(Right before this picture was taken, Chael asked Anderson to smell his finger. And yes, it smelled like steak sauce. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com. For more from this set, click here.)
UFC 148 goes down this evening at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the stakes have never been higher — either Anderson Silva‘s historic middleweight title reign comes to an abrupt end, or all of Chael Sonnen’s limbs and teeth are about to be broken. Either way, we’re in for an interesting night.
Also on the card: Tito Ortiz bids us farewell with a rubber-match against his old buddy Forrest Griffin, Demian Maia makes his welterweight debut against Dong Hyun Kim, and Cung Le tries to rebound against the returning Patrick Cote.
Live round-by-round results from the “Silva vs. Sonnen 2″ pay-per-view main card will be piling up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, courtesy of Elias Cepeda. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please toss in your own two cents in the comments section.
We are live, ‘tater nation! The main card for the biggest card since for ever since is underway.
Rd 1
Easton takes the center of the ring and is moving in and out, bouncing up and down while incorporating lots of head movement early. Glancing leg kick and jab from Easton. Menjivar lands a rear leg kick, swings and misses with a head kick. Menjivar misses on an over hand right. Easton throws a punch combo, misses, Ivan misses with a spinning back fist.
The, overhand right from Menjivar, countered by Easton swinging a right cross, left hook combo pattern repeats itself. Neither man has been able to connect solidly yet though. Easton lands a lead head kick that backs Menjivar up. Ivan appears to still have his legs under him, though, and continues his movement.
Ivan returns fire with a read head kick but Easton blocks it. Easton attempts but misses on a spinning back kick. Easton counters a punch from Menjivar with a cross. Easton starting to finish his combos with rear round house leg kicks. Menjivar using teeps to keep Easton at bay.
Ivan swings and misses with another overhand right, is countered by a right from Easton. Easton shoots for a take down with seconds left in the round but is stuffed. The horn sounds and we head into the 2nd.
Rd 2
Easton with a switch kick with his left leg to the right side of Menjivar’s body. Lots of feints from Ivan, lots of head movement from Mike. The pair briefly get tied up in a head and arm clinch but soon separate. Easton throws a lead inside leg kick, Menjivar tries to counter but misses with another over hand right.
Easton throws another right cross, left hook combo and the left hook lands. Menjivar working straight front kicks to the knees of Easton. Nothing has landed too stiff yet though. Menjivar catches a right kick to the body from Easton and tries to kick sweep the other leg out from him but can’t move him.
Easton still taking the center of the cage most of the time, dictating the pace. Menjivar lands a right high kick. Easton looks unmoved. Easton blocks a left high kick. Under a minute left and Menjivar is moving to his left, Easton’s power side. Menjivar lands a right hook to the body.
Easton lands a body shot of his own. Easton has Menjivar backed against the cage and throws a flying knee that is blocked. Round ends. Fans boo. Plebians.
Rd 3
Joe Rogan comments that Easton is probably up on the scorecards based on his aggression and a slight edge in shots landed. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s probably right.
Easton is speeding it up, throwing more punch combos. They are not landing, but he’s swinging hard. Menjivar has yet to mount much of an offense yet this round either, but is pawing and measuring with the jab and looking to counter with punches. Menjivar throws a spinning back forearm but is blocked. Easton throws a left high kick that is blocked.
Menjivar throws a spinning side kick but misses as Easton changes levels and takes him down. Two and a half minutes left in the round and Easton has Ivan pinned against the cage in his full guard. Menjivar throws up an arm bar attempt but Easton quickly gets out.
Easton postures up from inside the full guard, Menjivar scrambles to his feet. Menjivar complains about something and referee Josh Rosenthal steps in momentarily but restarts the action with barely a moment’s delay.
A minute left and Menjivar lands a right hand to Easton’s body. Easton fires back but misses. Easton tries a jumping switch kick or something and misses and falls to the ground. He gets right back up and tries a spinning kick.
The round ends and the fans boo again. Both fighters embrace, Easton raises his hands in victory. What do the judges think?
Two judges have it 30-27 for Easton and the third scores it 29-28. Mike Easton gets it done. Who cares if Antonio Esfandiari and his fellow hooligan Vegas crowd members liked it or not?
McKenzie has such a nasty guillotine, who cares if he pretends he invented it? He’s stepping up in level of competition for sure against Mendes. No matter how it goes down, you gotta hand it to the Alaska native McKenzie for truly looking like he’s from Alaska.
Rd 1
McKenzie throws a few missed head kicks and then tries one to the body which Mendes catches and then lands a monster right punch to the body that drops his opponent to the mat, face-first. McKenzie has the wind knocked out of him, is turtled up and Mendes ends the fight with hammer fist strikes. Referee stoppage at thirty one seconds, Chad Mendes with the win.
Rd 1
Kim throws a lead low kick and Maia shoots right in. He’s clinched up against the fence and quickly works to the back of Kim, first getting one hook in and then letting go and trying to suplex Kim. Maia keeps control of Kim as he moves him around the ring, trying to slam him backwards and then forward.
Maia gets the trip, slamming Kim’s head right on the edge of the cage. Maia gets mount and starts to rain down punches. Its clear that Kim is in pain and Maia stands up, raising his hands in victory. No protest from Kim, he’s done.
Maia beats Mendes for quickest stoppage of the night thus far with a TKO in 27 seconds. Wow. I guess 170 might be a good weight for Maia if he can rag doll someone like Kim.
Whoah, on second (or 10th) instant replay viewing, it looks like Kim jacked his arm up by posting on it as he was being taken down, ala Shogun vs. Coleman I.
Patrick Cote vs. Cung Le
Cote walks out to Hammer’s “Too legit to 2 (?)quit.” And he looks to be singing along the shit out of it, too. If Cung Le comes out to something from Vanilla Ice, I’m getting up and walking away…He does not. LiveBlog continues.
Rd 1
Cote paws a jab, throws a body kick, Cung catches it and kicks out Cote’s other leg out from under him. Cote sorta blocks a head kick. Cote seems eager to strike with Le. Cote pushing the pace, Le, countering with marching-forward punches. No one has landed big yet with strikes.
Le continues to work the right side of Cote with his own rear left leg, lands a body kick. Le lands a jab to the head. Le lands a body kick, Cote answers with his own. Cote lands a hook, Le throws a body kick that’s blocked. Cote lands another hook.
Cote storms Le, clips him with an uppercut, Le side steps and hits the back of Cote’s head with an over hand right. Cote has made no attempt at a take down yet. Le clips Cote with a left punch. Le throws a body kick, gets mostly blocked. Le with a lead side kick to the thigh of Cote.
Cote switches to a south paw stance for a moment, then switches back. Cote stalks Le around the cage for the closing moments. The horn sounds and we head to round number two.
Rd 2
Cote takes the center of the ring but Le eagerly meets him. Cote gets a clinch, Le separates them with an over hand right. Le lands partially with a spinning heel kick to the head of Cote. Le throws another high kick. Cote blocks and answers with a straight right down the middle to the face of Le.
Cote lands another right hand in a punch combo to Le’s head. Le lands a stif lead right hook to the jaw of Cote that hurts him. Cote keeps moving forward, gets the Thai plum and throws a knee to the head of Le but is mostly blocked.
Le’s face is cute open. Does not seem to bother him at all yet. Cote gets his head moving, hoping to be more elusive. Le throws a left rear body kick and then a right hook. Cote lands an uppercut and pushes forward with punches that mostly miss and a kick to the hip of Le. Le looks composed but simply reacting to Cote may be taking its toll on the San Shou legend.
Le lands a right hook, then another. They are in the Thai clinch, trading shots, the round ends.
Rd 3
The two find themselves in the clinch once more. Cote is able to back Le up against the cage a minute in to the final round. Cote has both under hooks, Le swims in and lands a knee to the head of Cote as he circles away from the cage. They are in free standing range once more.
Le whiffs on two head kicks. Cote goes to the left side of Le’s body with a right hook and they are soon in a clinch again, with Le’s back pressed against the cage. Le is bleeding from under his left eye. Le lands a trip slam! Sanshou ain’t only good for crazy kicks, people. Cote gets back to his feet and tries for a single leg take down. Le defends and frees himself.
Le lands a counter right hook flush to Cote’s jaw. Cote fires back, more slowly, with punches to the head. They end up in a loose clinch and Cote fires shots, Le weaves under and lands a thudding over hand right to Cote’s head. Le lands another takedown. This time he holds Cote down for longer and he’s in the Canadian’s full guard with thirty seconds left. Le smothers Cote, Cote tries to create space by opening his guard and pushing on Le’s hip with his own left leg. The horn sounds and the fight ends.
Will Le get his first ever UFC win or will Cote have a successful return to the organization? Only Nevada’s finest know right now…
Le wins the unanimous decision! This guy deserves a lot of credit for venturing outside of his safe kickboxing and Sanshou world where he was famous and dominant into MMA. He now has a win in the best MMA organization in the world and no one will ever be able to take that away for him. Has to be the highest moment of his martial arts career.
Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin III
Tito says this will be his final walk out to the Octagon. He’s fought more times in the UFC than anyone else and, win or lose, young or old, healthy or hurt, has never embarrassed himself in the cage. How good will Tito look against Griffin, another former champion and future hall of famer that may soon also be on the way out?
Tito is walking out first. Muy interesante. Damn it, Tito. Why did you have to ruin an introduction that I’m trying to make respectful and somber by wearing a toy medieval war helmet that, under a certain light, looks like a sado masochist mask? Oh well, Tito is amped-looking as always, as he sings along to Eminem playing over the arena’s loudspeakers.
Forrest looks calm, relaxed but focused as he walks to the ring in his awesome Hayabusa chimp shirt. Let’s get it on (like that one? Just a little phrase I came up with tonight).
Rd 1
Griffin bounces around, Tight stays tight with his guard. Tito lands an over hand right to Forrest’s head. Forrest throwing a lot of kicks for someone fighting a great wrestler. Tito gets a knee-pick and takes Forrest down almost a minute into the round. He has Griffin against the cage, Griffin tries to angle away. Griffin gets to one elbow and then hand against the cage, trying to stand up. Tito keeps the pressure on and Forrest cannot get up. He’s in a half, then butterfly guard.
Griffin gets up and they are back in free-standing range. Forrest throwing the jab and hooks, missing. Forrest then lands a right hand to the head. Forrest throws a left body kick that gets blocked. Tito goes for another knee-pick, doesn’t get it, throws a right head kick that is blocked. Forrest lands a rear leg kick and then two quick stiff punches on Tito’s head. Tito is stunned and then shoots from far away with no set-up. Forrest stuffs the shot.
Griffin looking more comfortable, he clips Tito with a left hook. Tito is hurt. Griffin throws him against the cage, Tito stumbles and turns back around to square up. But Tito is moving slowly now and getting tagged by Forrest.
Under a minute left, Tito lands a jab, then another, to the face of Griffin. Griffin lands a glancing super man punch. Forrest lands an inside leg kick and then a knee to the body. Tito shoots in at Forrest’s waist, takes his back and then switches to an ankle pick from the front, dragging Forrest down to the mat, but not cleanly. The horn sounds.
Rd 2
Tito starts the round by landing a right cross to Forrest’s head. Tito lands another one, it hurts Forrest. Tito lands a left hook. Forrest is hanging tough, gets the clinch and backs Tito against the cage, working a right under hook and controlling Tito’s right hand by holding the wrist with his left. Tito changes levels for a shot, gets stuffed but gets his back off of the fence. They are back standing in the center of the ring.
Forrest lands a rear leg kick. Forrest is more active with punches but Tito attempts to counter punch hard. Tito with a jab to the face, then a right cross that finds Forrest’s chin. Forrest lands his own punch to Tito’s dome. Forrest with a right hand down the middle through Tito’s guard and then another leg kick that Tito checks. Forrest connects with a jab. Then fires and lands with a quick cross. Forrest ducks under a Tito hook and hits Tito again.
Griffin lands another cross. Tito pumps and lands a double jab to the head. Tito is bleeding a little bit on the left side of his face. Forrest lands a right punch and pushes Tito away with his forearms. Tito is flat-footed. Forrest lands another right hand. Tito fires back but mostly misses.
Tito walks into another jab. One minute left. Forrest lands a a right hand to Tito’s jaw. Forrest glances Tito’s face with a front kick to the face. Forrest misses on a big uppercut. Tito shoots for a double leg with ten seconds left. At first it appears like he may have but Forrest defends, turns a corner and the round ends with Forrest landing hammer-fists to the side of Tito’s head as Tito hangs on to a leg of Forrest while on his own knees.
Rd 3
Possibly the last round of Tito Ortiz‘ career. Forrest opens with a rear leg kick. Forrest is fresher, bouncing around, Tito is still flat-footed. Forrest changes levels and then lands a right uppercut to the head. Forrest throwing quick punch combos now and finds his mark. Tito digs in and lands a big left hook, though, that drops Forrest!
Forrest tumbles backwards and does a backwards somersault. He gets back to his feet. Tito hits another knee-pick take down. He’s inside of Forrest’s gull guard now. Forrest tries to get back up but cannot. Forrest gets his left foot on Tito’s hip, pushing him away and up into the air but Tito regains his pressure and forces Forrest back onto his back. Full guard again. Tito posturing down, Forrest tries to lock up a key-lock. tito defends.
Tito not able to connect with strikes yet, having his hands full keeping control of Forrest. Forrest backs up to the cage and stands up. They are clinched up with two minutes left. Forrest does not slow down at all and presses Tito against the cage. Forrest lands a knee to Tito’s body.
Ortiz is gassed and hurt, standing with his back to and near the cage. Forrest connects with three more left hands, then a clipping right cross. One minute left. Tito lands a looping right hand to the face of Forrest. Forrest is fresher but might be down on the score cards.
Thirty seconds left. Tito standing in front of Forrest. Tito lands a jab. Tito changes levels, thinks about a shot, doesn’t go for it. Ten seconds left,the two swing as wildly as they can, Tito lands a shot, Forrest lands a knee.
Decision time!
No, wait, Forrest walks out of the Octagon and steals Tito’s special moment!
Is Griffin frustrated? Does he feel he lost the fight? Tito is unsure what is happening but is obviously excited by the turn of events in some way and yells out. He’s in the cage and Forrest isn’t.
No, wait, Griffin has come back into the ring. Ok, decision time now…for reals, we think.
The stats show Griffin having landed nearly three times as many strikes, but Tito landed knockdowns and take downs at key points.
Not enough – Forrest Griffin gets the 29-28 unanimous decision. He shrugs his shoulders. The two fighters embrace.
“Tito Ortiz, that was an awesome performance. Was that really your last performance in the Octagon?” Forrest has taken the microphone and is conducting the interview! Ortiz he is done and thanks everyone for their support.
Rogan gets the mic back and interviews Griffin. “I feel like we’ve got three draws,” Forrest says. In a class move, both fighters trade t-shirts.
Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva
As an aside, let’s reflect on just how far our sport has come – that’s a lot of swoosh symbols and burger king logos.
Rd 1
Sonnen with the quick take down! Silva on his back, using full guard in the center of the cage. Sonnen pushing Silva closer to the cage. Silva trying to control Sonnen’s posture but Sonnen is active from the guard with punches. Sonnen working to pass! Sonnen passes, then gets back into half guard.
Sonnen working punches, elbows and controlling Silva’s far side. Anderson is holding Sonnen tight, trying to control his posture, with double under hooks. Sonnen staying heavy on top of Silva in his half guard. Sonnen uses some knees to the left side of Anderson’s body. Sonnen using open palm strikes to the side of Silva’s head. Chael swings big and misses, Silva locks in an arm-triangle hold but has nothing, Chael breaks free and gets back to work with short punches while Silva hugs down on his head and body.
The ref annoyingly calls for them to “work.” They are. Chael works to pass Silva’s half guard and then returns to punching. Chael into full mount with under a minute left!
Chael throwing short elbows and is now getting in his own shoulder strikes. Pay back is a son of a gun. Anderson has his hands up, under Chael’s arms, trying to control Chael’s posture. He does succeed at not letting Chael do any big damage to him while mounted. Round ends.
Silva stands in his corner during the break. Seconds out, time in.
Rd 2
Chael comes right back at Silva, manages not to get caught with any strikes, and clinches up with the champ. Silva is being pressed against the cage. Chael has an over-under body lock. Chael momentarily changes levels for a take down but Silva defends.
They separate, Silva lands a big punch to Chael. Chael lands a straight cross.
Chael tries for a spinning back fist and Silva, hands down, slips and circles away. Sonnen falls hard from the force of his own missed blow! Silva is late to follow up but does, with strikes and a knee that would have struck Chael’s head if he had not blocked it. Chael gets up but soon falls back down against the cage. Silva follows up with strikes on the ground and that’s the fight.
Sonnen once again took it to Silva but paid the price earlier than before, losing for a second time. Anderson Silva is still the UFC middleweight champion.
Pedro Rizzo and Silva’s stylishly dressed kids are in the ring to celebrate Anderson’s win as he is announced as the victor. Anderson walks over to Chael, brings him to the center of the ring, tells everyone to cheer him and then invites him to a party at his house.
Chael calls Anderson a “true champion,” in his interview with Rogan. Will uber promoter trash talking public Chael return soon or will respectful and honest public Chael stick around for awhile? Only time will tell.
That’s it for now, folks. Thanks for partying with us.