Over the weekend, we announced that TUF 7 alum Matt Brown, who most recently starched Chris Cope at UFC 143, would be squaring off against world renowned kickboxer Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 145. Thompson, who is coming off a brilliant head kick KO victory in his octagon debut over Daniel Stittgen, also at UFC 143, amassed an incredible 57 victories as a kickboxer without a defeat before transitioning into MMA, where he has gone 6-0 thus far in his career. Well it seems that Brown isn’t too impressed with “Wonderboy’s” list of credentials, mainly due to a lack of name power in Thompson’s past opponents. Here’s what he told MMAWeekly in a recent interview:
I don’t know what he’s about in MMA. It looked to me he was doing the same old karate, and the karate’s the same thing, like who did he fight in karate? I don’t know. Name me one guy, name me one guy that he fought. I can tell you the guys I train with [have fought] Saenchai [and] Joe Schilling, guys that are well known in the kickboxing/Muay Thai world, on a world level…I’m not too concerned with this guy’s kickboxing. I can go 100-0 beating a bunch of idiots, but that’s not my style.
(Well, maybe 100-1.)
Over the weekend, we announced that TUF 7 alum Matt Brown, who most recently starched Chris Cope at UFC 143, would be squaring off against world renowned kickboxer Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 145. Thompson, who is coming off a brilliant head kick KO victory in his octagon debut over Daniel Stittgen, also at UFC 143, amassed an incredible 57 victories as a kickboxer without a defeat before transitioning into MMA, where he has gone 6-0 thus far in his career. Well it seems that Brown isn’t too impressed with “Wonderboy’s” list of credentials, mainly due to a lack of name power in Thompson’s past opponents. Here’s what he told MMAWeekly in a recent interview:
I don’t know what he’s about in MMA. It looked to me he was doing the same old karate, and the karate’s the same thing, like who did he fight in karate? I don’t know. Name me one guy, name me one guy that he fought. I can tell you the guys I train with [have fought] Saenchai [and] Joe Schilling, guys that are well known in the kickboxing/Muay Thai world, on a world level…I’m not too concerned with this guy’s kickboxing. I can go 100-0 beating a bunch of idiots, but that’s not my style.
Ouch. The verbal back-and-forth between these two apparently started after Thomspon was awarded the $65,000 Knockout of the Night bonus following his UFC 143 win over Stittgen. Upset that he didn’t receive the award, Brown stated that Stittgen didn’t really deserve to be in the octagon with Thompson in the first place, whereas he fought a tougher guy in Chris Cope, and therefore should have earned the bonus.
And to a degree, we agree with him. Stittgen was brought in on just over a week’s notice to take on Thompson, whereas Cope had a full training camp to prepare for Brown. Then again, Thompson was only given four weeks himself to prepare for a fighter whose strengths were the exact opposite of his, whereas Brown was given basically a less talented version of himself in Cope. In either case, Thompson didn’t take kindly to Brown’s criticism, and it’s looking like we will be in for a good old fashioned ATL throwdown at UFC 145, which is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans (finally), as well as a battle of top welterweight prospects Che Mills and Rory MacDonald.
To be fair, Brown did complement Thompson’s fighting style, saying it was puzzling and Machida-esque in its appearance, but at the end of the day, believed “it’s the same old shit to me.”
Discussing MMA is a lot like discussing politics; what starts off as a friendly difference of opinion more than often spirals into an alcohol-fueled debate, rife with personal insults and name calling, before ending in a sloppy wrestling match that gets both parties banned from their boss’s wine tasting parties for life. Luckily, we have Doug “ReX13” Richardson and Jared Jones here to dispute all things UFC 143, because frankly, we can’t make heads or tails outta this card.
Let’s kick things off how we normally do, with a completely offhand topic. Who wins the Super Bowl?
RX: Me, if the commercials are good and Bane blows up the stadium. Let me guess, you’re a-
JJ: GO GIANTS!
RX: I hate you so hard, man.
JJ: First off, I’m not your buddy.
RX: But I never-
JJ: Eli Manning is to the Patriots what Dylan Klebold was to Columbine High School; he cannot be defeated, unless by that of his own doing. Giants 35-27.
RX: Wow…this has gotten off to a rough start. Can we just move on?
(“Hey, my eyes are up here, asshole.”)
Discussing MMA is a lot like discussing politics; what starts off as a friendly difference of opinion more than often spirals into an alcohol-fueled debate, rife with personal insults and name calling, before ending in a sloppy wrestling match that gets both parties banned from their boss’s wine tasting parties for life. Luckily, we have Doug “ReX13″ Richardson and Jared Jones here to dispute all things UFC 143, because frankly, we can’t make heads or tails outta this card.
Let’s kick things off how we normally do, with a completely offhand topic. Who wins the Super Bowl?
RX: Me, if the commercials are good and Bane blows up the stadium. Let me guess, you’re a-
JJ: GO GIANTS!
RX: I hate you so hard, man.
JJ: First off, I’m not your buddy.
RX: But I never-
JJ: Eli Manning is to the Patriots what Dylan Klebold was to Columbine High School; he cannot be defeated, unless by that of his own doing. Giants 35-27.
RX: Wow…this has gotten off to a rough start. Can we just move on?
Should you invite your MMA newbie friends over to watch this card?
RX: If they watched any of Fox’s programming up to this point, your answer should be “yes.” Diaz vs Condit is a better fight than either of them against GSP, and the winner will probably take the title from him. Yeah, I said it. It needed saying.
JJ: I have never been more certain about anything in my life: Yes. Love him or hate him, Diaz does not know how to be in a boring fight, and the same goes for Condit. The day I see Diaz content to ride out a decision is the day I sell my three story Victorian in Stockton. And that ain’t happening, homie.
On the other hand, if you want to convince your “newbie” friends that the UFC is devoid of all the WWE style antics, watching Diaz flip the bird and taunt someone for three rounds might not be the best idea.
Diaz vs. Condit: Will illiteracy reign supreme?
JJ: I am living, breathing proof that illiteracy has already reigned supreme, so I’m picking Deeaz bi teknikal nockout in tha ferst rownd. WRA DEEAZ!!
RX: Are you finis–
JJ: DEEEEEEEAAAAAAZZZZZZZZ!!!!!1! OK i’m dun.
RX: Well allow me to retort: Diaz has been feasting on sub-par competition and making himself look like a destroyer. The fact that he beats guys at their own games – while calling them bitches – yeah, I get it, Diaz is badass. I agree. I love watching him fight. But he’s stepping up in competition in Condit, a guy that is every bit as well-rounded as Diaz himself. That reach advantage that Diaz uses so well? Gone. Opponent with deficient cardio? Not this time. The likelihood that Diaz can start slow and then pour on the offense, without the other guy taking the initiative? Naw, playa. I realize that lots of folks are calling Diaz to win this, but I think they’ve forgotten about the NBK. I think Diaz may have forgotten about NBK. I think he’s too busy hating the GSP, and Condit is going to remind him that there are no easy fights in the UFC.
JJ: That’s a lot of bitch-ass wordy stuff.
RX: Hey look, people who talk like that in my neighborhood get slapped.
JJ: Aren’t you from like…Scarsdale or something?
RX: Not important.
JJ: *checks Facebook* Your hometown is called … Whiteville? LOLOLOLOLOLOL
RX: MOVING ON
Will Fabricio Werdum actually bring the fight to Roy Nelson, or are we in for another “Vai Cavalo” flopfest?
RX: I don’t think Werdum would do anything as dumb as have a boring, tactical fight for his first visit back in the Octagon, but then again, I said the same thing about Anthony Johnson. Werdum won’t be as scared to stay on his feet as he was with Overeem, but he will be looking for a takedown from the first bell.
JJ: I had more fun watching The Tree of Life than I did the Werdum/Overeem “fight,” so he better bring it come Saturday. And considering how Nelson has looked as of late, which is to say, so-so, I’d imagine both guys will be looking to turn some heads with this performance.
RX: Go figure, Danga referencing a movie.
JJ: YOU DON’T GET TO CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!!
RX: Ok, Good Times, my bad. I’m going to give Nelson a pass for the awful fight with Frank Mir, because he said he was was deathly ill with fat syndrome or something, I can’t remember. It wasn’t that lateral acidophilus…maybe SARS? Anyway, he slimmed down noticeably for his next fight with CroCop, which I must point out he won by TKO not involving a massive belly. I don’t think we’re going to see Nelson and Werdum scrapping, but I do expect a fun fight. Nelson’s got this, though. I mean, it’s not like Werdum has a grappler’s chance, since that’s not even a thing.
If Matt Brown somehow loses to Chris Cope, Zuffa HAS to cut him, right? RIGHT?!
RX: In my mind, there’s an ideal Strikeforce with a large roster of well-rounded fighters, and all they want to do is scrap. Nobody cuts weight and everybody has cardio for days. The fighters are paid a pretty decent wage and no one cares if you go on a three-fight skid. This ideal StrikeForce would be on Fox, where everybody can see it, and guys like Lyle Beerbohm, BJ Penn, Cung Le, Wandy, Robbie Lawler and Gegard Mousasi would entertain and educate a crowd much better than top-10 UFC fights. Everyone would fall in love with Scott Coker. They probably still wouldn’t be able to manage a heavyweight division, so Beltran is still boned, but still – sounds nice, right?
That ideal Strikeforce, with the three hour time slot on Saturday nights? That’s where I want Matt Brown to go after this fight. *gazes wistfully, wipes tear*
JJ: You ok?
RX: Just … just gimme a minute.
JJ: Each time Matt Brown steps into the octagon, I find myself saying, “he CAN’T lose this one.” And like some kind of Alzheimer’s patient who drinks too much, I always come to in a cornfield with blood on my hands and the memory of being screwed out of yet another parlay. I’d think that Brown has this one in the bag, but anyone who posses a decent guillotine stands a chance of beating him. So if he loses, I say ship him off to your magical island with Jerry Garcia and Tupac and rainbow gumdrops laced with LSD or whatever it is you hippies dream about.
RX: ”Tupac Liqueur” would be a pretty dope Ben & Jerry’s flavor.
Since Condit/Diaz will guaranteed take FOTN, who takes SOTN and KOTN?
RX: Well, we agree on Diaz-Condit being can’t-miss, at least. Submission of the Night probably won’t go to Nelson-Werdum, because I think they’ll both be trying too hard to not get submitted. Renan Barao would be a likely candidate, but I think Scott Jourgenson’s defense will keep him safe. So I’ll pick a dark horse to take SotN: Ed Herman. After a spiffy heel hook win over Kyle Noke, I’m looking for “Short Fuse” to torque something until Clifford Starks taps out.
JJ: Only someone from Whiteville would consider Ed Herman a dark anything.
RX: Ok, good one, ten points for Gryffindor, but I’m not done. To make my picks go from “questionable” to “possibly being predicted by a drunken llama,” I’ll call Dustin Poirier to knock the dust off of Max Holloway. Thoughts?
JJ: KOTN is tough, but that’s a mighty fine pick. I want to say Koscheck will take it, considering his desire to make an example out of Mike Pierce for all the trash he has been talking lately. Then again, Pierce has never been finished, and has faced power punchers like Johny Hendricks before, so I’m not quite sure Kos is going put him away. I’m going to go ahead and predict Matt Brown, because he’s gotta win this one, right? Have I said this all before?
RX: Not to my recollection, no.
JJ: Good. And you want to make some bold predictions? How about this; Roy Nelson, in Frank Mir-esque fashion, will break Werdum’s sternum and take SOTN, and 1 week after we see the UFC’s first calf-slicer, we will be treated to its first submission via smothering.
Speaking of bold predictions, it’s time to bring back a good old fashioned screen name challenge. Make one incredibly specific prediction for tomorrow night. The loser must change his screen name for a week.
RX: I say Scott Jorgensen survives forty-seven sub attempts from Barao, and scores a couple of big slams to excite the crowd. “Young Guns” scores a decision victory, snapping that gaudy streak of 28 fights without a loss. If I lose, it won’t matter, since I’ve already decided to refer to you as “Good Times” at every opportunity.
JJ: Fair enough, but if Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is able to pull off some sort of crazy kickboxing KO on Dan Stittigen, be it by wheel kick, tornado kick, or Matrix-esque Scorpion kick, you WILL go by SeanMcCorkle’sBruisedEgo from this day forward. Until next week.
Another pair of interesting matches at 170 lbs. have recently been added to UFC 143’s already welterweight-stacked card. If you are anything like us, then you likely expected Matt Brown would receive his walking papers after dropping his fourth loss via submission (and second via guillotine) in his past five fights to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139. Well, it turns out Brown will be given another shot at UFC glory, and will be fighting for not only his Zuffa contract, but the chance to keep his record above .500 when he takes on TUF 13 cast member Chris Cope.
Cope will be looking to rebound from the devastating 40 second TKO loss he suffered at the hands (and more specifically, knees) of Che Mills in Mills’ UFC debut back at UFC 138.
(Who did this to my brother? I WANT HIS NAME!!)
Another pair of interesting matches at 170 lbs. have recently been added to UFC 143′s already welterweight-stacked card. If you are anything like us, then you likely expected Matt Brown would receive his walking papers after dropping his fourth loss via submission (and second via guillotine) in his past five fights to Seth Baczynski at UFC 139. Well, it turns out Brown will be given another shot at UFC glory, and will be fighting for not only his Zuffa contract, but the chance to keep his record above .500 when he takes on TUF 13 cast member Chris Cope.
Cope will be looking to rebound from the devastating 40 second TKO loss he suffered at the hands (and more specifically, knees) of Che Mills in Mills’ UFC debut back at UFC 138.
Elsewhere on the card, Justin Edwards and Mike Stumpf will both be looking to bounce back from losses in their UFC debuts when they face one another on February 4th. Edwards dropped a tough decision to John Maguire, also at UFC 138, whereas Stumpf found himself on the wrong end of a brilliantly executed T.J. Waldburger triangle at UFN 25.
Both fights are without a doubt a must-win for the fighters involved.
Filed under: UFC, NewsA pair of welterweight bouts in Matt Brown vs. Chris Cope and Justin Edwards vs. Mike Stumpf has been lined up for UFC 143, the UFC announced Friday.
The two verbally agreed-upon bouts happens on the Feb. 4 SuperBowl weekend card…
The two verbally agreed-upon bouts happens on the Feb. 4 SuperBowl weekend card in Las Vegas, headlined by Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title.
Brown (12-11) out of The Ultimate Fighter season seven has struggled the last two years, dropping four of his last five fights. In his most recent fight, Brown tapped out to a Seth Baczynski guillotine choke at UFC 139 in November. Despite the losses, Brown remains on the UFC roster for his always-game fighting style and willingness to take fights as a replacement.
Cope (5-2), who competed on TUF 13 earlier this year, won his UFC debut against Chuck O’Neil in June, but lost by TKO to Che Mills at UFC 138 in November.
Edwards (7-2), also out of TUF 13, went one for three in UFC fights in 2011. His big win came against Wanderlei Silva’s prospect Jorge Lopez at UFC Fight Night 25 in September. His last fight was a decision loss to John Maguire at UFC 138.
Stumpf (11-3) made his UFC debut in September, losing by triangle choke to T.J. Waldburger at UFC Fight Night 25. The 28-year-old fights out of Team Curran in Crystal Lake, Ill.
Filed under: NewsTen fighters from Saturday’s UFC Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” handed down medical suspensions following their fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The most serious potential layoffs are for main card winners K…
Ten fighters from Saturday’s UFC Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” handed down medical suspensions following their fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The most serious potential layoffs are for main card winners Kyle Kingsbury (pictured) and Chris Cope, and preliminary card loser Danny Downes, all of whom could be out until early December.
The TUF 13 Finale took place at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas and featured a main event win by Tony Ferguson, who became the latest “Ultimate Fighter” winner with a knockout of Ramsey Nijem; and a co-main upset win by Clay Guida over Anthony Pettis. None of those three were given medical suspensions.
Kingsbury must have a fractured left orbital bone cleared by doctors, or he will be unable to fight until Dec. 2. His unanimous decision win over Fabio Maldonado was given the Fight of the Night bonus by UFC president Dana White.
Cope, a TUF 13 semifinalist, dominated housemate Chuck O’Neil for a unanimous decision. But he will need both his thumbs x-rayed and given clearance before coming back or he, too, will be out until Dec. 2.
And Downes, who lost to Jeremy Stephens on the prelims, will need a right hand x-ray, plus that hand and his left shoulder cleared before returning. Otherwise, he’ll be on the shelf until Dec. 2. In the fight, Stephens bent Downes’ left arm behind his back in a kimura, but Downes was able to withstand tapping.
The full list of medical suspensions is below.
Ramsey Nijem: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.
Tim Credeur: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5.
Kyle Kingsbury: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5. Must have left orbital fracture cleared by an ENT or ophthalmologist, or no contest until Dec. 2.
Fabio Maldonado: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5.
Chris Cope: Must have both thumbs x-rayed; if positive, must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor, or no contest until Dec. 2.
Danny Downes: Suspended until July 20 with no contact until July 5. Must have right hand x-rayed, and right hand and left shoulder must be cleared by an orthopedic doctor, or no contest until Dec. 2.
Josh Grispi: Suspended until June 26 with no contact until June 19.
Shamar Bailey: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.
Justin Edwards: Suspended until July 5 with no contact until June 26.
Ken Stone: Suspended until Aug. 4 with no contact until July 20.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
“Everybody who saw the Ultimate Fighter knows that Tony is a dick and he does not deserve this,” Ramsey says in the pre-fight reel. Mike Goldberg mentions the beginning of the “Showtime Era” not once but twice, officially cursing Anthony Pettis tonight.
Chris “C-Murder” Cope vs. Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil
Round 1: Cope lands the first jab. O’Neil with a leg kick. Somebody in the crowd (or Cope’s corner?) is WOO!’ing like a jackass every time Chris makes contact. They clinch up. Cope gets in a short-range punch, a knee, and they separate. Leg kick from O’Neil. He throws a wide head kick and almost topples over. They trade low kicks. Cope gets in a hook, but eats a body kick. Cope drills that hook, even harder this time, and stalks O’Neil to the cage. They clinch for a bit, trade knees, and break. Leg kick O’Neil. Cope fires back some punches. Leg kick Cope. Cope goes body/head, but O’Neil counters. Cope sticks a spinning back kick. Nice high kick from Cope. O’Neil returns a hard body kick. Cope tries the spinning kick again, and O’Neil mimics him. The horn sounds and they hug it out before returning to their corners. Cope WOO!ing on the stool, and the crowd gives it right back.
Round 2: Leg kick O’Neil. Cope throws a punch combo. He gets in a leg kick. O’Neil returns. Cope presses forward with punches to different levels. I really hope the crowd stops WOO!ing after this fight. They clinch up and trade knees. O’Neil puts Cope’s back against the fence, but Cope shoves him off. Leg kick O’Neil, Cope throws a high one. Cope telegraphs a spinning back kick and hits air. O’Neil lands a left as Cope comes in. Another spinning kick from Cope, and O’Neil tries one too. Come on guys, stop it with that shit. Leg kick Cope. Both guys throwing punches steadily, but not landing anything cleanly. Superman punch/leg kick/superman punch from Cope. Cope throws a superman jab. One last leg kick from Cope, and the round is over.
Round 3: The between-round WOO!ing has to be screwing with O’Neil’s concentration. Cope puts O’Neil against the fence and gets in a sharp short hook. O’Neil shrugs him off. Cope the aggressor with strikes. He lands a big looping left hook. Cope dashes in with a leg kick. He sticks a jab, and a body shot. Cope throws a couple of high kicks, one of them of the spinning variety. O’Neil locks up on him, looking for a takedown against the fence. Cope turns him around. O’Neil gets in a knee to the body. Cope separates and WOO!s, getting the crowd behind him. Cope pouring it on with flashy kicks, punches in bunches, a spinning backfist. An inside leg kick from Cope. Body/head from Cope. Cope presses forward with punches, a head kick. He continues to attack until the horn. Should be a unanimous decision for Ric Flair Jr.
Chris Cope def. Chuck O’Neil via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Cope tells Joe Rogan that a lot of people doubted him when he was growing up, but “how do you like me now, in high definition?” Woo, bro. Woo.
Kyle “Kingsbu” Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado
They show highlights of Maldonado absolutely clowning James McSweeney in his UFC debut, and man is it sweet. “My goal is knock out everybody in the light-heavyweight division,” he says. I’m kinda looking forward to this one. Are my ears deceiving me, or did Kingsbury come out to “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis?
Round 1: Leg kick immediately off the bell from Kingsbury, then a punch to the torso. Kingsbu teeing off with kicks to the legs and body. Kingsbury clinches up and gets in a half-dozen knees. Dude’s lookin’ real strong so far. But Maldonando lands with a nice left hook. Left-hand counter for Kingsbury, who clinches up again and drills Maldonado with a knee. Kingsbury shoots and gets a takedown, but almost gets stuck in a guillotine before pulling out and getting up. Another clinch/knee from Kingsbury. Maldonado pushes forward, lands a left hook, backing Kingsbury up. They trade shots. Maldonado lands the left hook again in an exchange. Kingsbury with the thai clinch again, works his knees again. He tries it again but Maldonado shrugs him off. Kingsbury clinches and trips Maldonado to the mat. Kingsbury on top in half guard, throwing down short elbows. He goes for a kimura, but Maldonado escapes. Kingsbury with more clinch/knee punishment. He lands a nasty one to Maldonado’s forehead. Kingsbury slips to the mat during a striking exchange and the round ends. I’d give it to Kingsbu, easy.
Round 2: Body kicks and teeps from Kingsbury. Kingsbury shoots and scores the takedown. Kingsbury on top in half guard for a hot second, but Maldonado slickly reverses the position, and Kingsbury escapes to his feet. Huge head kick from Kingsbury. Kingsbury works the thai clinch again, and Maldonado punches out of it. But Kingsbury is relentless, clinching again, throwing more knees. Kingsbury tries for the trip-takedown, but botches it and falls to the mat. Maldonado lets him up. Kingsbury scores another takedown, but Maldonado quickly gets up, eating a knee on the way up. They clinch up. Knees to the legs from Kingsbury. Maldonado throws a knee of his own and they break. Straight right from Maldonado. Kingsbury tries for a takedown, settles for a knee. Maldonado throwing hooks at the horn, landing one very blatantly after the bell.
Round 3: Kingsbury with a jab. He tries a couple leg kicks, Maldonado returns some counter-punches. Maldonado with a 1-2. And again. Kingbury with the thai clinch and knees, Maldonado gets in some shots when they break. Kingsbury gets a takedown, but Maldonado is up immediately and they jockey for position against the fence. Hard knee to the dome from Kingsbury. Maldonado jabbing to the body. Maldonado teeing off as Kingsbury is visibly slowing. Kingsbury tries for another takedown to slow down the action, but Maldonado defends. Kingsbury’s left eye is swollen shut. Maldonado with a body shot. Kingsbury tries a takedown, but Maldonado reverses it and lands on top. Kingsbury locks him down with rubber guard until the ref stands them up. Maldonado pressing forward, punching. Kingsbury gets in a knee to the face and Maldonado loses his mouthpiece. A brief pause to get it back in. Kingsbury shoots in again, Maldonado defends. Maldonado drags Kingsbury down in the closing seconds but runs out of time to take advantage. There’s the horn. Should be a decision win for Kingsbury. The two fighters embrace and raise their hands, lobbying for that Fight of the Night bonus.
Kyle Kingsbury def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3). Kingsbury’s eye is straight-up disgusting. He says it was the hardest fight of his life. Gritty showing from both guys, but Maldonado may want to consider a drop to middleweight; Kyle seemed to dwarf him out there.
Joe Rogan checks in with Shane Carwin via satellite, hyping up next week’s fight against Junior Dos Santos. Carwin is feeling better than ever after getting surgery on his neck and revamping his diet, and thinking about the Dos Santos match gives him goosebumps. He promises some brutal blows.
Ed “Short Fuse” Herman vs. “Crazy” Tim Credeur
Because of injuries, both of these guys have been out of action since 2009. Who’s ready to see some ring rust?
Round 1: They trade jabs. Herman the aggressor, following Credeur around the cage, initiating the exchanges. Herman lands a pair of uppercuts that drop Credeur, and follows up with some savage shots from the top that flip Credeur’s switch to the off position. Damn. Welcome back, Ed.
Ed Herman def. Tim Credeur via TKO, 0:48 of round 1. Herman plugs his new gym in Fort Collins, Colorado, that he’s running with Ryan Schultz. So swing by if you’re in the area.
And now Rogan checks in with Junior Dos Santos. I like how JDS starts every single answer with “Yeah,” even when he’s not being asked yes/no questions. “Thank you guys, and don’t blink!” he says at the end. Terrible advice from a medical perspective, but the sentiment is clear.
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida
Line of the night, from Clay Guida: “If you think you’re gonna come into my Octagon with your circus kicks and your flashy moves, you’re gonna pay dearly when I take your legs out from under you and pound your head through the canvas.” #BOOM. Pettis does a little foot-spring off the cage in his warm-up lap around the Octagon. Just getting comfortable with the environment. Protect yourself at all times, Clay. Pettis gives off a little WOO! during the introductions.
Round 1: Clay bouncing around, as he does. He fakes a leg kick, and Pettis pops a pair of punches. Pettis fires his first left head kick. He throws a leg kick and Clay catches it and takes Pettis down. Pettis threatens with an armbar. Clay trying to get to a safer position. Pettis with a very active guard. Clay throws down a punch. And another. Pettis jacks Guida with a punch off his back. Guida gets to his feet, and Pettis throws a roundhouse kick off his back before getting to his feet. Guida puts Pettis on his back again. Pettis looking for the triangle setup. Guida tries to shake out, and finally does. Guida with shoulder-shrugs on top, stuffing Pettis’s head into the cage. The horn sounds, and the judges will probably give it to Guida just for being on top for the majority of the round.
Round 2: Pettis more aggressive with the punch combos now. Guida throws a leg kick, gets countered. Guida grabs a double-leg and dumps Pettis. Guida goes back to humping Pettis’s face against the cage. But he’s not doing much else, and the crowd starts to boo him. Pettis stands, Guida attached to him at the hip. Knees to the leg from Guida. Pettis escapes and pops a couple punches. And a jab. Pettis tries a *reverse* variation of his off the cage kick, but sadly, doesn’t really land it. Will make for a nice GIF, though. Guida scores another takedown. Pettis goes for a triangle, Guida shakes out. Pettis grabs an armbar, Guida somersaults to escape it. Pettis grabs it again but runs out of time.
Round 3: They meet in the middle of the cage and throw punches. Guida fires an overhand right, and pushes forward with a left hook. Another overhand right from Guida, and he shoots for the takedown, landing in Pettis’s dangerous guard, once again. Elbow from the top from Guida. Pettis looking for the triangle, once again. Clay on top in half-guard, jacking his shoulder into Pettis’s face. Punches from the top from Clay. Pettis gets to his feet. Clay tries to dump Pettis, but Pettis reverses it and gets on top. Guida rolls and Pettis takes his back. A minute left. Guida blasts out and gets back on top. Pettis shifts to his knees and now Guida takes Pettis’s back. But time runs out. The look of disappointment on Pettis’s face is obvious as he returns to his corner.
Clay Guida def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Jason Guida drags a giant Clay Guida fathead into the cage. Rogan has to cut Clay off during a long list of shoutouts, but the Carpenter gets back on message, telling everybody that he’s the real lightweight #1 contender, and 2011 is his year.
Ramsey Nijem’s distance-runner girlfriend in Utah supported his broke ass during his MMA journey, so now it’s time to pay her back. He’s training with Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins at the Pit Elevated in Orem, Utah…not a bad crew if you want to be a TUF winner. Ferguson proposed to his girlfriend right after he got off the show. He actually trained at Brock Lesnar’s Death Clutch gym following TUF, but calls Southern California his home.
Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson
Round 1: Nijem jabs, closing the distance. Ferguson scores a quick takedown and gets in half-guard. Ramsey spins out, scrambles to his feet as Ferguson fires punches at his head. Leg kick Ferguson. Nijem with a right, Ferguson with a counter left hook. Another left hook from Ferguson. 1-2 from Ferguson, but a counter from Nijem wobbles him. Nijem attacks, but Ferguson grabs him and takes the fight to the mat. Nijem back on his feet. Quick leg kick from Ferguson. Nijem scores with a straight right. Nijem lands it again. Ferguson responds with a right straight/left hook that drops Nijem cold. Ferguson follows Nijem to the mat and gets in a couple more hard shots from the top as the ref jumps in to end it.
Tony Ferguson def. Ramsey Nijem via KO, 3:54 of round 1. Tony Ferguson is the winner of the Ultimate Fighter Season 13, and has knocked out four straight dudes to get there. He deserves his moment — and has a lot of potential in the sport.
We get the Scott Jorgensen vs. Ken Stone fight from the prelims. Stone making things very difficult for Jorgensen in the early going, using his range and battering Jorgensen with punches. Jorgensen scores a takedown. Stone tries to kick him off, but Scotty gets some space and pounds the damn daylights out of Stone from the top; the fight is called at the 4:01 mark of round 1 via KO.
Other results from the prelims…
– Jeremy Stephens def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
– George Roop def. Josh Grispi via TKO (liver punch), 3:14 of round 3
– Shamar Bailey def. Ryan McGillivray via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Clay Harvison def. Justin Edwards via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Rueben Duran def. Francisco Rivera via submission (rear naked choke), 1:57 of round 3
Oh snap…well, I guess you know how this Roop/Grispi fight is going to end. Lets put this liveblog to bed. Thanks for coming out tonight. I leave you with this:
A pair of welterweight bouts in 
Ten fighters from Saturday’s UFC Season 13 Finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” handed down medical suspensions following their fights by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
