(Alright, let’s get this shit over with. / Photo via MMAJunkie)
Tonight’s UFC event is, without question, the most highly-anticipated FUEL TV card since Mousasi vs. Latifi. In the main event, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum — who served as coaches on a show that you probably didn’t watch — will put on a repeat performance of their battle from the 2006 Pride Openweight Grand Prix. Plus, Thiago Silva slugs it out with Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, Erick Silva returns against the streaking Jason High, and the TUF Brazil 2 finalists square off. (Well, not both of the finalists, because once again, one of the finalists was injured before he could make it to the big dance, but look, there will be a fight between two guys on the show, and we were planning on walking our dog during that match anyway.)
Handling CagePotato’s main card liveblog for this evening is Matt Kaplan, who will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and if anybody’s actually reading this, please let your voices be heard in the comments section.
Hey now. Mk here, ready to go. A few more commercials and we’ll be good.
Rony Jason vs Mike Wilkinson
Round 1: Bruce Buffer speaking Portuguese is just adorable. The intros have been made, and we’re off. Wilkinson doesn’t want to touch gloves. Jason fires first but is taken down from a double by Wilkinson. Wilkinson is in Jason’s guard…and is about to be triangled. Elbows from Jason. Wilkinson is out! Fight’s over! Triangle attack + elbows = here comes the Jason mask.
Rony Jason wins by Rd. 1 technical submission.
Middleweights up next…
Daniel Sarafian vs. Eddie Mendez
Rd. 1: Sarafian has the crowd behind him, so let’s see if he uses it. Sarafian shows a lot of head movement early, bouncing on the balls of his feet and firing off a lead left followed by a straight right that connect. Both are tied up against the cage now, but Sarafian nails an inside trip and is in half guard. Looks like Sarafian is looking for an arm triangle. Oh yes. He’s got the mount. Done. That was nice. He trapped the arm, passed to the right side of Mendez, and finished the arm triangle.
Daniel Sarafian wins by Rd. 1 submission.
Godofredo Pepey vs. Felipe Arantes
Rd. 1: Pepey presses forward and lands a left hook that sends Arantes back to the fence; Pepey wants the takedown, but Arantes defends well. Pepey takes Arantes’s back, but Arantes lands in his guard. Both men fire shots from this position. Arantes is starting to turn up the offense and is landing heavy shots. Wait a minute. Pepey has full mount and is looking for an opening. And now Arantes is on top and is pounding the shit out of Pepey. Punches, elbows. That’s it. Fight’s over. Damn. Here’s the replay: yeah, those elbows from Arantes really landed flush.
Felipe Arantes wins by Rd. 1 TKO.
Jason High vs. Erick Silva
Rd. 1: High kicks low (see what I did there?) early, but misses. And misses with his 1-2. Silva catches a kick, they scramble, and Silva has High’s back. High is looking to stand, but Silva has that armbar/triangle snatched. As High rises (and again), Silva secures the armbar, and that’s it. In the post-fight interview, Silva explains how he went for the rear naked choke,but instead went for the armbar.
Erick Silva wins via Rd. 1 submission.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Vaughan Lee
Rd. 1: Both men kick early, but Assuncao seems to be rpessing a little harder. Assuncao snatches a single against the cage and lands a right hands as they move to the center of the cage. Assuncao is throwing to end the fight, but Lee is firing back. Lee lands a good jab that gets Assuncao’s attention. Assuncao presses with a lead left. Leemisses to the body. Assuncao grabs a body lock and gets the outside leg trip, but Lee is right back up. Assuncao grabs a double and dumps Lee. He’s in Lee’s half guard now and is elbowing at the left thigh. Now he’s in side control. Lee wants out, but Assuncao mounts him and here come the punches. Lee is up, but Assuncao is all over him when the horn sounds.
Rd. 2: High kick from Lee, but Assuncao is still aggressive. Assuncao grabs a double and is bleeding from above the left eye. Assuncao takes down Lee, has the mount, and goes for the arm. Russian armbar time. Lee rolls, but Assuncao, on his back now, still has the arm, and Lee taps.
Raphael Assuncao wins via Rd. 2 submission.
Antonio Brago Neto vs. Anthony Smith
Rd. 1: Brago Neto fires a big right and takes a knee to the body from Smith in retaliation. Brago Neto throws a nice left hook that Smith better look out for. Brago Neto is the aggressor, landing a takedown, securing back control with a hook in. Smith escapes, but Brago Neto is back in half guard and as Smith rolls, Brago Neto locks in the kneebar. Tap. This is unreal.
Antonio Brago Neto wins via Rd. 1 submission.
Thiago Silva vs. Raphael “Feijao” Cavalcante
Rd. 1: Feijao kicks low and fires a hard right early. Feijao is looking to land that right hand, but Silva is ready for it. Nice left hook-straight right combo from Feijao. Silva lands a right of his own. They’re really swinging now. Silva is working the left jab a bit and lands a big right hand that backs up Feijao. Feijao is really firing that right hand, boy. Feijao hits a spinning back elbow that excites the crowd. Silva recovers and fires that jab. Feijao is slowing and the hands are dropping a bit. Silva is the fresher of the two and is landing jabs and leg kicks. Feijao is against the cage; here comes Silva. Left hook, right cross, left hook, right uppercut. Feijao is down. Two more rights from Silva, and that’s it.The ref calls it. Feijao is out.
Thiago Silva wins via Rd. 1 TKO.
Caio Magalhaes vs. Karlos Vemola
Rd. 1: These are some big middleweights here. Magalhaes shoots, Vemola sprawls, and they’re on the cage. Vemola drops for the double. Magalhaes locks on a guillotine, but Vemola slams him and escapes. Vemola is in Magalhaes’s guard and is very aggressive with his strikes. Magalhaes wants a triangle, but Vemola’s head is out of reach. Vemola is really pressing. Magalhaes goes for the omaplata, but Vemola is still attacking from the guard with both hands. Vemola is in half guard now, and Magalhaes is slowing down as Vemola pours it on. Magalhaes escapes to his feet and wants another guillotine. Nope. Vemola wants the double again and works for it as Magalhaes is against the fence. Magalhaes works for the head & arm choke. Again Vemola slams his way to freedom. Good round.
Rd. 2: Magalhaes fires a big right immediately and has Vemola on the fence. They trade positions, and Magalhaes gets the trip off the body lock. Magalhaes is in half guard now and wants to trap Vemola’s left arm. Magalhaes has the back and punches away with the left hand. Magalhaes is in side control, but Vemola gets to a knee against the cage. Magalhaes is back on top and soon gets his back. Deep rear naked choke, and Vemola taps.
Caio Magalhaes wins via Rd. 2 submission.
William Patolino vs. Leonardo Santos
Rd. 1: Santos is looking to set up a takedown with a lead left hook, it seems, but Patolino is poised and his hands are up. Patolino presses Santos against the cage.Patolino goes for an outside leg trip. In the center of the cage, Patolino grabs Santos and drags him down. Patolino is in Santos’s guard. Not much doing. he stands up and doves back in. Patolino is in half guard now and fires some good shots. Patolino is smothering Santos, who gets to his feet. Patolino again has Santos on the fence. They separate; low kick from Santos. Knee from Patolino. Santos goes for a trip, and Patolino is going for his back when the round ends.
Rd. 2: Santos misses a big head kick. Santos shoots, but Patolino sprawls. Patolino’s hands are really low. Nice knee from Santos as Patolino tries to clinch. Patolino takesdown Santos and in his guard now. They’re back up. Neither fighter is throwing more than two punches at a time, and both seem to have slowed their pace. The ref warns Patolino not to hold the fence, which he did as Santos went for the takedown. Nice 1-2 from Santos. They clinch, and Patolino has Santos on the cage. Santos gets the takedown, mounts Patolino, and starts throwing. Head and arm choke. Looks tight. Tappy tap.
Leo Santos wins via Rd. 2 submission.
Santos jumps into the crowd and hugs teammate Jose Aldo. Santos is the TUF Brazil 2 season winner. Mazel tov.
Minotauro Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum
Rd. 1: Here we go. Werdum fires two hard low kicks and circles out. They clinch, Nog grabs a single, and Werdum is in half guard. Werdum lands some shots from top position. Nog nearly reverses. Werdum knees as Nog stands up. Werdum jabs well. Nog wades in with his head straight up and presses Werdum to the fence. Werdum kicks at the lead leg of Nogin the center of the octagon. Nog does body work on the inside during a brief exchange and pressures Werdum against the cage again. Werdum wants the single leg, but Nog defends. Inside elbow from Nog, who’s smothering Werdum on the fence with seconds left in the round.
Rd. 2: Heavy opening leg kick from Werdum. And again. Big right from Werdum. Nog is looking to get into rhythm with punch combinations. Werdum goes for a double, and Nog nearly gets the guillotine. Werdum is in side control now. Back to half guard after a short scramble. Back control for Werdum. Werdum goes for the armbar on the left arm. He’s got it. And Nog taps.
Fabricio Werdum wins via Rd. 2 submission.
That’ll do it. Some great finishes tonight. Later, CP.