(I’m not exactly sure what Dana’s thinking right now, but if I had to guess, it’s probably something along the lines of “ohhhhhhh yeaaahhhhh [dooo-bo-bo].” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. Check out more pics from this set here.)
UFC 157 goes down tonight at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and let’s just say if you hear any noise it ain’t the boys, Potato Nation. Women’s MMA crossover star Ronda Rousey will be putting her new bantamweight belt on the line against challenger Liz Carmouche, in a historic fight that will either be remembered as the UFC’s first step toward gender quality, or the latest Great American Freak Show. We’re just hoping for an entertaining battle that doesn’t end with a gruesome compound fracture on live television.
But while the women might steal the show, “Rousey vs. Carmouche” is actually a solid card from top to bottom. We’ve got a possible #1 light-heavyweight contender’s match between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida, an old-school welterweight banger between Josh Koscheck and Robbie Lawler, and Urijah Faber’s must-win battle against dangerous veteran Ivan Menjivar. There’s also a fight between Court McGee and Josh Neer that really has no business being on a pay-per-view card at this point, but such is life.
Leading us through the UFC 157 main card will be actual fighter Elias Cepeda, who will be slapping down round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please throw in your own insightful commentary in the comments section. Thanks for joining us.
First up, Josh Koscheck against the returning Robbie Lawler. What do you say nation? Will Koscheck slug it out and give Lawler his best chance at winning or will Koscheck choose to give him a good Fitching and do the smart, grapple-domination thing?
We shall see. Round 1 is moments away.
Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler
Rd 1
The southpaw Lawler looking huge and aggressive, landing with a left hand and trying to go to the body. Koscheck shoots and lands a double leg take down. Lawler smiles, uses his butterfly guard and then wraps up a full guard. Lawler gets up and to his knees. Koscheck with a front arm and head control. Snaps Lawler down.
Both biding their time, Koscheck releases the head to grab Lawler’s right leg. Lawler up on his feet with his back against the cage, defending the take down. Koscheck drags him back down. Lawler working his right butterfly hook from a half guard to try and lift Koscheck up and off of him.
Kos tries to stand and take Robbie’s back but the cage stops him. He gets back in front of Lawler, in his butterfly guard, Lawler stands back up. Josh maintains his pressure against the cage, pressing Robbie against it.
Kos shoots first for another single, then around Lawler’s back and then again for the leg. Koscheck shoots in for a double but Lawler sprawls and defends. Lawler lands a left hook to the head of a turtled up Koscheck that stuns Koscheck and then turns the corner, puts Kos on his side and unloads nasty bombs that force the referee to stop the fight with about a minute left in the round.
Robbie Lawler beats Josh Koscheck by TKO (strikes on the ground), Rd1
Josh Neer vs. Court McGee
Old school Miletich Fighting Systems fighter night here at UFC 157, apparently. First Lawler and now, Neer. Man, from their records and their faces you’d think these guys were twice their young ages. Warriors.
Rd 1
McGee comes out pressing with punches and kicks. Neer looks relaxed and blocks and evades most of them. Lil dirty boxing from both before separation. Neer with his chin up, presses the action by stalking forward. McGee lands a one-two combo right to the chin of Neer. Then another! Another left from McGee. Neer is walking through them but they are stiff shots. McGee with another flush punch to NEer’s head.
McGee with two more right-left combos to the chin of Neer. Neer walking forward like a zombie, still taking his big sings. Another left from McGee. The TUF winner then goes to the body. Neer with a nice rear leg kick that knocks McGee’s leg almost out from under him.
McGee with another right. Most of his punches are coming while back tracking but boy are they landing flush. He lands another one-two. Neer with another well-placed leg kick. McGee goes to the body with a kick, then to the leg of Neer, then again to the body, this time with punches.
McGee with a right-left punch to the body combo, then more shots landed on Neer. Punches in bunches from McGee on the inside when Neer presses him. McGee continues the onslaught against the cage on Neer, going to the body and head, and landing. Neer turns his back, fals to the ground and McGee continues to land punches.
Less than thirty seconds left and Neer is in a defensive half guard, then sits up. McGee controls from a front head lock, then spins to the back and goes to a rear naked choke which looks to be sunk in but Neer is saved by the bell.
Rd 2
Neer still stalking, with his chin up. Pawing with the jab, swinging big and wide and missing. McGee sends Neer reeling backwards but he gets back up to his feet. McGee presses against the cage. Neer gets separation and lands a nasty uppercut and over hand right then goads McGee to give him some more.
McGee does indeed and lands four more punches to the tough dome of Neer. McGee with a mostly blocked head kick, then lands an inside leg kick. McGee attempts a take down, is stuffed.
Neer stalking McGee after taking his heat, taunting him more to bring it on. Neer lands two punches, McGee is sharp and lands back to the head with punches. Neer chases McGee and lands a big upper cut and over hand right. McGee fires back, shoots, Neer defends.
Neer goes to the body and then the head with punches. He presses McGee backwards against the fence and lands some more dirty work. McGee gets space and then lights up Neer some more with two punches. Neer presses again, lands a leg kick against the cage. They return to the center and trade shots now. Both landing to the head and body almost at will with uppercuts and hooks.
McGee lands a a one-two. Neer lands his own shot. McGee lands a straight cross and shoots, gets stuffed. Neer still goading McGee. Court lands a punch at the bell.
Rd 3
There’s no slowing down these two. McGee landing his two again. Neer coming forward and taking big over hand shots. Neer stuffs a shot and then goes to the body with a left hand. McGee shoots again, presses and lifts Neer up against the cage. Neer defends and lands a short elbow to the head. Neer attempts his own sweep.
Neer frees himself and gets back to the center of the ring. McGee ducks under and scores a take down. He has Neer up against the fence. Neer gets to his knees, tries to stand up. He does. McGee keeps him pressed against the cage, looking for another take down. Two minutes left.
McGee goes low and lifts Neer up and puts him down with a double leg take down. He’s in Neer’s full guard now. Neer working his over hooks and tries for arm bars. McGee stays out of danger and gets to half guard. Neer immediately uses the position to attempt leg locks. McGee defends and, when Neer turns and scrambles, takes his back. Less than a minute left.
McGee back on top of the downed Neer, who is facing upwards. Neer’s face is bloodied and his nose swollen as he defends strikes coming fown from above from McGee. The horn sounds and McGee gets in one last elbow.
Decision time coming up next!
Hard fought battle with both guys getting in their licks but the judges get it right and all three give all three rounds to McGee for a unanimous decision win over Josh Neer.
Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar
Rd 1
Faber out with hands low, per usual, jutting in and out. He works inside to go for a take down. Ivan tosses him! Menjivar’s base is obviously not there as Faber rolls and reverses Ivan, landing in side control.
Faber now in Ivan’s full guard. Ivan trying to control Faber’s posture by pulling down on his head. Faber lands a short elbow to the head. Ivan working a high guard, Faber shrugs it off. Back in the full guard. Faber lands a nasty looping elbow to the right side of Menjivar’s head. Faber now swinging big and aggressive with elbows, landing several more.
Faber letting loose with right and left elbows. Ivan tries to cut an angle and work for an arm. Doesn’t get anything as Faber stands up. Ivan lands an up kick to the chin of Urijah.
Faber back in full guard, throwing big elbows with abandon. Another right and then another left elbow from Faber. Ivan’s facial skin must be supple as all heck because he hasn’t cut.
Ivan stands up and Faber is on him like a monkey. Faber lands the first ever vertical Gary Goodridge beat down position I’ve ever seen as Ivan stands and Urijah tried to take his back. Faber keeps control and swings to the back completely. Ivan backs him up against the cage but Faber sinks in the arms deep under the neck and finishes the standing rear naked choke, forcing the tap.
Urijah Faber beats Ivan Menjivar via standing rear naked choke in the first round.
Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida (aka. the “real” main event as it is known to all you woman-haters out there)
Rd 1
Both men keeping their distance until Henderson lands a lead outside leg kick to the southpaw Machida. Hendo then wades in with punches, Machida circles away. Machida throws a front kick to the body of Hendo that is blocked.
Machida with his chin up, like always, and switches stances back and forth. Hendo with another nice leg kick, this time using his rear leg to get after Lyoto’s lead. Henderson has the center of the cage, staring Machida down. He shuffles, feints and looks to wade in again but thinks better of it.
Machida with another front kick to the body of Hendo that is blocked. Machida with a body kick, punch combo that is mostly blocked. Machida fighting wide open, with his stance and hand position.Dan with his chin tucked and right hand cocked.
Henderson swings a big right hand wide and misses. He lands another leg kick and misses with another over hand right. Henderson throws two more over hand rights, both land!
Machida gets backed up by the punches but keeps his senses. Henderson gets around the waist of Henderson and works to take him down but Machida defends. Henderson gets an over-under clinch and works knees. Machida trips Henderson and immediately fires downward with nasty punches. The bell saves Henderson from taking more damage.
Rd 2
Henderson walking down Machida again. Henderson shoots fora single on Machida’s lead leg, rises up and is stuffed. Machida lands a body kick. Henderson wades in with big over hand rights, Machida backs and circles away to safety.
Machida with a quick straight left to the face of Hendo right as Hendo was loading up for another punch. Stops the American in his tracks but Hendo looks unfazed. Henderson goes for Machida’s rear leg but pops up and throws and lands a left hook.
Hendo with another inside leg kick. Machida misses with a front head kick. Machida throws a left body kick that is blocked. Henderson tries his own body kick and catches a short punch from Machida that knocks him off balance and to the mat.
Henderson is back up. Both men keeping their distance and looking to explode. Dan forces the clinch and then fires off a right and left that miss. Machida throws a hard left kick to the body that is blocked. Under a minute left. Henderson charges in with over hand rights and all miss.
Machida throws a spinning back kick that is blocked. Henderson lands a soft inside leg kick at the horn.
Rd 3
Henderson fakes a shot, throws an over hand right that misses and then a body kick that is blocked. Machida fires a body kick that is blocked and then a short lead punch that is not. Henderson gets Machida to the ground with just over three and a half minutes left.
Machida working an over hook and head control from inside his full guard. Henderson doing short work to the body with his right knee on the ground and his left foot on the mat. Machida effectively controlling Hendo’s posture from the bottom and preventing him from sitting up and landing big shots. Machida cutting an angle with his his to the left while controlling the top of Hendo’s head. Hendo landing short elbows to the body.
Machida gets up to his feet with just under two minutes left. Machida with an inside leg kick that hurts Dan. He throws another and Dan checks it. Machida playing around with his stance again. Henderson waiting to charge in again, perhaps, with uner a minute left. Machida stalking him now. Machida closes the distance and Henderson misses with an over hand right. Machida lands a front kick to the face and then a hard head kick. Machida throws another body kick-lead punch combo.
The horn sounds. Decision time coming up next!
Lyoto Machida wins a split decision. No idea why any judge would have given the fight to Henderson, though he fought gamely.
Main Event – Women’s UFC Bantamweight World Title
Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche
Rd 1
Ronda looking to close the distance early with the jab. Liz tries to circle away and fires off body-head combos but Ronda grabs a hold of her and takes her down. Ronda sticks around in the Judo scarf position too long, though and Liz stands and takes her back. Liz has both hooks in and is working the rear naked choke. Ronda is in a bad place but escapes and flips Liz to the ground. Ronda standing over Liz now, throws a body shot.
Ronda fires punches and Liz slips out from behind and tries to take her back but Ronda holds steady fora bit in the scarf position and begins throwing bully punches down with her left as her right arm holds the head lock.
Ronda peppering away and Liz trying to scoot towards her to take the back again. Ronda is too heavy this time around and now tries to trap the near arm for a shoulder lock. Liz now trying to come through the back door. Ronda has none of that and takes the mount with a triple attack position and goes right away for the straight arm bar with less than a minute left.
Less than thirty seconds and Liz has been fighting. Ronda still working on the arm and peels it away with ten seconds left and Liz taps out!
Ronda Rousey defends her UFC title for the first time and earns her seventh consecutive first round win by arm bar. Liz Carmouche provides the stiffest challenge to Rousey yet.
That’s it, taters. Thanks for being a part of history with us.
Full UFC 157 results…
Main Card:
– Ronda Rousey def. Liz Carmouche via submission (armbar), 4:49 of round 1
– Lyoto Machida def. Dan Henderson via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Urijah Faber def. Ivan Menjivar via submission (rear-naked choke), 4:43 of round 1
– Court McGee def. Josh Neer via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Robbie Lawler def. Josh Koscheck via TKO, 3:57 of round 1
Preliminary Card:
– Brendan Schaub def. Lavar Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Michael Chiesa def. Anton Kuivanen via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:29 of round 2
– Dennis Bermudez def. Matt Grice via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Sam Stout def. Caros Fodor via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Kenny Robertson def. Brock Jardine via submission (kneebar), 2:57 of round 1
– Neil Magny def. Jon Manley via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Nah-Shon Burrell def. Yuri Villefort via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)