“I hate to have to tell you this, Mr. Bailey, but you’ve got a severe case of liveblog. It won’t be long now.” (Photo: UFC.com)
The good news: you’re all but guaranteed more than sixty-four seconds of action this evening. The bad news: you’re going to have to pay for it.
Nothing in life is free, not even punches to the face. Take Dan Henderson, for example. “Hollywood” was once considered too costly of an investment for the UFC, but after an impressive three-fight win streak he was deemed too valuable for Strikeforce. Tonight he makes his return to the Octagon after a two year hiatus. Does old Hendo have enough gas in the tank for one more title run, or will the “old” Shogun show up and ruin his homecoming.
Though he may not have the cleavage to warrant video commentary, weekend editor Chris Colemon does possess the sort of typing skills that get you beat up by jocks in high school. Come join him inside for the best play-by-play coverage you’ll see on this site tonight.
“I hate to have to tell you this, Mr. Bailey, but you’ve got a severe case of liveblog. It won’t be long now.” (Photo: UFC.com)
The good news: you’re all but guaranteed more than sixty-four seconds of action this evening. The bad news: you’re going to have to pay for it.
Nothing in life is free, not even punches to the face. Take Dan Henderson, for example. “Hollywood” was once considered too costly of an investment for the UFC, but after an impressive three-fight win streak he was deemed too valuable for Strikeforce. Tonight he makes his return to the Octagon after a two year hiatus. Does old Hendo have enough gas in the tank for one more title run, or will the “old” Shogun show up and ruin his homecoming.
Though he may not have the cleavage to warrant video commentary, weekend editor Chris Colemon does possess the sort of typing skills that get you beat up by jocks in high school. Come join him inside for the best play-by-play coverage you’ll see on this site tonight.
And we…are…live! Does anyone know when the Gladiator gets buried? I remember hearing that his days were numbered.
If you’ve been on Facebook, Spike, or MTV2, you’ve already had a great night of MMA, but there’s plenty more to come. Between the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, and Pride, there’s no shortage of past champions on tonight’s card.
We’re jumping right in with the first fight of the night.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
R1: Both men game to exchange. Kingsbury swings and pushes Bonnar against the cage. Both men exchanging knees in the clinch with Bonnar finally breaking free. Bonnar tags Kingsbury but follows up with a kick to the nuts. A quick timeout and we’re back. Kingsbury is bleeding a little out of the nose. The two clinch again and head back to the cage. Kingsbury with a nice elbow. Bonnar tries a hip toss, but Kingsburs stays on his feet. Now a wild exchange between the two with both men swinging. Now Bonnar forces Kingsbury’s back tot eh cage, but Kyle circles out. Bonnar hunting him down with big punches. Stephan struggles with a takedown but finally drags Kingsbury to the mat. The American Psycho has side mount and is landing light punches while struggling to maintian position. Bonnar steps over to mount and is teeing off, but Kingsbury rolls. Dominant ending to the round for Stephan Bonnar.
R2: Kingbury misses with a high kick, but lands with a body kick. Solid right from Kingsbury and Bonnar responds with a blocked head kick. Bonnar gets behind Kingsbury and works him to the canvas. Stephan on top in half guard and breaks free to side control. Stephan trying to trap an arm in the crucifix but moves to North-South. Now he’s back to side control. Bonnar is in control on top but not scoring any real damage at all. Bonnar is still working for the crucifix but not finding any success. Now he’s got a guillotine and moves to mount but can’t quite hold onto either. Kingsbury is defending, but that’s all that he’s doing. Bonnar was trying for an arm triangle but couldn’t break free from half guard to complete it. Another controlling round for Bonnar.
R3: Body kick from Bonnar. Kingsbury with a leg kick, but Bonnar catches it, takes his back, and once again he’s in a dominant position on the ground. Kingsbury is latching on to half guard, but it was only a matter of time before Bonnar escapes and moves to North-South. “Looking for a choke is Bonnar”. It’s not there, so Stephan abandons it in favor of a kimura, but again Kingsbury defends well. Bonnar lands pitter pat punches and a few elbows to the gut, but largely this bout is a grappling match that he’s winning easily. More kimura contemplation from Bonnar, but that’s as far as it goes. Bonnar handily takes this round and the fight. Boos from the crowd once again remind him that he’ll never match the excitement of his UFC debut. Ever.
Stephan Bonnar defeats Kyle Kingsbury by Unanimous Decision: 30-27 (x2) and 30-25.
An apology from Bonnar to fans for this fight and to Koscheck for the whole t-shirt/lawsuit scandal.
Alright Nation, we are on the brink of what is possibly the most important event in human history since ever. We stress the word “possibly” in that sentence, so no silly hate mail about Steve Guttenberg inventing the bench press, or whatever. And please, don’t talk to us about the historic impact of the so-called “moon landing”. Everyone knows that the whole Apollo mission was filmed on a sound stage in Arizona.
This historic event will be broadcast live on a major network to a bajillion people, so it’s not even really a contest. Two large men will fight for money and everyone and their Nana can watch; if Jesus shows up tonight in a tuxedo t-shirt we wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. It’s such a huge deal that the UFC is basically giving Fox just the tip to see how it feels, airing just one fight off of a pretty sweet ten-fight lineup.
Come around and hang out with us for all the fights, because you know we’re going to have you covered, Nation. Fights start at 4:45ET on Facebook and FoxSports.com, the big-deal television show kicks off at 9ET.
Oh, and hit “Refresh” frequently, since everyone seems to tell people to do that.
Alright Nation, we are on the brink of what is possibly the most important event in human history since ever. We stress the word “possibly” in that sentence, so no silly hate mail about Steve Guttenberg inventing the bench press, or whatever. And please, don’t talk to us about the historic impact of the so-called “moon landing”. Everyone knows that the whole Apollo mission was filmed on a sound stage in Arizona.
This historic event will be broadcast live on a major network to a bajillion people, so it’s not even really a contest. Two large men will fight for money and everyone and their Nana can watch; if Jesus shows up tonight in a tuxedo t-shirt we wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. It’s such a huge deal that the UFC is basically giving Fox just the tip to see how it feels, airing just one fight off of a pretty sweet ten-fight lineup.
Come around and hang out with us for all the fights, because you know we’re going to have you covered, Nation. Fights start at 4:45ET on Facebook and FoxSports.com, the big-deal television show kicks off at 9ET.
Oh, and hit “Refresh” frequently, since everyone seems to tell people to do that.
Matt “Luke Duke” Lucas vs Aaron Rosa
First round is tentative, with Lucas scoring a easy takedown early. Rosa stands up quickly, and the two spend a couple of minutes clinching. Rosa defends and stays busy with short elbows and punches. Lucas looks slow and tired almost immediately, and spits out his mouthpiece three minutes into the first. With thirty seconds left in the round, Rosa starts putting knees into the mix. No damage, but he’ll take the round.
Second and third rounds look virtually identical, right down to Lucas having issues with his mouthpiece. Rogan has an opinion about that nonsense. Matt Lucas drops his mouthpiece four times during the fight, and referee Big John McCarthy docks him a point in the second. Lucas scores a few takedowns, but he can’t do anything to follow up. Rosa is calm and professional, working offense as Lucas crowds him with knees and elbows, and he takes all three rounds with ease.
The judges have it 28-28, 30-26, and 30-26, giving Aaron Rosa a majority decision over Matt Lucas (whom you’ll not see in the Octagon again any time soon), and there’s a judge who may have a glue-sniffing habit. What the blue hell just happened?
Paul Bradley vs Mike Pierce
These guys have fought once already in the minors, Pierce scored the unanimous decision.
Good action and much more closely contested fight between these two. Pierce appears to get the better of the striking exchanges, and Bradley seems to be more solid in the takedown contests, stuffing Pierce’s attempts and capitalizing on his own. Pierce seems fresher and scores the more visible damage through three rounds.
The judges call it 29-28 Bradley, 30-27 Pierce, and 29-28 Pierce, giving Mike Pierce the split decision win over Paul Bradley in the rematch. It was a close fight, so we can understand how none of the three judges see the fight the same way, but is this a bad sign of things to come?
Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres vs Cole “The Apache Kid” Escovedo
Alex Caceres puts on a striking exhibition in the first round, so he’s definitely getting closer to the final level. Caceres weaves around the vast majority of Escovedo’s offense, while landing front kicks, spinning back fists, and a dope switch kick combo. Escovedo catches a kick close to his man parts with fifteen seconds left in the round, and charges in and lands a high kick, knocking Bruce Leroy off-balance, but the round ends in a flurry before he can mount a comeback. The second round is more of the same, with the Apache Kid looking like he’s in slow motion against the fast and flashy technique of Caceres, who has improved incredibly since last we saw him.
In the third, Caceres even manages a very fun submission chain against the grappling specialist, throwing a triangle-kimura-armbar-omaplata combo that speaks volumes about his progress as a competitor. Escovedo puts in some groundwork, attacking with a submission series of his own, but Bruce Leroy works out of trouble handily. Very, very impressive fight for the twenty three year old. Taimak would be proud.
The judges finally manage to find a consensus, and score the fight 30-27 x3 for Alex Caceres in a unanimous decision win over Cole Escovedo. Expect to see him on the main card next time.
Robbie “Problems” Paralta vs Mackens “Da Menace” Semerzier
Note: Mac Semerzier is coming off a first round RNC victory over Bruce Leroy in March. That kid has developed a ton in six months.
Uh oh. Controversy in the third fight. While it appears that Robbie Paralta lays Semerzier the fuck out in an exchange in the third round, replay shows it’s a clash of heads that rocks him and sends him to his back. Paralta swarms on Semerzier, who hangs on to a single leg and tries to clear the cobwebs. Big John calls it, a TKO victory for Robbie Paralta over Mackens Semerzier at 1:54 into the third, who tries to stand up and protest, but he’s clearly unfit to continue. It’s a shame, since it was a fun fight and we saw it even through the first two rounds.
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs Darren “BC” Uyenoyama
Crazy back in forth action here. First round is all Yamamoto for four minutes on the feet, but Uyenoyama gets it to the ground with less than a minute left in the first. BC works to back mount and a rear naked choke swiftly, and Yamamoto is within seconds of losing consciousness when the round ends. Rogan even thinks he’s out. In the second, Kid blasts Uyenoyama in the face with a nasty left, bloodying his opponent, but suffers a takedown as a result. Yamamoto survives through almost a full round with the submission machine, fending off a serious RNC setup while catching a ton of fists to the torso. Uyenoyama points to the camera in mid-beating. The fight goes the distance, and Uyenoyama puts on a good performance with an aggressive ground game. The judges agree: 30-27 x2 and 20-26 for Darren Uyenoyama over Kid Yamamoto in a unanimous decision victory. Now, #I’mNotNamingNames, but one of these judges has opinions and he doesn’t give a mad fuck what you think.
Clay “Heavy Metal” Harvison vs DeMarques “Darkness” Johnson
Darkness turns out the lights on Heavy Metal with the quickness, landing a left shovel hook and pounding out Harvison for the stoppage. Johnson had time to celebrate the knock down and give ref Herb Dean a chance to stop it, but Herb is all “Dude, whatevs, LOL, kill him” so Darkness throws a few more to convince him. DeMarques Johnson defeats Clay Harvison via TKO (ref’s stoppage due to strikes) at 1:34 of the first round.
Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas vs Kevin Luke “Cub” Swanson
Swanson has a great record in the WEC, but let’s all be honest, we all remember him on the wrong end of a highlight finish vs Jose Aldo. Injury trouble has kept him out of the UFC until tonight. Big John in again on this one.
Swanson turns in his usual hyper-speed performance, and attacks Lamas’ neck hard in the first. Lamas survives a deep guillotine and showboats a bit when Swanson drops it. Lamas fires off a capoeira handspring kick, and Swanson shakes his finger and admonishes Lamas mid-fight for plagiary and swagger jackering. Swanson comes out hard in the second on the feet, and Lamas answers in kind before ducking under for a takedown and scramble. Swanson threatens with an omaplata, misses it, and looks to go back to the feet. Lamas tries for a back mount, and captures Swanson’s head and arm when he tries to spin free. It’s an arm triangle that goes from nasty to lethal as Swanson sunfishes to escape, and Cub is forced to tap. Ricardo Lamas defeats Cub Swanson via submission (arm triangle) at 2:26 of round two.
Really? A dubstep version of “Hotel California”?
“Diamond” Dustin Poirier vs Pablo “The Scarecrow” Garza
True story: CP Nationer Stak40 was talking about how no one can pull off flying submissions anymore, because BJJ isn’t mysterious in modern MMA. Then Pablo Garza did his impression of forced oral copulation (as performed by an octopus) against Yves Jabouin, and Stak changed the subject. True story.
Larry Landless and his Nasty Boyz platinum mohawk are in to ref for this one. (Props to Iskander Neptu.)
Another fun one here: after threatening with a leg lock option in the first round, Garza gets caught by Poirier with a beautiful D’Arce choke in the second. Dustin Poirier defeats Pablo Garza via submission (D’Arce choke) at 1:32 of the second round.
There’s somewhere between three and six hundred UFC-related shows on television right now, and not one of them are showing these fights. I don’t want to live in this world anymore.
Clay “The Carpenter” Guida vs Ben “Smooth” Henderson
Note: Clay Guida is the current WEC Lightweight Champion. Deal with it.
Herb Dean in for this one, which should have been on TV dammit.
Round 1: Clay Guida tries to walk down Henderson right off the bat, and gets caught with a punch off balance and falls forward. Guida pops to his feet and the two exchange 89 blows in three seconds, and Guida drops again. Not hurt badly, Guida’s stance and movement tend top leave him susceptible to knockdowns. They clinch against the cage, and Henderson works a few knees. With a minute left on the clock, Guida catches Bendo with a lunging hook that unhinges Henderson’s legs, and tries to finish off with a guillotine, but Henderson works free and back to the feet. Bendo fires off a few kicks before the buzzer.
Round 2: More clinch work to open the round, with both guys getting their licks in with knees to the body and exchanging fruitless takedowns. Guida narrowly misses a spinning backfist, but suffers a takedown, then fishes for a guillotine. He locks his hands and tries to jump guard, but Henderson blocks his legs. Henderson is no stranger to near submissions and escapes quickly, and takes Guida’s back on the way out. The buzzer sends the fighters to the towels.
Round 3: Guida comes out again with that popcorning boxing style, trying to confuse his opponent. He shoots for a takedown, but Henderson, as he as been able to do for much of the fight, defends it. They clinch against the cage again, and then break and flurry. Henderson shoots the fight down to the canvas again. Guida scrambles, but Henderson secures the back mount and locks a body triangle … disregard that they’re scrambling again. Guida looks for the guilotine again, which leads to back to the scramble, and Bendo comes out over Guida and raining down bombs but the buzzer ends the fight. Damn. These two should keep going for at least two more rounds.
Note to the CP bosses: liveblogging these guys is HARD.
The judges see it 29-28 and 30-27 x2 for Benson Henderson, giving him a unanimous decision win over Clay Guida and setting him up for a shot at Frankie Edgar. I’d buy that for a dollar.
Ok, let’s see what Fox has in store for a UFC show.
* Isn’t that NFL music?
* Brock is asked to analyze Cain Velasquez, which starts out ok, but then they show footage from his asswhooping from Velasquez, at which point Brock asks, “Do we have to watch this?” It’s funny, and as a TV moment, it works.
*Cue the Dos Santos hard-luck upbringing tale.
*Fox is treating this like viewers know nothing about MMA or the fighters. Good move, and yeah, the vibe is very much different than the usual UFC-helmed broadcast.
*Cue the Velasquez hard-luck upbringing tale.
*Pretty sure Rogan shaved for this. He and Glodie both seem to be trying really hard to not fuck up. Or say “fuck” on television, for that matter.
*Uh oh, was the “TapouT Kids” commerical a wise choice?
*Big pop for Cain Velasquez coming in, just like the weigh-ins.
*WE ARE LIVE.
Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez
Big John McCarthy is the referee, and Bruce Buffer is working it.
Round 1: They come out with probing strikes: Velasquez with a leg kick, Dos Santos tosses out a jab. They exhange again, nothing lands with consequence, and Cain catches a kick and tries to turn it, misses. He snorts and resets.
They exchange jabs, and Velasquez throws the leg kick again. Dos Santos fires off a combo, Cain covers up. Dos Santos hurls a single overhead right and OH SHIT catches the champ behind the ear, sending him to the ground CAIN IS DOWN Dos Santos follows up with some standing hooks and Big John calls it OH THE HUMANITY that was less than one full round and Junior Dos Santos is the new UFC champ.
Dos Santos just beat up on Brown Pride like a Texas judge, which is a joke that works two totally different ways. Again, don’t send me hate mail, i’m illiterate.
Junior Dos Santos defeats Cain Velasquez via Knockout at 1:04 into Round 1.
Dos Santos has POWER in those hands. It messes up your eekulibium, bro. Can’t help but point out commenter Kayo musing six hours ago if “Analise” was foreshadowing of the evening’s events. I’m sorry, did i just blow your mind?
I can’t help but think that anyone who hadn’t watched the undercard fights would probably feel rather cheated by that one fight, but maybe that’s just me. All in all a good night of fights. Leave your comments below, you bastards, and thanks to everyone who hung out with us tonight.
Who has two thumbs and can’t wait for our liveblog? This guy! Props: MMAJunkie.com
It’s time for UFC 138 on Spike TV, and we’re here because we’re here. Get it, that works because…you know what, just Google it if you don’t get it. We can’t give you all of the answers, after all. Weekend editor Seth Falvo is handling tonight’s liveblog duties, so let’s just get it started. Hit “refresh” early and often.
Who has two thumbs and can’t wait for our liveblog? This guy! Props: MMAJunkie.com
It’s time for UFC 138 on Spike TV, and we’re here because we’re here. Get it, that works because…you know what, just Google it if you don’t get it. We can’t give you all of the answers, after all. Weekend editor Seth Falvo is handling tonight’s liveblog duties, so let’s just get it started. Hit “refresh” early and often.
Tonight marks the UFC’s first time experimenting with five round non-title main event fights. Joe Rogan doesn’t appear to think that tonight’s main event, Leben vs. Munoz, will go the full five rounds. Do you think he’s right about that? Resist the urge to Google the results before answering that.
Terry Etim vs. Edward Faaloloto
Round One: They touch gloves, and begin swinging. Terry throws a spinning back kick, and Edward Faaloloto shoots for a takedown. Etim catches Edward in a tight guillotine, and gets the tap. Wow. Terry Etim def. Edward Faaloloto via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:17
(It’s confusing, because in Strikeforce, standing elbow strikes during weigh-ins are totally legal. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
After five years in the wilderness, Nick Diaz is finally returning to the Octagon tonight, at UFC 137 in Las Vegas. (As expected, Diaz is much, much less excited about this than we are.) His opponent is BJ Penn, a living legend and former two-division UFC champion whose future in the sport very much depends on his performance tonight.
Also on the card: Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo fight for a spot in the heavyweight title mix, Mirko Cro Cop and Some Fat Guy fight to save their jobs, and top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki puts the reputation of Japan on his back.
Round-by-round results from the “Penn vs. Diaz” pay-per-view card will be piling up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog assassin Matt Kaplan. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates; as with our last UFC PPV liveblog, we’ll be including “next page” links to reduce spoilage, so click ’em as the night goes on. Thanks for being here, and let us know how you feel in the comments section.
(It’s confusing, because in Strikeforce, standing elbow strikes during weigh-ins are totally legal. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
After five years in the wilderness, Nick Diaz is finally returning to the Octagon tonight, at UFC 137 in Las Vegas. (As expected, Diaz is much, much less excited about this than we are.) His opponent is BJ Penn, a living legend and former two-division UFC champion whose future in the sport very much depends on his performance tonight.
Also on the card: Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo fight for a spot in the heavyweight title mix, Mirko Cro Cop and Some Fat Guy fight to save their jobs, and top ten featherweight Hatsu Hioki puts the reputation of Japan on his back.
Round-by-round results from the “Penn vs. Diaz” pay-per-view card will be piling up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog assassin Matt Kaplan. Refresh the page every few minutes for the latest updates; as with our last UFC PPV liveblog, we’ll be including “next page” links to reduce spoilage, so click ‘em as the night goes on. Thanks for being here, and let us know how you feel in the comments section.
Mk here, proud to add “assassin” to my assembly of liveblog monikers, along with “mercenary,” “jackhammer,” and “Shemp Howard.” You guys spoil me.
Some preliminary thoughts: BJ Penn and Nick Diaz are two of my top five favorite fighters, of all time, so I’m at a bit of a crossroads as far as rooting interest is concerned…I kinda hope Matt “Meathead” Mitrione wins so I can marvel at how awkward the cadence of his speech always is during the post-fight interview…Would Roy “Big Country” Nelson be a middleweight if he were in shape? A welterweight possibly?
Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop:
Rd 1: Pink gloves for referee Josh Rosenthal. I dig it. Hioki opens the action with a high kick, but Roop tags him with a right hands just seconds later. Roop’s hands are smooth and his early combos look good, but he hasn’t done any real damage yet. Woops. Roop kicks Hioki low, so the Japanese fighter is resting his marbles. Back to the fight. Good left hand from Hioki. Hioki presses Roop against the cage after exchanging a few shots with Roop. Roop and Hioki exchange knees to the thighs and foot stomps. They’re still tied up against the fence, and the crowd doesn’t seem to love it. Hioki is working hard for the takedown. Roop turns Hioki and has his back on the cage now. Nice takedown by Hioki, who falls into side control. After a brief scramble, Hioki is in Roop’s guard, but Roop pops back up. Hioki elbows Roop against the fence, but Roop breaks free and charges ahead in the final seconds of the round.
Rd 2: Roop opens with a nice punch combo, punctuated with a head kick. Hioki eats a body punch and another head kick from Roop and stays in the pocket. Big takedown by Hioki, who gets mount and passes slickly to side control. Real nice transition there. Hioki wants the Americana, it seems, but winds up back in full mount. Roop is being pinned down and cannot buck Hioki off of him. Hioki has control of Roop’s long legs with butterfly hooks, but isn’t going for a sub or ground strikes. Roop explodes up! Big punches and kicks after a nasty upkick to end the round. Too little too late, though.
Rd. 3: Immediate takedown by Roop, but Hioki is back up instantly. Roop throws a flying knee and barely misses. Hioki shoots, but Roop sprawls. Hioki has Roop against the fence with the same body lock from Rd. 1, but Roop defends well and puts Hioki’s back against the fence. Roop lands some punches, stomps some toes from the clinch. Hioki is controlling Roop’s left arm, but loses it. Referee Rosenthal separates them. Roop scores the quick takedown and is in Hioki’s guard. Hioki works the rubber guard and takes some punches from Roop. Hioki answers with elbows from his back, but Roop keeps pounding to the final bell. Good fight.
Winner: Hatsu Hioki by split decision. (Here come the boos…)
(“I’m so sick of your friggin’ face.” “No, I’m so sick of *your* friggin’ face.”)
Well, we’re finally going to sort out this lightweight championship mess. Thanks for joining us for the ride. Bear with us as we try a slightly different format to appease the complaints we’ve had about spoilers and such. If you want to read about certain fight, click “next page.”
Preliminary results after the jump.
(“I’m so sick of your friggin’ face.” “No, I’m so sick of *your* friggin’ face.”)
Well, we’re finally going to sort out this lightweight championship mess. Thanks for joining us for the ride. Bear with us as we try a slightly different format to appease the complaints we’ve had about spoilers and such. If you want to read about certain fight, click ”next page.”
Preliminary results after the jump.
Preliminary Bouts (On Spike TV):
Demian Maia def. Jorge Santiago by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Anthony Pettis def. Jeremy Stephens by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
You ever get really lazy while liveblogging and decide to just use a picture of the fighters in the main event and offer nothing clever in the caption? Yeah, me neither. Props: Pennyjomma.net
You know why you’re here. You know what to expect. Let’s just jump right into this. Also, weekend editor Seth Falvo is handling tonight’s liveblog duties, so please direct all of your hateful comments at him. And hit “refresh” early and often.
You ever get really lazy while liveblogging and decide to just use a picture of the fighters in the main event and offer nothing clever in the caption? Yeah, me neither. Props: Pennyjomma.net
You know why you’re here. You know what to expect. Let’s just jump right into this. Also, weekend editor Seth Falvo is handling tonight’s liveblog duties, so please direct all of your hateful comments at him. And hit “refresh” early and often.
We have the obligatory pre-fight hype for tonight’s main event. Yushin Okami was hyped as “the strongest opponent that Anderson Silva has ever faced”, while Demetrious Johnson is being hyped as “the fastest opponent that Dominick Cruz has ever faced”. Foreshadowing much? You tell me, comments section. Here we go…right into a commercial break.
Matt Wiman vs. Mac Danzig
Mac Danzig cut his hair, and arguably packed on mass. Okay, maybe not. I just wanted to make a Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference, and wanted to get it out of the way as early as possible. This one begins after we return from commercials.
Round One:
Leg kick Wiman. They clinch in the center of the cage, with Danzig landing some nice elbows and knees. Danzig goes for a head kick, and gets taken down by Wiman. Danzig looking for a guillotine, but can’t get his arm under Wiman’s neck. They stand, with Danzig landing some good shots before clinching again. Wiman lands an elbow from the clinch. Wiman lands another leg kick. More clinching, as they exchange elbows and hooks. They separate, with Wiman pushing the pace. Wiman lands another elbow, and Danzig’s nose is bleeding. Nice body kick by Danzig. Wiman is landing some nice elbows and knees from the clinch. Wiman goes for a takedown, but Danzig stuffs it as the first round ends.
Round Two:
Leg kick Wiman. And another. Danzig pushes Wiman into the cage, but Matt Wiman lands some elbows from the clinch. They separate, and now Wiman has Danzig against the cage. More elbows, before they separate and Danzig gets the takedown. Danzig attempts to pass guard, but Wiman stuff it. Wiman works for a triangle, but it doesn’t work. He transitions into an armbar, but Danzig manages to stack him up. Wiman attempts a kimura, but Danzig defends. They stand and exchange punches, with Danzig getting the better of the exchange. Another leg kick by Wiman. He shoots for a takedown, but Danzig avoids it. They exchange, with neither guy landing anything, as this round ends.
Round Three:
Wiman comes out swinging, but not really landing anything. Wiman lands a straight right before pushing Danzig into the cage. Another elbow from Wiman. And another. Danzig’s nose is a mess, but he counters and manages to escape. Failed takedown attempt from Wiman, and he looks gassed. They exchange, with Danzig getting the better of the exchanges. Wiman goes for a takedown, then pulls guard. Danzig gets control of Wiman’s back and throws punches before going for a rear naked choke. Wiman defends, and transitions to side control. Wiman begins raining down elbows. Danzig manages to stand up, and eats more elbows from the clinch. Wiman works for a takedown against the cage…but Danzig manages to catch him in a guillotine! Can Wiman hold out until the end of the round? Yes, yes he can. This one will go to the judges.
Great show from both fighters, but the judges give this one to Matt Wiman, 29-28 on all cards. The crowd is not impressed. Fight of the Night? We’ll see.
Some obligatory shots of the Washington Monument and the White House before a three way interview with Joe Rogan, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Both fighters chose to give incredibly safe answers. Seriously, think of the safest thing you could say about if you were either of them about their last fight and predictions for their next fight, and you’ll probably come up with their responses verbatim. Not that anyone should be surprised by this.
Anthony Johnson vs. Charlie Brenneman
Anthony Johnson violates our ban about “bringing your old self back”. He promises a knockout by either head kick or a straight right. Hmm…when have we heard him say that before?
Round One:
Nice knee by Johnson. Brenneman shoots for a takedown, but Rumble sprawls. Some punches from Johnson while Brenneman turtles up. Nice knees to the body by Johnson. Brenneman needs to do something quickly. Brenneman manages to pull half guard and attempts a guillotine. Johnson moves into side control and stands up. Johnson grazes Brenneman with a head kick, but Brenneman manages to fall back to his knees. The second head kick from Johnson lands as Brenneman stands up, and this one is waved off, with Brenneman sitting up arguing about the stoppage. Premature stoppage? I’ll leave that for the comments section to discuss.
Rumble tells Joe Rogan that after everything that people were saying after the Dan Hardy fight, he knew he’d have to make a statement. He then says that Charlie Brenneman was the first fighter he’s faced that actually had him nervous. He then asks the crowd to give it up for Brenneman, because “he’s a beast”. I honestly can’t tell if he’s being facetious or not.
Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve
Before the fight, Pat Barry sums it up by saying “This is a Dutch kickboxer versus an American kickboxer. We’re going to punch and kick each other until one of us gives up.” Struve hints at possibly using his jiu jitsu, but I’m inclined to believe that Barry’s pre-fight prediction will be more accurate. We’ll see.
Round One:
They feel each other out before Struve lands a body kick against Barry. Leg kick Barry. And another. Not a lot of action, as they feel each other out while the crowd begins to boo. Leg kick Barry, as Struve answers with a teep. Leg kick Barry, as Struve jabs. The crowd begins booing louder. Head kick attempt from Barry, but Struve avoids it. Struve utilizes a few teeps before throwing a leg kick. Barry is doing a good job ducking under Struve’s punches, but he isn’t landing any opf his counter punches. Leg kick Barry before completely missing a Crane Kick as the round ends. Okay, so it wasn’t a Crane kick so much as a jumping kick that completely misses, but I need SOMETHING to entertain me.
Round Two:
Barry with a nice uppercut to start the round. Barry throws another head kick, but Struve blocks it. Leg kick Struve. barry checks a kick before answering with a leg kick of his own. Barry lands another leg kick. And another. Struve attempts to clinch, but Barry escapes. Struve attempts a knee, but Barry answers with a hook. Struve attempts a standing guillotine, and then takes the action to the matt. Struve transitions to guard and locks in a triangle. Barry with an impressive slam, but Struve hangs on. Barry taps. Very interesting ending to an otherwise forgettable fight.
Tough break, Pat. Struve calls Barry “one of the coolest dudes in MMA” and says he couldn’t have done it without him. Submission of the Night honors, or does Paul Sass deserve it more for his heel hook over Michael Johnson? And to think that you thought I wasn’t watching the prelims.
Bantamweight Championship: Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson
More talk about how Demetrious Johnson may be the fastest man in MMA before we’re reminded by Mike Goldberg that there is ANOTHER title on the line tonight in…Cruz vs. Johnson? Did I miss the first title fight, or am I just misinterpreting that one? We’re also reminded that both men are 9-1 in their last ten fights, with only one loss in their careers.
Cruz walks out to Hell’s Bells, but is wearing headphones. Joe Rogan wonders out loud what Cruz can possibly be listening to, and Goldberg speculates that he’s listening to AC/DC. I’m officially lost, so let’s just jump into this.
Round One:
Johnson comes out swinging, but doesn’t land much of anything. He shoots for a takedown, but Cruz stuffs in nicely before getting Johnson down and working for the mount. The crowd begins booing immediately, apparently still angry with the lack of action in the last fight. Cruz transitions to side control. Johnson escapes and eventually stands up. He pushes the action again, but is taken down while attempting a head kick. Cruz transitions to side control before briefly taking Johnson’s back. Johnson escapes, and manages to take down Cruz. Cruz gets back to his feet, but Johnson keeps him against the cage. Cruz escapes, but Johnson is really pressing the action. We’re once again reminded that Johnson is, in fact, the fastest guy that Cruz has faced as the round ends. Interesting start.
Round Two:
Johnson comes out swinging again, but Cruz takes him down against the cage. Some knees to the body by Cruz, but Johnson escapes. Johnson rushes in with jabs and crosses, and attempts a takedown. Cruz stuffs it, and pins Johnson against the cage. Some knees to the body from Cruz before attempting a takedown. Johnson stuffs it and reverses position. Cruz is breathing heavy now. Huge knee by Cruz, but Johnson narrowly manages to escape. Leg kick Johnson. Flying knee attempt from Johnson as he continues to press the action. Johnson attempts a takedown, but Cruz answers with a takedown of his own. Cruz in top position as this round comes to an end.
Round Three:
Johnson continues to come out swinging, but doesn’t land anything. Cruz works his jab while the crowd begins to boo. A brief scramble sees Cruz taking Johnson’s back and suplexing him. He attempts a rear naked choke, but Johnson escapes. Another choke attempt by Cruz, but Johnson gets back to his feet and presses Cruz against the cage. Cruz reverses, and manages to take Johnson down. Cruz appears gassed as Johnson attempts to stand back up. Johnson gets up and clinches with Cruz. They exchange knees against the cage as this round comes to an end.
Round Four:
Nice leg kick by Johnson. They feel each other out for a bit, with Cruz landing a few jabs. Cruz trips, but recovers with a jab. Johnson rushes the champion, but doesn’t land anything. Cruz pushes Johnson against the cage, and eventually gets a takedown. Cruz mounts Johnson, but Johnson escapes and tries to stand. He eventually succeeds. They feel each other out some more, but Cruz manages to push Johnson against the cage and work for a takedown. He succeeds, but can’t keep Johnson down for long. Johnson rushes in with a kick, but it’s caught by Cruz as this round comes to an end.
Round Five:
They touch gloves, and then Johnson presses the action. He throws a head kick, but Cruz escapes. Cruz manages a takedown in the center of the cage, and ends up in side control. Johnson gets Cruz in full guard, with Cruz throwing elbows to Johnson’s head. The ref warns them to “get busy”. Johnson scoots towards the cage and attempts to stand up. He succeeds, but Cruz keeps him against the cage. Johnson eventually escapes and lands an uppercut. He misses a head kick as Cruz circles away. Johnson pushes Cruz against the cage, but Cruz gets a takedown. He can’t keep Johnson down though, and he uses his jab to keep Johnson away. Cruz slips a punch and gets a takedown with one minute left. Cruz mounts Johnson, but Johnson turns over to escape. Johnson catches Cruz with a cross, but Cruz recovers and works for a takedown as this fight comes to an end.
I’d like to emphasize while we wait for the official decision that this was one of the most fast paced fights I’ve ever seen. The ref told these two to “get busy” when the fight slowed down to a slightly more normal pace. The judges see this one for Dominick Cruz, 50-45 (x2), 49-46.
They plug the return of the NHL, and we’re done for the evening. We’ll discuss this more tomorrow, but for now, have at it in the comments section.
