(Man, Edith LaBelle has really let herself go.)
After sorting out some technical difficulties with my satellite company, I am set up to get this b*tch blogged for y’all.
Forget the foreplay, let’s just get to it.
UFC 130 Preliminary Bouts (On Facebook)
Gleison Tibau defeats Rafaello by submission (rear naked choke) 3:28 – R2
Michael McDonald defeats Chris Cariaso by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Renan Barao defeats Cole Escovedo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
UFC 130 Preliminary Bouts (On Spike TV)
Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres by unanimous decision – 29-28 (all)
Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove by unanimous decision -30-27 (all)
Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago
Round 1
Stann throws a combo, and a lead leg kick. Santiago backing and circling to the right away from Stann’s power hand. Santiago seems to be dropping his head when he throws his combos. Kick to the body for Santiago. Overhand right just misses Stann. Stann continues to move forward. Santiago slips, but gets back to his feet quickly. Santiago lands a lead leg kick. Stann answers with one of his own. Santiago still trying for the overhand right. Stann looks like his game plan is to land combo-leg kick, combo-leg kick. Santiago lands a head kick but doesn’t seem to hurt Stann. Stann drops Santiago with a left after a combo and jumps on top. Santiago throws some up-kicks to try to survive, but Stann gets back on top and into Santiago’s guard, where he forces the Brazilian into the fence and continues his onslaught of ground and pound. Hammer fists and forearm strikes from Stann continue to score. Stann gets back up to his feet and lands a handful of stiff rights before both men regain their feet as the horn sounds.
Round 2
Stiff right by Santiago. Santiago tries for a takedown, but only succeeds in pushing Stann against the cage. Stann circles out and both men throw hooks. Santiago’s lands. Santiago slips again as Stann kicks his leg. He recovers and catches Stann’s chin with a short right. Stann is controlling the Octagon. He stuffs another takedown and clinches before circling away again. Stann lands another front leg kick. Santiago is stunned with a left hook. Santiago lands a spinning back fist, but Stann’s ok. Stann catches a lazy leg kick by Santiago but lets it go. Stann connect with another right to the jaw, followed by a leg kick. Left to the forehead by Stann, followed by a combo that has Santiago on his heels. Santiago tries a flying knee, but Stann knocks him onto his back with a hook. Leg kick by Stann met by crisp right by Santiago. Stann lands a body kick. He drops Santiago with a right and follows up with a half dozen rights that leave Santiago dazed and confused on the canvas.
Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago by TKO (strikes) 4:29 – R2
———-
Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1
Story throws a combo, Alves dodges and stuffs a takedown. Story shoots again. Alves tries to stall but runs out of room and ends up on his ass agains the cage. Alves puts his hand on the canvas, and Story punishes his side with knees, and continues to tenderizes Alves thighs with relentless knees. Alves needs to get up. Alves gets underhooks and takes Story down, but Story reverses and gets back to his feet. Story working against the fence, and Alves doing his best to prevent being taken down. Story is controlling Alves against the cage, and landing knees to the body and thighs. Finally he breaks and throws a wild combination, but Alves defends. So far this has been more of a clinch match than a fight. Both fighters with 20 seconds left are going toe to toe, winging punches and kicks and the round ends with Story shooting for a takedown.
Round 2
Alves lands a good body kick. Another kick to the body, but Story grabs this one and drags Alves to the canvas. Both men regain their feet. Story has Alves moving backwards, anticipating the takedown. Story shoots for a double, and drops Alves on his back, but Thiago uses the cage to get back to his feet and drops Story on his back with a kick. Alves working from half guard. Story’s elbow is bleeding. Story explodes and gets back to his feet. Story drops for a single, but Thiago defends. Alves can’t get his back off the cage. Alves makes space, but Story ducks under a left hook and grabs him around the waist. Alves seems to be tiring. The referee calls for a break. Alves lands a stiff right, and Story shoots. Alves sprawls. Story turns the corner and drags Alves back down against the fence. Alves stands back up, and is pinned back agains the cage. Alves connects with another right, but can’t get anything going as the buzzer sounds.
Round 3
Story shoots, Alves spins and lands a stiff knee that seems to hurt Story. Story shoots again, and pushes Alves against the fence, landing a knee to the body as they break. Alves lands a left hook, but backs himself into a corner, avoiding Story’s combo. Story lands a left to the body, and grabs a single. Alves defends, and backs away. Story lands a left hook, but Alves answers with a heaver left of his own. Story is breathing heavy. Alves connects with another left to the ear. Alves lands a stiff right. Story seems to be slowing. Alves is getting the better of these exchanges, and Story wants out and grabs for another double. Alves ducks underneath the clinch and circles out, and sneaks in another right hook, and catches Story with a knee as the wrestler shoots. Story clinches again against the cage. Alves again pushes away and circles out. Thiago lands a right and clinches, connecting with a handful of knees and a combo as the round ends.
Rick Story def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision – 29-28 (all)
———-
Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
Round 1
Both fighters exchange leg kicks, and both keep their hands low. A pair of body kicks connect with each, and Struve tries for a Superman punch that doesn’t connect. Struve presses Browne against the cage, and eats a short elbow. Browne reverses and lands a handful of knees, but Mazzagatti calls for a break. Struve throws a front kick, but it’s blocked by Browne. Browne lands a leg kick and then another. Struve lands a kick to the body, but Browne catches it and lets it go. Browne is winging that overhand right repeatedly, but can’t connect. Struve using the front kick to create space. Struve clinches and attempts to spin Browne into the cage, but ends up on his back as Browne trips him. Browne tries to pass the guard, but is thrown off by Struve. Before Browne can scramble to his feet, Browne locks in a D’arce choke, and switches to an anaconda choke. Struve jumps for a flying knee to the body, and eats a Superman punch, and is out before he hits the canvas, but Browne follows up with a pair of hammerfists for good measure to make sure he finished the fight.
Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve by knockout (strikes) 4:11 – R1
———
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Round 1
Nelson throws a combo and immediately bumrushes Mir into the cage, but can’t complete the takedown. Mir reverses, but can’t keep Nelson from circling out. Nelson works against the cage with short shots, and Mir clinches and lands a knee to Nelson’s forehead. Mir lands a left right, and just misses with a head kick, and gets tagged with a left. Big Country pushes Mir into the fence, and Frank checks the clock with two and a half minutes left. Mir lands a half dozen knees to Nelson’s rotund mid-section and finishes up the flurry with a combination. Nelson grabs on and pushes Mir back into the cage, but does little else than hold him there. Nelson pushes off and whiffs with a right. Combo by Nelson just misses, and Mir makes him pay with another knee to the gut. Mir with a hip throw, takes Nelson’s back, but Roy stands back up and again pushes his much bigger opponent into the fence. The round ends with Nelson connecting with a knee to Mir’s solar plexus.
Round 2
Both men come out breathing heavy and with much less steam behind their shots. Mir lands a body kick. Nelson, a light combo. Mir presses Nelson into the cage now and gets the trip. Working from half guard, Mir covers Nelson’s mouth and takes his back, as Nelson rolls out. Nelson gets back to his feet, and Mir lets him. Nelson lands a few inside uppercuts and eats another knee to the chin. Mir drops for a double, and drops Nelson on his back. Working to pass the guard, Mir pins Nelson’s right arm down like a bully on the playground. Nelson gets back to his feet again after a scramble. Nelson pushes Mir into the cage. Both men are clearly exhausted. Mir lands a kick and a knee to the body, and gets tagged with an overhand right. Nelson pushes Mir once again back up against the cage, but can’t finish the single. Mir’s using overhooks to stifle Nelson’s punches. Josh Rosenthal warns both fighters to work, as they seem content to hug it out. A break before the bell solves nothing as the buzzer sounds a few seconds later.
Round 3
Nelson’s hands are dropped. He’s ready for bed. Mir lands a front kick to the belly. He’s looking for a big combo a la King Hippo. Mir gets the takedown and works short elbows from half guard while covering Nelson’s mouth. Nelson really needs to think long and hard about dropping down to 205. Mir’s size and strength are just too much for him. Nelson scrambles back to his feet. Mir narrowly misses with a knee to the face, but connects with the follow up. Another takedown. Mir working again from side control, scoring with punches and elbows. Roy scrambles back to his feet again. Mir drops him on his back again, and continues to punish Nelson with big elbows while pinning down his right arm above his head. Nelson scrambles back to his feet, and this time avoids the takedown until the buzzer sounds to end the fight.
Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
———-
Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
Round 1
Hamill comes out throwing leg kicks. Rampage is stalking him. Rampage sprawls, avoids the takedown, and tags Hamill on the temple with a left. Looks like Hamill wants to kickbox. Rampage watching Hamill’s face like he’s zoning in on a target. Hamill whiffs with a half-hearted head kick. Rampage continues to push forward. Hamill steps in with a combo that misses, and Rampage connects with a left. Hamill is dropping his hands and his head as he wades in. Hamill fakes the takedown, and Rampage immediately drops his hands, waiting to sprawl. Rampage lands a right to the body and an uppercut. Hamill throws an overhand right and misses, and a leg kick. Another takedown fails. Again, Rampage stuffs Hamill’s takedown attempt. Hamill’s backed up with a jab. Jackson showing great footwork. Hamill lands the jab. Jackson stuffs another takedown. Hamill clinches. Rampage pushes him off and connects with a right. Hamill seems hurt. Jackson stocking forward, and connects with a right and then a left. The round finishes as a lead leg kick lands on Hamill’s thigh.
Round 2
Jackson’s cut over the right eye. Hamill is bloody around the mouth. Hamill continues his leg kick attacks. He throws a weird crane kick and Jackson shrugs it off. Hamill shoots, Rampage defends and pushes him up against the cage. Jackson lands a knee to the body. Hamill drops a level and shoots and Rampage connects with a knee to the belly. Hamill drops for another takedown. Jackson lands a combo and just misses with a knee. Hamill seems tired. Jackson is still on his toes. Hamill’s leg kicks even seem like he’s going through the motions. Rampage catches Hamill with a left to the chin as he drops his head. Hamill connects with a jab and follows up with a leg kick. Another jab by Hamill. Hamill clinches, Rampage stuffs and lands with another punch to the face and a shot to the body. Hamill throws a head kick, and Rampage knocks him off kilter with a combination. He seems hurt, but battles back. Hamill shoots, Rampage stuffs and jumps in for an elbow that grazes Hamill’s ear.
Round 3
Hamill attempts the Superman punch, Jackson counters. Double jab by Hamill. Rampage misses with a right hook. Hamill pushes Jackson into the fence and misses with the push-off uppercut. Rampage hits the jab. Hamill connects with the right left. Hamill connects with a leg kick, and eats a left to the body. Hamill pushes Jackson into the corner and takes a knee to the body. Quinton takes wrist control and avoids another takedown. Right elbow, left hook by Jackson. Leg kick by Jackson. Hamill lands a left hook. Jackson nearly takes the back, looking for a slam. The crowd is booing with a minute and a half left. Jackson is tired. Hamill fakes a shot. Jackson lands a knee to the body. Rampage has double underhooks. Hamill reverse and pushes Jackson against the cage where he uses dirty boxing, but not for long. Jackson gets his second wind, but it’s too little, too late as the buzzer sounds.
Quinton Jackson def. Matt Hamill by unanimous decision – 30-27 (all)
Somehow I don’t see this version of Rampage lasting very long with Jon Jones.