UFC on Versus 4 Results: Cheick Kongo Saves the Day, but Still a Gatekeeper
Bleacher Report’s Scott Harris:
Cheick Kongo to the rescue.
In a single flash of leather, a fight card plagued with problems got a lot better Sunday night when a wounded and wobbly Kongo knocked out Pat Barry in the first round to put a sudden and surprising exclamation point on UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh.
You can tell a lot about the event by its name, which was originally UFC Live: Johnson vs. Marquardt, but after an injury to Anthony Johnson changed to UFC Live: Story vs. Marquardt. Then, just days before the event, Nate Marquardt mysteriously failed to gain medical clearance and was released from the UFC.
Matt Riddle and T.J. Grant also left the card due to injury and illness, respectively.
Nothing a stiff right uppercut can’t fix.
The actual card did provide plenty of excitement, but was marred somewhat by questionable officiating. Perhaps that backdrop made Kongo’s success all the sweeter, as alert referee Dan Miragliotta nearly stopped the fight on two occasions after Barry rocked Kongo and dropped him to the ground, but refrained after determining—correctly—that Kongo was still fighting and defending himself.