar but Warren picked him up and slammed him onto his back to break the hold. Marriott tried for a triangle and clamped it in pretty good but he couldn't finish as time ran out and the hold became unhooked. Really close round. Even though Warren dominated, Marriott came closer to finish the fight so I've got him 10-9.
R2- Warren got a take down in the first thirty seconds of the round. Warren stayed on top and briefly went for a choke with two minutes left in the round but quickly abandoned the submission. Warren easily took this round as he controlled the entire round. I've got it 19-19 going into the final frame.
R3- Warren again quickly started the round with a take down. Marriott tried another arm bar half way through the round and Warren slammed him down quickly again. Warren just grinded out a win in this fight. Warren wins on my score card 29-28.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all three score cards
Winner: Joe Warren by Decision (Unanimous)
Mickey Rourke and Jeremy Shockey are in the audience and are being interviewed next to a bunch of empty seats. Jeremy looks like he's loaded.
Lightweight Quarterfinal Fight- Roger Huerta (20-3-1) vs. Chad Hinton (6-0)
Hinton is a 38 year old fighter who first fought at the age of 35.
R1- Lots of clinching against the cage early in the fight. Hinton missed a kick and Huerta hit a push kick and jumped on top of Hinton but couldn’t do anything with him. Hinton caught Huerta in a clinch and landed some knees. Huerta hit some good solid punches to escape the clinch and Hinton looked momentarily stunned. Hinton shot in and got a take down but didn’t do anything with hit and Huerta quickly got back to his feet. Huerta landed a couple of good shots and Hinton got another take down. Hinton tried to take Huerta’s back and went for a choke but didn’t have good position and Huerta flipped him over and started landing some Ground and Pound. Good and surprisingly even first round.
R2- Hinton tried a leg kick and hit it but without anything behind it. Then both guys slugged it out wildly. Huerta landed and got a take down. Huerta landed some good strikes from the top. Hinton looks like he’s gassed out and Huerta is landing shots and controlling this round. Huerta clearly won this round and he be able to finish Hinton in the final round.
R3- Huerta grabbed Hinton’s leg and then landed a couple punches. Hinton grabbed Huerta’s back and Huerta did a crazy somersault to the ground to escape and take top position. Huerta grabbed a knee bar and Hinton tapped out.
Winner: Roger Huerta by Submission (Knee Bar) R3 0:56
Lightweight Quarterfinal Final- Joe Duarte (5-1) vs. Carey Vanier (7-2)
Duarte found out last week that he was taking this fight so he’s taking it on 5 days notice. They also mention he cut 15 pounds in 48 hours.
R1- Vanier got a take down about two minutes into the round. Duarte got up but was taken down again with a minute and a half left in the round. Vanier 10-9, not much damage done by either fighter in the first round.
R2- Not a lot of action in the beginning of this round. Duarte briefly got a take down but Vanier immediately got back up. Vanier landed some punches to the gut against the cage and Duarte answered with a knee. Vanier got another take down with about a minute left in the round. Duarte went for a kimura from the bottom but let it go right before the bell as he couldn’t get leverage on it. That round was a lot closer but I’ve got Vanier 20-18.
R3- Vanier landed a good combination to start the round and then quickly got a take down. Vanier landing some good shots from the top. Vanier landing good shots to the head of Duarte. Duarte tried to grab a guillotine but couldn’t hold it as Vanier slipped out. Vanier had position on Duarte’s back and landed a bunch of punches to the side of Duarte’s head and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight.
Winner: Carey Vanier by TKO (Strikes) R3 4:14
Fight of the Night: Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Bao Quach
Bellator Fighting Championships
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
April 8, 2010
Fox Sports South
Tonight is the debut of Season Two of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Tonight we will see fights from both the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions. Bellator is an interesting promotion as they are running 8-fighter tournaments in 4 different weight divisions (featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight) this year. The biggest names tonight are former UFC fighter Roger Huerta and up and coming Featherweight Joe Warren. These tournaments will run from April 8-June 24. The tournament champions will win $100,000 and the right to fight for the Bellator World Championship in their weight division. Sean Wheelock and Jimmy Smith are the announcers for the show. The Bellator fights will be three five minute rounds with no elbows to the head and no kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight- Georgi Karakhanyan (12-1-1) vs. Bao Quach (17-9-1)
R1- Quach got Georgi down early with a push and jumped on top of him but Georgi got back to his feet. Georgi tried to unload on Quach but didn't look like he hit anything too damaging. Both guys really going after it. Georgi landed a flying knee but Quach pulled guard with a guillotine attempt and then dropped that and attempted to take Georgi's back. Georgi hit a devastating knee on Quach and Quach just slumped to the mat and this one is finished. Great opening fight for Bellator!
Winner: Georgi Karakhanyan by TKO (Strikes) R1 4:05
Featherweight Quarterfinal Fight- Joe Warren (2-1) vs. Eric Marriott (17-2)
Marriott has won 9 consecutive fights. Warren only has 3 fights but one was a victory over Kid Yamamoto and his only loss was to current DREAM champion Bibiano Fernandes.
R1- Warren immediately went for and completed a take down and held Marriott down for the first two minutes of the fight. Warren got a take down slam with about two minutes left in the round. Marriott tried to get an arm bar but Warren picked him up and slammed him onto his back to break the hold. Marriott tried for a triangle and clamped it in pretty good but he couldn't finish as time ran out and the hold became unhooked. Really close round. Even though Warren dominated, Marriott came closer to finish the fight so I've got him 10-9.
R2- Warren got a take down in the first thirty seconds of the round. Warren stayed on top and briefly went for a choke with two minutes left in the round but quickly abandoned the submission. Warren easily took this round as he controlled the entire round. I've got it 19-19 going into the final frame.
R3- Warren again quickly started the round with a take down. Marriott tried another arm bar half way through the round and Warren slammed him down quickly again. Warren just grinded out a win in this fight. Warren wins on my score card 29-28.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all three score cards
Winner: Joe Warren by Decision (Unanimous)
Mickey Rourke and Jeremy Shockey are in the audience and are being interviewed next to a bunch of empty seats. Jeremy looks like he's loaded.
Lightweight Quarterfinal Fight- Roger Huerta (20-3-1) vs. Chad Hinton (6-0)
Hinton is a 38 year old fighter who first fought at the age of 35.
R1- Lots of clinching against the cage early in the fight. Hinton missed a kick and Huerta hit a push kick and jumped on top of Hinton but couldn’t do anything with him. Hinton caught Huerta in a clinch and landed some knees. Huerta hit some good solid punches to escape the clinch and Hinton looked momentarily stunned. Hinton shot in and got a take down but didn’t do anything with hit and Huerta quickly got back to his feet. Huerta landed a couple of good shots and Hinton got another take down. Hinton tried to take Huerta’s back and went for a choke but didn’t have good position and Huerta flipped him over and started landing some Ground and Pound. Good and surprisingly even first round.
R2- Hinton tried a leg kick and hit it but without anything behind it. Then both guys slugged it out wildly. Huerta landed and got a take down. Huerta landed some good strikes from the top. Hinton looks like he’s gassed out and Huerta is landing shots and controlling this round. Huerta clearly won this round and he be able to finish Hinton in the final round.
R3- Huerta grabbed Hinton’s leg and then landed a couple punches. Hinton grabbed Huerta’s back and Huerta did a crazy somersault to the ground to escape and take top position. Huerta grabbed a knee bar and Hinton tapped out.
Winner: Roger Huerta by Submission (Knee Bar) R3 0:56
Lightweight Quarterfinal Final- Joe Duarte (5-1) vs. Carey Vanier (7-2)
Duarte found out last week that he was taking this fight so he’s taking it on 5 days notice. They also mention he cut 15 pounds in 48 hours.
R1- Vanier got a take down about two minutes into the round. Duarte got up but was taken down again with a minute and a half left in the round. Vanier 10-9, not much damage done by either fighter in the first round.
R2- Not a lot of action in the beginning of this round. Duarte briefly got a take down but Vanier immediately got back up. Vanier landed some punches to the gut against the cage and Duarte answered with a knee. Vanier got another take down with about a minute left in the round. Duarte went for a kimura from the bottom but let it go right before the bell as he couldn’t get leverage on it. That round was a lot closer but I’ve got Vanier 20-18.
R3- Vanier landed a good combination to start the round and then quickly got a take down. Vanier landing some good shots from the top. Vanier landing good shots to the head of Duarte. Duarte tried to grab a guillotine but couldn’t hold it as Vanier slipped out. Vanier had position on Duarte’s back and landed a bunch of punches to the side of Duarte’s head and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight.
Winner: Carey Vanier by TKO (Strikes) R3 4:14
Fight of the Night: Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Bao Quach
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
UFC Fight Night 19 (9/16/09) Re-Cap
UFC Fight Night 19
Tulsa, OK (Cox Convention Center)
9/16/09
No Joe Rogan tonight so Kenny Florian will be replacing him on Color Commentary. Gray Maynard will take a big step tonight towards a Lightweight Title Fight if he can beat Roger Huerta. This is a risky fight for the UFC as Huerta plans on going Hollywood after the fight. Former WEC Champion Carlos Condit tries to get his first UFC win after a razor think loss to Martin Kampmann in his debut. TUF fighters fight it out tonight as Nate Diaz/Melvin Guillard and Nate Quarry/Tim Credeur collide. Hopefully Steve Cantwell/Brian Stann will make the main show and/or we can see Brock Larson/Mike Pierce. Phillipe Nover was pulled from his undercard fight with Sam Stout tonight when he suffered a seizure.
Middleweight Fight- Nate Quarry (17-3) vs. Tim Credeur (13-4)
Credeur is coming off a second round guillotine submission of Nick Catone at Fight Night 18. Credeur is 3-0 in the UFC and has really improved since his TUF days. Credeur has a 3” height and 2.5” reach advantage. Quarry has to be the favorite coming into this fight. Quarry’s only losses in the UFC have come to Rich Franklin and Demain Maia.
R1- Credeur is out striking Quarry early but doesn’t seem to be hurting him. Credeur caught Quarry with a solid left hand at the 1:20 mark and Quarry went down. Credeur jumped on top and grabbed a Rear Naked Choke with over a minute left in the round but Quarry rolled over and survived. Really great action. Credeur closed the round with some strikes and has bloodied Quarry’s nose. Impressive first round for Credeur as he’s up 10-9.
R2- Credeur opens up the round with strikes and has Quarry on the run early but he got popped by Quarry. Both guys go toe to toe swinging for the fences and Credeur went down. Credeur definitely doesn’t want to get into a shot for shot against Quarry. Quarry lands on top of Credeur and takes his guard. Quarry has done a good job of weathering the storm so far and turned the tide quickly in this round to tie it up 19-19 going into the third and final round.
R3- Credeur opens up this round landing some good strikes but Quarry unloaded on Credeur with a huge right hand. The punch looked so violent that Herb Dean rushed in and almost stopped the fight but Credeur was able to survive the strike. Quarry took Credeur’s guard. They get back to their feet but Credeur looks like he’s still really feeling the effects of that one punch. Credeur is taking some big shots and finally goes down with Quarry following him and taking his guard. Quarry takes this round and will take the fight 29-28. Good fight, Credeur showed a lot of heart but Quarry was just too big and too strong for him. Quarry finished the fight with a big mouse under his right eye.
Judges score cards say: 29-28, 29-27 and 29-28 in favor of Quarry
Winner: Nate Quarry by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Carlos Condit (23-5) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-4)
This is Jake Ellenberger’s debut in the UFC as he is filling in for the injured Chris Lytle. Condit is a former WEC Welterweight Champion who lost in his debut to Martin Kampmann in a very close split decision. Condit has a 2” height and 3” reach advantage.
R1- Ellenberger grabbed a Condit kick early and punched him and took him down. Condit does a really good job in his guard and got back to his feet without taking any damage. Ellenberger again counters a kick with a punch and just drills Condit up against the cage and Condit goes down. Ellenberger jumps on top and Condit is in deep trouble. Ellenberger went for a choke but Condit was able to escape and get back to his feet. Condit hit Ellenberger with a big knee to the chin. Ellenberger absorbed two more knees and then fired a Hail Mary punch and looked like he grazed Condit right in the temple and Condit just crumpled. I thought for sure that was the end of the fight as Ellenberger jumped on top and reigned punches to the back of Condit’s head but Condit took Ellenberger down and took half guard. There is still two minutes left in this fight and so far it has been CRAZY. Condit was able to move to mount but Ellenberger kicked him off. Ellenberger grabbed a guillotine but Condit rolled out and ended up with Ellenberger in his guard. Condit has a very active guard and is hitting some elbows. Condit went for a triangle but Ellenberger slipped out quickly before it was even close and they stood back up. Ellenberger landed a head kick but it looked like it was just a glancing blow. Holy Crap, what a first round. Ellenberger is no joke and I can’t believe that Condit survived that first round. Condit clearly has to get this fight on the ground if he wants to win. You have to give that first round to Ellenberger 10-9.
R2- Ellenberger is swinging for the fences early but missed two big haymakers. Ellenberger got a double leg take down. Condit landed some elbows. Ellenberger is getting very little offense in despite being in an advantageous position. Condit got a kimura but could not submit Ellenberger because Ellenberger was holding onto the fence. Condit did however roll over Ellenberger and took mount. Condit was able to get in some shots but was moved to half guard. Condit re-mounts and tries to take Ellenberger’s back but he slips and Ellenberger takes his guard. Condit once again is active from his guard and Ellenberger is not really trying to improve his position. Back to their feet with 15 seconds left. Condit landed a couple of strikes before the land ended. Ellenberger got a take down and laid on top of Condit for a while but really didn’t get in any offense in this round. Condit had a near submission and was able to mount and score points from his guard. I think that’s enough as Condit controlled the striking and landed many more shots in this round than did Ellenberger. It will be interesting to see how judges score this round and I think many will give it to Ellenberger just for kind of laying on Condit and getting the take down. I’ve got it Condit 10-9 and that evens up the fight 19-19 on my score card.
R3- Condit threw a leg kick early but it was mostly deflected. Ellenberger got an early take down. Condit again worked strikes from the guard position. Ellenberger landed a big elbow but shortly thereafter Condit was able to slide out of his grasp and they stood back up with three and a half minutes remaining in the fight. Ellenberger threw a kick but it landed on Condit’s arm. Condit got a take down and Ellenberger grabbed a guillotine but Condit easily slipped out and moved to half guard. Condit controlled from the top and landed some good strikes. Condit went to take Ellenberger’s back and landed some more good strikes. Ellenberger spins out as Condit went for a submission and took Condit’s guard. Condit kicked him off and they stood back up. Ellenberger went for a single leg but Condit. The ref keeps warning Condit for striking to the back of Ellenberger’s head but I haven’t seen it as Carlos is not hitting him directly to the back of his head. Condit stuffed the take down and took Ellenberger’s back and flattened him out and continued to land strikes. I’ve got Condit taking this round 10-9 which gives him the fight 29-28 in a really good fight. I don’t know how Condit survived the first round but he really weathered that storm and wore out Ellenberger. It will be interesting to see how judges score this fight.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Condit, 29-28 Ellenberger and 29-28 Condit
So that’s 2 split decisions in his first two fights for Condit in the UFC. Ellenberger looked very game in the first round.
Winner: Carlos Condit by Decision (Split)
Mike Goldberg interviews Rich Franklin via Satellite.
Gray Maynard (8-0) vs. Roger Huerta (22-2-1)
Huerta is coming off of a lackluster loss to Kenny Florian by decision (30-27) back at UFC 87. Gray Maynard is coming off an impressive win over Jim Miller at UFC 96. Maynard is undefeated and is quickly moving up the Lightweight ladder. With another impressive win or two he could find himself as the #1 Contender to B.J. Penn. Huerta could be taking off to Hollywood after this fight so it will be interesting to see how prepared he is for this fight.
R1- Maynard came in at early and landed some good strikes. Huerta came in and Maynard landed a good counter punch that knocked Huerta off center. Maynard looks really quick so far early in this fight. Huerta got Maynard up against the fence and was able to land several strikes. Maynard was able to retreat and when Huerta came in again Maynard was able to pop him with a jab. Maynard went for a single leg but Huerta was able to sprawl out of the take down. Good first round that was pretty even. Huerta had the one flurry but overall Maynard landed more strikes and controlled more of the round. Maynard 10-9 after one round. Florian gave this round to Huerta.
R2- Maynard countered a Huerta kick with a good right hand and Huerta ducked and moved and slid in the Octagon to gain his balance and avoid Maynard. Maynard hit a good right that knocked Huerta off-balance and then Maynard landed another left but it appeared to just be a glancing blow. Huerta charged at Maynard and threw like 7 or 8 shots but Maynard ducked all of them and then Maynard landed a jab that took Huerta briefly off his feet as he lost his balance. Maynard is far from dominating this fight but he’s doing enough to win the rounds. I’ve got Maynard up 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Maynard landed a couple of strikes early. Maynard rushed in and took Huerta down. Huerta got back to his feet briefly but Maynard pulled him back down. Maynard’s nose is bleeding from a shot earlier in the fight. Maynard has a funky looking kimura locked in on Huerta and Maynard eventually let it go as Huerta was not going to tap and was able to twist out of the move. Huerta was briefly on top but then Maynard was able to grind him back down. Maynard takes this round and I’ve got him winning 30-27 on my score card. It was a close fight but I had Maynard winning all of the rounds. The only one that really seemed debatable was the first round. Maynard needs another quality win and then he could be a contender for the Lightweight Title.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Huerta, 30-27 Maynard and 30-27 Maynard.
29-28 Huerta? What was Chris Lee smoking?
Winner: Gray Maynard by Decision (Split)
Lightweight Fight- Nate Diaz (10-4) vs. Melvin Guillard (41-8-3)
In his last fight Melvin won a Split Decision over Gleison Tibau at the Ultimate Fight 9 Finale. I actually had the fight scored in favor of Tibau 29-28. On the same show Nate lost a close fight to Joe Stevenson by 29-28 decision on all score cards. Diaz has a 5” reach and 3” height advantage.
R1- Diaz threw a loopy right hand and Guillard stuck him with a quick right that knocked him down but Guillard let him back up. Diaz locked him up and got a take down but Guillard got back to his feet and hit Diaz with a judo throw and then let Diaz back to his feet. Diaz again got Guillard down but Guillard again quickly got to his feet without taking any damage. Diaz has some blood coming from near his eye. Fairly close round but Diaz really didn’t do anything to hurt Guillard and Guillard opened up a cut on Diaz and knocked him down early in the round. I’ve got Guillard taking a close round 10 to 9.
R2- Guillard went for another judo throw and was able to get Diaz down on the mat but he let Diaz back to his feet. Diaz is starting to land some strikes. Guillard fakes being hurt but then gets caught by Diaz as Diaz pulled guard and locked in a choke and Guillard submitted. What a huge mistake by Guillard and Diaz capitalized beautifully.
Winner: Nate Diaz by Guillotine Choke R2 2:13
Really good night of fights.
Tulsa, OK (Cox Convention Center)
9/16/09
No Joe Rogan tonight so Kenny Florian will be replacing him on Color Commentary. Gray Maynard will take a big step tonight towards a Lightweight Title Fight if he can beat Roger Huerta. This is a risky fight for the UFC as Huerta plans on going Hollywood after the fight. Former WEC Champion Carlos Condit tries to get his first UFC win after a razor think loss to Martin Kampmann in his debut. TUF fighters fight it out tonight as Nate Diaz/Melvin Guillard and Nate Quarry/Tim Credeur collide. Hopefully Steve Cantwell/Brian Stann will make the main show and/or we can see Brock Larson/Mike Pierce. Phillipe Nover was pulled from his undercard fight with Sam Stout tonight when he suffered a seizure.
Middleweight Fight- Nate Quarry (17-3) vs. Tim Credeur (13-4)
Credeur is coming off a second round guillotine submission of Nick Catone at Fight Night 18. Credeur is 3-0 in the UFC and has really improved since his TUF days. Credeur has a 3” height and 2.5” reach advantage. Quarry has to be the favorite coming into this fight. Quarry’s only losses in the UFC have come to Rich Franklin and Demain Maia.
R1- Credeur is out striking Quarry early but doesn’t seem to be hurting him. Credeur caught Quarry with a solid left hand at the 1:20 mark and Quarry went down. Credeur jumped on top and grabbed a Rear Naked Choke with over a minute left in the round but Quarry rolled over and survived. Really great action. Credeur closed the round with some strikes and has bloodied Quarry’s nose. Impressive first round for Credeur as he’s up 10-9.
R2- Credeur opens up the round with strikes and has Quarry on the run early but he got popped by Quarry. Both guys go toe to toe swinging for the fences and Credeur went down. Credeur definitely doesn’t want to get into a shot for shot against Quarry. Quarry lands on top of Credeur and takes his guard. Quarry has done a good job of weathering the storm so far and turned the tide quickly in this round to tie it up 19-19 going into the third and final round.
R3- Credeur opens up this round landing some good strikes but Quarry unloaded on Credeur with a huge right hand. The punch looked so violent that Herb Dean rushed in and almost stopped the fight but Credeur was able to survive the strike. Quarry took Credeur’s guard. They get back to their feet but Credeur looks like he’s still really feeling the effects of that one punch. Credeur is taking some big shots and finally goes down with Quarry following him and taking his guard. Quarry takes this round and will take the fight 29-28. Good fight, Credeur showed a lot of heart but Quarry was just too big and too strong for him. Quarry finished the fight with a big mouse under his right eye.
Judges score cards say: 29-28, 29-27 and 29-28 in favor of Quarry
Winner: Nate Quarry by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Carlos Condit (23-5) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-4)
This is Jake Ellenberger’s debut in the UFC as he is filling in for the injured Chris Lytle. Condit is a former WEC Welterweight Champion who lost in his debut to Martin Kampmann in a very close split decision. Condit has a 2” height and 3” reach advantage.
R1- Ellenberger grabbed a Condit kick early and punched him and took him down. Condit does a really good job in his guard and got back to his feet without taking any damage. Ellenberger again counters a kick with a punch and just drills Condit up against the cage and Condit goes down. Ellenberger jumps on top and Condit is in deep trouble. Ellenberger went for a choke but Condit was able to escape and get back to his feet. Condit hit Ellenberger with a big knee to the chin. Ellenberger absorbed two more knees and then fired a Hail Mary punch and looked like he grazed Condit right in the temple and Condit just crumpled. I thought for sure that was the end of the fight as Ellenberger jumped on top and reigned punches to the back of Condit’s head but Condit took Ellenberger down and took half guard. There is still two minutes left in this fight and so far it has been CRAZY. Condit was able to move to mount but Ellenberger kicked him off. Ellenberger grabbed a guillotine but Condit rolled out and ended up with Ellenberger in his guard. Condit has a very active guard and is hitting some elbows. Condit went for a triangle but Ellenberger slipped out quickly before it was even close and they stood back up. Ellenberger landed a head kick but it looked like it was just a glancing blow. Holy Crap, what a first round. Ellenberger is no joke and I can’t believe that Condit survived that first round. Condit clearly has to get this fight on the ground if he wants to win. You have to give that first round to Ellenberger 10-9.
R2- Ellenberger is swinging for the fences early but missed two big haymakers. Ellenberger got a double leg take down. Condit landed some elbows. Ellenberger is getting very little offense in despite being in an advantageous position. Condit got a kimura but could not submit Ellenberger because Ellenberger was holding onto the fence. Condit did however roll over Ellenberger and took mount. Condit was able to get in some shots but was moved to half guard. Condit re-mounts and tries to take Ellenberger’s back but he slips and Ellenberger takes his guard. Condit once again is active from his guard and Ellenberger is not really trying to improve his position. Back to their feet with 15 seconds left. Condit landed a couple of strikes before the land ended. Ellenberger got a take down and laid on top of Condit for a while but really didn’t get in any offense in this round. Condit had a near submission and was able to mount and score points from his guard. I think that’s enough as Condit controlled the striking and landed many more shots in this round than did Ellenberger. It will be interesting to see how judges score this round and I think many will give it to Ellenberger just for kind of laying on Condit and getting the take down. I’ve got it Condit 10-9 and that evens up the fight 19-19 on my score card.
R3- Condit threw a leg kick early but it was mostly deflected. Ellenberger got an early take down. Condit again worked strikes from the guard position. Ellenberger landed a big elbow but shortly thereafter Condit was able to slide out of his grasp and they stood back up with three and a half minutes remaining in the fight. Ellenberger threw a kick but it landed on Condit’s arm. Condit got a take down and Ellenberger grabbed a guillotine but Condit easily slipped out and moved to half guard. Condit controlled from the top and landed some good strikes. Condit went to take Ellenberger’s back and landed some more good strikes. Ellenberger spins out as Condit went for a submission and took Condit’s guard. Condit kicked him off and they stood back up. Ellenberger went for a single leg but Condit. The ref keeps warning Condit for striking to the back of Ellenberger’s head but I haven’t seen it as Carlos is not hitting him directly to the back of his head. Condit stuffed the take down and took Ellenberger’s back and flattened him out and continued to land strikes. I’ve got Condit taking this round 10-9 which gives him the fight 29-28 in a really good fight. I don’t know how Condit survived the first round but he really weathered that storm and wore out Ellenberger. It will be interesting to see how judges score this fight.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Condit, 29-28 Ellenberger and 29-28 Condit
So that’s 2 split decisions in his first two fights for Condit in the UFC. Ellenberger looked very game in the first round.
Winner: Carlos Condit by Decision (Split)
Mike Goldberg interviews Rich Franklin via Satellite.
Gray Maynard (8-0) vs. Roger Huerta (22-2-1)
Huerta is coming off of a lackluster loss to Kenny Florian by decision (30-27) back at UFC 87. Gray Maynard is coming off an impressive win over Jim Miller at UFC 96. Maynard is undefeated and is quickly moving up the Lightweight ladder. With another impressive win or two he could find himself as the #1 Contender to B.J. Penn. Huerta could be taking off to Hollywood after this fight so it will be interesting to see how prepared he is for this fight.
R1- Maynard came in at early and landed some good strikes. Huerta came in and Maynard landed a good counter punch that knocked Huerta off center. Maynard looks really quick so far early in this fight. Huerta got Maynard up against the fence and was able to land several strikes. Maynard was able to retreat and when Huerta came in again Maynard was able to pop him with a jab. Maynard went for a single leg but Huerta was able to sprawl out of the take down. Good first round that was pretty even. Huerta had the one flurry but overall Maynard landed more strikes and controlled more of the round. Maynard 10-9 after one round. Florian gave this round to Huerta.
R2- Maynard countered a Huerta kick with a good right hand and Huerta ducked and moved and slid in the Octagon to gain his balance and avoid Maynard. Maynard hit a good right that knocked Huerta off-balance and then Maynard landed another left but it appeared to just be a glancing blow. Huerta charged at Maynard and threw like 7 or 8 shots but Maynard ducked all of them and then Maynard landed a jab that took Huerta briefly off his feet as he lost his balance. Maynard is far from dominating this fight but he’s doing enough to win the rounds. I’ve got Maynard up 20-18 on my score card.
R3- Maynard landed a couple of strikes early. Maynard rushed in and took Huerta down. Huerta got back to his feet briefly but Maynard pulled him back down. Maynard’s nose is bleeding from a shot earlier in the fight. Maynard has a funky looking kimura locked in on Huerta and Maynard eventually let it go as Huerta was not going to tap and was able to twist out of the move. Huerta was briefly on top but then Maynard was able to grind him back down. Maynard takes this round and I’ve got him winning 30-27 on my score card. It was a close fight but I had Maynard winning all of the rounds. The only one that really seemed debatable was the first round. Maynard needs another quality win and then he could be a contender for the Lightweight Title.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Huerta, 30-27 Maynard and 30-27 Maynard.
29-28 Huerta? What was Chris Lee smoking?
Winner: Gray Maynard by Decision (Split)
Lightweight Fight- Nate Diaz (10-4) vs. Melvin Guillard (41-8-3)
In his last fight Melvin won a Split Decision over Gleison Tibau at the Ultimate Fight 9 Finale. I actually had the fight scored in favor of Tibau 29-28. On the same show Nate lost a close fight to Joe Stevenson by 29-28 decision on all score cards. Diaz has a 5” reach and 3” height advantage.
R1- Diaz threw a loopy right hand and Guillard stuck him with a quick right that knocked him down but Guillard let him back up. Diaz locked him up and got a take down but Guillard got back to his feet and hit Diaz with a judo throw and then let Diaz back to his feet. Diaz again got Guillard down but Guillard again quickly got to his feet without taking any damage. Diaz has some blood coming from near his eye. Fairly close round but Diaz really didn’t do anything to hurt Guillard and Guillard opened up a cut on Diaz and knocked him down early in the round. I’ve got Guillard taking a close round 10 to 9.
R2- Guillard went for another judo throw and was able to get Diaz down on the mat but he let Diaz back to his feet. Diaz is starting to land some strikes. Guillard fakes being hurt but then gets caught by Diaz as Diaz pulled guard and locked in a choke and Guillard submitted. What a huge mistake by Guillard and Diaz capitalized beautifully.
Winner: Nate Diaz by Guillotine Choke R2 2:13
Really good night of fights.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy" Re-Cap
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy
Middleweight Fight- Jason MacDonald (21-9) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)
MacDonald has an 8" reach advantage.
R1- Maia pulls guard 30 seconds into the fight. Maia is going for a triangle early. Rogan says it's over. Maia also hitting him with elbows. MacDonald flips out and gets Maia's back. Incredible reversal and he had a Rear Naked Choke but lost it. MacDonald gets some shots in and then gets a guillotine and Maia flips him over and takes side control. Maia takes MacDonald's back with 45 seconds left. Maia is bleeding. Maia looks like he's got it in pretty good. And the first round ends. Great first round. A very thinking man's grappling match on the ground. Maia 10 MacDonald 9.
R2- They mix it up for a couple of seconds before they tie up. Maia goes for some knees and connects lightly to the body with some. Maia gets a take down. Maia is landing some nice punches on MacDonald and then some elbows. Maia with more elbows. Maia dominating this round so far. Maia is landing more punches. MacDonald has been busted open now, but not too badly. Maia goes for an arm bar as McDonald tried to escape. MacDonald gets out and takes Maia's guard with about 15 seconds left in the round. Maia just dominated this round. Maia 20 MacDonald 18. MacDonald needs a submission or a knockout to win.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is shown in the crowd between rounds.
R3- Maia gets a take down early and MacDonald reverses it. MacDonald controlled for about a minute and then Maia rolled him over and took full mount. Maia hitting some elbows. MacDonald gives up his back and Maia continues to punch him. Maia goes for a Rear Naked Choke and MacDonald taps out. Wanderlei Silva was in Maia's corner for the fight.
Pretty decent opening fight with a great first round. Maia looks like a good fighter based on this fight. It will be interesting to see him progress as he fights guys up the ladder.
"The only reason he escapes is cause the other guy is trying to kill him"- Joe Rogan
Winner: Demian Maia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R3 2:44
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Kenny Florian (11-3)
This should be fun. Florian has looked really good lately and Huerta is coming off of a big lay off. It will be interesting to see how much this hurts Huerta. Florian has a 4" reach advantage. Huerta is from Minneapolis so he gets a big reaction and Florian doesn't get much in the way of cheers.
R1- They trade some leg kicks early and then Florian gets a take down and mounts Huerta about a minute and a half into the fight. Huerta gives up his back with 3 minutes left in the round and gets out of the hold. Huerta catches Florian with a good combo then they clinch with no one with a distinct advantage. Close first round. Not nearly as much action as I thought that there would be. I've got to give the round to Florian based on getting the only take down, mounting Huerta and then taking his back although he didn't really do much damage in the sequence. Florian 10 Huerta 9.
R2- Pretty even action early in the round. Florian went for a take down, got stuffed but stayed with it and got Huerta down and quickly took his back but Huerta got out again. Florian got a leg sweep on Huerta and then got in a couple of good shots. They mix it up at the end of the round and seems like they are starting to get going. I've got Florian taking this round as well. Both rounds are fairly close but Florian looks like he's starting to pull away as Huerta looks real rusty to me. He keeps trying to use the Superman punch. Looks to me like Florian has a much better game plan. Florian 20 Huerta 18.
R3- Lots of action early in this round. Florian hit a front kick to start the round off then got a take down but couldn't hold it, hit a knee and then hit a flying knee on Huerta. Huerta looked pissed but got taken down by Florian. Huerta got back to his feet again. Three minutes left and both guys are standing up and punching now. Florian hit another front kick. Florian kind of running away from Huerta a little here towards the end with a minute and a half left in the fight- maybe knowing that he's got this one in the bag if it goes to a decision. Huerta lands a right hand and keeps moving forward. Florian keeps backing up fighting this round to win by decision. Florian hits a knee and Huerta comes at him and Florian backs off. Huerta slips on a kick and then Florian takes him down as Huerta looks like he hurt himself. Florian much more aggressive right at the end of the round. I've got this round going to Huerta just based on Florian backing away for about 4 minutes of the round. I've got it scored 29-28 Florian, not a convincing victory due to the lack of effort to get a finish and a little disappointing fight based on what I was expected.
All three judges score the fight 30-27 in favor of Florian.
Winner: Kenny Florian by Decision (Unanimous)
BJ Penn is in attendance tonight.
Lightweight Fight- Manvel Gamburyan (10-3) vs.Rob Emerson (9-6)
R1- Both guys swinging big early and Rob Emerson hits Manvel hard and he goes down and then he eats some more punches and this one is over.
Winner: Rob Emerson by KO R1 0:12
Laura Prepon from That 70s Show is at the fights again tonight.
Heavyweight Fight- Cheick Kongo (21-4-1) vs. Dan Evensen (10-2)
R1- Kongo got a take down against the cage about a minute into the fight but doesn't do anything. Evensen has a standing guillotine against the cage but Kongo pops out pretty easily. Kongo gets another take down about 4 minutes into the round and this time gets some shots in on Evensen but then gave up his advantage. Kongo hits some kicks and then sticks Evensen with a punch that floors him and then jumps on him for some Ground & Pound and the ref steps in with about five seconds left in the fight. Great finishing flurry by Kongo. He controlled the fight although wasn't doing much damage until that end flurry.
Winner: Cheick Kongo by TKO (strikes) R1 4:55
Heavyweight Fight- Heath Herring (28-13) vs. Brock Lesnar (1-1)
Brock gets a huge pop. Herring is the heel. This should be fun.
R1- Lesnar misses a big knee to start out and then sticks Herring with a big straight right hand punch that knocks him down. Lesnar runs in but Herring gets to his feet. Brock has him in a guillotine against the cage. Herring is bleeding. Heath gets out but Brock gets a take down. Brock nails Heath with a punch but then stands up and then gets back down on Heath. Lesnar with a couple of punches in as Heath is ducking into the canvas and trying to slide out. Brock with a big knee to the side. Brock just kind of riding Heath at this point and not letting him up and hitting some strikes. Lesnar with punches to Herrings back or side. Lesnar just dominated Heath in the first round. Lesnar ends the round with knees to the side. I don't remember Herring even getting in one offensive move in this round so it's got to be a 10-8 round. Herring just did nothing offensively. That being said, Herring is very experienced so he could still easily pull out this fight but Lesnar looked awesome in the first round.
They show Jessie Ventura in between rounds and it looks like he's sitting next to BJ Penn!
R2- Lesnar goes for an immediate take down but Herring denies him. Lesnar with a leg kick. They clinch and Lesnar just muscled him down. Herring again kind of ducks his head into the canvas and gives Brock his back. Lesnar moves into side control. Lesnar hits a couple of punches and Herring again goes into the turtle trying to survive. Brock mounts and Herring gives up his back and then goes back into the turtle before Brock can do anything. Lesnar with some knees to the side of Heath. Herring looks exhausted. Brock moves to side control but Heath again moves to the turtle. Heath works his way back to his feet. Lesnar with a knee while in the clinch and then another and you can just see Herring hurt when he hits those. Herring with a couple of knees.Herring missed a couple of punches and then got taken down again. Almost another 10-8 round but I'll go 10-9. Lesnar just dominating 20-17 on my score card. Herring needs to finish this fight in order to win. Herring looks rough in the corner.
R3- Lesnar lands a kick to the side. Herring rushes him against the cage and they clinch. Lesnar with a knee and another. Herring comes back with a couple of small knees and then gets muscled down by Brock. Lesnar hits some knees to the body. Herring trying to go for an arm lock but Lesnar denies him and gets full mount. Herring rolls over and turtles up again. Lesnar with a big knee. Herring gets back to his feet gets in a couple of shots and gets taken down again. Lesnar getting some shots in to the side. Lesnar mounts with about 10 seconds left and gets some punches in. Lesnar looked great in this fight. He acted like a jackass after he won but he still looked great. I've got this an easy Lesnar 30-26 win. If Lesnar could work on his ground game he's going to be a real problem for the fighters he's up against. Herring looked messed up badly after this fight.
Judges score cards are all 30-26 in favor of Lesnar.
Winner: Brock Lesnar by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Title Fight- Georges St. Pierre (c) (16-2) vs. Jon Fitch (21-2)
R1- GSP gets an immediate take down about 5 seconds into the fight. Fitch got to his feet after two minutes but got taken down again. Fitch back to his feet and GSP just nailed him with a punch and Ftich went down. GSP is all over Fitch and is reigning down punches on him in his guard. GSP with big elbows. Fitch back to his feet and he gets rocked again by GSP. GSP just totally dominating Fitch. GSP with some big time elbows and Fitch is busted open. GSP passes Fitch's guard and gets side control. GSP mounts with 10 seconds left but doesn't get anything before the round ends. GSP just totally ate up Fitch in this round. A borderline 10-8 round.
R2- Fitch trying to stay in this fight as he gets a couple of body shots but GSP comes back with a good combo. GSP hit him with a good solid jab. Fitch gets in some shots with about a minute and a half left in the round. GSP gets a take down stuffed. Good come back round for Fitch as GSP changed up his game plan and let Fitch back into the fight. This round could have gone either way.
R3- GSP rocks Fitch about 15 seconds into the round with a solid punch and then takes Fitch's back. Fitch rolls him over and is in GSP's guard. Fitch eventually turns him back over and takes Fitch's guard. They stand up. GSP with a big right and then a big knee, a head kick and another knee. GSP with another shot and he's measuring Fitch and this point and then picks him up and slams him to the ground as the round is ending. GSP clearly took this round.
R4- Pretty even stand up for the first minute or two of this round. Fitch had a take down stuffed. Fitch went for another take down but GSP stood up and rode him to the cage. GSP got a take down at the end of the round. Overall, an uneventful round that goes to GSP. Both guys have cuts but neither are bad. Fitch needs a knockout or submission to win.
R5- GSP hit a nice spinning back fist about a minute into the round and then took Fitch down.GSP lands some solid shots on Fitch while in his guard. GSP controls this round. GSP took every round except maybe Round 2 and was never in danger in this fight. Good win for GSP. Fitch got dominated in Round 1 and then showed a lot of heart and came back and fought a closer fight but again never really put GSP in a position of danger.
Scorecards are 50-43, 50-44 and 50-44 for GSP
Winner: Georges St. Pierre by Decision (Unanimous)
BJ Penn comes into the ring post match as they tease the fight.
Overall, a little bit disappointing of a show as the Big 3 fights that I came in really wanted to see where all lopsided victories (Brock, GSP and KFlo).
Middleweight Fight- Jason MacDonald (21-9) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)
MacDonald has an 8" reach advantage.
R1- Maia pulls guard 30 seconds into the fight. Maia is going for a triangle early. Rogan says it's over. Maia also hitting him with elbows. MacDonald flips out and gets Maia's back. Incredible reversal and he had a Rear Naked Choke but lost it. MacDonald gets some shots in and then gets a guillotine and Maia flips him over and takes side control. Maia takes MacDonald's back with 45 seconds left. Maia is bleeding. Maia looks like he's got it in pretty good. And the first round ends. Great first round. A very thinking man's grappling match on the ground. Maia 10 MacDonald 9.
R2- They mix it up for a couple of seconds before they tie up. Maia goes for some knees and connects lightly to the body with some. Maia gets a take down. Maia is landing some nice punches on MacDonald and then some elbows. Maia with more elbows. Maia dominating this round so far. Maia is landing more punches. MacDonald has been busted open now, but not too badly. Maia goes for an arm bar as McDonald tried to escape. MacDonald gets out and takes Maia's guard with about 15 seconds left in the round. Maia just dominated this round. Maia 20 MacDonald 18. MacDonald needs a submission or a knockout to win.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is shown in the crowd between rounds.
R3- Maia gets a take down early and MacDonald reverses it. MacDonald controlled for about a minute and then Maia rolled him over and took full mount. Maia hitting some elbows. MacDonald gives up his back and Maia continues to punch him. Maia goes for a Rear Naked Choke and MacDonald taps out. Wanderlei Silva was in Maia's corner for the fight.
Pretty decent opening fight with a great first round. Maia looks like a good fighter based on this fight. It will be interesting to see him progress as he fights guys up the ladder.
"The only reason he escapes is cause the other guy is trying to kill him"- Joe Rogan
Winner: Demian Maia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R3 2:44
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Kenny Florian (11-3)
This should be fun. Florian has looked really good lately and Huerta is coming off of a big lay off. It will be interesting to see how much this hurts Huerta. Florian has a 4" reach advantage. Huerta is from Minneapolis so he gets a big reaction and Florian doesn't get much in the way of cheers.
R1- They trade some leg kicks early and then Florian gets a take down and mounts Huerta about a minute and a half into the fight. Huerta gives up his back with 3 minutes left in the round and gets out of the hold. Huerta catches Florian with a good combo then they clinch with no one with a distinct advantage. Close first round. Not nearly as much action as I thought that there would be. I've got to give the round to Florian based on getting the only take down, mounting Huerta and then taking his back although he didn't really do much damage in the sequence. Florian 10 Huerta 9.
R2- Pretty even action early in the round. Florian went for a take down, got stuffed but stayed with it and got Huerta down and quickly took his back but Huerta got out again. Florian got a leg sweep on Huerta and then got in a couple of good shots. They mix it up at the end of the round and seems like they are starting to get going. I've got Florian taking this round as well. Both rounds are fairly close but Florian looks like he's starting to pull away as Huerta looks real rusty to me. He keeps trying to use the Superman punch. Looks to me like Florian has a much better game plan. Florian 20 Huerta 18.
R3- Lots of action early in this round. Florian hit a front kick to start the round off then got a take down but couldn't hold it, hit a knee and then hit a flying knee on Huerta. Huerta looked pissed but got taken down by Florian. Huerta got back to his feet again. Three minutes left and both guys are standing up and punching now. Florian hit another front kick. Florian kind of running away from Huerta a little here towards the end with a minute and a half left in the fight- maybe knowing that he's got this one in the bag if it goes to a decision. Huerta lands a right hand and keeps moving forward. Florian keeps backing up fighting this round to win by decision. Florian hits a knee and Huerta comes at him and Florian backs off. Huerta slips on a kick and then Florian takes him down as Huerta looks like he hurt himself. Florian much more aggressive right at the end of the round. I've got this round going to Huerta just based on Florian backing away for about 4 minutes of the round. I've got it scored 29-28 Florian, not a convincing victory due to the lack of effort to get a finish and a little disappointing fight based on what I was expected.
All three judges score the fight 30-27 in favor of Florian.
Winner: Kenny Florian by Decision (Unanimous)
BJ Penn is in attendance tonight.
Lightweight Fight- Manvel Gamburyan (10-3) vs.Rob Emerson (9-6)
R1- Both guys swinging big early and Rob Emerson hits Manvel hard and he goes down and then he eats some more punches and this one is over.
Winner: Rob Emerson by KO R1 0:12
Laura Prepon from That 70s Show is at the fights again tonight.
Heavyweight Fight- Cheick Kongo (21-4-1) vs. Dan Evensen (10-2)
R1- Kongo got a take down against the cage about a minute into the fight but doesn't do anything. Evensen has a standing guillotine against the cage but Kongo pops out pretty easily. Kongo gets another take down about 4 minutes into the round and this time gets some shots in on Evensen but then gave up his advantage. Kongo hits some kicks and then sticks Evensen with a punch that floors him and then jumps on him for some Ground & Pound and the ref steps in with about five seconds left in the fight. Great finishing flurry by Kongo. He controlled the fight although wasn't doing much damage until that end flurry.
Winner: Cheick Kongo by TKO (strikes) R1 4:55
Heavyweight Fight- Heath Herring (28-13) vs. Brock Lesnar (1-1)
Brock gets a huge pop. Herring is the heel. This should be fun.
R1- Lesnar misses a big knee to start out and then sticks Herring with a big straight right hand punch that knocks him down. Lesnar runs in but Herring gets to his feet. Brock has him in a guillotine against the cage. Herring is bleeding. Heath gets out but Brock gets a take down. Brock nails Heath with a punch but then stands up and then gets back down on Heath. Lesnar with a couple of punches in as Heath is ducking into the canvas and trying to slide out. Brock with a big knee to the side. Brock just kind of riding Heath at this point and not letting him up and hitting some strikes. Lesnar with punches to Herrings back or side. Lesnar just dominated Heath in the first round. Lesnar ends the round with knees to the side. I don't remember Herring even getting in one offensive move in this round so it's got to be a 10-8 round. Herring just did nothing offensively. That being said, Herring is very experienced so he could still easily pull out this fight but Lesnar looked awesome in the first round.
They show Jessie Ventura in between rounds and it looks like he's sitting next to BJ Penn!
R2- Lesnar goes for an immediate take down but Herring denies him. Lesnar with a leg kick. They clinch and Lesnar just muscled him down. Herring again kind of ducks his head into the canvas and gives Brock his back. Lesnar moves into side control. Lesnar hits a couple of punches and Herring again goes into the turtle trying to survive. Brock mounts and Herring gives up his back and then goes back into the turtle before Brock can do anything. Lesnar with some knees to the side of Heath. Herring looks exhausted. Brock moves to side control but Heath again moves to the turtle. Heath works his way back to his feet. Lesnar with a knee while in the clinch and then another and you can just see Herring hurt when he hits those. Herring with a couple of knees.Herring missed a couple of punches and then got taken down again. Almost another 10-8 round but I'll go 10-9. Lesnar just dominating 20-17 on my score card. Herring needs to finish this fight in order to win. Herring looks rough in the corner.
R3- Lesnar lands a kick to the side. Herring rushes him against the cage and they clinch. Lesnar with a knee and another. Herring comes back with a couple of small knees and then gets muscled down by Brock. Lesnar hits some knees to the body. Herring trying to go for an arm lock but Lesnar denies him and gets full mount. Herring rolls over and turtles up again. Lesnar with a big knee. Herring gets back to his feet gets in a couple of shots and gets taken down again. Lesnar getting some shots in to the side. Lesnar mounts with about 10 seconds left and gets some punches in. Lesnar looked great in this fight. He acted like a jackass after he won but he still looked great. I've got this an easy Lesnar 30-26 win. If Lesnar could work on his ground game he's going to be a real problem for the fighters he's up against. Herring looked messed up badly after this fight.
Judges score cards are all 30-26 in favor of Lesnar.
Winner: Brock Lesnar by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Title Fight- Georges St. Pierre (c) (16-2) vs. Jon Fitch (21-2)
R1- GSP gets an immediate take down about 5 seconds into the fight. Fitch got to his feet after two minutes but got taken down again. Fitch back to his feet and GSP just nailed him with a punch and Ftich went down. GSP is all over Fitch and is reigning down punches on him in his guard. GSP with big elbows. Fitch back to his feet and he gets rocked again by GSP. GSP just totally dominating Fitch. GSP with some big time elbows and Fitch is busted open. GSP passes Fitch's guard and gets side control. GSP mounts with 10 seconds left but doesn't get anything before the round ends. GSP just totally ate up Fitch in this round. A borderline 10-8 round.
R2- Fitch trying to stay in this fight as he gets a couple of body shots but GSP comes back with a good combo. GSP hit him with a good solid jab. Fitch gets in some shots with about a minute and a half left in the round. GSP gets a take down stuffed. Good come back round for Fitch as GSP changed up his game plan and let Fitch back into the fight. This round could have gone either way.
R3- GSP rocks Fitch about 15 seconds into the round with a solid punch and then takes Fitch's back. Fitch rolls him over and is in GSP's guard. Fitch eventually turns him back over and takes Fitch's guard. They stand up. GSP with a big right and then a big knee, a head kick and another knee. GSP with another shot and he's measuring Fitch and this point and then picks him up and slams him to the ground as the round is ending. GSP clearly took this round.
R4- Pretty even stand up for the first minute or two of this round. Fitch had a take down stuffed. Fitch went for another take down but GSP stood up and rode him to the cage. GSP got a take down at the end of the round. Overall, an uneventful round that goes to GSP. Both guys have cuts but neither are bad. Fitch needs a knockout or submission to win.
R5- GSP hit a nice spinning back fist about a minute into the round and then took Fitch down.GSP lands some solid shots on Fitch while in his guard. GSP controls this round. GSP took every round except maybe Round 2 and was never in danger in this fight. Good win for GSP. Fitch got dominated in Round 1 and then showed a lot of heart and came back and fought a closer fight but again never really put GSP in a position of danger.
Scorecards are 50-43, 50-44 and 50-44 for GSP
Winner: Georges St. Pierre by Decision (Unanimous)
BJ Penn comes into the ring post match as they tease the fight.
Overall, a little bit disappointing of a show as the Big 3 fights that I came in really wanted to see where all lopsided victories (Brock, GSP and KFlo).
Sunday, June 08, 2008
UFC Unleashed 6/4 (11 PM) Re-Cap
UFC Unleashed 6/4 (11 PM) Re-Cap
There were two UFC Unleashed shows that aired on 6/14. This is the one that aired at 11 PM.
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (18-1) vs. Leonard Garcia (13-1)- UFC 69- 4/7/07
This was also on the 5/3 UFC Wired show.
I’ve seen this fight before and it’s a good one.
R1- Some good combos by both guys as they go after each other early and some wild swinging. Really action packed first minute. Huerta gets an advantage on the ground and gets his back and then the full mount but Garcia somehow comes back and is swinging hard. Garcia gets a guillotine but Huerta slams him real hard to the mat with Garcia still hanging onto the guillotine. Huerta gets out and is hitting with some good shots. Garcia taking a lot of punches and finally counters by going for a kimura and then they stand up and both guys are just swinging at each other until they go to the match. Huerta again getting a lot of punches in but Garcia is coming back with a couple of shots trying to defend himself. Garcia flips it over to end the round. Great first round, definitely goes to Huerta but Garcia showed a lot of heart and hung in the fight and came back despite taking a lot of punishment.
R2- They got toe to toe to start the round and lots of swinging. Huerta gets a take down and hits some nice elbows. Back to their feet and Garcia hits a knee. Good action on the feet as both guys are really swinging at each other. Huerta hits a nice knee and Huerta getting some combos in with Garcia hitting a couple of shots here and there as well. Garcia is getting hurt bad but he’s taking the punches. Garcia looks to be tiring and Huerta takes him down and is in the mount. They get to their feet again and they are again swinging wildly. Huerta with another takedown. Another really good round that goes to Huerta as he is controlling the fight. Garcia is taking a ton of punishment and is gassed but continues to come back for more.
R3- Garcia went for the take down early but missed it and they really go after each other again. Lots of swings and Huerta eventually takes Garcia down. Huerta is controlling on the mat in this round. Garcia reversed for a while but Huerta got his position back and really delivered some strikes to Garcia. Garcia really on the brink of having the match ended. Huerta runs out of steam a little bit as Garcia just takes a ton of punishment and rides this one out.
Really great fight and a fight that in my opinion puts both guys over, Huerta in victory and Garcia in defeat. This is one that you should definitely watch if you haven’t seen it.
Winner: Roger Huerta via Decision (Unanimous)
Lightweight Fight- Clay Guida (21-5) vs. Marcus Aurelio (14-4)- UFC 74- 8/25/07
R1- Long feeling out process until Guida opens up and hits a couple of shots. Guida pushed forward hard again at the 2 minute mark and hit a good combo. Guida pops Marcus at 1:30 and floors him but Marcus does a good job of kicking Guida off and getting back to his feet. Guida ends the round with some nice shots and a take down. Guida takes round one. Guida 10-9.
R2- Guida knocks Marcus down early in round one but I think it may have been more of a slip. Guida doesn’t follow up and Marcus gets back to his feet. Marcus takes down Guida into his guard and is going to try and work Guida from the bottom. Marcus is trying to work a version of the rubber guard. Guida getting a couple of shots in on Marcus. Guida takes round two so he’s up 20-18 on the score cards.
R3- Not a whole lot happened in round three. Guida controlled the cage but no one really got much damage on the other fighter. I’m gonna say Guida 30-27 in this one and I think the judges will agree with me. Judges score 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. This was a “split” decision. Kind of odd how two judges can have a fight 30-27 one way and someone else can have it 29-28.
Winner: Clay Guida by Decision (Split)
There were two UFC Unleashed shows that aired on 6/14. This is the one that aired at 11 PM.
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (18-1) vs. Leonard Garcia (13-1)- UFC 69- 4/7/07
This was also on the 5/3 UFC Wired show.
I’ve seen this fight before and it’s a good one.
R1- Some good combos by both guys as they go after each other early and some wild swinging. Really action packed first minute. Huerta gets an advantage on the ground and gets his back and then the full mount but Garcia somehow comes back and is swinging hard. Garcia gets a guillotine but Huerta slams him real hard to the mat with Garcia still hanging onto the guillotine. Huerta gets out and is hitting with some good shots. Garcia taking a lot of punches and finally counters by going for a kimura and then they stand up and both guys are just swinging at each other until they go to the match. Huerta again getting a lot of punches in but Garcia is coming back with a couple of shots trying to defend himself. Garcia flips it over to end the round. Great first round, definitely goes to Huerta but Garcia showed a lot of heart and hung in the fight and came back despite taking a lot of punishment.
R2- They got toe to toe to start the round and lots of swinging. Huerta gets a take down and hits some nice elbows. Back to their feet and Garcia hits a knee. Good action on the feet as both guys are really swinging at each other. Huerta hits a nice knee and Huerta getting some combos in with Garcia hitting a couple of shots here and there as well. Garcia is getting hurt bad but he’s taking the punches. Garcia looks to be tiring and Huerta takes him down and is in the mount. They get to their feet again and they are again swinging wildly. Huerta with another takedown. Another really good round that goes to Huerta as he is controlling the fight. Garcia is taking a ton of punishment and is gassed but continues to come back for more.
R3- Garcia went for the take down early but missed it and they really go after each other again. Lots of swings and Huerta eventually takes Garcia down. Huerta is controlling on the mat in this round. Garcia reversed for a while but Huerta got his position back and really delivered some strikes to Garcia. Garcia really on the brink of having the match ended. Huerta runs out of steam a little bit as Garcia just takes a ton of punishment and rides this one out.
Really great fight and a fight that in my opinion puts both guys over, Huerta in victory and Garcia in defeat. This is one that you should definitely watch if you haven’t seen it.
Winner: Roger Huerta via Decision (Unanimous)
Lightweight Fight- Clay Guida (21-5) vs. Marcus Aurelio (14-4)- UFC 74- 8/25/07
R1- Long feeling out process until Guida opens up and hits a couple of shots. Guida pushed forward hard again at the 2 minute mark and hit a good combo. Guida pops Marcus at 1:30 and floors him but Marcus does a good job of kicking Guida off and getting back to his feet. Guida ends the round with some nice shots and a take down. Guida takes round one. Guida 10-9.
R2- Guida knocks Marcus down early in round one but I think it may have been more of a slip. Guida doesn’t follow up and Marcus gets back to his feet. Marcus takes down Guida into his guard and is going to try and work Guida from the bottom. Marcus is trying to work a version of the rubber guard. Guida getting a couple of shots in on Marcus. Guida takes round two so he’s up 20-18 on the score cards.
R3- Not a whole lot happened in round three. Guida controlled the cage but no one really got much damage on the other fighter. I’m gonna say Guida 30-27 in this one and I think the judges will agree with me. Judges score 30-27, 29-28 and 30-27. This was a “split” decision. Kind of odd how two judges can have a fight 30-27 one way and someone else can have it 29-28.
Winner: Clay Guida by Decision (Split)
Sunday, May 04, 2008
UFC Wired 5/3 Re-Cap
UFC Wired 5/3 Re-Cap
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (18-1) vs. Leonard Garcia (13-1)- UFC 69- 4/7/07
I’ve seen this fight before and it’s a good one.
R1- Some good combos by both guys as they go after each other early and some wild swinging. Really action packed first minute. Huerta gets an advantage on the ground and gets his back and then the full mount but Garcia somehow comes back and is swinging hard. Garcia gets a guillotine but Huerta slams him real hard to the mat with Garcia still hanging onto the guillotine. Huerta gets out and is hitting with some good shots. Garcia taking a lot of punches and finally counters by going for a kimura and then they stand up and both guys are just swinging at each other until they go to the match. Huerta again getting a lot of punches in but Garcia is coming back with a couple of shots trying to defend himself. Garcia flips it over to end the round. Great first round, definitely goes to Huerta but Garcia showed a lot of heart and hung in the fight and came back despite taking a lot of punishment.
R2- They got toe to toe to start the round and lots of swinging. Huerta gets a take down and hits some nice elbows. Back to their feet and Garcia hits a knee. Good action on the feet as both guys are really swinging at each other. Huerta hits a nice knee and Huerta getting some combos in with Garcia hitting a couple of shots here and there as well. Garcia is getting hurt bad but he’s taking the punches. Garcia looks to be tiring and Huerta takes him down and is in the mount. They get to their feet again and they are again swinging wildly. Huerta with another takedown. Another really good round that goes to Huerta as he is controlling the fight. Garcia is taking a ton of punishment and is gassed but continues to come back for more.
R3- Garcia went for the take down early but missed it and they really go after each other again. Lots of swings and Huerta eventually takes Garcia down. Huerta is controlling on the mat in this round. Garcia reversed for a while but Huerta got his position back and really delivered some strikes to Garcia. Garcia really on the brink of having the match ended. Huerta runs out of steam a little bit as Garcia just takes a ton of punishment and rides this one out.
Really great fight and a fight that in my opinion puts both guys over, Huerta in victory and Garcia in defeat. This is one that you should definitely watch if you haven’t seen it.
Winner: Roger Huerta via Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Karo Parisyan (24-4) vs. Josh Burkman (19-3)- UFC 71- 5/26/07
R1- They come right at each other and are swinging for the fences. Great first minute of action. Burkman gets a take down half way through the round after some even stand up. Burkman gets in a nice shot but Karo gets back to his feet. Karo with a big throw after a combo. Back to their feet. Burkman goes for a take down but Karo counters with an attempted kimura and they battle as the round ends. Really close round, if I had to pick a winner it would be Karo. Really competitive and action packed first round.
R2- A little more of a feeling out process to start this round. They aren’t swinging as wildly in this round but they are still exchanging really well. Burkman landed a nice shot that hurt Karo but didn’t knock him down. Karo landed a great shot himself about 20 seconds later. Good back and forth in this round. Karo got another nice shot in on a combo. Karo seems to be taking control of this round and hits Burkman with a combo on the cage and then another shot. Burkman seems to be losing his cardio. Karo with another good combo. Karo really getting the better of Burkman in the last 2 minutes of this round. This round definitely goes to Karo.
R3- They show Burkman in the corner with his corner encouraging him to finish the fight. Burkman comes out firing. Karo getting in some nice counter punches. Burkman rushes him against the cage and gets a slam. Karo gets out after a minute or so and then gets a sweep and is going for a kimura. They are back to their feet and Karo seems to be regaining the advantage as Burkman has expelled a lot of energy in this round. Really close round as they end the round but with Karo winning the first two rounds this fight is going to him.
Winner: Karo Parisyan via Decision (Unanimous)
Lightweight Fight- Roger Huerta (18-1) vs. Leonard Garcia (13-1)- UFC 69- 4/7/07
I’ve seen this fight before and it’s a good one.
R1- Some good combos by both guys as they go after each other early and some wild swinging. Really action packed first minute. Huerta gets an advantage on the ground and gets his back and then the full mount but Garcia somehow comes back and is swinging hard. Garcia gets a guillotine but Huerta slams him real hard to the mat with Garcia still hanging onto the guillotine. Huerta gets out and is hitting with some good shots. Garcia taking a lot of punches and finally counters by going for a kimura and then they stand up and both guys are just swinging at each other until they go to the match. Huerta again getting a lot of punches in but Garcia is coming back with a couple of shots trying to defend himself. Garcia flips it over to end the round. Great first round, definitely goes to Huerta but Garcia showed a lot of heart and hung in the fight and came back despite taking a lot of punishment.
R2- They got toe to toe to start the round and lots of swinging. Huerta gets a take down and hits some nice elbows. Back to their feet and Garcia hits a knee. Good action on the feet as both guys are really swinging at each other. Huerta hits a nice knee and Huerta getting some combos in with Garcia hitting a couple of shots here and there as well. Garcia is getting hurt bad but he’s taking the punches. Garcia looks to be tiring and Huerta takes him down and is in the mount. They get to their feet again and they are again swinging wildly. Huerta with another takedown. Another really good round that goes to Huerta as he is controlling the fight. Garcia is taking a ton of punishment and is gassed but continues to come back for more.
R3- Garcia went for the take down early but missed it and they really go after each other again. Lots of swings and Huerta eventually takes Garcia down. Huerta is controlling on the mat in this round. Garcia reversed for a while but Huerta got his position back and really delivered some strikes to Garcia. Garcia really on the brink of having the match ended. Huerta runs out of steam a little bit as Garcia just takes a ton of punishment and rides this one out.
Really great fight and a fight that in my opinion puts both guys over, Huerta in victory and Garcia in defeat. This is one that you should definitely watch if you haven’t seen it.
Winner: Roger Huerta via Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Karo Parisyan (24-4) vs. Josh Burkman (19-3)- UFC 71- 5/26/07
R1- They come right at each other and are swinging for the fences. Great first minute of action. Burkman gets a take down half way through the round after some even stand up. Burkman gets in a nice shot but Karo gets back to his feet. Karo with a big throw after a combo. Back to their feet. Burkman goes for a take down but Karo counters with an attempted kimura and they battle as the round ends. Really close round, if I had to pick a winner it would be Karo. Really competitive and action packed first round.
R2- A little more of a feeling out process to start this round. They aren’t swinging as wildly in this round but they are still exchanging really well. Burkman landed a nice shot that hurt Karo but didn’t knock him down. Karo landed a great shot himself about 20 seconds later. Good back and forth in this round. Karo got another nice shot in on a combo. Karo seems to be taking control of this round and hits Burkman with a combo on the cage and then another shot. Burkman seems to be losing his cardio. Karo with another good combo. Karo really getting the better of Burkman in the last 2 minutes of this round. This round definitely goes to Karo.
R3- They show Burkman in the corner with his corner encouraging him to finish the fight. Burkman comes out firing. Karo getting in some nice counter punches. Burkman rushes him against the cage and gets a slam. Karo gets out after a minute or so and then gets a sweep and is going for a kimura. They are back to their feet and Karo seems to be regaining the advantage as Burkman has expelled a lot of energy in this round. Really close round as they end the round but with Karo winning the first two rounds this fight is going to him.
Winner: Karo Parisyan via Decision (Unanimous)
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