You go to enough UFC events, you get a feel for the rhythm that they usually follow. From prelims to the Spike TV undercard to the main card to the main event, it’s a gradually building symphony of violence that follows a fairly predictable pattern.
But Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show was a completely different experience, for several reasons. It was essentially a nine-fight undercard, one right after the other, and then a main event that started at around 6:30 pm local time. By 6:45 we had our laptops packed up and press row was vacated. By 8 pm we were in the Honda Center media room, watching Pacquiao-Marquez while hammering away at our keyboards with one eye on the screen.
It was, in other words, a strange night. Like Dana White, I’m mostly just glad it’s over. Now we can get back to the normal fight night routine, which is at least exhausting in a familiar way. But first, the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from the UFC on FOX debut.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
Say what you will about whether the quick finish was bad or simply not ideal for the UFC’s FOX debut, but you can’t blame JDS. Actually, I guess you could if you really wanted to, but you’d sound like a real jerk. It’s not his job to make fights last; his only concern was punching his opponent in the face until the referee told him to stop, and that’s exactly what he did. Right from the start dos Santos had no problem locating Velasquez’s face with his fist, and he did so without opening himself up for takedowns. He got away with a short night of work thanks to that big right hand of his. Considering the knee injury that he said he came into the fight with, that quick finish was the best-case scenario for “Cigano” even if it wasn’t exactly what the UFC hoped for. Now he’ll get to take some time, see to his injury, and wait for Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem to figure out who he’ll defend his brand new belt against. Who knows, maybe he’ll even become the rare heavyweight champ who can hang on to it for a little while.
Biggest Loser: Cain Velasquez
For starters, let’s ease up on the game plan criticism. The guy only got to fight for a minute. What, you thought he was going to shoot for a double-leg the moment “Big” John McCarthy got out of the way? Even if you want to get the fight to the mat, you can’t go into a heavyweight title bout telling yourself that you’ve got no prayer on the feet. Conceding that aspect of the fight to your opponent is a psychological kiss of death, so maybe we shouldn’t crucify Velasquez for daring to engage in even the briefest of striking exchanges with dos Santos. That said, the night couldn’t have gone much worse for the former champ. I’m not sure if the knee injury was worse than he let on, but he didn’t seem to have the intensity or the explosiveness that we’ve come to expect from him right out of the gates. Dana White put plenty of pressure on him to deliver the fireworks, so maybe it’s unfair of the UFC prez to then criticize Velasquez for not immediately turning the bout into a wrestling match. Velasquez seemed perfectly willing to try and give us the war we were promised, whether that was a good idea or not. Unfortunately for him, he ended up on the business end of the blitzkrieg.
Most Bizarre Sight: The Octagon’s Fresh Paint Job
Apparently the UFC and FOX felt that network TV viewers could handle seeing blood if it was coming out of a human being, but old plasma left over from the night’s previous bouts was more than they could bear. So after the Guida-Henderson bout had concluded and before dos Santos and Velasquez took the cage, a small crew of workers got out the paint and heat gun and erased those bloodstains before the FOX cameras caught sight of them. The thing is, the mat wasn’t even all that bloody. Sure, after nine fights some of the red stuff had spilled, but we’ve seen much worse inside the Octagon. Those “millions of new viewers” haven’t though, and as White said in the post-fight press conference, the UFC is looking to “ease into this.” Even if it means choking the poor cageside photographers with paint fumes.
Most Deserving of a Title Shot: Ben Henderson
Lately it’s seemed like nothing short of a dozen straight wins will earn you a crack at the lightweight belt, but Henderson has made the most of his three UFC bouts. After destroying Jim Miller and edging out a very game Guida, I don’t see how anyone could say he hasn’t earned his shot at Frankie Edgar. And, with Henderson’s all-around blend of skills, I don’t see how anyone could say this won’t be a thrilling bout when those two get together in Japan. At least you know that one will be televised.
Least in Need of a Title Shot: Clay Guida
The Duder might not like to hear it, but he’s probably never going to be a UFC champion. And that’s okay. Really, it is. He might not think so now, and he might not even think so ten years from now, but his legacy will be built on individual bouts rather than broad career achievements. His fights with Roger Huerta, Diego Sanchez, and this one with Henderson are battles that all of us (or at least those of us who actually saw them) will remember. Does it matter that he lost all three of those fights? Not really. That’s because when Guida gets an opponent he can exert his will on, the outcomes tend to be less spectacular. It’s when he fights superior, more gifted opponents that both are forced into a species of greatness. He doesn’t have to win them all to be loved by fans and admired by his peers. He doesn’t need a belt, either. No matter how badly he might want one.
Win Most Likely to Be Overturned: Robert Peralta over Mackens Semerzier
Initially it looked like both Peralta and Semerzier landed almost simultaneous punches, but it was Semerzier who got the worst of it. Upon further review, it was clear that a clash of heads was the real culprit. Peralta didn’t do it on purpose, and the lump on his forehead (which sprang up immediately) tells you that he didn’t escape from it unscathed either. Still, it was pretty obvious that Semerzier got a one-way ticket to Queer Street thanks to something that was definitely not a legal strike, and that’s grounds for an appeal. In a just world, the result of this fight will get changed to a no contest.
Most Surprising: Alex Caceres
I was starting to wonder what the UFC saw in this kid, other than personality. He lost two straight after his stint on TUF, didn’t look very good in either bout, yet somehow still had a spot on the roster. But as it turns out, maybe he was just in the wrong weight class. Against Cole Escovedo in his bantamweight debut, “Bruce Leeroy” looked like an entirely different fighter. He kept Escovedo guessing on the feet, stymied his attacks all night, and had the confidence to throw some unconventional stuff out there in search of the victory. After winning the decision he showed up to the post-fight presser with an enormous grin on his face, looking like a kid who’d just been told that he was going to Disneyland (which just happened to be right down the street). I admit, it was refreshing to see a young fighter who actually seemed glad to talk to the media after a fight. Give him a couple years, though. See if he doesn’t change his mind about that.
Most Brutal Finish: DaMarques Johnson
He may not have earned the Knockout of the Night award for starching Clay Harvison in the first round, but he probably should have. I know, I know — there’s no small amount in politics involved in those, and the main event will get it over a prelim’er every time, but still. Johnson lunged in with a beautiful left uppercut that Harvison never saw, then followed up with a right hand that was so hard I almost expected Harvison’s childhood memories to come spilling out onto the mat. Granted, this was a fight Johnson was supposed to win, and win fairly easily, but it never hurts to make a memorable impression. Well, unless you’re Harvison. Then it hurts a lot.
You go to enough UFC events, you get a feel for the rhythm that they usually follow. From prelims to the Spike TV undercard to the main card to the main event, it’s a gradually building symphony of violence that follows a fairly predictable pattern.
But Saturday night’s UFC on FOX show was a completely different experience, for several reasons. It was essentially a nine-fight undercard, one right after the other, and then a main event that started at around 6:30 pm local time. By 6:45 we had our laptops packed up and press row was vacated. By 8 pm we were in the Honda Center media room, watching Pacquiao-Marquez while hammering away at our keyboards with one eye on the screen.
It was, in other words, a strange night. Like Dana White, I’m mostly just glad it’s over. Now we can get back to the normal fight night routine, which is at least exhausting in a familiar way. But first, the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between from the UFC on FOX debut.
Biggest Winner: Junior dos Santos
Say what you will about whether the quick finish was bad or simply not ideal for the UFC’s FOX debut, but you can’t blame JDS. Actually, I guess you could if you really wanted to, but you’d sound like a real jerk. It’s not his job to make fights last; his only concern was punching his opponent in the face until the referee told him to stop, and that’s exactly what he did. Right from the start dos Santos had no problem locating Velasquez’s face with his fist, and he did so without opening himself up for takedowns. He got away with a short night of work thanks to that big right hand of his. Considering the knee injury that he said he came into the fight with, that quick finish was the best-case scenario for “Cigano” even if it wasn’t exactly what the UFC hoped for. Now he’ll get to take some time, see to his injury, and wait for Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem to figure out who he’ll defend his brand new belt against. Who knows, maybe he’ll even become the rare heavyweight champ who can hang on to it for a little while.
Biggest Loser: Cain Velasquez
For starters, let’s ease up on the game plan criticism. The guy only got to fight for a minute. What, you thought he was going to shoot for a double-leg the moment “Big” John McCarthy got out of the way? Even if you want to get the fight to the mat, you can’t go into a heavyweight title bout telling yourself that you’ve got no prayer on the feet. Conceding that aspect of the fight to your opponent is a psychological kiss of death, so maybe we shouldn’t crucify Velasquez for daring to engage in even the briefest of striking exchanges with dos Santos. That said, the night couldn’t have gone much worse for the former champ. I’m not sure if the knee injury was worse than he let on, but he didn’t seem to have the intensity or the explosiveness that we’ve come to expect from him right out of the gates. Dana White put plenty of pressure on him to deliver the fireworks, so maybe it’s unfair of the UFC prez to then criticize Velasquez for not immediately turning the bout into a wrestling match. Velasquez seemed perfectly willing to try and give us the war we were promised, whether that was a good idea or not. Unfortunately for him, he ended up on the business end of the blitzkrieg.
Most Bizarre Sight: The Octagon’s Fresh Paint Job
Apparently the UFC and FOX felt that network TV viewers could handle seeing blood if it was coming out of a human being, but old plasma left over from the night’s previous bouts was more than they could bear. So after the Guida-Henderson bout had concluded and before dos Santos and Velasquez took the cage, a small crew of workers got out the paint and heat gun and erased those bloodstains before the FOX cameras caught sight of them. The thing is, the mat wasn’t even all that bloody. Sure, after nine fights some of the red stuff had spilled, but we’ve seen much worse inside the Octagon. Those “millions of new viewers” haven’t though, and as White said in the post-fight press conference, the UFC is looking to “ease into this.” Even if it means choking the poor cageside photographers with paint fumes.
Most Deserving of a Title Shot: Ben Henderson
Lately it’s seemed like nothing short of a dozen straight wins will earn you a crack at the lightweight belt, but Henderson has made the most of his three UFC bouts. After destroying Jim Miller and edging out a very game Guida, I don’t see how anyone could say he hasn’t earned his shot at Frankie Edgar. And, with Henderson’s all-around blend of skills, I don’t see how anyone could say this won’t be a thrilling bout when those two get together in Japan. At least you know that one will be televised.
Least in Need of a Title Shot: Clay Guida
The Duder might not like to hear it, but he’s probably never going to be a UFC champion. And that’s okay. Really, it is. He might not think so now, and he might not even think so ten years from now, but his legacy will be built on individual bouts rather than broad career achievements. His fights with Roger Huerta, Diego Sanchez, and this one with Henderson are battles that all of us (or at least those of us who actually saw them) will remember. Does it matter that he lost all three of those fights? Not really. That’s because when Guida gets an opponent he can exert his will on, the outcomes tend to be less spectacular. It’s when he fights superior, more gifted opponents that both are forced into a species of greatness. He doesn’t have to win them all to be loved by fans and admired by his peers. He doesn’t need a belt, either. No matter how badly he might want one.
Win Most Likely to Be Overturned: Robert Peralta over Mackens Semerzier
Initially it looked like both Peralta and Semerzier landed almost simultaneous punches, but it was Semerzier who got the worst of it. Upon further review, it was clear that a clash of heads was the real culprit. Peralta didn’t do it on purpose, and the lump on his forehead (which sprang up immediately) tells you that he didn’t escape from it unscathed either. Still, it was pretty obvious that Semerzier got a one-way ticket to Queer Street thanks to something that was definitely not a legal strike, and that’s grounds for an appeal. In a just world, the result of this fight will get changed to a no contest.
Most Surprising: Alex Caceres
I was starting to wonder what the UFC saw in this kid, other than personality. He lost two straight after his stint on TUF, didn’t look very good in either bout, yet somehow still had a spot on the roster. But as it turns out, maybe he was just in the wrong weight class. Against Cole Escovedo in his bantamweight debut, “Bruce Leeroy” looked like an entirely different fighter. He kept Escovedo guessing on the feet, stymied his attacks all night, and had the confidence to throw some unconventional stuff out there in search of the victory. After winning the decision he showed up to the post-fight presser with an enormous grin on his face, looking like a kid who’d just been told that he was going to Disneyland (which just happened to be right down the street). I admit, it was refreshing to see a young fighter who actually seemed glad to talk to the media after a fight. Give him a couple years, though. See if he doesn’t change his mind about that.
Most Brutal Finish: DaMarques Johnson
He may not have earned the Knockout of the Night award for starching Clay Harvison in the first round, but he probably should have. I know, I know — there’s no small amount in politics involved in those, and the main event will get it over a prelim’er every time, but still. Johnson lunged in with a beautiful left uppercut that Harvison never saw, then followed up with a right hand that was so hard I almost expected Harvison’s childhood memories to come spilling out onto the mat. Granted, this was a fight Johnson was supposed to win, and win fairly easily, but it never hurts to make a memorable impression. Well, unless you’re Harvison. Then it hurts a lot.
It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
It’s not everyday that we’re treated to “the biggest fight in the history of the sport”, and even rarer that a single gif covers the pre-fight warm up, the bout, the post-fight celebration, and the after party at Ghost Bar. That calls for a GIF party. Though the sole focus of last night’s UFC on FOX event yielded precious little in terms of motion-picture awesomeness, the fighters relegated to the dark corners of social media came through in spades.
Join us after the jump for an incredible collection of throws, slams, submissions, knock outs, spinning everythings, and even some good old fashioned mid-fight showboating.
In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.” It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.
With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.
In the weeks leading up to last night’s Heavyweight Championship bout, Dana White trumpeted that “whether this fight goes 30 seconds or 30 minutes, this is going to be a fight right here.” It was a fight, and it was slightly longer than 30 seconds, but in the post fight analysis Dana appeared frustrated and was searching for a reason that his champion went down so quickly. With all of the buildup and hype, I can’t help but think that first time viewers were equally confused and found the whole affair to be anticlimactic. Were that all the action we got to see last night, we’d probably be disappointed as well, but thank god for Facebook.
With regards to the main event, there’s not a lot to say, really. Junior Dos Santos hits hard. Cain’s game plan has been under attack, but it’s not like he got butchered on his feet for two rounds while doggedly refusing to shoot for a single. Velasquez got nailed with a huge overhand right just 55 seconds into the bout after already trying unsuccessfully for a takedown. Obviously, getting Dos Santos off of his feet quickly would have been Cain’s best option, but for a versatile heavyweight fighting under the brightest lights ever shone on a UFC fighter, shooting in for a Couture-Toney ankle pick with the opening bell still ringing wouldn’t do. Props to Dos Santos for getting it done quickly and violently in the Knock Out of the Night. It wasn’t the most epic fight that the UFC and FOX could have hoped for, but it was a memorable one. That Dos Santos did it with a torn meniscus is all the more impressive.
It’s easy to say that the Henderson-Guida bout should have been broadcast in hindsight, but it was pretty obvious ahead of time as well. There was no doubt that their fight would be balls to the wall, and it may have been the organization’s best chance of finally securing the Prell sponsorship that’s eluded them for all these years. Guida’s style relies on a relentless pace and a controlling top game, but he met a superior wrestler and a cardio-equal in Bendo. His take down defense gave him control of the fight and his crisp striking allowed him to counter Guida’s wild barrages. It’s a shame that only a small fraction of those who caught the FOX broadcast are even aware of their Fight of the Night performance, but I’m sure the extra $65k makes up for it a little.
Cub Swanson headed into his bout with Ricardo Lamas with an abundance of confidence and some of the ugliest tattoos I’ve seen since “Katie’s Revenge”. After getting the better of Lamas in the striking department, Swanson nearly ended the fight with a deep guillotine in the first. He seemed indifferent as Lamas took him down and worked his way behind him, but that apathy was nowhere to be seen as he struggled to break free from an arm triangle. Lamas secured the tapout, and the Submission of the Night bonus, at 2:26 of R2.
Alex Caceres put on an absolute clinic against Cole Escovedo in his debut at 135 lbs. “Bruce Leroy” came after the former WEC champ from every possible angle with every strike in the book from the opening bell. On the ground Caceres was too much as well, coming close to sinking in a triangle and an armbar as he transitioned from one sub to the next. He picked up the unanimous decision—his first win in the Octagon–in his bantamweight debut.
Quick Notes:
Tough break for Mackens Semerzier. No one wants to get knocked out, but when it comes from an illegal (albeit accidental) headbutt it’s a lot harder to swallow. Hopefully he can get the “L” overturned.
Darren Uyenoyama knows a thing or two about grappling. Kid Yamamoto is now 0-2 in the UFC with only one win in his past five fights, and once again JMMA looks to be on life support. I’m sure Kid will be kept on board for Zuffa’s upcoming visit to Japan. His slide started just after divorcing this. We’d be depressed too, Kid.
This was Clay Harvison’s second straight loss, and it came via knock out at the hands of a mid-pack fighter just 1:34 into the bout. It was a nice recovery for DaMarques Johnson, but I don’t think Clay’s up to snuff.
Main Event (On Fox): -Junior dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez by KO at 1:04, R1
Undercard (On Facebook and FoxSports.com): -Benson Henderson def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Dustin Poirier def. Pablo Garza by submission (d’arce choke) at 1:32, R2
-Ricardo Lamas def. Cub Swanson by submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:16, R2
-DaMarques Johnson def. Clay Harvison by TKO at 1:34, R1
-Darren Uyenoyama def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
-Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier by TKO at 1:54, R3
-Alex Caceres def. Cole Escovedo by unanious decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
-Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley by split decision (28-29, 30-37, 29-28)
-Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas by majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
Alex Caceres will make a weight change in the hope of getting back in the win column.
“Bruce Leeroy,” the 23-year-old fan favorite from Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will drop to bantamweight to meet Cole Escovedo at the first UFC on Fox event next month. The UFC announced the fight Wednesday night, saying verbal agreements are in place for the fight.
UFC on Fox 1 will take place Nov. 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and will mark the first UFC broadcast under its new television deal with the Fox network, which doesn’t officially begin until 2012. Headlining the card is a heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and top contender Junior dos Santos.
Caceres (5-4, 0-2 UFC) is likely in a do-or-die situation in his UFC career. In featherweight bouts, Caceres loss to Mackens Semerzier in his official UFC debut in March, then Jimy Hettes at UFC on Versus 5 in August, both by rear naked choke. In the latter bout, Caceres took the fight on less than two weeks notice when Leonard Garcia bowed out with an injury. While on Season 12 of TUF, Caceres competed as a lightweight.
Escovedo (17-8, 0-2 UFC) will return less than two months from his last fight, a TKO loss to Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 135 last month in Denver. Prior to that, the former featherweight lost to Renan Barao at UFC 130 in May. Also at 0-2 in the promotion, Escovedo probably needs a win to avoid a pink slip. He has lost four of his last five fights.
Aside from the heavyweight title fight at UFC on Fox 1, the card will feature a lightweight contenders fight between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson. Only the Velasquez-dos Santos fight is guaranteed to air on the one-hour Fox broadcast. No official broadcast plans for Guida-Henderson or the rest of the undercard fights have been announced.
MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC card.
UFC on Versus 5 is the promotion’s debut in Wisconsin and takes place at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.
The preliminary card features eight fights, including a middleweight bout between C.B. Dollaway and Jared Hamman and a bantamweight contest between former WEC champion Eddie Wineland and former title challenger Joseph Benavidez.
No glove touch, but we start anyway. Figueroa takes the center and Reinhardt circles to the right on the outside, then back left. Reinhardt is on his horse, not engaging, and grinning at Figueroa, now talking to him and clapping at him. The crowd is booing wildly. Figueroa finally catches him to throw a partially blocked kick. This has Kalib Starnes written all over it. Figueroa lands a right and drops Reinhardt, then locks in a standing guillotine. Reinhardt is trying to power out of it, and he eventually gets a little slam out of it and winds up on top. He transitions to Figueroa’s back and starts to work for a rear naked choke with a body triangle locked on. Figueroa gets out, though, and lands a shot from up top. They stand up, and when Figueroa engages, Reinhardt immediately drops to his back. They stand up again, and Reinhardt lands a decent right of his own. Back on the feet, Figueroa again lands a couple good shots and gets Reinhardt back on the ground, where he proceeds to land some pretty stiff shots from standing. Reinhardt does a somersault and rolls over. He has basically given up and is just laying there as the ref looks at him when the horn sounds. It’s a 10-8 round for Figueroa on our card thanks to Reinhardt’s running.
Round 2: We’re going to do a second round of this thing, and this time they touch gloves. Reinhardt again is on his horse, then shoots when Figueroa engages. There’s a scramble, and Figueroa ends up on top in full mount. Reinhardt rolls over and covers up and he’s not long for this fight. Pretty quickly, the ref steps in and it’s done. So, too, likely, is Reinhardt’s UFC career after the running in the first round.
Round 1: The legendary Mario Yamasaki gets things going. No glove touch. Volkmann shoots in early and they have a scramble in the clinch, but not much comes from it. They break apart and dance. Decent body kick from Castillo, who shortly thereafter misses a nice high kick. Then he lands an outside leg kick, followed by one on the inside. Volkmann shoots again and gets a soft takedown and looks to pass from half guard. He ties up Castillo’s right arm, then works for a side choke. But trying to hold on to that position costs him, as Castillo works his way out and gets top position. Volkmann settles back into guard, then nicely wall walks back to his feet as they clinch up. They separate around 1:50 and move back to the middle. After trading rights, Castillo lands one of the loudest body kicks in recorded history (we think) to Volkmann’s left ribcage. But Volkmann survives it and the two wind up in a scramble on the ground. It’s a tough first round to score, with each guy looking pretty effective. But MMA Fighting will give it, highly unofficially, to Castillo 10-9.
Round 2: After a few seconds of dancing, we clinch up along the fence. A few traded shots lead to Volkmann on his butt looking for a choke, and Castillo trying to work ground and pound. Yamasaki warns Castillo for holding Volkmann’s shorts and says he’ll take a point if he does it again. Volkmann wall walks back up, and then Castillo is warned for grabbing the fence, though it looked mild. A weird scramble leads to Volkmann on his back briefly, then on his knees, and he wrestles Castillo to his back and is in half guard. Then work for position, and Volkmann briefly has a choke that he can’t lock up as Castillo tries to reverse position. He works for it again, and it’s an arm-in modified guillotine. But Castillo will survive the round. Round 2 goes to Volkmann on our card, 10-9.
Round 3: Castillo lands a nice right hand 10 seconds in. Forty seconds later, the next action is a nice inside leg kick from him. They hit the ground briefly, but Volkmann has the edge there before Castillo scrambles quickly out and back to his feet. The crowd cheers the cat-and-mouse game. A short exchange in the middle leads to Volkmann again taking top position on the ground, controlling Castillo’s head and neck from half guard. He looks for some short elbows, but mainly this is a control game with Castillo’s right arm locked up. Volkmann isn’t doing much with the position, and it doesn’t look like it’s a choke he can lock down from where he’s at. Castillo wiggles out, but Volkmann gets to side control and looks for more elbows and again traps an arm and controls Castillo’s head. Castillo throws right knees from the ground, but that’s all he can do. The crowd is booing what it deems a stalling game by Volkmann. Castillo rolls over, and Volkmann works for his back. But nothing will happen. It’s a 10-9 third for Volkmann, and MMA Fighting scores the fight for him 29-28. No doubt some judges will have it 30-27 for him.
Result: Jacob Volkmann def. Danny Castillo, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Round 1: They touch gloves, surprising given yesterday’s heated moment at the weigh-ins. These guys are both tall. Not Stefan Struve tall, but tall. We dance for 30 seconds, looking for position. Both throw a few kicks and rights that miss. Miller blocks a high kick and pushes forward, but O’Brien just misses a big uppercut right that has the crowd making one giant “Ooooooh!” sound. O’Brien lands a nice body shot that has Miller thinking that wasn’t very nice. And O’Brien then comes forward with a nice combination. He blocks some of Miller’s combos a short time later, then checks an outside leg kick. With 90 seconds left, Miller lands a big right, then just misses another but follows it with an outside leg kick. He lands a pair of stiff left jabs, then a third. O’Brien blocks a high Miller kick, then comes forward with a body shot. It’s a pretty close first round, but we’ll go 10-9 Miller – though it could go either way.
Round 2: We trade leg kicks and look for openings to start the first minute of Round 2. Miller then backpedals to re-set. O’Brien comes forward and has Miller backing up just for a second, but Miller drops him with a left and starts to work kicks from up top while O’Brien lays on his back. But a really nice scramble by O’Brien has him to his feet – but just for a second. Miller dives back in and cranks on a guillotine, and he’s got it good. Though O’Brien is trying to get out, he can’t and he has to tap.
Result: Cole Miller def. T.J. O’Brien, submission (guillotine), 2:38 Round 2
MILWAUKEE – This is the UFC on Versus 5 live blog for all the preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC card.
UFC on Versus 5 is the promotion’s debut in Wisconsin and takes place at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.
The preliminary card features eight fights, including a middleweight bout between C.B. Dollaway and Jared Hamman and a bantamweight contest between former WEC champion Eddie Wineland and former title challenger Joseph Benavidez.
No glove touch, but we start anyway. Figueroa takes the center and Reinhardt circles to the right on the outside, then back left. Reinhardt is on his horse, not engaging, and grinning at Figueroa, now talking to him and clapping at him. The crowd is booing wildly. Figueroa finally catches him to throw a partially blocked kick. This has Kalib Starnes written all over it. Figueroa lands a right and drops Reinhardt, then locks in a standing guillotine. Reinhardt is trying to power out of it, and he eventually gets a little slam out of it and winds up on top. He transitions to Figueroa’s back and starts to work for a rear naked choke with a body triangle locked on. Figueroa gets out, though, and lands a shot from up top. They stand up, and when Figueroa engages, Reinhardt immediately drops to his back. They stand up again, and Reinhardt lands a decent right of his own. Back on the feet, Figueroa again lands a couple good shots and gets Reinhardt back on the ground, where he proceeds to land some pretty stiff shots from standing. Reinhardt does a somersault and rolls over. He has basically given up and is just laying there as the ref looks at him when the horn sounds. It’s a 10-8 round for Figueroa on our card thanks to Reinhardt’s running.
Round 2: We’re going to do a second round of this thing, and this time they touch gloves. Reinhardt again is on his horse, then shoots when Figueroa engages. There’s a scramble, and Figueroa ends up on top in full mount. Reinhardt rolls over and covers up and he’s not long for this fight. Pretty quickly, the ref steps in and it’s done. So, too, likely, is Reinhardt’s UFC career after the running in the first round.
Round 1: The legendary Mario Yamasaki gets things going. No glove touch. Volkmann shoots in early and they have a scramble in the clinch, but not much comes from it. They break apart and dance. Decent body kick from Castillo, who shortly thereafter misses a nice high kick. Then he lands an outside leg kick, followed by one on the inside. Volkmann shoots again and gets a soft takedown and looks to pass from half guard. He ties up Castillo’s right arm, then works for a side choke. But trying to hold on to that position costs him, as Castillo works his way out and gets top position. Volkmann settles back into guard, then nicely wall walks back to his feet as they clinch up. They separate around 1:50 and move back to the middle. After trading rights, Castillo lands one of the loudest body kicks in recorded history (we think) to Volkmann’s left ribcage. But Volkmann survives it and the two wind up in a scramble on the ground. It’s a tough first round to score, with each guy looking pretty effective. But MMA Fighting will give it, highly unofficially, to Castillo 10-9.
Round 2: After a few seconds of dancing, we clinch up along the fence. A few traded shots lead to Volkmann on his butt looking for a choke, and Castillo trying to work ground and pound. Yamasaki warns Castillo for holding Volkmann’s shorts and says he’ll take a point if he does it again. Volkmann wall walks back up, and then Castillo is warned for grabbing the fence, though it looked mild. A weird scramble leads to Volkmann on his back briefly, then on his knees, and he wrestles Castillo to his back and is in half guard. Then work for position, and Volkmann briefly has a choke that he can’t lock up as Castillo tries to reverse position. He works for it again, and it’s an arm-in modified guillotine. But Castillo will survive the round. Round 2 goes to Volkmann on our card, 10-9.
Round 3: Castillo lands a nice right hand 10 seconds in. Forty seconds later, the next action is a nice inside leg kick from him. They hit the ground briefly, but Volkmann has the edge there before Castillo scrambles quickly out and back to his feet. The crowd cheers the cat-and-mouse game. A short exchange in the middle leads to Volkmann again taking top position on the ground, controlling Castillo’s head and neck from half guard. He looks for some short elbows, but mainly this is a control game with Castillo’s right arm locked up. Volkmann isn’t doing much with the position, and it doesn’t look like it’s a choke he can lock down from where he’s at. Castillo wiggles out, but Volkmann gets to side control and looks for more elbows and again traps an arm and controls Castillo’s head. Castillo throws right knees from the ground, but that’s all he can do. The crowd is booing what it deems a stalling game by Volkmann. Castillo rolls over, and Volkmann works for his back. But nothing will happen. It’s a 10-9 third for Volkmann, and MMA Fighting scores the fight for him 29-28. No doubt some judges will have it 30-27 for him.
Result: Jacob Volkmann def. Danny Castillo, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Round 1: They touch gloves, surprising given yesterday’s heated moment at the weigh-ins. These guys are both tall. Not Stefan Struve tall, but tall. We dance for 30 seconds, looking for position. Both throw a few kicks and rights that miss. Miller blocks a high kick and pushes forward, but O’Brien just misses a big uppercut right that has the crowd making one giant “Ooooooh!” sound. O’Brien lands a nice body shot that has Miller thinking that wasn’t very nice. And O’Brien then comes forward with a nice combination. He blocks some of Miller’s combos a short time later, then checks an outside leg kick. With 90 seconds left, Miller lands a big right, then just misses another but follows it with an outside leg kick. He lands a pair of stiff left jabs, then a third. O’Brien blocks a high Miller kick, then comes forward with a body shot. It’s a pretty close first round, but we’ll go 10-9 Miller – though it could go either way.
Round 2: We trade leg kicks and look for openings to start the first minute of Round 2. Miller then backpedals to re-set. O’Brien comes forward and has Miller backing up just for a second, but Miller drops him with a left and starts to work kicks from up top while O’Brien lays on his back. But a really nice scramble by O’Brien has him to his feet – but just for a second. Miller dives back in and cranks on a guillotine, and he’s got it good. Though O’Brien is trying to get out, he can’t and he has to tap.
Result: Cole Miller def. T.J. O’Brien, submission (guillotine), 2:38 Round 2
Filed under: UFCThe UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t compl…
The UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t completely hogged by superstars.
That also makes UFC on Versus 5 a last-chance go-round for several fighters on the roster, so it’s either win or go home when the UFC rolls into Milwaukee.
Who’s on the hot seat this time around, and who’s most likely to get scorched before the night is over? Find out below.
Dan Hardy (23-9, 1 NC; 4-3 UFC) Who he’s facing:Chris Lytle Why he’s in danger: Hardy managed to avoid the UFC’s informal three strikes policy based primarily on his popularity and his fighting style. If he was a bland, decision-prone wrestler with a buzz cut, he’d be long gone by now. But even the UFC would have trouble overlooking four straight losses, so Hardy needs to pull it together against Lytle. He’s a smart chap, so he knows that, which is why he called out Lytle to begin with. As much as he can’t afford to lose another one, he really can’t afford to get out-wrestled in another snoozer. In Lytle, he’s found an opponent who will probably choose not to exploit his weak takedown defense, opting instead to fling leather at one another’s faces until someone falls down. That’s exactly what Hardy needs right now. Of course, he also needs to be the one who doesn’t fall down. If you lose a hand-picked fight like this, then what hope is there for you? Odds of getting cut: 3-1. It’s a winnable fight for Hardy, and one that’ll probably produce enough fireworks to please the bosses. If he gets KO’d, however, he’s almost certainly done in the UFC…at least for now.
Duane Ludwig (20-11; 3-2 UFC) Who he’s facing:Amir Sadollah Why he’s in danger: His current run in the UFC started with two straight losses, followed by a somewhat lucky split decision win over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Lucky not because he didn’t deserve it, mind you, but rather because he was pretty clearly losing until Osipczak ran out of gas and tried to coast to the finish, allowing “Bang” to finish strong. With close to 90 fights on the books between MMA and kickboxing, Ludwig is a savvy, yet battered journeyman of combat sports. He’s been in some battles and has more miles on the odometer than most 33-year-old fighters. If he gets beat by Sadollah, the UFC might start to do the math on him and decide it doesn’t need another tailspinning welterweight who’s doing good to pull off a 1-3 run against four mid-level opponents. Then again, he’ll fight whoever you’ve got and he doesn’t cause trouble, and there’s something to be said for an employee like that. Odds of getting cut: Even. Without a memorable showing, a defeat here — which is likely, to say the least — probably results in Ludwig getting his walking papers.
Alex Caceres (5-3; 0-1 UFC) Who he’s facing:Jim Hettes Why he’s in danger: At least so far, Caceres seems more suited for reality TV than for the Octagon. He’s a character, and every season of TUF needs at least one of those. Once the show’s over, however, you’ve got to earn your keep with your fists. Caceres seemed out of his depth against Mackens Semerzier in his first UFC fight. On paper, he seems to be headed for another defeat against the undefeated submissions artist Hettes. It was the Bruce Leeroy gimmick and the glimmer of raw talent that got Caceres this far in the UFC, but that shine wears off quickly. We know Caceres has personality. Now he needs to show he has skills, as well. Odds of getting cut: 2-5. Caceres is still young, so maybe he could use the time to get some experience on the small circuit. My guess is he’s going to get that chance after Sunday.
Jason Reinhardt (20-2; 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing:Edwin Figueroa Why he’s in danger: What does it tell you when a guy’s undefeated outside of the UFC and winless in it? Either he hasn’t fought the toughest competition in the local shows or else he gets a killer case of nerves inside the Octagon. Neither is a particularly good sign. In two UFC fights, Reinhardt has lasted a total of 2:02. It’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t get cut after being mauled by Tiequan Zhang at UFC 127, but his role in the curtain-jerker on a UFC Live show should definitely tell him that this is the last stop on the express train out of the organization. Only a win will keep the 41-year-old Reinhardt on the UFC roster, and his opponent is a 3-1 betting favorite. If Reinhardt’s going to turn out to be the UFC’s answer to Rudy, he’d better start on Sunday. Odds of getting cut: 1-5. Get a good look at him while you can, because Reinhardt is headed for the door.
You go to enough UFC events, you get a feel for the rhythm that they usually follow. From prelims to the Spike TV undercard to the main card to the main event, it’s a gradually building symphony of violence that follows a fairly predictable pattern.
Most Bizarre Sight: The Octagon’s Fresh Paint Job
Most Surprising: Alex Caceres
Alex Caceres will make a weight change in the hope of getting back in the win column. 
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