Filed under: UFC, NewsFour fighters from Saturday’s UFC on Versus 6 card in Washington, D.C., added $65,000 bonus checks to their take-home pay after the show.
Stefan Struve, Anthony Johnson, Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig each took home post-fight bonus …
Four fighters from Saturday’s UFC on Versus 6 card in Washington, D.C., added $65,000 bonus checks to their take-home pay after the show.
Stefan Struve, Anthony Johnson, Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig each took home post-fight bonus awards for their performances in the final UFC event on the Versus channel. The post-fight awards were announced by UFC president Dana White after the card.
The $65,000 total equals the largest amount for a UFC show on either Versus or Spike, tying the $65,000 bonus awards that were handed out after UFC on Versus 5 in Milwaukee in August. UFC on Versus 6 was the promotion’s debut in the nation’s capital.
Struve, the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, fought the shortest heavyweight in what became a fun kickboxing bout. But when Struve got the fight to the ground and locked in a triangle in the co-main event, Barry used his power to muscle Struve to the sky for a massive slam with the triangle still locked in. Struve though, held the hold, sank it in even tighter and forced Barry to tap, giving Struve the Submission of the Night bonus. It was Barry’s second straight loss, the first losing streak of his career. In June, after nearly stopping Cheick Kongo, Kongo pulled off an epic comeback knockout victory.
“He kept me at bay with his kicks because those were landing hard and will definitely leave bruises tomorrow,” Struve said after the win. “I was eventually able to get him in the [choke], and once I locked it in I wasn’t letting it go. When he slammed me, I was able to put my arm down to catch myself and sink the submission in deeper.”
Johnson won Knockout of the Night for his head-kick finish of Charlie Brenneman on the main card. Though Brenneman popped back up quickly after Johnson’s left kick to the face, referee Mario Yamasaki had already stepped in to shut the fight down, and the official decision was a TKO for Johnson.
“I hit him hard quite a few times in a row and he didn’t look like he was all there,” Johnson said. “I landed that head kick and put him on the canvas. He looked done to me, but if that kick hadn’t have done it, the punches that would have come afterwards would have.”
And Wiman and Danzig rematched after a controversial ending to their first fight in June 2010 – and the reboot was worth the wait. The two battled for three rounds of back-and-forth that earned them Fight of the Night, with Wiman taking a unanimous 29-28 decision. At UFC 115, Wiman won when Yves Lavigne stopped the fight, believing Danzig was out from a choke. He was not, and it’s taken 16 months for the rematch, which was scheduled once but delayed with a Danzig injury.
“Mac did fantastic tonight and has nothing to be ashamed of, because I’ve been on that side of things too,” Wiman said. “But I can’t deny that it feels good to be on this side of things. You really never know what the judges are going think, and I’m just happy it fell to me this time.”
Struve got serious competition from Paul Sass, who submitted Michael Johnson with a heel hook on the preliminary card. Sass stayed unbeaten with the submission and now has 11 of his 12 career wins by tapout. And Wiman-Danzig got competition from the main event bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson. But it was likely Cruz’s large amount of time spent keeping Johnson pinned along the fence that kept them from the bonus.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson, the main event bantamweight title fight of tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Cruz (18-1, 1-0 UFC) defends his bantamweight title for the fourth time. His first three successful defenses were decision wins over Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen and Urijah Faber. The win over Jorgensen came at the final WEC event, after which Cruz’s WEC title became a UFC belt. Johnson (9-1, 2-0 UFC) has won three straight, including a somewhat controversial unanimous decision win over former champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130 in May. That win got him a shot at Cruz’s belt.
Round 1: They’re saying this may be the fastest-paced fight in the the history of the UFC, and it’s hard to argue. It will be hard to keep up. Both fighters throw some kicks, and Johnson comes forward as Cruz backs up. Johnson shoots for a takedown 50 seconds in, but Cruz stuffs it and lands some shots. Cruz then gets off a nice throw as Johnson hits the canvas, and Cruz works to the top and tries to pass to side control. Johnson defending nicely so far as he looks to escape. Johnson continues to defend and gets to half guard, then butterfly guard. Finally, Johnson quickly gets out and back to his feet. Head kick from Johnson is caught by Cruz and Cruz takes the fight to the ground. Short-lived leg lock from Johnson turns into an escape from Cruz and side control. Back on the feet, Johnson lands a short takedown against the fence, but Cruz gets back up quickly and Johnson ties him up with a clinch, looking for short knees and elbows. Cruz ducks under nicely and gets out, but Johnson makes him pay with a couple shots as they break. Nice kick from Cruz. It’s a close first round, but it’s a round for the champ – 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2: Johnson comes forward very quickly again, and Cruz has to tie him up and it leads to a good takedown. Cruz has Johnson backed against the fence. As Johnson gets back up, Cruz lands a nice knee to the head. But Johnson shakes it off and pushes Cruz’s back to the fence. Another good knee from Cruz on the break. High kick from Cruz misses, and one from Johnson is blocked. Johnson shoots quickly, but Cruz stuffs it and we trade positions on the fence. They trade knees in the clinch on the fence. Halfway through, it’s another fast-paced and close round. Johnson drops down for a takedown, but it’s not there. Cruz just misses a big knee, and they split apart. Johnson lands a nice right, then comes with a flying knee that just misses, then a head kick that just misses. Good knee from Cruz, and Johnson shoots for a takedown that is mostly stuffed. Cruz then gets a soft takedown on the fence, and Johnson goes into butterfly guard. Cruz isn’t doing much from the top, but it probably gives him the round. We’ll give Round 2 to Cruz, 10-9.
Round 3: Good kick from Cruz, but Johnson still comes forward and throws a kick of his own. Nice right-left from Johnson inside. Cruz throws a jab, then goes for a takedown that Johnson stops. But Cruz ties him up, then throws a gorgeous suplex. Cruz takes Johnson’s back and flattens Johnson out. He’s got a right arm under and is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. He’s got it, both palms clenched together. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets the hold back immediately, then tries to turn it to a neck crank. But miraculously, Johnson escapes, gets to his feet, and gets off some offense along the fence. Cruz looks tired from the choke, but with 1:40 left, he shoots and gets another takedown and settles into Johnson’s butterfly guard on the fence. We’ve seen this spot before, and Cruz has done very little with the position. Johnson will look to wall walk back up. Crauz works some minor ground and pound and keeps Johnson pinned down. Finally, with 20 seconds left, Johnson gets back up. They trade some knees to the body along the fence as the round closes. It’s a 10-9 round for Cruz as we move into the championship rounds.
Round 4: Cruz has been this deep before. Johnson has not. He looks fresh as ever, though. Maybe fresher than Cruz. Inside leg kicks land for each. Spinning kick from Johnson misses. Looping left grazes Johnson, and he follows with a leg kick. They trade jabs and uppercuts that mostly just miss. Johnson appears to sting Cruz with a left, but Cruz moves in for a takedown along the fence – and gets it again. More butterfly guard for Johnson against the fence. Johnson continues to defend well from here, but as Cruz tries to pass, it is able to get his left leg out and gets to full mount. Johnson is holding on to Cruz to defend, and Cruz isn’t doing much with the position. Johnson quickly gets back to guard. Johnson gets back up with 90 seconds left and pushes forward look ing for some hands to the face. Cruz takes a deep breath with a minute left, and then is nipped by a Johnson right. They clinch up again, but Cruz bullies his way to half guard on the mat. When Johnson powers up, Cruz lands a nice kick and a punch, and Johnson just misses a couple shots as the round closes. It’s another 10-9 round for Cruz, and we have him up 40-36 going to the final round.
Round 5: Johnson comes hard to open, and JUST misses a big head kick that had all kinds of bad intentions. After a short potential flurry of just-misses, Cruz ties him up again, then lands another big suplex that might have been better than his first one that came in the third round. Johnson works to get back to full guard, and he gets there. Cruz tries to work some elbows from up top and shots to the body. The referee tells them to stay busy, and Johnson works back over to the cage to try to wall walk. Cruz is keeping him down, but halfway through Johnson gets back up. He has a half-round to land a knockout punch or a submission, is what it comes down to. And he does land a couple uppercuts and a kick as they break. But Cruz is like the mothership in “Independence Day”: Target remains. Another takedown from Cruz, but Mighty Mouse pops back up and looks for a tie up. But Cruz throws him again. Cruz has to survive 90 seconds to retain, and Johnson needs to swing for the home run ball. He comes forward, Cruz ducks under and shoots for an easy takedown. He then quickly passes and gets to full mount with 50 seconds left. He looks for Johnson’s back and Cruz is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets a knee in as they break taht seems to hurt. Cruz gets one final takedown to end things. We have it 10-9 for Cruz and 50-45 for Cruz in the fight. We might hear a 49-46, but this should be fairly unanimous and a sweep or near sweep for the champion.
Result: Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson, unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and it was a tough fight,” Cruz told Joe Rogan after the fight. “The kid’s got a sick pace, so I had to outwrestle him. He didn’t surprise me. I was ready for a wicked grind, and a wicked pace. You’ve got to be able to switch up – you can’t fight everyone the same. I was looking for the finish – I had the choke in twice, and he toughed it out. He was gurgling and he just toughed it out, but that’s what you do for title fights.”
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson, the main event bantamweight title fight of tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Cruz (18-1, 1-0 UFC) defends his bantamweight title for the fourth time. His first three successful defenses were decision wins over Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen and Urijah Faber. The win over Jorgensen came at the final WEC event, after which Cruz’s WEC title became a UFC belt. Johnson (9-1, 2-0 UFC) has won three straight, including a somewhat controversial unanimous decision win over former champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130 in May. That win got him a shot at Cruz’s belt.
Round 1: They’re saying this may be the fastest-paced fight in the the history of the UFC, and it’s hard to argue. It will be hard to keep up. Both fighters throw some kicks, and Johnson comes forward as Cruz backs up. Johnson shoots for a takedown 50 seconds in, but Cruz stuffs it and lands some shots. Cruz then gets off a nice throw as Johnson hits the canvas, and Cruz works to the top and tries to pass to side control. Johnson defending nicely so far as he looks to escape. Johnson continues to defend and gets to half guard, then butterfly guard. Finally, Johnson quickly gets out and back to his feet. Head kick from Johnson is caught by Cruz and Cruz takes the fight to the ground. Short-lived leg lock from Johnson turns into an escape from Cruz and side control. Back on the feet, Johnson lands a short takedown against the fence, but Cruz gets back up quickly and Johnson ties him up with a clinch, looking for short knees and elbows. Cruz ducks under nicely and gets out, but Johnson makes him pay with a couple shots as they break. Nice kick from Cruz. It’s a close first round, but it’s a round for the champ – 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2: Johnson comes forward very quickly again, and Cruz has to tie him up and it leads to a good takedown. Cruz has Johnson backed against the fence. As Johnson gets back up, Cruz lands a nice knee to the head. But Johnson shakes it off and pushes Cruz’s back to the fence. Another good knee from Cruz on the break. High kick from Cruz misses, and one from Johnson is blocked. Johnson shoots quickly, but Cruz stuffs it and we trade positions on the fence. They trade knees in the clinch on the fence. Halfway through, it’s another fast-paced and close round. Johnson drops down for a takedown, but it’s not there. Cruz just misses a big knee, and they split apart. Johnson lands a nice right, then comes with a flying knee that just misses, then a head kick that just misses. Good knee from Cruz, and Johnson shoots for a takedown that is mostly stuffed. Cruz then gets a soft takedown on the fence, and Johnson goes into butterfly guard. Cruz isn’t doing much from the top, but it probably gives him the round. We’ll give Round 2 to Cruz, 10-9.
Round 3: Good kick from Cruz, but Johnson still comes forward and throws a kick of his own. Nice right-left from Johnson inside. Cruz throws a jab, then goes for a takedown that Johnson stops. But Cruz ties him up, then throws a gorgeous suplex. Cruz takes Johnson’s back and flattens Johnson out. He’s got a right arm under and is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. He’s got it, both palms clenched together. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets the hold back immediately, then tries to turn it to a neck crank. But miraculously, Johnson escapes, gets to his feet, and gets off some offense along the fence. Cruz looks tired from the choke, but with 1:40 left, he shoots and gets another takedown and settles into Johnson’s butterfly guard on the fence. We’ve seen this spot before, and Cruz has done very little with the position. Johnson will look to wall walk back up. Crauz works some minor ground and pound and keeps Johnson pinned down. Finally, with 20 seconds left, Johnson gets back up. They trade some knees to the body along the fence as the round closes. It’s a 10-9 round for Cruz as we move into the championship rounds.
Round 4: Cruz has been this deep before. Johnson has not. He looks fresh as ever, though. Maybe fresher than Cruz. Inside leg kicks land for each. Spinning kick from Johnson misses. Looping left grazes Johnson, and he follows with a leg kick. They trade jabs and uppercuts that mostly just miss. Johnson appears to sting Cruz with a left, but Cruz moves in for a takedown along the fence – and gets it again. More butterfly guard for Johnson against the fence. Johnson continues to defend well from here, but as Cruz tries to pass, it is able to get his left leg out and gets to full mount. Johnson is holding on to Cruz to defend, and Cruz isn’t doing much with the position. Johnson quickly gets back to guard. Johnson gets back up with 90 seconds left and pushes forward look ing for some hands to the face. Cruz takes a deep breath with a minute left, and then is nipped by a Johnson right. They clinch up again, but Cruz bullies his way to half guard on the mat. When Johnson powers up, Cruz lands a nice kick and a punch, and Johnson just misses a couple shots as the round closes. It’s another 10-9 round for Cruz, and we have him up 40-36 going to the final round.
Round 5: Johnson comes hard to open, and JUST misses a big head kick that had all kinds of bad intentions. After a short potential flurry of just-misses, Cruz ties him up again, then lands another big suplex that might have been better than his first one that came in the third round. Johnson works to get back to full guard, and he gets there. Cruz tries to work some elbows from up top and shots to the body. The referee tells them to stay busy, and Johnson works back over to the cage to try to wall walk. Cruz is keeping him down, but halfway through Johnson gets back up. He has a half-round to land a knockout punch or a submission, is what it comes down to. And he does land a couple uppercuts and a kick as they break. But Cruz is like the mothership in “Independence Day”: Target remains. Another takedown from Cruz, but Mighty Mouse pops back up and looks for a tie up. But Cruz throws him again. Cruz has to survive 90 seconds to retain, and Johnson needs to swing for the home run ball. He comes forward, Cruz ducks under and shoots for an easy takedown. He then quickly passes and gets to full mount with 50 seconds left. He looks for Johnson’s back and Cruz is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets a knee in as they break taht seems to hurt. Cruz gets one final takedown to end things. We have it 10-9 for Cruz and 50-45 for Cruz in the fight. We might hear a 49-46, but this should be fairly unanimous and a sweep or near sweep for the champion.
Result: Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson, unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and it was a tough fight,” Cruz told Joe Rogan after the fight. “The kid’s got a sick pace, so I had to outwrestle him. He didn’t surprise me. I was ready for a wicked grind, and a wicked pace. You’ve got to be able to switch up – you can’t fight everyone the same. I was looking for the finish – I had the choke in twice, and he toughed it out. He was gurgling and he just toughed it out, but that’s what you do for title fights.”
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson, the main event bantamweight title fight of tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Cruz (18-1, 1-0 UFC) defends his bantamweight title for the fourth time. His first three successful defenses were decision wins over Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen and Urijah Faber. The win over Jorgensen came at the final WEC event, after which Cruz’s WEC title became a UFC belt. Johnson (9-1, 2-0 UFC) has won three straight, including a somewhat controversial unanimous decision win over former champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130 in May. That win got him a shot at Cruz’s belt.
Round 1: They’re saying this may be the fastest-paced fight in the the history of the UFC, and it’s hard to argue. It will be hard to keep up. Both fighters throw some kicks, and Johnson comes forward as Cruz backs up. Johnson shoots for a takedown 50 seconds in, but Cruz stuffs it and lands some shots. Cruz then gets off a nice throw as Johnson hits the canvas, and Cruz works to the top and tries to pass to side control. Johnson defending nicely so far as he looks to escape. Johnson continues to defend and gets to half guard, then butterfly guard. Finally, Johnson quickly gets out and back to his feet. Head kick from Johnson is caught by Cruz and Cruz takes the fight to the ground. Short-lived leg lock from Johnson turns into an escape from Cruz and side control. Back on the feet, Johnson lands a short takedown against the fence, but Cruz gets back up quickly and Johnson ties him up with a clinch, looking for short knees and elbows. Cruz ducks under nicely and gets out, but Johnson makes him pay with a couple shots as they break. Nice kick from Cruz. It’s a close first round, but it’s a round for the champ – 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2: Johnson comes forward very quickly again, and Cruz has to tie him up and it leads to a good takedown. Cruz has Johnson backed against the fence. As Johnson gets back up, Cruz lands a nice knee to the head. But Johnson shakes it off and pushes Cruz’s back to the fence. Another good knee from Cruz on the break. High kick from Cruz misses, and one from Johnson is blocked. Johnson shoots quickly, but Cruz stuffs it and we trade positions on the fence. They trade knees in the clinch on the fence. Halfway through, it’s another fast-paced and close round. Johnson drops down for a takedown, but it’s not there. Cruz just misses a big knee, and they split apart. Johnson lands a nice right, then comes with a flying knee that just misses, then a head kick that just misses. Good knee from Cruz, and Johnson shoots for a takedown that is mostly stuffed. Cruz then gets a soft takedown on the fence, and Johnson goes into butterfly guard. Cruz isn’t doing much from the top, but it probably gives him the round. We’ll give Round 2 to Cruz, 10-9.
Round 3: Good kick from Cruz, but Johnson still comes forward and throws a kick of his own. Nice right-left from Johnson inside. Cruz throws a jab, then goes for a takedown that Johnson stops. But Cruz ties him up, then throws a gorgeous suplex. Cruz takes Johnson’s back and flattens Johnson out. He’s got a right arm under and is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. He’s got it, both palms clenched together. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets the hold back immediately, then tries to turn it to a neck crank. But miraculously, Johnson escapes, gets to his feet, and gets off some offense along the fence. Cruz looks tired from the choke, but with 1:40 left, he shoots and gets another takedown and settles into Johnson’s butterfly guard on the fence. We’ve seen this spot before, and Cruz has done very little with the position. Johnson will look to wall walk back up. Crauz works some minor ground and pound and keeps Johnson pinned down. Finally, with 20 seconds left, Johnson gets back up. They trade some knees to the body along the fence as the round closes. It’s a 10-9 round for Cruz as we move into the championship rounds.
Round 4: Cruz has been this deep before. Johnson has not. He looks fresh as ever, though. Maybe fresher than Cruz. Inside leg kicks land for each. Spinning kick from Johnson misses. Looping left grazes Johnson, and he follows with a leg kick. They trade jabs and uppercuts that mostly just miss. Johnson appears to sting Cruz with a left, but Cruz moves in for a takedown along the fence – and gets it again. More butterfly guard for Johnson against the fence. Johnson continues to defend well from here, but as Cruz tries to pass, it is able to get his left leg out and gets to full mount. Johnson is holding on to Cruz to defend, and Cruz isn’t doing much with the position. Johnson quickly gets back to guard. Johnson gets back up with 90 seconds left and pushes forward look ing for some hands to the face. Cruz takes a deep breath with a minute left, and then is nipped by a Johnson right. They clinch up again, but Cruz bullies his way to half guard on the mat. When Johnson powers up, Cruz lands a nice kick and a punch, and Johnson just misses a couple shots as the round closes. It’s another 10-9 round for Cruz, and we have him up 40-36 going to the final round.
Round 5: Johnson comes hard to open, and JUST misses a big head kick that had all kinds of bad intentions. After a short potential flurry of just-misses, Cruz ties him up again, then lands another big suplex that might have been better than his first one that came in the third round. Johnson works to get back to full guard, and he gets there. Cruz tries to work some elbows from up top and shots to the body. The referee tells them to stay busy, and Johnson works back over to the cage to try to wall walk. Cruz is keeping him down, but halfway through Johnson gets back up. He has a half-round to land a knockout punch or a submission, is what it comes down to. And he does land a couple uppercuts and a kick as they break. But Cruz is like the mothership in “Independence Day”: Target remains. Another takedown from Cruz, but Mighty Mouse pops back up and looks for a tie up. But Cruz throws him again. Cruz has to survive 90 seconds to retain, and Johnson needs to swing for the home run ball. He comes forward, Cruz ducks under and shoots for an easy takedown. He then quickly passes and gets to full mount with 50 seconds left. He looks for Johnson’s back and Cruz is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets a knee in as they break taht seems to hurt. Cruz gets one final takedown to end things. We have it 10-9 for Cruz and 50-45 for Cruz in the fight. We might hear a 49-46, but this should be fairly unanimous and a sweep or near sweep for the champion.
Result: Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson, unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and it was a tough fight,” Cruz told Joe Rogan after the fight. “The kid’s got a sick pace, so I had to outwrestle him. He didn’t surprise me. I was ready for a wicked grind, and a wicked pace. You’ve got to be able to switch up – you can’t fight everyone the same. I was looking for the finish – I had the choke in twice, and he toughed it out. He was gurgling and he just toughed it out, but that’s what you do for title fights.”
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson, the main event bantamweight title fight of tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Cruz (18-1, 1-0 UFC) defends his bantamweight title for the fourth time. His first three successful defenses were decision wins over Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen and Urijah Faber. The win over Jorgensen came at the final WEC event, after which Cruz’s WEC title became a UFC belt. Johnson (9-1, 2-0 UFC) has won three straight, including a somewhat controversial unanimous decision win over former champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130 in May. That win got him a shot at Cruz’s belt.
Round 1: They’re saying this may be the fastest-paced fight in the the history of the UFC, and it’s hard to argue. It will be hard to keep up. Both fighters throw some kicks, and Johnson comes forward as Cruz backs up. Johnson shoots for a takedown 50 seconds in, but Cruz stuffs it and lands some shots. Cruz then gets off a nice throw as Johnson hits the canvas, and Cruz works to the top and tries to pass to side control. Johnson defending nicely so far as he looks to escape. Johnson continues to defend and gets to half guard, then butterfly guard. Finally, Johnson quickly gets out and back to his feet. Head kick from Johnson is caught by Cruz and Cruz takes the fight to the ground. Short-lived leg lock from Johnson turns into an escape from Cruz and side control. Back on the feet, Johnson lands a short takedown against the fence, but Cruz gets back up quickly and Johnson ties him up with a clinch, looking for short knees and elbows. Cruz ducks under nicely and gets out, but Johnson makes him pay with a couple shots as they break. Nice kick from Cruz. It’s a close first round, but it’s a round for the champ – 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2: Johnson comes forward very quickly again, and Cruz has to tie him up and it leads to a good takedown. Cruz has Johnson backed against the fence. As Johnson gets back up, Cruz lands a nice knee to the head. But Johnson shakes it off and pushes Cruz’s back to the fence. Another good knee from Cruz on the break. High kick from Cruz misses, and one from Johnson is blocked. Johnson shoots quickly, but Cruz stuffs it and we trade positions on the fence. They trade knees in the clinch on the fence. Halfway through, it’s another fast-paced and close round. Johnson drops down for a takedown, but it’s not there. Cruz just misses a big knee, and they split apart. Johnson lands a nice right, then comes with a flying knee that just misses, then a head kick that just misses. Good knee from Cruz, and Johnson shoots for a takedown that is mostly stuffed. Cruz then gets a soft takedown on the fence, and Johnson goes into butterfly guard. Cruz isn’t doing much from the top, but it probably gives him the round. We’ll give Round 2 to Cruz, 10-9.
Round 3: Good kick from Cruz, but Johnson still comes forward and throws a kick of his own. Nice right-left from Johnson inside. Cruz throws a jab, then goes for a takedown that Johnson stops. But Cruz ties him up, then throws a gorgeous suplex. Cruz takes Johnson’s back and flattens Johnson out. He’s got a right arm under and is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. He’s got it, both palms clenched together. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets the hold back immediately, then tries to turn it to a neck crank. But miraculously, Johnson escapes, gets to his feet, and gets off some offense along the fence. Cruz looks tired from the choke, but with 1:40 left, he shoots and gets another takedown and settles into Johnson’s butterfly guard on the fence. We’ve seen this spot before, and Cruz has done very little with the position. Johnson will look to wall walk back up. Crauz works some minor ground and pound and keeps Johnson pinned down. Finally, with 20 seconds left, Johnson gets back up. They trade some knees to the body along the fence as the round closes. It’s a 10-9 round for Cruz as we move into the championship rounds.
Round 4: Cruz has been this deep before. Johnson has not. He looks fresh as ever, though. Maybe fresher than Cruz. Inside leg kicks land for each. Spinning kick from Johnson misses. Looping left grazes Johnson, and he follows with a leg kick. They trade jabs and uppercuts that mostly just miss. Johnson appears to sting Cruz with a left, but Cruz moves in for a takedown along the fence – and gets it again. More butterfly guard for Johnson against the fence. Johnson continues to defend well from here, but as Cruz tries to pass, it is able to get his left leg out and gets to full mount. Johnson is holding on to Cruz to defend, and Cruz isn’t doing much with the position. Johnson quickly gets back to guard. Johnson gets back up with 90 seconds left and pushes forward look ing for some hands to the face. Cruz takes a deep breath with a minute left, and then is nipped by a Johnson right. They clinch up again, but Cruz bullies his way to half guard on the mat. When Johnson powers up, Cruz lands a nice kick and a punch, and Johnson just misses a couple shots as the round closes. It’s another 10-9 round for Cruz, and we have him up 40-36 going to the final round.
Round 5: Johnson comes hard to open, and JUST misses a big head kick that had all kinds of bad intentions. After a short potential flurry of just-misses, Cruz ties him up again, then lands another big suplex that might have been better than his first one that came in the third round. Johnson works to get back to full guard, and he gets there. Cruz tries to work some elbows from up top and shots to the body. The referee tells them to stay busy, and Johnson works back over to the cage to try to wall walk. Cruz is keeping him down, but halfway through Johnson gets back up. He has a half-round to land a knockout punch or a submission, is what it comes down to. And he does land a couple uppercuts and a kick as they break. But Cruz is like the mothership in “Independence Day”: Target remains. Another takedown from Cruz, but Mighty Mouse pops back up and looks for a tie up. But Cruz throws him again. Cruz has to survive 90 seconds to retain, and Johnson needs to swing for the home run ball. He comes forward, Cruz ducks under and shoots for an easy takedown. He then quickly passes and gets to full mount with 50 seconds left. He looks for Johnson’s back and Cruz is looking for a rear naked choke to end it. But Johnson gets out, and Cruz gets a knee in as they break taht seems to hurt. Cruz gets one final takedown to end things. We have it 10-9 for Cruz and 50-45 for Cruz in the fight. We might hear a 49-46, but this should be fairly unanimous and a sweep or near sweep for the champion.
Result: Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson, unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and it was a tough fight,” Cruz told Joe Rogan after the fight. “The kid’s got a sick pace, so I had to outwrestle him. He didn’t surprise me. I was ready for a wicked grind, and a wicked pace. You’ve got to be able to switch up – you can’t fight everyone the same. I was looking for the finish – I had the choke in twice, and he toughed it out. He was gurgling and he just toughed it out, but that’s what you do for title fights.”
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The fight, according to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, is the biggest height discrepancy in UFC history. Struve (21-5, 5-3 UFC) is the UFC’s tallest fighter at 6-foot-11. Barry (6-3, 3-3 UFC) is 5-11. Both fighters are coming off knockout losses. Struve was stopped by a Travis Browne Superman punch at UFC 130 in May. Barry fell victim to Cheick Kongo’s already legendary come-from-behind knockout at UFC on Versus 4 in June, moments after it appeared Barry had Kongo out on his feet with the fight about to be stopped.
A loss for either will be the first losing streak of his career.
Round 1: It’s the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, Struve (6-11), against the shortest, Barry (5-11). The size difference has been comical to both fighters leading up to the bout. But comedy goes out the window now. Tentative start for both. Barry eats the first body kick, then throws a straight kick. Inside leg kick from Barry lands. Then another. Straight left from Struve finds a home, but it’s Barry coming forward. He throws a left, then another inside leg kick, then another left hand. Outside leg kick from Barry now, and he checks a high kick from Struve in exchange. Referee Dan Miragliotta tells the two big guys to show something. A short flurry has not much there for either fighter, but a Barry right looks good right after. Then another inside leg kick. Strive misses a left hook. Barry comes with another inside leg kick, then tries to push through a couple left jabs. Struve works a couple body kicks, and Barry answers with one of his own. Big knee from Struve just misses, and that may be his best bet given the size advantage he has. Struve throws a kick to the knee, then one to the body. Barry then ducks under a right. Another inside leg kick from Barry is good, but it doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of damage. The crowd is slightly restless. Left straight kick from Struve is answered with another inside leg kick from Barry. Struve throws a big kick that lands toward the end of the round. And that might curry favor with some judges in a close round. But we’re giving the first round to Barry, just barely, 10-9, for coming forward more and throwing with a little more consistency.
Round 2: Dan Miragliotta tells the two they have to “step it up.” So let’s see what happens. Inside leg kick from Struve is answered by a nice uppercut from Barry – and I mean seriously, UPPERcut. He had to in order to reach. Big left head kick from Barry gets to Struve’s right shoulder shortly after. Then an outside leg kick from Barry. Combo to the head, then a kick to the outer leg by Barry, and Struve answers with a nice kick of his own. We trade soft leg kicks with about 2 minutes left. Struve briefly tries to tie Barry up in a clinch, but Barry pushes out of it, wary of the potential for Struve’s knees. Struve throws a kne, and Barry answers with a left. Struve ties him up and tries for a guillotine. Barry is in side control and in a choke. He gets out, but Struve gets a triangle. It’s deep. Barry amazingly picks Struve up with the triangle still on, and drops a massive slam. But Struve still has it, and Barry has to tap. It’s the first two-fight skid of Barry’s career.
Result: Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry, submission (triangle choke), 3:22 Round 2
“I’ve been working on my kickboxing and my reach. I’m thrilled with the result. But give it up for Pat. He’s one of the coolest dudes in MMA,” Struve tells Joe Rogan after the fight.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The fight, according to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, is the biggest height discrepancy in UFC history. Struve (21-5, 5-3 UFC) is the UFC’s tallest fighter at 6-foot-11. Barry (6-3, 3-3 UFC) is 5-11. Both fighters are coming off knockout losses. Struve was stopped by a Travis Browne Superman punch at UFC 130 in May. Barry fell victim to Cheick Kongo’s already legendary come-from-behind knockout at UFC on Versus 4 in June, moments after it appeared Barry had Kongo out on his feet with the fight about to be stopped.
A loss for either will be the first losing streak of his career.
Round 1: It’s the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, Struve (6-11), against the shortest, Barry (5-11). The size difference has been comical to both fighters leading up to the bout. But comedy goes out the window now. Tentative start for both. Barry eats the first body kick, then throws a straight kick. Inside leg kick from Barry lands. Then another. Straight left from Struve finds a home, but it’s Barry coming forward. He throws a left, then another inside leg kick, then another left hand. Outside leg kick from Barry now, and he checks a high kick from Struve in exchange. Referee Dan Miragliotta tells the two big guys to show something. A short flurry has not much there for either fighter, but a Barry right looks good right after. Then another inside leg kick. Strive misses a left hook. Barry comes with another inside leg kick, then tries to push through a couple left jabs. Struve works a couple body kicks, and Barry answers with one of his own. Big knee from Struve just misses, and that may be his best bet given the size advantage he has. Struve throws a kick to the knee, then one to the body. Barry then ducks under a right. Another inside leg kick from Barry is good, but it doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of damage. The crowd is slightly restless. Left straight kick from Struve is answered with another inside leg kick from Barry. Struve throws a big kick that lands toward the end of the round. And that might curry favor with some judges in a close round. But we’re giving the first round to Barry, just barely, 10-9, for coming forward more and throwing with a little more consistency.
Round 2: Dan Miragliotta tells the two they have to “step it up.” So let’s see what happens. Inside leg kick from Struve is answered by a nice uppercut from Barry – and I mean seriously, UPPERcut. He had to in order to reach. Big left head kick from Barry gets to Struve’s right shoulder shortly after. Then an outside leg kick from Barry. Combo to the head, then a kick to the outer leg by Barry, and Struve answers with a nice kick of his own. We trade soft leg kicks with about 2 minutes left. Struve briefly tries to tie Barry up in a clinch, but Barry pushes out of it, wary of the potential for Struve’s knees. Struve throws a kne, and Barry answers with a left. Struve ties him up and tries for a guillotine. Barry is in side control and in a choke. He gets out, but Struve gets a triangle. It’s deep. Barry amazingly picks Struve up with the triangle still on, and drops a massive slam. But Struve still has it, and Barry has to tap. It’s the first two-fight skid of Barry’s career.
Result: Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry, submission (triangle choke), 3:22 Round 2
“I’ve been working on my kickboxing and my reach. I’m thrilled with the result. But give it up for Pat. He’s one of the coolest dudes in MMA,” Struve tells Joe Rogan after the fight.
Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC) returned in March after a 16-month layoff and won a unanimous decision against Dan Hardy. But an injury forced him out of a fight with Nate Marquardt in June, a bout that became Rick Story vs. Brenneman the day before the fight. Brenneman (14-3, 3-1 UFC) won that bout, after having his previous fight on the card scrapped earlier in the week, snapping Story’s six-fight UFC winning streak.
Round 1: Johnson should have a significant size advantage, as he’s regarded as the biggest welterweight in, like, ever. Brenneman catches a leg kick, then backs way out of a Johnson attack. Johnson tracks him down and throws a straight kick that Brenneman avoids. Brenneman trying to hold on on the ground, but Johnson is working some big fists on the ground. Johnson is holding Brenneman’s head down with his right hand and is l anding strikes with the left. It’s a bad spot for Brenneman, and now Johnson starts to light him up with knees to the body. Johnson spins to try to take Brenneman’s back. Brenneman wriggles his way back to half guard, then looks for an arm-in guillotine. Johnson stays busy and gets out. He just misses a kick, but Brenneman scrambles out. But after Brenneman gets up, Johnson telegraphs a huge left kick to the face. Brenneman drops to his butt immediately, and Mario Yamasaki steps in to stop it. Brenneman immediately pops up wondering why it was stopped – and it appears he’s completely fine. It’s the third potentially bad stoppage of the night, but Johnson is going to have a TKO victory.
Result: Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman, TKO, 2:49 Round 1
“I’m very happy. Everyone was talking crap about my last performance against Dan Hardy, so I figured I had to come out here and make a statement. I told Charlie, he was the first guy to ever have me nervous. His wrestling is so good, and I respect him and his camp so much,” Johnson told Joe Rogan after the fight.
Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC) returned in March after a 16-month layoff and won a unanimous decision against Dan Hardy. But an injury forced him out of a fight with Nate Marquardt in June, a bout that became Rick Story vs. Brenneman the day before the fight. Brenneman (14-3, 3-1 UFC) won that bout, after having his previous fight on the card scrapped earlier in the week, snapping Story’s six-fight UFC winning streak.
Round 1: Johnson should have a significant size advantage, as he’s regarded as the biggest welterweight in, like, ever. Brenneman catches a leg kick, then backs way out of a Johnson attack. Johnson tracks him down and throws a straight kick that Brenneman avoids. Brenneman trying to hold on on the ground, but Johnson is working some big fists on the ground. Johnson is holding Brenneman’s head down with his right hand and is l anding strikes with the left. It’s a bad spot for Brenneman, and now Johnson starts to light him up with knees to the body. Johnson spins to try to take Brenneman’s back. Brenneman wriggles his way back to half guard, then looks for an arm-in guillotine. Johnson stays busy and gets out. He just misses a kick, but Brenneman scrambles out. But after Brenneman gets up, Johnson telegraphs a huge left kick to the face. Brenneman drops to his butt immediately, and Mario Yamasaki steps in to stop it. Brenneman immediately pops up wondering why it was stopped – and it appears he’s completely fine. It’s the third potentially bad stoppage of the night, but Johnson is going to have a TKO victory.
Result: Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman, TKO, 2:49 Round 1
“I’m very happy. Everyone was talking crap about my last performance against Dan Hardy, so I figured I had to come out here and make a statement. I told Charlie, he was the first guy to ever have me nervous. His wrestling is so good, and I respect him and his camp so much,” Johnson told Joe Rogan after the fight.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The bout is a rematch from a controversial fight at UFC 115 in June 2010 that Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) won by submission when Yves Lavigne stopped the fight, though Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC) never tapped or lost consciousness. The two were scheduled to meet three months later, but Danzig was forced off Fight Night 22 with an injury.
Danzig, the TUF 6 winner, returns for the first time since a knockout win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 124 in December. Wiman had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 132 with a decision loss to Dennis Siver.
Round 1: The rematch is ready. Wiman takes the center and opens with an inside leg kick, then gets aggressive with some punches. Danzig ties him up and lands some nice uppercuts. Then lands some knees in the clinch. Body-head from Danzig, and he pushes Wiman to the cage. Wiman answers with elbows, and Danzig throws a head kick that is on the money – but is caught by Wiman. Wiman takes the fight to the ground and has Danzig pressed against the cage. But Danzig works his way back and looks for a choke while Wiman holds on to Danzig’s left leg. Guillotine attempt from Danzig, and when he can’t hold on he starts lobbing several strikes to Wiman’s head that find the mark. Danzig’s last fight won Knockout of the Night. Wiman comes with a combination that pushes Danzig to the cage. Traded elbows in the center, and Danzig looks for a headlock. Right hand, then left hook from Wiman. Danzig goes body-head yet again, but Wiman backs him up with a knee. Wiman with a left kick then a shot to the body has Danzig on the fence. Danzig is cut around his nose. Nice right from Wiman is answered with a kick to the body by Danzig. Wiman gestures to a backpedaling Danzig to come forward. More body shots from Danzig. It’s a pretty even first round – very tough to score. Since going 10-10 is taking the easy way out, we’ll give a very close 10-9 first round to Wiman.
Round 2:
Wiman takes the middle first and eats a leg kick. Big right from Wiman misses, and Danzig ties him up and lands some body shots. Wiman looks for elbows in close and hits some while eating some Danzig short uppercuts. Wiman takes the fight to the wall, then scores a big takedown into half guard when they move back to the middle. Danzig briefly gets to side control before Wiman gets back to full guard. Wiman throws up a triangle attempt and tries to work on an armbar. He’s got it. Danzig tries to get out of this thing, but Wiman’s got him good. Danzig goes low to keep the leverage away, and he is able to break the hold. He lands some good ground and pound shortly after, then gets to half guard. Again Wiman gets an arm and tries for a kimura. Again Danzig gets out and lands some ground and pound. Wiman gets back to his feet, then eats a short flurry from Danzig. With a minute left, Wiman comes forward and lands some good shots. Leg kick from Wiman. He shoots, but misses and Danzig counters with some good strikes. It’s a close second round, with Wiman scoring points for the submission attempts, but Danzig scoring on the takedown and getting the better of the striking game. Close again, but we’ll give the second to Danzig 10-9.
Round 3:
Superman punch from Wiman misses, and he throws a kick afterward. Nice uppercut from Wiman after a Danzig combo in the clinch. Wiman appears to be coming forward more, and that may wind up being the difference if this fight goes to the judges. Nice elbows from Wiman in the clinch as they trade position on the cage. It’s pretty clear this is tonight’s leading Fight of the Night candidate so far. Wiman’s takedown attempt is stopped, and he counters with a big right to the body. Danzig’s corner yells that Wiman is gassing, but Danzig looks tired, too. More elbows from Wiman, and the two trade looping flurries before breaking. Wiman shoots for a single, drops down, and now has Danzig on top in half guard. Wiman is bleeding from his nose, and Danzig is going for Wiman’d back. With half a round to go, Danzig takes Wiman’s back and tries to get hooks in for a choke. But Wiman defends, shakes him off and Wiman winds up on top in half guard – that may have been the most critical point in this fight. Big elbows from Wiman on the ground. Danzig trying to get up but it’s not happening yet. Danzig’s face right now is the second worst of the night after Keith Wisniewski on the prelims. Danzig trying to get up with a wall walk, and finally does. He’s got 35 seconds to make something happen. The two trade elbows and short uppercuts on the fence. Wiman drops down looking for another takedown. Danzig throws on a guillotine at the end of the round, but Wiman gives thumbs up to the ref that he’s OK. Danzig has it for only five seconds or so before the final horn sounds. It’s another great round, very exciting, and likely a Fight of the Night winner. But we’ll give the third round to Wiman 10-9 and the fight to him 29-28.
Result: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The bout is a rematch from a controversial fight at UFC 115 in June 2010 that Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) won by submission when Yves Lavigne stopped the fight, though Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC) never tapped or lost consciousness. The two were scheduled to meet three months later, but Danzig was forced off Fight Night 22 with an injury.
Danzig, the TUF 6 winner, returns for the first time since a knockout win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 124 in December. Wiman had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 132 with a decision loss to Dennis Siver.
Round 1: The rematch is ready. Wiman takes the center and opens with an inside leg kick, then gets aggressive with some punches. Danzig ties him up and lands some nice uppercuts. Then lands some knees in the clinch. Body-head from Danzig, and he pushes Wiman to the cage. Wiman answers with elbows, and Danzig throws a head kick that is on the money – but is caught by Wiman. Wiman takes the fight to the ground and has Danzig pressed against the cage. But Danzig works his way back and looks for a choke while Wiman holds on to Danzig’s left leg. Guillotine attempt from Danzig, and when he can’t hold on he starts lobbing several strikes to Wiman’s head that find the mark. Danzig’s last fight won Knockout of the Night. Wiman comes with a combination that pushes Danzig to the cage. Traded elbows in the center, and Danzig looks for a headlock. Right hand, then left hook from Wiman. Danzig goes body-head yet again, but Wiman backs him up with a knee. Wiman with a left kick then a shot to the body has Danzig on the fence. Danzig is cut around his nose. Nice right from Wiman is answered with a kick to the body by Danzig. Wiman gestures to a backpedaling Danzig to come forward. More body shots from Danzig. It’s a pretty even first round – very tough to score. Since going 10-10 is taking the easy way out, we’ll give a very close 10-9 first round to Wiman.
Round 2:
Wiman takes the middle first and eats a leg kick. Big right from Wiman misses, and Danzig ties him up and lands some body shots. Wiman looks for elbows in close and hits some while eating some Danzig short uppercuts. Wiman takes the fight to the wall, then scores a big takedown into half guard when they move back to the middle. Danzig briefly gets to side control before Wiman gets back to full guard. Wiman throws up a triangle attempt and tries to work on an armbar. He’s got it. Danzig tries to get out of this thing, but Wiman’s got him good. Danzig goes low to keep the leverage away, and he is able to break the hold. He lands some good ground and pound shortly after, then gets to half guard. Again Wiman gets an arm and tries for a kimura. Again Danzig gets out and lands some ground and pound. Wiman gets back to his feet, then eats a short flurry from Danzig. With a minute left, Wiman comes forward and lands some good shots. Leg kick from Wiman. He shoots, but misses and Danzig counters with some good strikes. It’s a close second round, with Wiman scoring points for the submission attempts, but Danzig scoring on the takedown and getting the better of the striking game. Close again, but we’ll give the second to Danzig 10-9.
Round 3:
Superman punch from Wiman misses, and he throws a kick afterward. Nice uppercut from Wiman after a Danzig combo in the clinch. Wiman appears to be coming forward more, and that may wind up being the difference if this fight goes to the judges. Nice elbows from Wiman in the clinch as they trade position on the cage. It’s pretty clear this is tonight’s leading Fight of the Night candidate so far. Wiman’s takedown attempt is stopped, and he counters with a big right to the body. Danzig’s corner yells that Wiman is gassing, but Danzig looks tired, too. More elbows from Wiman, and the two trade looping flurries before breaking. Wiman shoots for a single, drops down, and now has Danzig on top in half guard. Wiman is bleeding from his nose, and Danzig is going for Wiman’d back. With half a round to go, Danzig takes Wiman’s back and tries to get hooks in for a choke. But Wiman defends, shakes him off and Wiman winds up on top in half guard – that may have been the most critical point in this fight. Big elbows from Wiman on the ground. Danzig trying to get up but it’s not happening yet. Danzig’s face right now is the second worst of the night after Keith Wisniewski on the prelims. Danzig trying to get up with a wall walk, and finally does. He’s got 35 seconds to make something happen. The two trade elbows and short uppercuts on the fence. Wiman drops down looking for another takedown. Danzig throws on a guillotine at the end of the round, but Wiman gives thumbs up to the ref that he’s OK. Danzig has it for only five seconds or so before the final horn sounds. It’s another great round, very exciting, and likely a Fight of the Night winner. But we’ll give the third round to Wiman 10-9 and the fight to him 29-28.
Result: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Four fighters from Saturday’s UFC on Versus 6 card in Washington, D.C., added $65,000 bonus checks to their take-home pay after the show. 
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