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UFC 157: The Armbar Queen Ronda Rousey and the History-Making Main Event

In a history-making night for the UFC, Ronda Rousey faced Liz Carmouche in the main event at UFC 157, which was shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN in Britain.It was the first ever women’s fight in the UFC. Sam Stout…

In a history-making night for the UFC, Ronda Rousey faced Liz Carmouche in the main event at UFC 157, which was shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN in Britain.

It was the first ever women’s fight in the UFC.

Sam Stout vs. Caros Fodor

The broadcast began with the prelims as Sam Stout took on Caros Fodor in the lightweight division.

This proved to be an enjoyable encounter. There was literally no feeling-out process, mainly because these two wanted to engage straight off the bat.

Stout fought well in the first two rounds. His striking looked top notch, especially his hard lefts to the body. His best moment came toward the end of the first round when he went for an armbar. But as the old saying goes, Fodor was saved by the bell.

Fodor looked adequate with his clinching and takedowns early on, but by the time he upped his game in the third round, he’d left himself too much to do.

The judges had differing opinions as they gave Stout the split decision.

Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice

It was down to featherweight for the next fight as Dennis Bermudez faced Matt Grice.

Now this fight was packed with three rounds of tremendous back-and-forth action.

We nearly saw an early finish when the fight went to the mat and Bermudez applied the ground-and-pound, tying up one of Grice’s arms in the process.

Grice managed to survive, and he roared back into the fight when he sent Bermudez crashing down to the mat. Another stoppage looked imminent, but it was Bermudez‘s turn to survive.

Grice continued with his excellent striking in the second round, and although Bermudez survived, he looked as if he were unable to put his best foot forward.

All of that changed in the third round. Someone must have lighted a fire under Bermudez. Suddenly his striking came to life, first on the ground and then on his feet.

At one point, the referee seemed prepared to stop the fight when Grice staggered around on rubbery legs. But Herb Dean let the fight continue, and Grice gradually recovered enough to reach the bell.

Once again, the judges were divided in their opinions, awarding Bermudez the split decision.

Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen

It was back to lightweight for the next fight, which featured Michael Chiesa against Anton Kuivanen.

The only prelim that didn’t go the distance had a lengthy feeling-out period at the beginning, but as the first round went on, Kuivanen’s striking began to find its target.

It looked like it was going to be more of the same in the second round, but after some clinch work against the fence, Chiesa took his man’s back from a standing position before dragging him to the ground.

Kuivanen showed some sound defensive skills as he tried to fight Chiesa’s rear-naked choke attempt. Eventually Chiesa cinched in his hold of choice for the submission win.

Brendan Schaub vs. Lavar Johnson

The final preliminary fight saw Brendan Schaub take on Lavar Johnson in a heavyweight showdown.

This one was all about Schaub’s ground game and his attempts to avoid Johnson’s punching power.

For three rounds, Schaub took down Johnson at will. His best success came in the first frame when he attempted a variety of chokes, eventually deciding on the anaconda. While he was applying the hold, Johnson kept clobbering him with his free hand, which forced Schaub to release.

Schaub took down his man time and time again, but he failed to capitalize on his position. The referee was forced to stand the fighters up.

Even though he was on his back for the majority of the fight, Johnson still dealt his fair share of damage. His blows from the bottom busted Schaub open, making it look like Johnson was the dominant fighter.

The judges were called upon again. This time around, there was no difference of opinion as Schaub took the unanimous decision.

Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler

The main show began in the welterweight division as Josh Koscheck faced Robbie Lawler.

This was a fine example of how someone can snatch a victory out of nowhere.

Koscheck took the fight to the ground early on, and although Lawler showed some sound defensive skills, Koscheck looked to remain in charge of the action.

As the round neared its final minute, Lawler took the front headlock position. From there he connected with a big left that stunned his man. An onslaught of choice shots followed, which made the referee step in to give Lawler the TKO win.

Koscheck wasn’t too happy with the stoppage.

Court McGee vs. Josh Neer

The welterweight action continued with Court McGee taking on Josh Neer.

This one was all about the striking, with a nice bit of grappling thrown in for good measure.

McGee put on a great performance in the first round. His striking was adept, and when he connected with a body kick, Neer looked to be in trouble. Neer was also lucky to survive the first round, mainly because McGee never followed up on the body damage.

Neer looked like a different fighter in the second round. He answered McGee’s first-round striking performance with his own clinic, snapping McGee’s head back with a series of stiff jabs.

McGee retook control in the third round with several takedowns. Neer tried his best, but McGee’s ground-and-pound game was too much for him at times.

All three judges scored the fight for McGee.

Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar

Then it was down to bantamweight for the second encounter between Urijah Faber and Ivan Menjivar.

This one featured a lot of action in so little time. Menjivar took the fight to the ground with a great judo throw early on, only for Faber to reverse the position just a few seconds later.

Faber went to work with the ground-and-pound, and although Menjivar looked for a couple of submissions, Faber maintained control.

As the first round neared its end, Menjivar made it to his feet, but Faber took his back. He quickly tightened up a rear-naked choke as they backed into the fence, and Menjivar tapped to give Faber the submission win.

Kenny Robertson vs. Brock Jardine

Filler material followed in the form of the welterweight encounter between Kenny Robertson and Brock Jardine.

This certainly was an interesting bout. Jardine pulled guard early on and went for a guillotine, but after Robertson survived this attempt, he quickly took control.

Robertson took his man’s back within seconds and sought a rear-naked choke. Jardine defended well, but when he tried to shake off his opponent, Robertson reached back and grabbed Jardine’s left leg. Jardine had no choice but to tap, giving Robertson the submission win.

Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson

The co-main event featured light heavyweight action as Lyoto Machida faced Dan Henderson.

I have to admit I’m not sure how to categorize this fight. It had its moments, but it didn’t set my pulse racing.

The feeling-out period seemed to last for the majority of the first round. Machida got in the better shots and scored a late takedown.

Machida had more striking success in the second round, while Henderson failed to connect more often than not when he came forward.

There was some brief ground action early in the third round as Henderson tried to go to work with the ground-and-pound, but the rest of the final frame saw Machida continue to dominate the striking game.

In the end, the judges failed to agree again, awarding Machida a split-decision victory.

Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche

The main event saw Liz Carmouche challenge Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title.

Now this was a fight. Rousey came forward as soon as the fight began, and it wasn’t long before the action went to the ground.

A few moments later, Rousey suffered the biggest scare of her short career when Carmouche took her back from a standing position and looked for a rear-naked choke. An upset seemed possible until Rousey managed shake her off.

It wasn’t long before Rousey was back in top position and controlling Carmouche’s head. The challenger, for her part, was always looking to escape.

Then the inevitable happened. Rousey moved into position to apply her signature armbar. Carmouche defended for as long as she could until Rousey wrenched her limb. Carmouche tapped to give Rousey the history-making submission win.

The show rounded out with a second showing of Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice.

Conclusion

What can I say about this event? I could bring out all of the usual superlatives about history-making events, but saying that this was a great show would probably be the best way to describe things.

The prelims set the stage for what was to come, thanks in part to Dennis Bermudez and Matt Grice. When Robbie Lawler secured his comeback win against Josh Koscheck, it was a sign of things to come, especially as far as the main event was concerned.

That fight definitely lived up to all the hype. Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche put on a fight that exceeded expectations. The fact that women’s MMA has now hit the main stage is a tremendous sign for the future.

As for my fight of the night no-prize, I’m going to differ from the official judgment. While those in the know chose Bermudez vs. Grice, I select Rousey vs. Carmouche for the reasons I’ve just mentioned.

So with all of that out of the way, there’s only one thing left to do, and that’s to give UFC 157 the big thumbs up.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel TV 7: Renan Barao, Michael McDonald and Masculine Influenza

It’s catch-up time, kiddies! A bout of man flu (get well soon messages to the usual address) means that I’m a few days behind as far as last weekend’s big events are concerned. So let’s try to rectify this situation by going bac…

It’s catch-up time, kiddies! A bout of man flu (get well soon messages to the usual address) means that I’m a few days behind as far as last weekend’s big events are concerned.

So let’s try to rectify this situation by going back to this past Saturday night and the battle of the interim bantamweight championship, shown live on ESPN here in Britain.

The show began in the welterweight division as my fellow Englishman, Che Mills, took on Matthew Riddle.

I really enjoyed this one. Riddle put on a great display of ground fighting throughout, and although Mills managed to recover after the first couple of takedowns, it wasn’t long before Riddle established his dominance on the ground.

Mills had a couple of good moments in the striking department, and his best work on the ground came when he managed to reverse the positions near the end of the fight.

But by then it was too little, too late, as Riddle took the split decision.

It was up to light heavyweight for the next fight, as James Te-Huna faced Ryan Jimmo.

I thought we were going to get an early finish with this one, especially when Jimmo connected with a left kick to Te-Huna’s head.

Te-Huna fell to the canvas like a sack of spuds, and although Jimmo followed him down for a torrent of blows, the Aussie managed to survive the onslaught.

He’d recovered well by the time the second round began, so much so that he began to take control of the fight himself when he scored with the takedown. This time around, it was Jimmo who had to survive the ground-and-pound assault, with the Canadian managing to make it to the third round.

Te-Huna continued his resurgence into that round with some more great all-around work, and it was enough for the judges, as they gave him their unanimous decision.

It was back to welterweight for the next fight, as Gunnar Nelson faced Jorge Santiago.

This was another fine example of why I’m becoming a big fan of the Icelander. It was another great performance. His striking, although a little unorthodox at times, was top notch throughout, and his ground game was as solid as ever.

It wasn’t a completely one-sided battle, though. Santiago connected with a few good shots early in the first, as well as with a big blow as the fight ended, but he was completely overwhelmed by Nelson’s ground game, and it made one wonder how different things could have been if this had been a striking battle.

With no finish in sight, the judges were called upon again, and Nelson took the unanimous decision.

More light heavyweight action followed, as Jimi Manuwa went up against Cyrille Diabate.

The only fight of the broadcast that didn’t make it past the first round saw Manuwa put in another convincing performance.

He began by testing the waters a little before a clinch against the fence, and when Diabate tried to connect with a knee, Manuwa caught it and scored with the takedown.

They didn’t stay on the ground for long, though, and as the round progressed, the Londoner continued to frustrate Diabate with his striking and his takedowns.

But when the round ended, Diabate began to limp badly, and it wasn’t long before his corner pulled him out of the fight because of injury, giving Manuwa the TKO win.

The penultimate fight featured featherweight action, as Cub Swanson went up against Dustin Poirier.

This was another one I really enjoyed. It was a very intriguing three-rounder, with both men putting in good performances.

The striking exchanges were crisp early on, as they targeted each other’s lead leg, and as the action progressed, Poirier scored with a couple of impressive takedowns after Swanson missed with a spinning back fist.

The third round was the best for me, mainly because of Swanson’s ground game. The best moment came when he took Poirier’s back and the Diamond tried to shake him off, only for Swanson to take the top position after the scramble finished.

Sadly, the worst thing about this fight was that neither man could get the finish, which meant more work for the judges; they gave Swanson the unanimous decision.

The main event saw Michael McDonald challenging Renan Barao for the interim bantamweight title.

ESPN had a few technical problems during this fight, but thankfully, they didn’t last that long and we got to see a pretty enjoyable encounter.

Both guys looked in top form early on, with McDonald in particular rolling off some good combinations, one of which rocked the champion in the first round.

But while McDonald was looking good, Barao was really looking like a champion. He seemed to be getting stronger as the fight went on, and everything he did just looked so good.

The judges weren’t required for this one. As they entered the fourth round (deep-water territory for McDonald), Barao upped his game even further with his striking and then with his takedowns, as he took McDonald’s back before quickly moving into position for an arm triangle.

At first, McDonald gave the “all clear” with a thumbs up, but it wasn’t long before he tapped out to give Barao the submission win.

In conclusion, I have to admit that I considered not doing this review, mainly because I’m still not feeling 100 percent. But at the end of the day, I needed something to watch, and I’m glad that I watched this.

This was another quality trip to merry old England for the UFC crew. All the fights delivered, with the only disappointment being Cyrille Diabate’s calf injury against Jimi Manuwa. Hopefully young Jimi will get the chance to shine in the Octagon again soon, possibly against Diabate.

As for my fight of the night, sadly, I didn’t get to see the official award winner, which is annoying considering I’m a big fan of Tom Watson, so I’m going to give the prize to Cub Swanson and Dustin Poirier for their very enjoyable featherweight encounter.

So with all of that out of the way, it’s time to end this thing by giving this the big thumbs up.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

British MMA: No Judges Required in This UCMMA DVD Release

It is time to step into the world of British MMA once again for a kind of déjà vu review as we take a look at another DVD release from the good people at Ultimate Challenge MMA. The DVD in question is UCMMA 27. We begin with the prelimina…

We begin with the preliminaries and the middleweight encounter between Kester Mumba and Mark Armstrong.

This certainly was a very interesting encounter. Both fighters began by testing the waters a little before the action went to the ground.

Once they arrived, Armstrong took control after reversing the positions and taking the mount. Kester did a good job of gutting it out as Armstrong looked for a submission.

It was the same story in the second round. Kester scored with the early trip before Armstrong reversed into the mount. Once again he went for a couple of submissions before deciding that ground and pound was the way to go.

However, although he rained down a torrent of blows, most of the shots looked quite sloppy, and it was only when he upped his game in the final minute of the round that the referee stepped in to give him the TKO win.

It was down to lightweight for the next fight as Peter Waterhouse took on Dominic Clarke.

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair saw Waterhouse begin with a big right and Clarke coming back straight away.

Clarke was all over him like a cheap suit. He took the mount as the fight went to the ground and unleashed with the heavy leather as the referee stepped in after just 22 seconds to as he took the TKO win.

Welterweight action followed as Kes Kpokogri took on Esi Moradi.

This was another encounter where they didn’t wait long before taking it to the ground. Once they got there, Moradi took immediate control.

He transitioned with ease as he looked for the ground and pound. Kpokogri looked powerless against Moradi’s onslaught as the referee stepped in to give Moradi the TKO win.

UK1 kickboxing action followed as Jimmy Miller took on Tom King in the welterweight division.

The stand-up fighters were clearly following the examples set by their MMA counterparts here. These two clearly weren’t being paid by the house as they began to swing with King getting the first knockdown with a left jab.

After a few seconds of dirty boxing, King had his man on his backside again, this time with a right hand that caught Miller flush on the chin.

When a second left jab sent Miller crashing again, the referee waived off the action as King took the TKO win.

It was back to regular MMA action next and the heavyweight encounter between Matthew Manners and Scott Saward.

We had two fighters making their professional debuts in this one, a definite blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair if ever there was one.

Saward came forward as soon as the fight started, and as he connected with a barrage of blows. Manners slumped to the canvas. The referee stepped in after just eight seconds to give Saward the TKO win.

Then it was back to middleweight as Sam Boo faced Tolly Plested.

No feeling-out period in this one. Plested took the action to the ground early, lifting Boo up and walking over to his own corner before slamming him to the mat.

Plested’s game was both patient and effective. Although Book tried to lock him down at one point Plested soon worked into a position where he could take the mount and unleash with the ground and pound. Boo then game him his back as Plested synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

More heavyweight action followed as Paul Taylor went up against Marian Rusu.

This was another one of those fights that fits firmly into the interesting category. It was developing quite nicely, with Rusu looking the better of the two, especially with his combinations. But when he connected with a right kick to Taylor’s thigh he began to complain about a foot injury.

After a brief chat with the referee he decided to fight on, but by then he was the proverbial one legged man in an a*** kicking contest, and when Taylor deliver a series of blows Rusu slumped to the mat as the referee stopped the action to give Taylor the stoppage win.

Then it was on to the main show, beginning with the UK1 middleweight encounter between Peter Nemeth and Tony Giles.

The third blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair saw Giles coming forward as soon as the bell sounded. Nemeth was cut almost immediately as Giles connected with a barrage of lefts and rights.

The referee quickly stepped in so he could give Nemeth a standing eight count, but there was no need as he gave up to give Giles the TKO win after just 22 seconds.

Bantamweight MMA action followed as Arnold Allen took on Nathan Greyson.

Allen, who was making his professional debut at just 18 years old, began with a takedown attempt that went awry as he landed on his back. However, when the ground fighting began, he showed a tremendous amount of skill.

While Greyson looked for the ground-and-pound, Allen constantly looked for submissions, and just when it looked like he would get the armbar Greyson slammed his way out.

Greyson finished the first round in a strong position with a spot of ground-and-pound from the mount, but when the second round began Allen showed he had more to him than his ground game.

As Greyson backed Allen up against the fence, Allen connected with a big left that sent his man crashing to the canvas. The referee called the action immediately, giving Allen the knockout just 40 seconds into the round.

Then it was up to light heavyweight Max Nunes as he faced Shane Fourie.

As the old saying goes someone’s “0” had to go in this battle of undefeated fighters. The first few moments saw them engage in a clinch against the cage, and although Nunes was the one being pushed against the fence, he had more success than Fourie.

Fourie went for a takedown after the referee separation, but an error on his part saw Nunes landing in top position. He soon went to work with the ground and pound, and as Fourie was cut open, the referee stepped in to give Nunes the win by verbal submission.

It was down to welterweight for the next fight between Andy Cona and Amil Smith.

Cona began his shift in the cage with a spinning back fist attempt and the action really got underway when he took the fight to the ground.

They spent the next few moments jockeying for position, with Cona taking his man down with a pro wrestling-like power slam. That may have been a great highlight reel moment, but ultimately it meant nothing when Smith took his back and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

The welterweight action continued with Lee Caers and Luke Newman.

Before the fight began, commentator and former UFC fighter Ian Freeman praised Newman’s striking ability, and although we saw a little of that here, it was his ground game that impressed me.

After taking his man down with a high slam, Newman went to work. Caers did a good job of defending at times, but Newman’s ground-and-pound soon softened him up.

Moments later, Newman took Caers’ back, and after a few more well placed shots, he locked in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

Catchweight action made at 80 kilos followed as Miguel Barnard went up against Michael Page.

Page began the fight with his somewhat flamboyant stance as both fighters did a bit of showboating as they tried to land that first blow.

A few moments later, Page slipped and fell to the ground. Bernard immediately went into the guard, only to find himself in a Page armbar. But as Bernard tapped, Page kept the hold in place, only releasing it when the referee screamed at him to stop.

Yet, more welterweight action followed as Warren Kee took on Bola Omoyele.

We had a brief testing of the waters at the beginning before Omoyele instigated a clinch. He then went for a takedown, but each time he tried this Kee managed to get back to his feet.

Omoyele then took Kee’s back while they were still standing as he delivered a succession of left knees to Kee’s head. These soon had their desired effect, and as Kee slumped up against the cage, Omoyele added a few punches into the mix. The referee soon stepped in to give Omoyele the TKO win.

The only title fight on the show saw A.J. Woodhall taking on Louis King for the vacant UK1 Light Heavyweight title.

Time to bring out that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line again. King came out swinging as soon as the bell rang as he clobbered Woodhall with a succession of lefts and rights. Woodhall quickly fell to the mat as the referee stopped the fight after just six seconds to give King the TKO win and the title.

The main event featured light heavyweight action as Neil Bittong faced Ben Smith.

To me this seemed like the most methodical fight on the show. Bittong had some success early on when he escaped after a couple of takedowns until Smith eventually succeeded with his desired tactic.

It looked like it was going to be a long night for Bittong as Smith controlled the action with the ground-and-pound. It was a tactic that served him well for the majority of the first round and into the second.

But against the run of play, Bittong managed to get back to his feet, and moments later he took Smith’s back. As the round entered it’s final minute Bittong flattened his man out and synched in a rear naked choke to take the submission win.

In conclusion — my review of the TV broadcast of this event I described this as an explosive night of action, and having seen the entire show I see no reason to change that conclusion.

This really is another quality DVD release from UCMMA, and if you’re one of those fans frustrated by shows where every fight goes the distance this may be the tonic you’re looking for. The judges simply weren’t required here.

As for my fight of the night, the no-prize originally went to Arnold Allen and Nathan Greyson, and once again I see no reason to change that decision, or to change the decision to give this show the thumbs up.

With thanks to the powers that be for supplying a copy of this release. For details on how to purchase UCMMA 27 on DVD visit www.ucmma.tv.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one for or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 156: Another Truimphant Night for the Brazilians

It’s time to step into the Octagon once again as we take a look back at UFC 156, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain. This five-hour marathon began with the preliminary fights and the lightweight enco…

It’s time to step into the Octagon once again as we take a look back at UFC 156, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain.

This five-hour marathon began with the preliminary fights and the lightweight encounter between Yves Edwards and Isaac Vallie-Flagg.

I really enjoyed this one. We saw all of the aspects of the MMA game in a fight filled with top notch action.

Both fighters put on good displays in the striking department early on, and although the veteran Edwards connected with some good shots Vallie-Flagg began to outshine him.

Edwards’ best work came in the second round when he scored with the takedown. His ground work looked solid as he moved from position to position, eventually taking his man’s back as he looked for the rear naked choke. Vallie-Flagg did a good job of defending against this, but if the round hadn’t ended when it did Edwards may have had a little more success.

Round three clearly belonged to Vallie-Flagg. Even though Edwards was starting to tire he still got in some good shots, although Vallie-Flagg eclipsed his work rate, and the fact that he easily escaped from Edwards’ takedown attempts showed how far ahead he was.

With no knockout or submission the judges came into the equation, with Vallie-Flagg taking the split decision.

The lightweight action continued with Jacob Volkmann taking on Bobby Green.

This was even better than the first fight, a three rounder packed with tremendous action.

Volkmann’s work in the first was top notch. His dominance began as soon as he took the fight to the ground, and there were times when Green looked helpless, particularly when Volkmann took his back and looked for a rear naked choke.

Green came back well from the second round onwards. When Volkmann went for the takedown again Green defended and soon found himself in top position on the ground as he looked to deliver a few shots.

Then we got the rather strange stand up from our esteemed referee. I guess she didn’t see the damage Green had caused to Volkmann’s face.

Even though Volkmann managed to regain control Green took it back in the third. The fatigue factor was clearly coming into play as far as Volkmann was concerned, and as the action went back to the ground and the fight entered it’s final minute Green took his man’s back and locked in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

It was up to welterweight for the next fight as Tyron Woodley took on Jay Hieron.

This was one of those encounters where the introductions lasted longer than the fight.

After a brief feeling out period Woodley came forward and connected with a big looping right. Hieron crashed down to the mat immediately, and as Woodley followed him down the referee stepped in after just 36 seconds to give Woodley the knockout win.

Filler material followed in the form of the catchweight encounter between Chico Camus and Dustin Kimura.

This was originally meant to be a bantamweight fight, but when Kimura failed to make weight he chose to surrender a percentage of his purse instead of going back into the sauna.

I’m really glad they showed this one. It began with some nice striking exchanges as Camus put his man on his backside before he scored with the takedown.

However, as soon as they hit the mat Kimura went on to dominate off his back, going for submission after submission which Camus managed to survive.

Camus’ best moments came in the second round with his sound striking game, but when he took the fight back to the ground Kimura attacked from his back once again.

The end came in the third. This time when the fight went to the ground Kimura ended up in the top position, and it wasn’t long before he took Camus’ back and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win.

It was back to lightweight for the final preliminary fight as Gleison Tibau faced Evan Dunham.

This rather intriguing three rounder saw Tibau going for an early finish when he went for a guillotine. Dunham survived that particular attempt though.

The striking battle showed just how different these two were. While Dunham went for the technical approach Tibau seemed to be looking for that one big powerful blow with every swing. This tactic didn’t seem to do much for his conditioning as he began to slow down before the first round had even ended.

So the tone of the fight was set, and as the action went on Dunham’s striking got better and better. The only problem he had was that he just couldn’t score with the takedown, particularly in the third round, although we did get the duelling guillotine attempts at the beginning of that particular round.

With the fight going the distance the judges were called into action once again as Dunham took the split decision.

The main show began in the flyweight division as Joseph Benavidez faced Ian McCall.

This fight was a great example of why I’m a big fan of this division.

Benavidez’s striking was top notch throughout. Although there were a few stray shots early on he managed to stagger his man a few times, particularly in the first.

McCall’s best chances came when he tried to take the fight to ground, especially towards the end of the second. This exchange saw Uncle Creepy avoiding his man’s takedown attempt and coming back quickly to take his back, adding a spot of ground and pound into the equation.

By the time the third round started Benavidez regained control, and although McCall scored with another takedown, Benavidez escaped and returned to his favoured striking game.

But with no finish it went down to the judges again as Benavidez took the unanimous decision.

It was back to welterweight for the next fight as Jon Fitch took on Demian Maia.

It was all about the ground game in this one. For three rounds Maia showed once again that the welterweight division is tailor-made for him.

The Brazilian took the fight to the ground as soon as it began, and it wasn’t long before he took Fitch’s back as he looked for a rear naked choke.

But once again Fitch showed how great he is defensively as he stopped Maia’s attempts each and every time. The only problem was that his best work throughout the fight was his defensive work, his main offensive work being a brief guillotine attempt.

Despite the great efforts of the Brazilian he couldn’t get the finish, which meant yet more work for the judges as Maia took the unanimous decision.

The big boys of the heavyweight division came out to play next as Alistair Overeem went up against Antonio Silva.

This was the fight I was looking forward to the most, and it was another example of how a fight can turn in an instant.

Overeem dominated the first two rounds. His striking, particularly in the clinch against the cage, was excellent, and when he scored with the takedown in the second his work got even better. His body shots looked absolutely brutal.

But when Silva had a bit of success with his own striking at the end of the second it was a sign of things to come. He staggered the Dutchman as soon as the third round began, and a barrage of punches sent Overeem crashing to the canvas, the referee stepping in to give Bigfoot the TKO win.

The co-main event featured light heavyweight action as Rashad Evans took on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

On paper this fight looked like one of the best match-ups on the show. Unfortunately fights aren’t fought on paper.

It basically felt like this fight had a feeling out period that pasted for 15 minutes. Both guys got in their fair share of blows, but there just weren’t any real game changing events here.

There was also very little action on the ground. Evans scored with the only takedown of the fight with Little Nog defending against his other attempts.

That was basically it, which meant more work for the judges as Nogueira took the unanimous decision.

The main event saw Frankie Edgar challenging Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title.

Now this wash what a striking battle should be. For five rounds these two put on a fight worthy of it’s spot on the card.

Aldo, as always, put on a great display. His combinations were top notch, especially during the early rounds, while his leg kicks were as brutal as ever, although he never used these as his main weapon.

Edgar, for his part, seemed to get stronger as the fight went on. While Aldo seemed to tire Edgar looked minty fresh throughout, keeping the speed that served him so well in the lightweight division and scoring with some nice combinations of his own, particular later in the fight.

As far as the takedowns were concerned Edgar had a couple of successful moments, with Aldo showing some great defensive skills as he avoided the mat time and time again.

But with no finish in sight the judges were called upon for the final time as Aldo took the unanimous decision.

In conclusion – other commitments meant that I only got to watch this show a few days after everyone else. However, it was definitely worth the wait.

The five hour marathon that was UFC 156 proved to be a very good show. Apart from the disappointing Evans/Nogueira battle all of these fights delivered as the Brazilian contingent gave as another enjoyable night of fight action. But even though I enjoyed their work my fight of the night no-prize goes to an encounter that didn’t involve a Brazilian.

Yep, I’m going against the grain once again and giving the prize to Bobby Green’s submission win over Jacob Volkmann. It certainly was a great way for Green to make his UFC debut, and I look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

So with all of that out of the way it’s time to wrap this thing up by giving UFC 156 the thumbs up.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

British MMA: A Different Kind of Feel for Ultimate Challenge MMA on Primetime

It’s time to step into the world of British MMA once again as we take a look at the 32nd offering from Ultimate Challenge MMA, shown live this past Saturday night on Primetime here in Britain. The broadcast began with action from the heavyweight …

It’s time to step into the world of British MMA once again as we take a look at the 32nd offering from Ultimate Challenge MMA, shown live this past Saturday night on Primetime here in Britain.

The broadcast began with action from the heavyweight division between Marian Rusu and Scott Saward. That was the plan, anyway.

Saward came into the cage and went through the usual pre-fight checks. It was then that promoter Dave O’Donnell announced that Rusu claimed to have injured himself warming up and pulled out of the fight.

Saward wasn’t too happy with the situation and went on a bit of a colourful verbal tirade against his opponent, and given that this was shown before the 9 p.m. watershed, I get the feeling that someone probably sent a complaint or two to the good people at Ofcom.

The fight action finally got underway with a spot of UK1 kickboxing as Reece Rowell faced Galore Bofando in the welterweight division.

This was a very entertaining three rounder. Bofando was like a jumping jack at times as he tried to take his man with a vast array of kicks. In fact he probably threw more kicks than punches.

Although he was having a great deal of success his tactics didn’t seem to phase Rowell one bit. He covered up well and mainly counter-punched, giving Bofando a bit of trouble as the fight came to an end.

With no finish in sight, the judges were called into action for the first time as Bofando took the majority decision.

Filler material followed with the lightweight fight between Ian Peters and Ben McGonigle.

This one didn’t last long. After a brief feeling out period Peters scored with the takedown, but as he went to work, trying to work from half guard into side control McGonigle connected with a big uppercut.

Peters staggered backwards as McGonigle got to his feet and went in for the kill, with the referee stepping in to give McGonigle the knockout win.

Then it was on to the main show, beginning with more UK1 kickboxing action as Svajuna Siaucia took on Tony Giles in the middleweight division.

I think the best way to describe this one would be frustrating, because it was obvious that only one of these guys came to fight.

While Giles put on a capable performances, Siaucia was very poor. Despite having a height and reach advantage he was very reluctant to engage. He seemed more intent on clinching, and at times it looked as if he was trying to complete a takedown.

If that was his plan, then it worked at the end of the second round. The only problem was that it earned him a point deduction from the referee.

Siaucia upped his game a little with a few kicks in the final round, but the punches were still absent. Giles continued with the same tactics he’d used throughout, but he could only do so much against an opponent who was reluctant to do anything.

There was no surprise with the decision, as the judges gave everything to Giles.

It was back to MMA action for the next fight with the middleweight clash between James Stone and Jason Radcliffe.

This one lasted less than a minute. They began to exchange as soon as the bell rang, and after Radcliffe connected with a knee to the body the fight went to the ground.

Stone then held his man in what would have been called a side headlock in pro wrestling circles. Radcliffe went to work with the hammer fists. When Stone released the hold the hammer fists continued, with the referee called the action and giving Radcliffe the TKO win.

It was up to light heavyweight for the next fight as Scott Stribbling took on Mike Neun.

This was another fight that had very little in the way of a feeling out period. Stribbling connected with a couple of good shots, but when Neun returned the favour, Stribbling scored with a powerful takedown.

The only problem was that as soon as they hit the ground, Neun put the under hooks in and shut his man down, which meant that the referee stand-up was inevitable.

Neun soon had Stribbling in trouble again with his striking, but when Stribbling went for the takedown again Neun ended up in top position. It wasn’t long before he took the mount and went to work with the ground and pound. Stribbling offered nothing in return, so it came as no surprise when the referee stepped in to give Neun the TKO win.

It was back to middleweight for the next fight as Makunga Bunduku went up against Karl Lawrence.

The only MMA fight to make it to the third round proved to be a very interesting encounter. After Lawrence tried to connect with a couple of blows, Bunduku took the fight to the ground. What followed was a very intriguing back-and-forth grappling battle.

Both men had their fair share of good moments. Bunduku dominated most of the action, although his movement and posture didn’t quite seem right, and when he went for an ankle submission, his failure to push his man off with his feet meant that the hold came to nothing.

Lawrence had a couple of submission attempts which went nowhere. His best work came in the form of a nice series of strikes towards the end of the fight until Bunduku pulled guard and went for a guillotine at the end of the fight.

Once again the judges were called into action as Bunduku took the unanimous decision.

The main event saw Zelg Galesic challenging Linton Vassell for the Light Heavyweight title.

Vassell began his stint in the cage with a couple of good shots, but when Galesic came back with a big right Vassell immediately took the fight to the ground.

The champion then dominated the action. Although Galesic tried to wall walk his way out, Vassell dragged him back down. He quickly took his man’s back, going for a rear naked choke. When that didn’t work he went for an arm triangle. When that didn’t work Vassell opted for the ground and pound.

All Galesic could do was cover up, and when Vassell managed to trap one of his arms it was all over bar the shouting as the referee stepped in to give Vassell the title retaining TKO win.

Filler material closed out the show as Chase Morton faced Ben Craggy in the welterweight division.

There wasn’t much striking in this one. Craggy came forward as soon as the fight began and scored with the takedown. However, Morton soon reversed the positions before he got back to his feet.

Both men then jockeyed for position against the cage before Craggy took the fight to the ground again. He then moved into side control before moving Morton’s arm into position so he could apply a shoulder lock for the submission win.

In conclusion: With Sky Sports having ditched all of their MMA programming (which is rather annoying after the praise I gave them recently), I was eager to see how Dave O’Donnell and his crew would get on with Primetime.

Fight-wise, if you forget the disappointing Giles/Siaucia encounter the fights were quite good. Some of them won’t go down as the best I’ve seen on a UCMMA but they certainly weren’t the worst.

Production-wise, the move from a delayed highlights show to a live broadcast was always going to give this show a different kind of feel. Having Bret Freeman and Neil Grove discussing the fights in a studio setting was okay, and it’s a formula that has worked for every other sport since television began.

However, it might have been better to have a second guest in the studio, someone who could have played off Grove and offered a second and perhaps different spin on the events. (I might be free for the next show if the money’s right! Wink wink!)

For me, the main thing that was missing was the lack of a certain gentleman—the main man himself, Dave O’Donnell. The head honcho was there for the initial introductions, but I kind of missed him hyping the various fighters. His infectious exuberance was definitely missed from this broadcast, as were the pre-fight hype videos.

As for my fight of the night that was an easy one to pick, with the no-prize going to the Linton Vassell/Zelg Galesic main event.

So with all of that out of the way there’s just one thing left to do, and that’s to give UCMMA 32 the thumbs up.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox: New Flyweight Division Delivers Once Again

It’s time to step into the Octagon once again as we take a look at the UFC’s latest show on America’s Fox network, which was in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain. The broadcast began in the featherwei…

The broadcast began in the featherweight division as Erik Koch went up against Ricardo Lamas.

This one began with both testing the waters with a few kicks. A few moments later, Lamas went for a takedown, and although he was successful, Koch managed to get back up on one leg before they jockeyed for position against the cage.

Round 2 saw them engage in some crisp striking exchanges. But when Lamas slipped, Koch failed to capitalize and soon found himself on his back.

It was then that Lamas went to work, and after an elbow opened up Koch below his eye, Lamas upped his striking rate until the referee stepped in to give Lamas the TKO win.

It was up to lightweight for the next fight as Anthony Pettis took on Donald Cerrone.

Pettis began his shift in the cage with a big right to the jaw, but when he went for a cartwheel kick a few moments later, Cerrone countered with a knee to the body.

The action then settled down for a few seconds before Pettis began to take control with his striking. A kick to the body clearly troubled Cerrone. The Cowboy tried to make out like it was no big deal, but when Pettis connected with a second kick, Cerrone crumpled to the mat. Pettis went in for the kill with the referee stepping in to give him the TKO win.

Light heavyweight action followed as Rampage Jackson faced Glover Teixeira.

This proved to be a very intriguing three-round affair. Right from the start, Teixeira put on a great display of striking, a display that had Rampage in no end of trouble at times.

It was Teixeira’s left hand in particular that gave Rampage no end of trouble, and although he controlled the majority of the exchanges, Rampage got in a few good shots as well. Hell also froze over when the former champion added a few kicks into the mix.

This fight wasn’t just about the striking, though. Teixeira had a great deal of success on the ground with a number of takedowns throughout the fight, although Rampage managed to get back to his feet quite a few times as well.

But as the fight went on, Rampage began to look exhausted, while Teixeira looked as fresh as a daisy throughout, and when the fight ended it seemed pretty obvious who was going to get the decision.

The judges saw it that way as well, as Teixeira took the unanimous decision.

The main event saw John Dodson challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title.

I really enjoyed this one. For five rounds, these two put on a fight that would have been worthy of a pay-per-view main event, let alone free-to-air television.

Dodson put in some great work early on. His striking looked crisp, as he gave Johnson quite a bit of trouble, especially in the first two rounds, when he knocked the champion to the ground.

Johnson managed to weather that particular storm and came back time and time again, scoring with some nice takedowns along the way.

The champion was guilty of a couple of rules infractions later on, connecting with an inadvertent knee to the groin in the third and a knee to the head in the fourth while Dodson had a hand on the mat. The challenger was given a couple of rest periods, although ultimately it didn’t do him much good.

This was mainly because Johnson began to dominate the action from the fourth round onward, connecting with a series of knees to the head from various clinches. Dodson just didn’t seem to have any form of defence against these, and these blows, added to his growing fatigue, meant that he was becoming a shell of the fighter who rocked the champion earlier on.

With the fight going the distance, the judges were called upon again as they gave Johnson their unanimous title-retaining decision.

In conclusion—if I had stayed up until the early hours to watch this, I would probably have said that this was well worth staying up for.

The four fights shown here certainly delivered. The two TKO wins were worth the price of admission alone, while Glover Teixeira’s points win over Rampage Jackson kind of seemed like another passing of the baton, the changing of the guard if you will, as the new generation of light heavyweight fighters continues to make its mark.

As for the main event, the UFC’s newest division did it again. Although we didn’t see that marquee finish, Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson delivered the goods, and Johnson’s performance once again showed why the flyweights are now a valuable part of the UFC. This is the reason that these guys are going to get my vote for Fight of the Night.

With all of that out of the way, it’s time to wrap this thing up by giving UFC on Fox the thumbs up.

Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for nearly 13 years now!

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com