(Damn, Junior…give away your gameplan much? / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
After a preliminary card dominated by relatively normal-sized men — borrrrring! — we’ve finally arrived at tonight’s central theme: Big sons-of-bitches. That’s right, UFC 146‘s main card features five consecutive heavyweight fights, most of which look pretty damn entertaining on paper. Can massive underdogFrank Mir pull off Impossible Career Comeback #2, or will he succumb to the buzzsaw-like boxing of Junior Dos Santos, just like so many before him? Can Lavar Johnson score two knockouts in the same month (!), or is he in over his head — figuratively, and otherwise — against Stefan Struve? And does Roy Nelson really think he’s doing himself any favors with that ratty-ass gray beard?
(Damn, Junior…give away your gameplan much? / Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com)
After a preliminary card dominated by relatively normal-sized men — borrrrring! — we’ve finally arrived at tonight’s central theme: Big sons-of-bitches. That’s right, UFC 146‘s main card features five consecutive heavyweight fights, most of which look pretty damn entertaining on paper. Can massive underdogFrank Mir pull off Impossible Career Comeback #2, or will he succumb to the buzzsaw-like boxing of Junior Dos Santos, just like so many before him? Can Lavar Johnson score two knockouts in the same month (!), or is he in over his head — figuratively, and otherwise — against Stefan Struve? And does Roy Nelson really think he’s doing himself any favors with that ratty-ass gray beard?
Live-blogging the UFC 146 main card for us is Anthony Gannon, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page for all the latest, and throw down your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for being here, guys.
Well, shit. Due to a poorly timed server meltdown, we weren’t able to do the liveblog tonight; our deepest apologies. Hopefully most of you caught the pay-per-view because it was entertaining as hell, and none of the five heavyweight fights made it out of the second round. In short: Junior Dos Santos is still the UFC heavyweight champion, thanks to a dominant striking performance against Frank Mir, and Cain Velasquez made Antonio Silva‘s face look bloodier than anyone’s since Joe Stevenson. The full UFC 146 results are below; we’ll talk more tomorrow.
Main Card
Junior dos Santos def. Frank Mir via TKO, 3:04 of round 2
Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Silva via TKO, 3:36 of round 1
Roy Nelson def. Dave Herman via KO, 0:51 of round 1
Stipe Mio?i? def. Shane del Rosario via TKO, 3:14 of round 2
Stefan Struve def. Lavar Johnson via submission (armbar), 1:05 of round 1
Preliminary Card on FX
Darren Elkins def. Diego Brandao via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO, 3:23 of round 1
C.B. Dollaway def. Jason Miller via unanimous decision, (29-28 x 2, 30-26) Dan Hardy def. Duane Ludwig via KO, 3:51 of round 1
Preliminary Card on Facebook
Paul Sass def. Jacob Volkmann via submission (triangle armbar), 1:54 of round 1
Glover Teixeira def. Kyle Kingsbury via submission (arm-triangle choke), 1:53 of round 1 Mike Brown def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
It may be an all heavyweight main card, but the bantamweight is stealing the show. Props: MMAFighting.com
We’re just hours away from UFC 146, so it’s time to turn on FX and watch the preliminary card. This evening’s all heavyweight main card will kick off with the lighter guys, as Diego Brandao makes his first post-TUF appearance against Darren Elkins, Dan Hardy and Mayhem Miller fight for their careers against Duane Ludwig and C.B. Dollaway, and Edson Barboza takes on Jamie Varner in what may potentially be the squash match/upset of the year. Handling tonight’s liveblogging duties will be Seth Falvo, who will be frantically checking to see if his beloved Philadelphia 76ers can take Game Seven during commercial breaks. Come in after the jump for live play-by-play.
It may be an all heavyweight main card, but the bantamweight is stealing the show. Props: MMAFighting.com
We’re just hours away from UFC 146, so it’s time to turn on FX and watch the preliminary card. This evening’s all heavyweight main card will kick off with the lighter guys, as Diego Brandao makes his first post-TUF appearance against Darren Elkins, Dan Hardy and Mayhem Miller fight for their careers against Duane Ludwig and C.B. Dollaway, and Edson Barboza takes on Jamie Varner in what may potentially be the squash match/upset of the year. Handling tonight’s liveblogging duties will be Seth Falvo, who will be frantically checking to see if his beloved Philadelphia 76ers can take Game Seven during commercial breaks. Come in after the jump for live play-by-play.
Good evening, jerks. I just got back from Bellator 70 in New Orleans. I’m running on two hours of sleep and three cans of Rockstar Xdurance. What I’m trying to say is, let’s just jump right into it, and try not to complain about typos, okay?
Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig
Round One: Both guys start off respecting each other’s striking, hesitant to rush each other. Hardy gets clipped, as Ludwig clinches up and lands some knees to Hardy’s body. Dan Hardy recovers, and pushes Ludwig against the cage, throwing some occasional hooks to Ludwig’s body. Hardy breaks, and lands a nice combination. And a follow-up 1-2. Head kick Ludwig. Hardy throws a 1-2, and misses with the left hook. Nice knee by Ludwig, as Dan Hardy works for a takedown. Hardy now has Ludwig pinned against the cage, but Ludwig is landing knees to the body of “The Outlaw”. Just as Joe Rogan starts praising Hardy’s lead left hook, Hardy lands one right to the jaw of Duane Ludwig. He momentarily celebrates, then finishes the fight with some elbows to a downed Ludwig until Josh Rosenthal stops it. Good start to the night.
Dan Hardy def. Duane Ludwig via KO, 3:51, Round One
And before anyone brings it up: Yes, I heard Arianny was arrested this morning. I didn’t say she was stealing the show for good reasons.
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller
Round One: Miller comes out and lands a cross right to Dollaway. Mayhem appears to lock in a guillotine, but Dollaway is out and takes Mayhem’s back. Miller gets back up, and gives Dollaway a noogie. Seriously. Dollaway lands a cross, and now they’re back in the center of the cage. Dollaway drops Mayhem with another cross, causing Joe Rogan to speculate that Mayhem has blown out his knee, which is already wrapped and bandaged. His inability to stand seems to support that theory. Dollaway takes Mayhem’s back, but he can’t get his hooks in. The crowd starts to boo, as Dollaway is doing nothing but hold on, as Mayhem is unable to stand. Miller tries getting up, although Dollaway is doing a good job at keeping Miller down. I wish he would, you know, do something, but I digress. Dollaway works for a kimura, but gives up on it and mounts Mayhem. Miller escapes, and manages to stand as the round ends.
Round Two: Nice jab by Dollaway. Miller is clearly favoring that knee, as Dollaway earns a takedown, but lets Miller back up. Miller catches Dollaway behind the ear, and works to finish, but Dollaway reverses position. Miller manages to get up, but Dollaway has him pinned against the cage. The crowd is booing the lack of action, as Dollaway unsuccessfully attempts a takedown. Miller works for a guillotine, as the crowd boos louder. Miller gives up on the guillotine, and Dollaway throws a few punches from Miller’s half guard. Emphasis on “a few”. This crowd is nearly booing these guys into actually doing something. The Boston Celtics are on top of the Philadelphia 76ers, 17-14, if you’re curious. The round ends with Dollaway in Mayhem’s guard, and the crowd is not impressed.
Round Three: Miller throws a couple of punches, but Dollaway takes him down by that bad knee, and the crowd boos. Miller’s right hand is trapped behind his back, if Dollaway wants to, you know, throw some punches or something. The ref continues to warn them to work, the crowd continues to boo…anyone mind if I change it to the Sixers/Celtics game? Okay, fine. Dollaway now has Miller’s back, and tries to get his hooks in as he occasionally throws a punch. It’s kind of funny to hear Joe Rogan try to save this one. Dollaway finally gets his hooks in, as Miller grabs the cage. C.B. is FINALLY throwing some punches that Mayhem isn’t even trying to defend. Dollaway mounts Miller as this “fight” comes to an end. The crowd boos loudly.
Peace out, Mayhem. I wish I could say it’s been fun to watch you in the UFC.
C.B. Dollaway def. Jason “Mayhem” Miller via unanimous decision.
Dollaway talks about how he was hurt during the second round, how he was injured before this contest, and gives a shoutout to Miami Heat forward Mike Miller, who is part owner of Power MMA & Fitness, where C.B. trains. The crowd is not done booing as we cut to commercials.
No comment on the judge who scored this one 30-26. 29-28 is acceptable, as anyone who gets a noogie during a round automatically loses it in my book.
Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner
If the prelims were a Gallagher show, this would be the point where the audience shields themselves with plastic while cheering loudly. If this one somehow doesn’t deliver blood, you can all blame me for jinxing it with that last sentence. Oh no…not Steve Mazzagatti.
Round One: Leg kicks from Barboza as this one starts off. Head kick attempt from Barboza, but Varner catches it and takes him down. Varner now in Barboza’s half guard and throwing punches. After that last “fight”, the crowd is conditioned to boo anything that happens on the ground, and reacts accordingly. Barboza gets back up and throws a leg kick. “Barboza” chants from the crowd, as Varner counters a leg kick with a nice cross. Varner is yet to check a leg kick, and Barboza is really taking advantage. Varner catches Barboza with a huge cross, and takes him down. Barboza gets away, but then gets rocked by another huge cross (?!?!?!?!) and rains down punches until Mazzagatti stops it.
Well HOL-LEE SHIT! It was short and brutal alright, but not nearly in the way that anyone who has paid attention to MMA since 2008 and isn’t named “Varner” was expecting. Yeah, you can call it a comeback.
Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO (punches), 2:23, Round One.
True story: Autocorrect tried to fix that last sentence.
We’ve got Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira from the Facebook preliminary card in order to kill time. Other than Kingsbury’s killer mustache, this fight was all Teixeira. Dominant performance capped off with an arm-triangle choke submission, 1:53 into Round One.
Last fight before the PPV up next.
Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
But before we get to that, we’ve got some obligatory hype for the PPV, as Rogan and Goldberg act like Velasquez vs. Bigfoot should be a close fight. Then again, after what we’ve already seen tonight, I dont know what to believe about anything anymore.
Round One: Nice combination from Brandao, capped off with a leg kick. Huge swing and a miss from Brandao, as Elkins gets Brandao to the ground. Nice reversal from Brandao, who ends up in Elkins’ guard. Elkins attempts a kimura, but loses it, as Brandao stands up. Brandao is really swinging for the fences, but he’s missing. Nice knee from Brandao, as Elkins is dropped and Brandao ends up in side control. He throws a few punches, notices Elkins attempt a submission, and then stands back up. Nice 1-2 from Elkins. Brandao lands one of those huge right hands and follows up with another cross, dropping Elkins. Elkins recovers and attempts a guillotine, but Brandao escapes and rains down punches from inside Elkins’ guard. Elkins grabs an arm, but is unable to do anything with it. Brandao stands up, throws a kick to the downed Elkins and then lands another right hand. Elkins holds on as this one comes to an end.
Round Two: They touch gloves. Elkins throws a left hook that completely misses. Nice knee from Brandao. Brandao attempts a lead uppercut, which is countered nicely by Elkins with a cross. Nice back elbow from Brandao. Rogan compares it to Anderson Silva, Goldberg compares it to Jon Jones, and they’re both wrong, as that elbow barely phased Elkins. Brandao slips, and Elkins winds up in Brandao’s guard. Brandao attempts an upkick, and nearly gives up his back as it misses. Elkins back in Brandao’s guard attempting to pass, as Brandao throws elbows from the guard. Elkins passes to half guard, and eventually gets full mount. Big punches from Elkins, and Brandao looks hurt. The crowd is chanting “Diego” as this round comes to an end.
Round Three: Brandao is clearly gassed, and throws some desperate lead uppercuts. Elkins counters with a 1-2, and manages to get Brandao to the ground. Elkins throws punches from Diego Brandao’s guard, as Rogan explains that Brandao wasted all of his energy looking for the finish in the first round. Full mount by Elkins with half of a round left, as he begins to rain down punches. Elkins with an arm-in guillotine, but Brandao escapes and stands back up. Brandao manages to drag Elkins down and looks to mount Elkins, but Elkins manages to pull guard. Brandao is too gassed to put together any meaningful offense, as this one comes to an end with Elkins throwing punches from the guard. I’ve got it 29-28 Elkins.
Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one who heard Joe Rogan say “He’s getting fucked up” at the end of the second round.
Darren Elkins def. Diego Brandao via unanimous decision.
Very interesting night of fights. It looks like the Sixers are down by four, the heavyweights are about to take over the card, and the preliminary broadcast is coming to a close. That”s all for me tonight. Enjoy the main card.
The good news is, Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier is a hell of a matchup — a classic generational battle between a battle-tested old veteran and a hungry up-and-comer. (As it turns out, Barnett is only like a year-and-a-half older than Cormier, but work with me here.) Also on the main card: Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson fight for Strikeforce’s lightweight title for the third time, while light-heavyweights Mike Kyle and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante throw down in a rematch of their own.
Handling the play-by-play for the tonight’s Showtime broadcast of Strikforce: Barnett vs. Cormier is our own Elias Cepeda, who will be posting live results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you feel in the comments section. You ready for war? Because guys, we are always ready for war.
(The time for talking is over. The time for looking into a camera and screaming has just begun. Photo via Esther Lin/SHO Sports.)
The good news is, Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier is a hell of a matchup — a classic generational battle between a battle-tested old veteran and a hungry up-and-comer. (As it turns out, Barnett is only like a year-and-a-half older than Cormier, but work with me here.) Also on the main card: Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson fight for Strikeforce’s lightweight title for the third time, while light-heavyweights Mike Kyle and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante throw down in a rematch of their own.
Handling the play-by-play for the tonight’s Showtime broadcast of Strikforce: Barnett vs. Cormier is our own Elias Cepeda, who will be posting live results after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know how you feel in the comments section. You ready for war? Because guys, we are always ready for war.
We are live!
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang
Round 1 – Spang is taking this one on short notice. Let’s see how ready he is for the opportunity. Spang with an overhand right, Burrell counters with a hook. Spang pushing forward, leading with the jab and looking for more hook counters.
Spang lands a huge head kick but Burrell seems unfazed somehow. He throws punches, most land only glancingly. Spang pushes Burrell against the cage. On separation Spang lands a couple more punches.
Burrell lands an uppercut, straight combo. Spang drops Burrell with a left hook. Burrell gets back to his feet but he’s clearly hurt. Spang unleashes knee after knee to the head from the Thai plum. Spang punches on separation then grabs the plum again and drops Burrell once more. He dives in for some ground strikes and referee Josh Rosenthal steps in to stop the fight.
Chris Spang with the first round TKO win.
Tyron Woodley and Nate Marquardt get interviewed, as they are soon fighting. Nate looks huge. Crazy that he’s supposed to make 170.
Rafael Feijao Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Rematch from three years ago. Back in ’09, Big Cavalcante got TKO’d by Kyle.
Round 1 – It doesn’t take long for Cavalcante to get his revenge on Kyle. Feijao throws an overhand right that misses, but after Kyle ducks low to avoid it, the Brazilian capitalizes and lands a knee to the head that drops Kyle and when “Mak” gets back to his feet, Cavalcante locks on a guillotine choke, jumps guard and, after a fight, Kyle taps out 33 seconds into the round.
Feijao by first round tap out.
Strikeforce 185lb champ Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy get interviewed because they are going to throw down July 14th. Luke implies that Kennedy has been ducking him. Kennedy compliments Rockhold, then threatens to twitter punk him tonight if given the opportunity. As we know, Kennedy is a dangerous man on twitter.
Round 1 – Both men start out fast, moving in and out, exchanging flurries of punches. A minute and a half in, Gilbert scores the takedown. Thomson immediately starts to work his way up to his feet, cage walking against the fence.
Thomson gets back up and free. Gilbert stalking Thomson. They clinch and Gilbert lands a hard knee to the body. They free back up. Thomson switching up his stance repeatedly. Gilbert paws with the jab, both feeling each other out.
Thomson throws a body kick that is blocked. He throws another that is caught by Gilbert. He uses it to take down Thomson. Thomson swivels to inverted guard and promptly gets a hammer fist to the face. Horn sounds.
Round 2 – They are back at it again, swinging hard, mostly missing. Thomson throws a head kick that is blocked. Gilbert walks Thomson into the cage, scoring with multiple body shots. Thomson circles out.
Gilbert leading with the pawing jab and trying to follow with a hard right but Thomson gets out of the way. Thomson charges forward with punches but misses.
Gilbert lands an uppercut. Thomson gets hit with a punch but apparently also with an eye poke. It buckles him, he gets time to recover. Thomson lands with a cross but Gilbert lands another uppercut. He seems to hurt Thomson. Josh doesn’t back down but Gilbert gets another takedown.
He has Thomson against the cage and Josh is attempting to walk his way back to his feet. He gets up and Gilbert throws a flurry of punches at him as soon as he does. Under ten seconds left and Josh shoots for a takedown. He doesn’t get it, as Gilbert uses elbows to the side of the head to defend. Horn sounds.
Round 3 – Gilbert throws two wide hooks that land, shoots for a takedown. Thomson defends and charges forward, landing a punch combo flush to the face of Gilbert. Thomson shoots and gets stuffed.
Uppercut from Thomson lands clean on Melendez. Gilbert responds with his own uppercut. Thomson throws Melendez to the ground but Gilbert rolls backwards and stays away from Thomson. He’s back up to his feet.
Gilbert with an uppercut to the body of Josh. From the clinch Gilbert lands several hard uppercuts to the jaw of Josh. Thomson responds by charging forward. Gilbert’s right eye is starting to swell. Thomson says he’s gotten poked in the eye again but gets back to action right away.
Round 4 – Thomson opens the round with another high kick that is blocked by Gilbert. Gilbert triples up on the jab and finishes with the overhand right. Thomson lands a huge right hand, throws another high kick that is mostly blocked. Gilbert lands his own big punch on Thomson.
Melendez has had enough of this and lands another double leg take down. He’s pressing Thomson against the fence, Josh gets back up to his feet. Gilbert lands a one-two punch combo. Thomson throwing the push kick and circles out.
Gilbert shoots for another double leg off of a jab lead. Thomson defends well. Melendez lands an elbow on separation. They are back standing in free range.
Melendez’ right eye is bleeding more. Thomson tries to use his own jab. Josh throws but whiffs on a four punch combo. Thomson with a trip takedown on Melendez and some nice straight punches to the grounded Gilbert.
Thomson in Gilbert’s full guard. Melendez sits up turtles up and Thomson takes his back. Under a minute left and Josh has Gilbert’s back, working for the rear naked choke. Thomson switches to a short choke grip. Melendez is in deep water but gets his chin back under the grip. Melendez stands, tries to shuck Thomson off of him.
Josh has the back still as the horn sounds.
Round 5 – Thomson is psyched at the start of the round – bounces up and down, nodding and smiling at Gilbert. Melendez with a short hook to Josh’s head. Thomson fires back, Melendez shoots and scores another double leg take down. Josh gets back up to his feet fast.
Gilbert has an egg swelling over his left eye now. Thomson lands a right punch. Thomson lands a right hook and uppercut in close range. Gilbert lands a stiff jab. Thomson lands a straight right, followed by a four-strike punch and kick combo. Thomson shoots for a take down and gets stuffed.
Thomson says he’s gotten poked again and gets time. Doesn’t take much, though, and they are back in action. Gilbert lands a left hook to the head of Thomson. Josh charges forward with a punch and knee combo but mostly misses. One minute left in this war.
Gilbert shoots for a double and gets stuffed. Thomson lands two more punches on the feet. Thomson lands another trip take down with thirty seconds left.
Gilbert is in full guard, throwing rabbit punches. Thomson staying safe, crowding Gilbert. Thomson throws three elbows to end the round.
Decision time is next!
Judges score it 48-47 Thomson, 48-47 Melendez, 48-47 Melendez. Split decision win for Gilbert Melendez. Split crowd, half cheers, half boos. Thomson is irate.
Even so, Thomson is all class telling the crowd, “Please don’t boo Gilbert. He’s one of the best fighters, if not the best fighter in the world.”
Thomson calls for a fourth fight, the crowd wants it too. Gilbert says, “yeah, sure, whatever,” before giving his teammate Nate Diaz props, calling him the next lightweight champion of the UFC.
Round 1 – Barnett pumps the double jab out sharply right away. Cormier lands his own jab now. Barnett throwing fast but Cormier throws three for every one punch Barnett can
Cormier goes to the body and head with combos. Barnett getting tagged but is unfazed. Cormier not eager to look for take downs at all, seems completely comfortable on the feet. Cormier begins to find his range with the right cross. Barnett lands his own punches now.
Cormier still doubling Barnett’s shots. Barnett catches a kick from Cormier and throws a right cross that lands and hurts Cormier. Barnett follows with a knee that hurts Cormier further. Cormier grimaces but gets his composure back and presses Barnett against the cage.
Barnett does not give up and closes with his own flurry of strikes. Cormier is bleeding but landed twice the strikes.
Round 2 – Barnett returns with his jab. Cormier starting to finish up his punch combos with leg kicks. Barnett backs Cormier up with punches, Cormier throws a knee. Cormier lands a hard short upper cut. Barnett returns with a straight cross. Cormier lands a huge combo to the head and body.
Cormier shoots for and gets a single leg take down, halfway through the round. Cormier in Barnett’s full guard. Cormier is smothering and posturing, throwing the occasional punches. Cormier starts to open up with forearm and elbow strikes. Barnett shoots a triangle choke but gets shrugged off by Barnett. Barnett fires an arm bar attempt into a leg lock attempt. Cormier defends it all and returns fire with more elbows.
Barnett’s face is a bloody mask with thirty seconds left. Cormier ends the round hammering away with punches.
Round 3 – Barnette backs Cormier up once again. Cormier lands a counter right from in close. Barnett shoots for a single and then double leg take down. Cormier defends and circles away from the cage. Barnett with an inside leg kick.
Cormier shoots for a single leg then switches to a high crotch take down and lifts Barnett up into the air and slams him into the ground. He lands in side mount on Barnett. Barnett looks to be in trouble from side control but gets up to his feet.
Cormier lands an overhand right then a left hand. Cormier lands another right hand, Barnett lands his own. Cormier shoots for a single leg but gets dedended.
Cormier lands a head kick that hurts Barnett. Cormier follows up with knees to the head. Barnett is hurt but returns fire with his back to the cage. Cormier circles and Barnett’s back while standing. Round ends in that position.
Round 4 – Barnett is bloodied but still opens up the round attacking. He backs up Cormier with feints and jabs. Cormier weaves to his right to avoid a jab and runs right into a knee from Barnett. Cormier lands a left hook.
Nice left-right combo from Barnett. Left lead high kick from Cormier lands. Right high kick from Cormier lands! Barnett closes the distance and pushes Cormier against the cage. Cormier circles out and gets back to the center of the cage.
Barnett lands a right lead punch. Jab-hook combo from Cormier. Cormier shoots in and then pops up and lands a right hand, then changes levels again and lands a take down. Barnett immediately rolls for a leg lock and looks to have Cormier in trouble but the wrestler turns and burns and gets out of danger.
Cormier is in Barnett’s full guard, lands a short elbow. Barnett works for a kimura shoulder locked but is shrugged off by Cormier. Referee stands them up.
Another left jab feint into knee to the head from Barnett to Cormier. Round ends with Barnett pressing Cormier against the cage.
Round 5 – Barnett walks down Cormier and throws a body kick. He follows up with a push kick. Quick break for referee Josh Rosenthal to dry up some water on the mat that Cormier points out.
Barnett presses Cormier against the fence once they get back at it. Knee to the head, straight right combo from Barnett. Left high kick from Cormier blocked by Barnett.
Cormier lands a one-two punch combo on the stalking Barnett. Cormier ducks under a spinning back fist from Barnett, takes him down. Barnett gets back to his feet but is lifted and nearly slammed again by Cormier. Barnett stays on his feet again, almost immediately.
One minute left. Cormier has a left under hook on Barnett, pressing him against the cage. Barnett gets double under hooks but still has his back pressed against the cage with thirty seconds left. Cormier gets his left under hook back in. Ten seconds left and they are in free standing. Cormier is content to just run away the final seconds.
The horn sounds and Cormier raises his hands. What a great, competitive and brutal fight between the two heavies but Cormier likely won all five rounds.
Decision time is next.
We finally have a Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion. Daniel Cormier wins a unanimous decision. Scores were 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45 in favor of Cormier.
An emotional Cormier says that “It means everything to beat somebody like Josh Barnett. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. This is for all of them…this means the world to me.”
Barnett says that he “broke the ever living crap out of my hand against Daniel in the first round…I was going to make him earn this…today Daniel was better.”
That’s it, folks. Great night of fights, thanks for cage surfing with us.
(Impressed, Jung decided to get a tattoo of the outline of Louisiana, mistaking it as the American symbol for “courage.” / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Tonight at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, two of the most exciting forces in the featherweight division will square off for the next shot at the UFC’s 145-pound belt. After a 2011 that saw him twist up Leonard Garcia then knock out Mark Hominick in seven seconds, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung now faces Dustin Poirier, the 23-year-old phenom who’s smashed through four straight opponents during his time in the Octagon.
Also on the six-fight UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card: TUF winner Amir Sadollah returns against Jorge Lopez, Donald Cerrone throws down against Jeremy Stephens, and Tom “Neo Genki” Lawlor meets up with Canadian vet Jason MacDonald.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening is Justin Corey, better known around these parts as Kid Clam Curtains. Live results from the FUEL TV main card will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
(Impressed, Jung decided to get a tattoo of the outline of Louisiana, mistaking it as the American symbol for “courage.” / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Tonight at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, two of the most exciting forces in the featherweight division will square off for the next shot at the UFC’s 145-pound belt. After a 2011 that saw him twist up Leonard Garcia then knock out Mark Hominick in seven seconds, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung now faces Dustin Poirier, the 23-year-old phenom who’s smashed through four straight opponents during his time in the Octagon.
Also on the six-fight UFC on FUEL TV 3 main card: TUF winner Amir Sadollah returns against Jorge Lopez, Donald Cerrone throws down against Jeremy Stephens, and Tom “Neo Genki” Lawlor meets up with Canadian vet Jason MacDonald.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening is Justin Corey, better known around these parts as Kid Clam Curtains. Live results from the FUEL TV main card will be piling up after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Jason MacDonald VS. Tom Lawlor
Alright potatonibblets. It’s dirty time. I have a 2 year old hellion so lets hope she doesn’t fuck up shop during my commentary. I’m interested to see Lawlor’s entrance. Let’s hope they show it. I believe he came out as buckethead or something during the weigh-ins? Oh Genki Sudo. No entrances shown. Bummer.
Round 1- Ok and we’re off. Lawlor comes out pressing the action. MacDonald shoots for a takedown that Lawlor stuffs easily. Lawlor throws a left followed by a right behind the ear. And MacDonald is out! Jesus that happened fast. MacDonald seems like he’s fine but has to be sick right now. More like The Mathlete, amirite?
Tom Lawlor winner by KO at 0:50 of the “very” first round
Igor Pokrajac VS. Fabio Maldonado
Round 1- 2 heavy-hitting LHW’s about to go at it. I remember Maldonado’s physique is deceiving. Maldonado throws a right haymaker and gets taken down. Pokrajac in half guard looking for the mount. Dropping elbows and hammer fists but not doing any damage. Scramble and Pokrajac gets mount. Maldanado gets back to half guard and is avoiding any offense from Pokrajac. Pokrajac trying to pin the arm down and drop punches but not successful thus far. Pokrajac loses position in scramble and now they stand up. Both guys landing big shots. Maldonado throwing unanswered blows and Pokrajac is hurt. Maldonado landing big body shots against the cage and Pokrajac lands a good knee. Maldonado mixing it up with huge shots to the head and body. Great first round.
Round 2– Both guys being a bit more conservative now after taking some big shots in the first. Pokrajac lands a good combination to the head and shoots for a single against the cage. Maldonado able to keep him off and now they’re just holding each other lovingly. Pokrajac with a good knee followed by a combination to the head. Maldonado lands some big blows to the body that backs Pokrajac up. Those body shots look brutal. Maldonado knows those are doing damage and keeps with is. Pokrajac with another knee followed by a spinning backfist. Great fight. Maldonado with a falling-over takedown. And that’s the end of the round. Both fighters look tired and rightly so.
Round 3– Both guys come out swinging. Pokrajac up against the cage and Maldonado going back to the body. Pokrajac back to the thai clinch. Good knee from Pokrajac but Maldonado eats it. Huge left hand by Pokrajac and Maldonado looks wobbly. They clinch up against the cage and both guys are breathing heavy. Maldonado’s face looking pretty beat but he’s coming forward. Pokrajac lands a big left but Maldonado keeps coming and now they’re trading heavy shots. Man these 2 dudes have good chins. And they finish swinging. Tough one to call but it was definitely entertaining. Let’s hope I don’t have to spell Pokrajac and Maldonado again.
Igor Pokrajac is your winner by Unanimous Decision
Yves Jabouin VS. Jeff Hougland
Round 1– Excited for this one. Hougland looks like a weight class bigger than Jabouin. Not sure it will matter. Jabouin with a lightning fast leg kick then follows up with a left. Both guys feinting a lot. Not a lot of action but Jabouin has some amazing dexterity. 3 minutes in and almost nothing has happened. Push kick from Jabouin the only strike to land in 2 minutes. HUGE spinning back kick to the liver by Jabouin and Hougland crumples to the canvas. He’s still fighting back but just barely. Jabouin might regret not diving on him more aggressively as Hougland looked like he was done. And he survives the round.
Round 2– Hougland being a bit more aggressive to start the round. Eats another kick to the body and shoots for a TD. Jabouin scrambles away and throws a head kick that misses. Jabouin with another good kick to the body and Hougland answers with a couple inside leg kicks. Hougland tries the spinning backfist and misses. Jabouin easily avoiding most of Hougland’s strikes. Hougland tries for another TD but is stuffed. Nice stiff jab by Jabouin and lands another kick to the body. Hougland needs a new gameplan as he’s losing convincingly. Short left by Jabouin glances off Hougland’s chin. And that’s the end of the round.
Round 3– Jaboun pushing forward and lands a nice left hook that drops Hougland. Ref warns about Jabouin striking to the back of the head. Now he’s dropping brutal ground and pound and takes Hougland’s back. Jabouin slips off and Hougland reverses position. They scramble and Jabouin end up on top in half guard. Jabouin dropping short elbows then moves to mount…and now back to full guard. Jabouin stacking Hougland against the cage and lands a couple shots. Hougland still battling from the bottom but he’s eating some decent hammerfists. Jabouin in half guard posturing up intermittently with a shot or 2. Ref stands them up and Jabouin lands another huge body shot followed by a head kick. I’m really surprised Hougland has survived this long and it looks like he’ll make it out…but not before eating some big elbows from Jabouin as the fight ends. Hougland just took a ruthless beating like a man. Jabouin is a bad little man. Some may call him EXPLOSIVE!
Unanimous Decision win for Yves Jabouin
Donald Cerrone VS. Jeremy Stephens
Round 1– I won’t lie…I’m a little moist for this fight. How will Cerrone respond after the loss to Diaz? Stephens won’t let him off easy. And here, we, go. No touch of the gloves. Cerrone’s reach advantage is apparent from the get go. Cerrone lands a good inside leg kick. Then a huge outside leg kick. Stephens is coming up short on his combos so far and Cerrone continues with the one-two combo followed by the leg kick. Stephens having a hard time getting to Cerrone and Cerrone is having success with most of his combos. Cerrone with a glancing head kick, then a knee and 3 punch combo. Cerrone looking much more technical and opens up a cut over Stephens’ right eye. Cerrone getting crafty throwing a Jon Jonesish elbow. Cerrone taunting Stephens now which seems to piss Stephens off. Huge leg kick to end the round for Cerrone. Stephens better figure something else out. Cerrone is picking him apart.
Round 2– Now they touch gloves. Cerrone goes right back to the inside leg kick. Stephens’ punches still coming up short. Cerrone landing vicious leg kicks and seems very confident. Throwing every strike he can think of. Stephens seems hurt and Cerrone just goes back to the leg. Cerrone doing an Irish jig followed by more kicks and stiff jabs. Cerrone clowning Stephens now and avoiding everything Stephens throws. Stephens’ left eye looks like hammered shit. I doubt he can see. This is getting bad. Cerrone buckles Stephens with another hard leg kick. Now inside leg kick followed by a takedown. Stephens gets up at the bell.
Round 3– Cerrone kicks Stephens directly in the balls. Sounded pretty awful. Like shooting a shotgun into a pillow. Stephens takes it and is back up. Cerrone with his same combo that he’s been landing at will. Stephens still not backing down though. Stephens lands a glancing knee but Cerrone follows with a knee to the body. Cerrone throws a leg kick that drops Stephens…more knocking him off balance than anything. More leg kicks, rinse, repeat. Cerrone is just too good at everything at this point. Stephens lands a nice left hook but Cerrone doesn’t even flinch. Cerrone getting very lax though. Needs to be careful. Cerrone going to the body with the kicks now. Its just a leg kick bonanza up in this bitch. Cerrone just coasting now and that’s it. Lopsided beatdown via Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone
Donald Cerrone your winner by Unanimous Decision
Amir Sadollah VS Jorge Lopez
Round 1– Lopez looks like a tank. You can see his power right away as he counters Sadollah’s punches. They trade leg kicks then clinch against the cage. Lopez controlling Sadollah but not much action. They break and Lopez throws a series of stiff jabs. Sadollah misses with a kick and Lopez lands a leg kick. Now Lopez goes for a single leg. Lifts Sadollah off the ground and drops him for a takedown. Sadollah posting up against the cage and Lopez working for a standing kimura. And he lets it go. Now Sadollah working for a takedown. Lopez isn’t having it and they clinch until the end of the round.
Round 2– Sadollah rushes forward and Lopez ties him up. Lopez trying hard for the takedown but is having no luck. Crowd getting antsy because this shit is boring. Nothing to report. Lopez trying for another single and Sadollah trying to work in a guillotine. He sinks it and they drop down into a scramble. Lopez pops free and now is trying for a double against the cage. Now they break. Sadollah lands a couple good kicks to the body as Lopez backs up. Lopez looks tired and Sadollah seems to sense it. Sadollah throws a sloppy kick and gets taken down. There goes that momentum. And the round ends.
Round 3– Lopez ties Sadollah up against the cage again and is trying for another single. Sadollah trying for the guillotine again. Deja vu. Sadollah counters and gets Lopez against the cage. And the break. Lopez taking big breaths now. Sadollah landing some decent shots but now Lopez ties him up…again going for the single. Sorry I think I just dozed off. Lopez gets a takedown but isn’t doing anything. If ever a standup was needed….oh there we go. Now they’re throwing down. Sadollah misses with a flying knee and now we’re in the same position. Sadollah fighting off the TD and lands a good knee right before the bell. For every good fight there is an equal opposite shitty fight.
Amir Sadollah your winner by split decision
Chan Sung Jung VS. Dustin Poirier
Round 1– Some tasty Featherweight action about to go down. Poirier is a god damn animal and I have a feeling the Korean Zombie is about to get fed his ass. Luckily I have the ability to edit this portion of the commentary in case I’m way off. Tan Dan is looking particularly orange tonight. And they touch gloves. They’re both throwing heat…no feeling out process. Zombie gets a takedown but Poirier gets up and goes for a single. Now they’re clinching against the cage with Poirier doing the pushing. Zombie with a great greco takedown and he’s in Poirier’s full guard. Zombie throwing good elbows and Poirier is cut on his forehead. Zombie looking strong in top position. Poirier lands a good upkick and reverses position. Poirier lands in Zombie’s full guard and now Zombie is trying to wall walk up to his feet. Poirier controlling him against the cage but not much action. Back to their feet. Porier lands a good knee and now they’re throwing bombs. Nothing lands and the round ends.
Round 2– I just accidentally erased my whole round 2…the best round of the night. So I had to rewind and here I am. Let me just say that Poirier was almost tapped multiple times and the Zombie transitioned from arm bar to triangle and back multiple times.
Round 3- Fuck I can’t believe I just erased all of that glorious work. Poirier lands a good shot and now their trading bombs. Most of them are missing and they both look pretty tired. Zombie eats a good straight left and a leg kick. Poirier starting to land some clean shots. Zombie living up to his name doesn’t seem to care. Huge takedown by Zombie and Poirier ends up standing up. Both guys landing good shots but Zombie doesn’t seem to mind it. Zombie landing the better strikes but Poirier not giving up. Both guys using their faces to block punches. Round ends like a scene from Road house.
Round 4– Both guys throwing sloppy shots. Zombie land a one-two followed by a huge flying knee. Poirier in trouble in the d’arce choke. And that’s it! What a finish. Korean Zombie by d’arce choke in a dominating performance.
Korean Zombie wins by D’arce choke at 1:07 of round number 4
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
Tonight’s UFC on FOX event is looking to be one for the ages, Potato Nation. The alcohol-fueled spirit of Cinco De Mayo has overtaken most, if not all, of the U.S of A by this point, and I’m no exception, so lets skip the fancy introductions and get right to it.
Preliminary results
-Karlos Vemola def. Mike Massenzio by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round two.
-Roland Delorme def. Nick Denis by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:59 of round one.
-Dennis Bermudez def. Pablo Garzo by UD
-Danny Castillo def. John Cholsih by UD
-Louis Gaudinot def. John Lineker by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:54 of round 2
-John Hathaway def. Paskal Krauss by UD
-John Dodson def. Tim Elliot by UD
-Michael Johnson def. Tony Ferguson by UD
A couple musings from the prelims:
-Apparently some McDonald’s Happy Meals DO come with Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelts. Just ask Mike Massenzio.
-Nick Denis has a ridiculous rat tail, but it can’t match up with Roland Delorme’s iron chin. What an amazing round of action that was.
They give a shout-out to Adam Yauch, who unfortunately lost his battle to cancer at just 47. In his honor, I am starting off this liveblog with a Brass Monkey at my side. Cheers.
Lavar Johnson vs. Pat Barry
Bruce Buffer seemed waaay to enthusiastic when announcing Lavar Johnson’s nickname. Just sayin’.
Round 1: Barry opens with a left hook and a nice leg kick. Johnson clinches. Barry hits a head kick off the fence, then an uppercut. Leg kick Barry. Johnson clinches again. A couple knees to the head from Johnson, then a flurry of those patented uppercuts. Barry looks for a takedown, might be in trouble. Barry moves to mount! Then moves to side control…weird. Barry’s going for an Americana… weirder. Rogan comments on his incorrect technique, but Johnson is grimacing like a sumbitch, so maybe its working. “Big” gets free. The mount is wide open for the taking, but Barry opts to stay in side control. Both men back to their feet, and a leg kick by Barry. Big kick by Johnson spins Barry around, and Johnson is just UNLOADING on Barry against the fence. Is Barry playing possum? Nope, Johnson continues to tee off on Barry until he drops and it is all over. Wow.
Man, Barry must have seriously been rocked, because he was a sitting duck for that last exchange. In either case, a great win for Johnson in defeating the more technical striker. Johnson tries to make the case for KOTN, saying, “He just wants that check.”
My God. Paul Harris’ highlight reel looks like a Faces of Deathmovie trailer. Those poor souls.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher
Goldberg tries to introduce Dan Mirogliatta twice and fails miserably.
Round 1: Both men are tentative at the start. Belcher faints a few jabs, and Palhares dives on a leg. Uh-oh. Holy shit, Belcher is looking for a Twister after a hell of a scramble, and now a banana split. I MUST be drunk. Palhares looking for a kneebar. Belcher defending, but its like watching a car accident happen in slo-mo. Palhares now trying for a heel hook of death. Belcher escapes! HE MUST BE GREASING! Nice elbows by Belcher, who is laying down some serious GnP. IT IS OVER!
Alan Belcher def. Rousimar Palhares via TKO, round 1.
What a victory for Belcher. The man put his legs in the grinder and came out unscathed. What the hell is going on with the audio feed? Either Mike Goldberg is having an aneurysm or something is really up, because one-word spurts are repeating on loop. Anyway, Belcher sort of claims that he is the most dangerous 185er on the ground since he defeated Palhares, and I’m inclined to believe him.
Jesus Christ, is Joe Rogan seriously trying to pass off Mir/Dos Santos as a grudge match? Who cares, because they’re playing “Brass Monkey” in the background of his and Dana White’s little chat. DRINK UP!
Once again, I have to hear that Josh Koscheck does in fact own a motherfucking plane. Screw this, I’m turning off the sound on my TV and throwing on some Danzig.
Round 1: Koscheck comes out with a front kick. Then another. Well, its already gone longer than I’d like it to. Koscheck with a nice right hook on the counter. Hendricks may be hurt, as Koscheck just landed a nice combo on him. Now another. Hendricks is in trouble, and tries a takedown that is ridiculously far from landing. Hendricks lands a nice uppercut, then goes for the double leg. They clinch against the fence, and are separated by Kevin Mulhall. Hendricks with a left hand, then tries for another takedown. Koscheck with a nice combo against the fence. Hendricks is looking for a one-punch KO here. Koscheck tries a spinning LOLfist as the round ends, and he likely took it.
Round 2: Hendricks is throwing looping punches trying to close the distance, but Kos ain’t having it. Uppercut Hendricks. Koscheck looks for a guillotine on a Hendricks takedown attempt, then goes for Hendricks’ back. Hendricks goes for a double and gets Kos against the fence. Crowd getting restless, those animals. On the separation, Kos whiffs a big left, and gets countered with an uppercut. They clinch again, and Kos lands a nice elbow before pushing off. Kos tries a head kick that gets blocked. Hendricks swinging away, then lands a leg kick and clinches as the bell sounds. Close round, but I’d give it to Hendricks.
Round 3: Koschecks eye is starting to resemble the GSP fight, and he bull rushes Hendricks into the fence. Mulhall separates, and the two swing away in a nice exchange. Hendricks lands a nice left hook that seems to hurt Kos, but then Kos fires back. Some really nice dirty boxing by Hendricks, ala Randy Couture. I think Koscheck’s eye may be in some trouble here, as Hendricks lands another knee. Takedown Kos, who briefly attempts an arm-triangle. Koscheck on top, working for mount, but Hendricks gets back to half-guard. Koscheck spends the remainder of the round on top and may take it.
Scratch that.
Johny Hendricks def. Josh Koscheck by split decision.
They’re desperately trying to push this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, but nothing, including Ronda Rousey, is going to make people want to stay in on a Friday night. Just ask….that show Fridays.
It’s main event time…
Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller
Brian Stann just reeled off a good four or five sentences when assessing this fight without saying the word “uh” once. Take that, Jon Jones. I forget who, but someone disagreed with my assessment that Diaz’s victory over Cerrone was “dominant” the other day. Joe Rogan just agreed with me, so SUCK IT WHOEVER YOU WERE.
Per usual, Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising,” which only reinforces my belief that he is the coolest thing to come out of Jersey in the history of ever.
Round 1: Diaz doesn’t touch gloves, go figure. Nice leg kick by Miller to start. Diaz clinches after a combination misses, but Miller pushes him into the fence. The crowd is already booing, WTF?! Nice knee by Miller, who tries an elbow over the top to follow. Leg kick Miller, then another. Right hook Diaz, then a nice body shot. Inside leg kick Diaz. Miller clinches Diaz against the fence, trying for a single. Diaz turns things around and lands a nice knee. Body kick Miller. Diaz drops Miller with a straight left! Miller dives for a takedown with 30 seconds left. Nice scramble, and Miller gets Diaz to the mat. Nate sweeps Miller as the round ends.
Round 2: Both men start the round with a left hand. Leg kick Miller, who follows it up with a right hand. Diaz pushes Miller into the fence and lands a few shots to the body. Nice elbow on the break by Miller. Diaz clinches again, looking for the trip, but is unsuccessful. Miller with a left over the top. Diaz tries a flying knee, and the taunting begins. They clinch and Diaz lands a nice knee that causes Miller to drop to a hand. Diaz with a nice elbow, and Miller dives for a takedown. Diaz tries a on-armed guillotine, and gets it! DAMN! Diaz becomes the first man to stop Jim Miller! Great finish!
Nate Diaz def. Jim Miller via submission (guillotine), round 2.
Holy shit. On the replay, Joe Rogan informs us that Miller’s mouthpiece fell out in the scramble, and he was nearly biting his own tongue off before he tapped.
Well, that’s all for me tonight. It looks like we have our next two challengers at lightweight and welterweight lined up. Thanks for stopping by, Potato Nation, and I’ll catch you all next week.
At long last, we’re finally going to find out if watchingJon Jones and Rashad Evans fight is as entertaining as discussing it. The two light-heavyweight rivals — who sport similar haircuts, completely by coincidence — will settle their beef at the end of tonight’s UFC 145 main card, backed by a supporting lineup that includes Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills, Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell, and Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald.
Live, round-by-round results from the UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans pay-per-view broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato flyweight liveblog champ Aaron Mandel. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Now take our hand, Constant Reader, and follow us into the abyss…
Live, round-by-round results from the UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans pay-per-view broadcast will be collecting after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato flyweight liveblog champ Aaron Mandel. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section. Now take our hand, Constant Reader, and follow us into the abyss…
Alright, it’s time for the action to start in Atlanta!
John Alessio VS. Mark Bocek
Round 1- Bocek takes the opening round, my cable provider sucks ass, now I’m live, sorry PotatoHeads!
Round 2- Redhead vs. blonde action here as Alessio tries to have more UFC success than his first few runs. Bocek’s striking does not look good, Alessio tags him on the feet. Bocek shoots for a double leg and pins Alessio against the cage as he completes the takedown. Bocek working in Alessio’s guard, trying to pass. Elbows from the top by Bocek who is much more comfortable on the ground. More elbows from Bocek as he works into half guard. Bocek moves into side control and looks very slick on the ground. Alessio hip escapes back into half guard as Bocek continues to work some strikes and hunt for submissions. Alessio escapes and they are back on the feet. Bocek’s leg kicks look very slow, not sure why he’s throwing so many of them. Alessio working some strikes on the feet as Bocek shoots for another takedown. Alessio clinches up and defends the takedown. Round ends and it’s a close one.
In between rounds Alessio’s corner unleashes a string of aggressive curse words to encourage his fighter, which impresses Rogan!
Round 3- Bocek is likely up two rounds at this point. Alessio comes out throwing as they engage on the feet. Alessio with some strong jabs, repelling Bocek’s takedown attempts. Bocek gets an easy takedown and takes Alessio’s back with hooks. Bocek stays heavy on Alessio’s back with a body triangle working some ground and pound. Bocek is bloodied up but in total control on the ground and sort of resembles a battle extra from “Lord of the Rings”. Alessio with a nice escape and they are back on the feet again with two minutes left. Bocek with a sloppy takedown attempt and Alessio working kicks, but they look too casual. Bocek times the kick and shoots another takedown. Bocek works to the back but Alessio comes out the back and they are on the feet again with now one minute left. Bocek clinches Alessio against the cage and Alessio has to make something big happen in a hurry here. Bocek sticks to Alessio as the round winds down and Bocek cruises to what will certainly be a decision victory.
This looks to be a tailor-made comeback fight for Hominick as Yagin has done nothing in his UFC career to deserve this fight.
Round 1- Hominick makes it through the first ten seconds, longer than his previous bout with the Korean Zombie lasted, so he must be thrilled! Hominick looks must bigger than Yagin. Yagin clips Hominick on the feet and looks quick with his hands. Good leg kick from Yagin. Both fighters are feeling each other out early. Hominick has very technical striking but Yagin is staying in the pocket successfully throwing punches and kicks. Yagin drops Hominick and pounces looking for the finish! Hominick defends and recovers guard but Yagin is pounding away. Hominick is back on his feet but his face is cut up and bruised badly already. Yagin swings with a wild spinning back kick and I wonder if he gassed himself out trying to finish Hominick early. Hominick may still be dazed but he’s hanging in there and Yagin is slowing slightly as the round ends. Round one goes to Yagin.
Round 2- Yagin throwing big power shots while Hominick is much more technical and conservative with his strikes as they trade on the feet. Hominick peppering Yagin with a jab. Yagin throws another wild spinning kick that misses badly. Yagin drops Hominick again and he looks badly hurt but survives on the ground. Yagin is really fast in addition to his obvious power as he makes me eat my pre-fight words. Hominick is recovering and tying Yagin up in his guard. Hominick’s face is messed up. Yagin throws another spinning kick as they return to the feet. Hominick is landing much more frequently but when Yagin lands Hominick is getting dropped. Yagin again looks tired from trying to finish Hominick, just as in the first round. Hominick working some strong shots to the body of Yagin. Another round for Yagin as we head to the third.
Round 3- Both guys faces are bloodied up but Hominick is starting to resemble his alien doppelganger that appeared in his Aldo fight. Yagin pumps the crowd up as he works for a huge upset as the round begins. Striking exchanges between the two are pretty even as Hominick is trying to turn up the pace. Hominick is starting to get the better of the striking exchanges, which he needs to do in my opinion to have any shot at winning the fight. Hominick is working a stiff jab that is hurting Yagin and cutting him up but I don’t know if that will finish him. Hominick needs to take a page from Yagin’s playbook and throw some power punches. Two minutes left in the round. Yagin is getting tagged now and loses his mouthpiece but fires back with a minute left. These guys are throwing down! Yagin looked to be hurt but is still in there and firing back. The round ends with Hominick in charge but I don’t think it was enough as we go to the judges scorecards.
Huge upset win for Yagin and it’s now three straight losses for Hominick.
Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald
This fight is a great test for both fighters in the bantamweight decision. Does McDonald have what it takes at such a young age to compete with the top guys and does Torres have another title run in him?
Round 1- Both fighters tentative at the start. McDonald the more active striker at the outset. McDonald unleashes a flurry on Torres but most of it is blocked as Torres uses footwork and head movement to circle away. McDonald throws very heavy uppercuts but they haven’t landed flush yet. Torres’ mouthpiece comes out and Herb Dean stops the action to replace it WITHOUT RINSING IT as Goldberg mentions the five-second rule. McDonald drops Torres with a huge uppercut and he is out before he hits the mat. Huge KO for McDonald and there is no doubt he is for real.
Michael McDonald defeats Miguel Torres via knockout.
Ben Rothwell VS. Brendan Schaub
This is a must-win fight for both guys. Will Rothwell turn into a walking zombie like he did in the Hunt fight or can he put his new physique to use and touch the questionable chin of Schaub.
Round 1- Rothwell looks intense and the fighters touch gloves to start. Rothwell eats some heavy shots from Schaub but clinches up and throws some knees. Spinning elbow from Schaub lands and puts Rothwell in trouble but as Schaub swarms, Rothwell drops him out cold with a left hook! Wild exchange and career saving win from Rothwell.
Ben Rothwell defeats Brendan Schaub via knockout
Rory MacDonald VS. Che Mills
Rory MacDonald is in a situation akin to similarly named Michael McDonald and has a huge platform to make a name for himself in the co-main event tonight. Speaking of which, if I beat Chris Cope could I get in a co-main event too?
Round 1- MacDonald looks intense at the start. Mills with some low kicks but has his chin exposed. Mills cracks MacDonald with a punch as they clinch against the cage. Mills cracks MacDonald again with an uppercut and MacDonald immediately shoots in for a takedown which he gets rather easily. MacDonald unloads some huge ground and pound which he throws with amazing accuracy. A huge shot from a postured up MacDonald lands on Mills as MacDonald slides easily into side control. Mounted crucifix for MacDonald who appears to be light years ahead of Mills on the ground. MacDonald pounding away from the mounted crucifix as Mills lies there bleeding and looking confused. Mills tries to escape and shakes the crucifix but has MacDonald in side control. Mills’ face is a bloody mess. MacDonald moves into full mount and pounds away as Mills rolls and gives up his back. HUGE punches by MacDonald as he works for a rear naked choke. The round ends with Mills’ cheekbone doing a better job of escaping his face than Mills’ did off his back.
Round 2- Wasn’t sure if Mills would answer the call for round 2 but he does, a total warrior. MacDonald grabs a single leg and effortlessly takes Mills down and starts pounding away again. Yet another cut is opened up on Mills’ face as MacDonald is in side control working toward full mount. Full mount for MacDonald and he quickly transitions to Mills’ back. MacDonald unloads another flurry and Mills turns away in pain and agony as the ref mercifully steps in and stops this one.
Mills looked good during his brief time on the feet but had no answer for MacDonald on the ground. MacDonald got tagged on the feet but was never in real trouble and will probably get a big name for his next fight.
Rory MacDonald defeats Che Mills via technical knockout
It’s main event time now. The amount of buildup and hype for this fight has been off the charts. When the cage door closes, can the fight itself live up? One thing worth noting is how loose Jones has looked every time he’s been shown on camera in the locker room. I, for one, think Jones will win, but I have some doubt in the back of my head about him being too cocky now and clowning around. Video montages, walk ins, fighter introductions and then it’s go time!
Round 1- Jones and Rashad both coming out in cat mode! Jones goes to the body early and thinks about dropping for a shot but separates. Jones throwing kicks, Evans looks tentative. Rashad’s reach deficit is apparent as it looks hard for him to get inside. Rashad lands a combination there and Jones appears to take it well. More kicks from Jones. Head kick lands from Jones but Evans appears to take it well. Leg kick from Jones and he’s using his legs to maximize his reach advantage and control distance. Jones throwing a lot of kicks. Elbow to Evans face from Jones. Body shot from Jones. Evans seems to be content to wait for counter striking opportunities here in the first. Jumping body kick from Jones. A superman punch and two quick body kicks from Jones who is controlling the action early. Evans in counter mode, leg kick to Jones head and Jones is staggered! Jones shoots and then clinches. Round ends with Rashad in charge but I think Jones takes the round.
Round 2- Clinch between the two early and then they separate. Jones looks way more tentative now as they both swing and miss in the center of the cage. Jones tries a front upkick that misses. Evans taunts Jones after a flurry misses, Jones does not react. Stiff jab from Jones lands on Evans. Elbow from Jones from short range looks painful. Jones rocks Evans with another elbow that staggers Evans. Evans clinches and tries to clear the cobwebs. Another push-away elbow from Jones but Evans seems to be recovering. More elbows from Jones. Jones is using this short elbow a lot and concludes with a flying knee and a left hook that rocks Evans right as the round ends. That round goes to Jones.
Round 3- Jones the aggressor as the round begins. Evans lands a huge overhand right on Jones but Jones seems to take it well. Evans appearing more confident. Jones may be hurt but Evans is not pushing the pace. Jones lands a head kick. This is a great fight, my heart rate is tripping out! Lots of momentum swings and back and forth action. Evans’ boxing looks really tight. Jones rocks Evans with a flying knee and follows it with a body kick and another flying knee. Rashad counters with a punch. Hard body kick from Jones. Evans with a sloppy shot and they clinch. Jones looks to be wearing Evans down but he is staying in range of Rashad’s power shots. Jones ends the round with two kicks and I think Jones took that round.
Round 4- We are in the championship rounds, baby!!! Strikes in the center of the cage from both fighters. Spinning elbow attempt misses from Jones. Evans looks for a takedown that is easily stuffed by Jones. Jones catches a kick and throws a right hand down the middle that lands. Jones controlling the action here, Evans has done very little. Evans is looking to throw his right hand and not much else at this point. Jones is hopping like a rabbit towards Evans but the action has slowed in this round. Jones stops a takedown attempt and tries a front choke before giving it up and throwing some knees. Rashad has a “welt” on the side of his head that looks more like a dent in his skull, probably from the round two elbows. Shoulder strikes from the standing clinch by Jones, you read that right, yes. Jones shoots in but can’t complete the takedown as the round ends with Jones in charge.
Round 5- Evans looks tired compared to Jones at the start. Jones throwing jabs to start the round. Evans has to stop Jones to win at this point. Jones is snapping Evans head back with jabs and mixes in a body shot for good measure. Jones dancing around a little and just slips a huge right hand from Evans. Jones is standing right in front of Evans not moving much but lands a huge right. Jones landing some kicks and elbows while Rashad swings wildly and misses. Evans misses with a spinning back fist and eats a flying knee for his trouble. In the clinch and Jones muscles Evans against the cage. Jones lands a left and separates. Jones initiates a clinch again and flings Rashad to the ground with ease and tags him on the ground. Rashad separates and gets up but finds himself in the clinch eating knees from Jones again. Thirty seconds left and Rashad flings some bombs. For no reason known to man, Jon Jones pulls guard and defends against Evans’ ground and pound as the round ends.
We go to the judges and Jon Jones should retain his title here with a dominant win over Rashad Evans.
Jon Jones defeats Rashad Evans via unanimous decision
