(After three days of utter confusion, Arianny finally realizes what ‘Chocolate Al’ means. Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
As you make plans for your various drunken 4th of July celebrations, keep in mind that some of the men you see tonight may be too injured to grill burgers on Monday. Appreciate their sacrifice, ladies and gentlemen. Now then, who wants to see some dudes get kicked in the head and choked unconcious?
Manning the liveblog duties for this evening is CagePotato rising star Jason Moles, who will be providing round-by-round updates from the UFC 132 pay-per-view card beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Travel past the jump to join our little liveblog party, and refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, and may God bless this great nation.
(After three days of utter confusion, Arianny finally realizes what ‘Chocolate Al’ means. Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
As you make plans for your various drunken 4th of July celebrations, keep in mind that some of the men you see tonight may be too injured to grill burgers on Monday. Appreciate their sacrifice, ladies and gentlemen. Now then, who wants to see some dudes get kicked in the head and choked unconscious?
Manning the liveblog duties for this evening is CagePotato rising star Jason Moles, who will be providing round-by-round updates from the UFC 132 pay-per-view card beginning at 9 p.m. ET. Travel past the jump to join our little liveblog party, and refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest. Thanks for being here, and may God bless this great nation.
Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Both guys walk toward the octagon with intensity burning in their eyes. Condit fist bumps at least half a dozen fans on his along the way. Standard bro hugs, mouth guard and cup check after that.
Round 1
Both men play ring around the posie as they feel each other out. Kim is first to strike with a nice head kick followed up by a takedown. Not that it mattered because Condit swept to mouth and immediately followed up with a guillotine attempt. Kim escapes and they stand back up. Condit tries for a head kick and a superman punch off the fence like he’s related to Anthony Pettis or something. Both men trade a fed push kicks and jabs. Then WHAM! Condit buries his flying knee right in Kim’s grill and “It’s all over”!
Winner: Carlos Condit KO 2:02 Round 1.
Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz
Tito comes out to ‘Not Afraid’ by Eminem, Mexi-American flag in tow. Joe and Goldie’s man crush on Tito is in full effect.
Round 1
Bader wastes no time in initiating contact after they touch gloves. From the get-go he is in full attack mode throwing mean kicks and jabs mixed with a few hooks. Tito looking for his opening. Bader continues his pursuit and throws a few and misses a few. Crowd starts chanting “TITO! TITO! TITO!” and like Hulkamaniacs back in the day firing up Hulk Hogan, Tito comes to life. HOLY Firecrackers!!! Tito drops Bader with a solid right punch and jumps on him to finish him with a guillotine. Bader chokes and betters everywhere are cursing everything under the sun.
Love Tito’s Shirt: I’m not the next SOMEBODY – I’m the first TITO ORTIZ.
Winner: Tito Ortiz Sub 3:05 Round 1
Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman
Too busy picking my jaw up off the floor to pay attention to what happened as these two guys walked out. Please accept my sincerest apologies.
Round 1
Both throw kicks early. Wiman telegraphs haymakers but utilizes nice leg kicks. Wiman shoots in for a takedown to no avail. A missed headkick by Wiman leads into a frenzied back and forth boxing match for a brief period of time. The fans like this stuff. Wiman gets Siver up against the fence and dirty boxes him a little before the German attempts a guillotine (hey, it worked for the other guys, right?) They take the center of the cage and Siver throws punches in bunches and misses just as many. Wiman gets a takedown and ends the round on top.
Round 2
Wiman shoots in for a takedown – against the fence they go. After what seems like an eternity of minimal action (ok, I’m exaggerating) the crowd boos loud enough and they step it up. Silver stuffs a takedown but then Wiman drops down and rolls him over, winds up in Siver’s guard. Wiman takes the remaining time left in the round to show you how to properly use your elbows in a fight. Siver gets cut so bad and the blood flows so freely he looks like a firework accident victim. Round ends with bloody Siver under confident Wiman.
Round 3
Silver stuffs another Wiman takedown then finally throws his patented spinning back kick but fails to land it. They trade punches then Wiman shoots in again and Siver stuffs it. Against the cage they go, both men working hard. They get back to the center of the cage and Siver clips Wiman and the round ends with Siver trying to sub Wiman.
Winner by Unanimous (29-28) Decision: Dennis Siver.
WTF!!!! What ******* fight were those judges watching?!
Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben
Chris Leben comes out looking like dipped his head in Kool-Aid. Sandstorm hits the speakers filling the crowd with nostalgia. Wanderlei looks calm and ready. I really don’t want to see either of these guys lose.
Round 1
Wand strikes first but it doesn’t even matter. Leben proved all the media types right and placed his big right hand on Silva’s glass chin and he goes down. Leben follows up with several well placed left hands and finishes him off in the first minute of the the very first round. Damn. We still love you Wanderlei.
Main Event: Bantamweight Championship Fight
Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
As always, ‘California Love’ plays as Faber walks his way to the cage. No braids. No headbands. Just a smile and a pair of black gloves. Cruz is booed before his music even hits. He doesn’t seem to mind, though, the pep in his step never fades.
Round 1
No touch of gloves. I know, you’re really surprised by that one. Right out of the gate Cruz comes out swinging and lands first punch. Faber responds with a kick and moves about. The crowd cheers for Faber minus the Hulkamania effect as he ties up with Cruz. Faber lands short elbow on exit while Cruz lands a switch kick. Faber lands a sold punch – Cruz remains unfazed. Both men go back and forth, neither doing more than the other. Just as the bell sounds, Cruz gets Faber to the ground.
Round 2
Urijah stuffs a couple more takedowns before the pace picks up. These two move so much that Mazagatti can hardly move out of their way . Faber nails a body kick as Cruz answers with a combination of punches. Faber lands big right hand, big pop from he crowd. Cruz attempts a few Superman punches but doesn’t dazzle until he gets Urijah to the ground. Sadly, it didn’t last long. End of round 1.
Round 3
Dominick Cruz is relentlessly attacking Urijah Faber, though it seems he’s choosing his shots wisely. Faber eats a few punches before taking Cruz to the mat who then scrambles to his feet – but not without getting cracked with Faber’s elbows on the way out. Cruz shoots another takedown but Faber catches him and makes him pay for going to the proverbial well one too many times.
The No Longer JUST Championship Rounds
Round 4
Cruz starts off landing a solid right hand followed by a hook and a high kick. Not to be outdone, Faber drops the champ with a big right hand. He pops right back up and they both connect. The idiot fans then start booing as two men continue to go at it with everything they’ve got throwing several combos. Cruz shoots in again with history repeating itself.
Round 5
Dominick Crus comes out with a flying knee, attacking like a rabbid animal. Cruz gets takedown but Faber gets right up. A flying knee by Faber misses but he continues to pursue his arch nemesis. Cruz gets multiple takedowns while Faber scrambles to his feet almost immediately. Then Cruz turns it on and completely dominates Faber the rest of the round.
Winner: Unanimous Descision: Dominick Cruz.
Lloyd Irving gives Cruz his blue belt.
That’s it for me guys. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I have. Please celebrate your independence responsibly and don’t lose any fingers.
FACT: At some point tonight, someone will refer to this man as “Kongo Slice”, and consider him/herself incredibly clever for doing so. Props: MMAJunkie.com.
The UFC will be holding its fourth installment of live MMA on Versus Network tonight at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, headlined by Nate Marquardt versus Anthony “Rumble” Johnson Pat Barry versus Cheick Kongo. Eh, what are you going to do? Plus, Rick Story and Charlie Brenneman battle for welterweight contendership, Matt Brown and John Howard more than likely fight for their jobs and Matt Mitrione squares off with Christian Morecraft.
The prelims are currently happening on Facebook now, so why not check them out? We’ll be here when you get back with live updates starting at 9 PM, ET. And yes, we know you’ll be back. It’s a Sunday night, now’s not the time to start acting like you have other plans. Refresh this page every few minutes for the latest results.
FACT: At some point tonight, someone will refer to this man as “Kongo Slice”, and consider him/herself incredibly clever for doing so. Props: MMAJunkie.com.
The UFC will be holding its fourth installment of live MMA on Versus Network tonight at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, headlined by Nate Marquardt versus Anthony “Rumble” Johnson Pat Barry versus Cheick Kongo. Eh, what are you going to do? Plus, Rick Story and Charlie Brenneman battle for welterweight contendership, Matt Brown and John Howard more than likely fight for their jobs and Matt Mitrione squares off with Christian Morecraft.
The prelims are currently happening on Facebook now, so why not check them out? We’ll be here when you get back with live updates starting at 9 PM, ET. And yes, we know you’ll be back. It’s a Sunday night, now’s not the time to start acting like you have other plans. Refresh this page every few minutes for the latest results.
Whoa. Technical difficulties in the house. Quick recap…
Matt Mitrione completely handled Chistian Morecraft standing, scoring two knockdowns in the first round; Morecraft was clearly flash-KO’d during the second knockdown, but he managed to regain his senses when Mitrione pounced on him, and held on to the end of the round. Mitrione showed more of the same striking dominance in the second frame. Aside from a successful Morecraft takedown, it was all Meathead, who battered Morecraft until a very impressive three-punch walk-off knockout. Mitrione def. Morecraft via KO, 4:28 of round 2. Great performance.
– Matt Brown beats John Howard via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3) after a gritty grind of a fight that saw Howard opt for a (mostly ineffective) wrestling-based gameplan, and Brown win most of the standup and ground exchanges. Brown breaks his three-fight losing streak and saves his job.
Rick Story vs. Charlie Brenneman
Round 1: Brennerman comes forward to clinch, Story flips him to the mat, but Brenneman is quickly back on his feet. Brenneman separates and runs off to get some distance. Brenneman clinches. Story turns him against the fence and drops low, looking for a takedown. Brenneman defends and escapes. Now it’s Brenneman’s turn to shoot for a takedown. Story is briefly on the mat, but he recovers. Brenneman fires a straight right that lands flush, and immediately transitions into a takedown. Brenneman moves to side control. Story establishes guard and locks Brenneman down. Brenneman with punches to Story’s ribs. Story is content to just hang on while Brenneman racks up points. Brenneman shoulder-shrugs Story into the mat. Brenneman goes body/head from the top. Story does not get the standup he was looking for, and the round ends. 10-9 Brenneman.
Round 2: Brenneman gets a quick takedown. Story tries to scramble out, but Brenneman stay on him. Story grabs a guillotine and rolls to north/south on the bottom, but Brenneman escapes. Story flies forward with a knee that bounces off Brenneman’s chin. Brenneman swings a hook and comes in with another takedown that scores. Story works some rubber guard for a moment. Story heel-chopping Brenneman’s leg off his back. Story goes for a guillotine again. Brenneman tries to pass to side control but Story gets his guard back. Story loses the hold. Brenneman rides the round out on top. 10-9 for the Spaniard. Man, is Story’s six-fight win streak going to end like this?
Round 3: Both guys throwing uppercuts and looking for the takedown. Brenneman scores with the single leg. Story looking for a kimura. The referee breaks them and Joe Rogan blasts the standup. They start firing wild punches, and Brenneman grabs a leg in a scramble. Story manages to set up an inverted triangle. Brenneman lucks out when Story can’t finish it. But Story transitions to full mount and starts bouncing Brenneman’s head off the mat with short slams. Brenneman escapes and grabs Story’s legs. And that’s the fight. Wow. Nate Marquardt didn’t just fuck his own career, he fucked Story’s as well. And now Charlie Brenneman is a contender, I guess?
Charlie Brenneman def. Rick Story via unanimous deicision (29-28 x 3).
Cheick Kongo def. Pat Barry
Barry circles the Octagon, spitting water all over the mat. Kongo has Rampage Jackson with him for the walkout. Kongo has a 7.5-inch reach advantage, and a significant beard advantage. Big Dan Miragliotta whispers something to Pat Barry. Probably something like “watch your balls against this guy.” Pat Barry weighed in heavier, which is kind of crazy when you see them in the face-off.
Round 1: Barry with a leg kick. Barry shoots in, Kongo brushes him off and throws a leg kick. Hard leg kick from Kongo. And again. Ouch. More kicks from Kongo, and Barry is hesitant to return. Pat Barry throws a right hand that catches Kongo behind the ear and drops him. Barry fires down some ridiculous ground and pound, but Kongo stumbles to his feet. Barry overwhelms him with punches. Kongo somehow survives and escapes again. But he’s completely dazed. Barry comes in to finish the job, Kongo catches him with two hard right hands and Pat Barry is dead alseep.
Joe Rogan calls it the most amazing comeback he’s ever seen. Holy shit. Legendary.
A couple minutes later, Barry is still on his back. Hopefully he’s up by the time we return from commercial. Barry is on his feet for the result announcement. Kongo def. Barry via knockout, 2:39 of round 1.
UNDERCARD RESULTS
– Tyson Griffin def. Manny Gamburyan via majority decision (29–28 x 2, 29–29)
– Javier Vazquez def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (30–27 x 2, 29–28)
– Joe Lauzon def. Curt Warburton via submission (kimura), 1:58 of round 1
– Rich Attonito def. Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision (29–27, 30–27, 29–28)
– Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz via submission (rear naked choke), 1:48 of round 2
– Ricardo Lamas def. Matt Grice via TKO, 4:41 of round 1
– Michael Johnson def. Edward Faaloloto via TKO, 4:42 of round 1
Kongo says he was never out, by the way. Likely story. Anyway, we’ll talk more tomorrow…
The latest installment in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament goes down tonight at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, featuring the long-awaited rematch between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett’s promotional debut against Brett Rogers. Plus, KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal jockey for #1 contendership in the lightweight division, and 14-year veteran Jeff Monson collides with rising heavyweight star Daniel Cormier.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening will be the Shemp Howard of CagePotato’s liveblog-rotation, Matt Kaplan, so let him know you care in the comments section. Live results from the Showtime broadcast of “Overeem vs. Werdum” will be stacking up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
The latest installment in Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament goes down tonight at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, featuring the long-awaited rematch between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Barnett’s promotional debut against Brett Rogers. Plus, KJ Noons and Jorge Masvidal jockey for #1 contendership in the lightweight division, and 14-year veteran Jeff Monson collides with rising heavyweight star Daniel Cormier.
Handling the play-by-play for this evening will be the Shemp Howard of CagePotato’s liveblog-rotation, Matt Kaplan, so let him know you care in the comments section. Live results from the Showtime broadcast of “Overeem vs. Werdum” will be stacking up after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Chad Griggs vs. Valentijn Overeem:
Griggs hits an early takedown after some feeling out and fights from half guard. Overeem lacks mental toughness, according to Mauro. Griggs is pounding away on Overeem, who’s given up his back. Hammer fists…and some more. Here’s the ref. That’ll do it. Griggs wins it early.
(Backstage interview with Heidi and Werdum. Peronaility plus. Let’s get to the next fight already.)
Daniel Cormier and Jeff Monson:
Monson is not an anarchist, says Mauro. Just a guy who wants equality for all. This could be an interesting match-up.
Hig kick from Cormier blocked by Monson. Both guys tentative. Noe they lock up. elbow form Cormier and they separate. Monson kicks the lead leag; Cormier responds with a 1-2 and presses Monson against the cage. Cormier opens up with his fists and bakcs Monson up. Monson’s got some blood under the left eye. Cormier seems to be loading up the right. Left hook. Another 1-2 lands for Cormier, who looks calm and is moving well. More blood on Monson’s face. Straight left from Monson; Cormier counters with both hands. Cormier wins that round easily.
Round 2: Monson looks lost here: swinging wildly, staggering. Cormier presses Monson against the cage. Bog right on the break from Monson. Stiff left from Cormier. More of the clinch. Jab from Monson, but Cormier counters with better shots. Left from Cormier, uppercut, clinch. Still clinched. Body kick from Cormier now. And a right hand. Knees to Mnson’s thighs from Cormier. Another round for Cormier.
Round 3: I’m sure Masvidal is thrilled to have the phrase “like Kombo Slice” attached to his billing. Back to the fight…Monson misses a wild overhand right and Cormier counters with a right uppercut. Laser right hand. Big left hook. Monson is in trouble. Big right. Monson backpedals and falls to his back, inviting Cormier to follow. Nope. Cormier presses Monson against the cage: punches, knees. Left, right from Cormier. Monson tries for a takedown. Stuffed. Cormier again presses Monson against the cage. Frank Shamrock is calling for elbows from Cormier. 1-2 and a leg kick from Cormier. Monson needs the home run here. Time runs out, though. Cormier dominated that fight from the opening bell.
Cormier wins 30-27 from all 3 judges.
Mauro on Cormier: “His toolbox continues to grow.” Gold.
Backstage with Alistair Overeem. Anyone else waiting for him to do something terrible to this chick?
KJ Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal:
I just heard audio of Pat Miletich saying Noons “wants to be the matinee idol of this sport.” That’s adorable. I watched the replay of Noons-Jurgel the other night, and Masvidal better look out for the left hook.
Masvidal kicks the lead leg and misses with a jumping knee. Masvidal jabs. Noons lands a left. These guys are getting after it. Knee from Masvidal. Noons moves in with combos. Another Masvidal knee. Takedown from Masvidal, who has Noons against the cage. Noons looks to get at Masvidal’s left arm and makes it back up to his feet. Knee from Masvidal after a quick shot. Noons is bloodied now. Left-right from Masvidal. More blood. Right from Masvidal. Head kick drops Noons! Ground and pound! Noons is back up but still taking shots, and the bell sounds to end the first. Masvidal is dominating this fight. Let’s keep it going…
Round 2: Noons misses with the right. Masvidal is smiling as Noons tries a knee. Masvidal is proving to be a tough target. Masvidal hit a big takedown, but Noons pops right back up and fires punches…before being taken down again. Masvidal attacks from Noons’s guard. Noons is back up and lands a knee. Nasty left body hook from Masvidal, who’s got Noons pressed against the cage with a little over a minute left. A bloody Noons is back up and finds himself on top of Masvidal for a bit. Back on the feet. Big knee from Masvidal and Noons is hurt. Lots of blood coming from his forehead as the second round concludes.
Round 3: Footage of Michael Irvin watching from the crowd is hilarious. Noons lands (part of) an uppercut but misses the subsequent hook. Masvidal stays tight in his boxing. Blood is streaming down Noons’s face as Masvidal remains in complete control. Takedown by Masvidal, but Noons gets right back to his feet without taking any shots. Again Masvidal dumps Noons to the mat. He’s in a side mount and has a hold of Noons’s left arm. Noons breaks free but Masvidal now has a hold of the right leg. Masvidal keeps throwing punches. Looks like Masvidal vs Melendez. 30-27 (x3) for Masvidal.
I’m Shemp Howard? I just saw that. Could be worse, I guess…
Gus Johnson just called Mauro a legend. Frank Shamrock haunts my dreams. Gus Johnson’s got a perty mouth. In all seriousness, though, Gus has been doing a killer job with the Super 6 boxing tournament. Here comes Brett Rogers and some lady with a mean face on…
Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett:
There’s the comment about Rogers stacking tires. It was only a matter of time…
Barnett looks kinda slim for 256.
Here we go. Brett is jiggling all over the place. Josh presses him against the cage, hoists him into the air, and slams him to his back. Damn. Josh in side control. Releases a shoulder lock; now in half guard…and now mounting Brett. Here come some punches and short ’bows. Brett is trying ot buck off the cage with hsi feet, but that’s a big man on top. Josh looks patient. Brett bucks, but Josh lands back in the mount. Brett is just holding on now. A dominant round for Josh Barnett.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I miss seeing Josh Barnett fight.
Round 2: Big left hook from Josh, who’s again mounting sweaty Brett. Side choke? Arm choke? Got it! Good night. Brett Rogers had nothing for Josh Barnett tonight.
Josh professed his love for Gus and fires up the Dallas crowd. Barnett is now walking the cage and has completely taken over this interview. He’s talking about skulls, piles of bodies, and gold. Sweet Jesus.
Nice little Fedor-Hendo promo for July 30.
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum:
Overeem comes out to the cage draped in a Dallas Mavs flag. Smart move. Overeem has more submission wins in MMA than he does KO/TKO wins.
Main event time: A sloppy combo from Werdum, but a decent knee. Werdum shoots; nope. And again. He wants Overeem to come into his guard and is waiting on the ground. Boos from the crowd. Overeem wants Werdum to stand the f- up already. Back to the feet. Each man lands a knee. Overeem misses a big right. Werdum clinches, pulls guard, and waits fro Overeem to fall into his guard. This strategy is pissing off Overeem and the Texan crowd. Big left hook from Overeem. Overeem slams Werdum down; Werdum begs Overeem to a ground fight. Not having it. Big knee from Overeem drops the Brazilian. Werdum might need a new strategy because Overeem isn’t taking the bait.
Round 2: Both men hit knees. A few punches from Werdum land on Overeem. Wow. Werdum catches an Overeem kick and drops Overeem. Back up. Overeem stuffs a takedown. Werdum pulls guard. Overeem steps back. Werdum is slow to rise. Overeem is landing some big punches now. Werdum looks fatigued. Knee, uppercuts from Overeem. Werdum pulls him into his guard. Working for a triangle, it seems. Overem is up and free. Werdum is slow. Again pulls guard. Overeem is waiting for Werdum to get up. Overeem falls into Werdum’s guard. The crowd is not loving this.
Round 3: Werdum presses Overeem against the cage after a flurry of strikes from both men. Overeem lands a right to the side of the head; Werdum flops to guard. Again. He’s having some success with his hands and knees, but he’s sticking to his guard. Overeem is standing over Werdum, stalking. Werdum gets up and lands a good right hand. Again Werdum is on his back with Overeem in his guard. Overeem stands with 30 seconds left. Werdum lands 3 good punches, falls to guard, and goes for a knee bar as the round ends. Not an exciting main event. Overeem gets the nod from all 3 judges, as expected.
Up next in the Grand Prix, Overeem-Bigfoot and Barnett-Kharitonov.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
(Kyle Kingsbury is wearing that rainbow fanny-pack in honor of all the brave men and women who gave their lives defending our freedom in the Candyland-Disco War of Sissystan. / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this album, click here.)
TUF 13 reaches its conclusion tonight, with “Stripper” Ramsey Nijem facing off against “Jerkwad” Tony Ferguson for the mythical six-figure contract and glass trophy. Plus: Anthony Pettis makes his official UFC debut against Clay Guida in a guaranteed thriller with lightweight title implications, the suddenly-badass Kyle Kingsbury looks to put Fabio Maldonado’s 11-fight win streak to an end, and much more.
If you’ve got nothing better to do, it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. (If you do have something better to do, count yourself lucky, and come back later to let us know what the outside world is like.) The action is already underway at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas — and streaming live on Facebook — but we’ll save the spoilers until the end of the night, because some of you crybabies get sooooo sensitive. Round-by-round results from the Spike TV broadcast will begin to pile up after the jump starting at 9 p.m. ET; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
“Everybody who saw the Ultimate Fighter knows that Tony is a dick and he does not deserve this,” Ramsey says in the pre-fight reel. Mike Goldberg mentions the beginning of the “Showtime Era” not once but twice, officially cursing Anthony Pettis tonight.
Chris “C-Murder” Cope vs. Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil
Round 1: Cope lands the first jab. O’Neil with a leg kick. Somebody in the crowd (or Cope’s corner?) is WOO!’ing like a jackass every time Chris makes contact. They clinch up. Cope gets in a short-range punch, a knee, and they separate. Leg kick from O’Neil. He throws a wide head kick and almost topples over. They trade low kicks. Cope gets in a hook, but eats a body kick. Cope drills that hook, even harder this time, and stalks O’Neil to the cage. They clinch for a bit, trade knees, and break. Leg kick O’Neil. Cope fires back some punches. Leg kick Cope. Cope goes body/head, but O’Neil counters. Cope sticks a spinning back kick. Nice high kick from Cope. O’Neil returns a hard body kick. Cope tries the spinning kick again, and O’Neil mimics him. The horn sounds and they hug it out before returning to their corners. Cope WOO!ing on the stool, and the crowd gives it right back.
Round 2: Leg kick O’Neil. Cope throws a punch combo. He gets in a leg kick. O’Neil returns. Cope presses forward with punches to different levels. I really hope the crowd stops WOO!ing after this fight. They clinch up and trade knees. O’Neil puts Cope’s back against the fence, but Cope shoves him off. Leg kick O’Neil, Cope throws a high one. Cope telegraphs a spinning back kick and hits air. O’Neil lands a left as Cope comes in. Another spinning kick from Cope, and O’Neil tries one too. Come on guys, stop it with that shit. Leg kick Cope. Both guys throwing punches steadily, but not landing anything cleanly. Superman punch/leg kick/superman punch from Cope. Cope throws a superman jab. One last leg kick from Cope, and the round is over.
Round 3: The between-round WOO!ing has to be screwing with O’Neil’s concentration. Cope puts O’Neil against the fence and gets in a sharp short hook. O’Neil shrugs him off. Cope the aggressor with strikes. He lands a big looping left hook. Cope dashes in with a leg kick. He sticks a jab, and a body shot. Cope throws a couple of high kicks, one of them of the spinning variety. O’Neil locks up on him, looking for a takedown against the fence. Cope turns him around. O’Neil gets in a knee to the body. Cope separates and WOO!s, getting the crowd behind him. Cope pouring it on with flashy kicks, punches in bunches, a spinning backfist. An inside leg kick from Cope. Body/head from Cope. Cope presses forward with punches, a head kick. He continues to attack until the horn. Should be a unanimous decision for Ric Flair Jr.
Chris Cope def. Chuck O’Neil via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Cope tells Joe Rogan that a lot of people doubted him when he was growing up, but “how do you like me now, in high definition?” Woo, bro. Woo.
Kyle “Kingsbu” Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado
They show highlights of Maldonado absolutely clowning James McSweeney in his UFC debut, and man is it sweet. “My goal is knock out everybody in the light-heavyweight division,” he says. I’m kinda looking forward to this one. Are my ears deceiving me, or did Kingsbury come out to “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis?
Round 1: Leg kick immediately off the bell from Kingsbury, then a punch to the torso. Kingsbu teeing off with kicks to the legs and body. Kingsbury clinches up and gets in a half-dozen knees. Dude’s lookin’ real strong so far. But Maldonando lands with a nice left hook. Left-hand counter for Kingsbury, who clinches up again and drills Maldonado with a knee. Kingsbury shoots and gets a takedown, but almost gets stuck in a guillotine before pulling out and getting up. Another clinch/knee from Kingsbury. Maldonado pushes forward, lands a left hook, backing Kingsbury up. They trade shots. Maldonado lands the left hook again in an exchange. Kingsbury with the thai clinch again, works his knees again. He tries it again but Maldonado shrugs him off. Kingsbury clinches and trips Maldonado to the mat. Kingsbury on top in half guard, throwing down short elbows. He goes for a kimura, but Maldonado escapes. Kingsbury with more clinch/knee punishment. He lands a nasty one to Maldonado’s forehead. Kingsbury slips to the mat during a striking exchange and the round ends. I’d give it to Kingsbu, easy.
Round 2: Body kicks and teeps from Kingsbury. Kingsbury shoots and scores the takedown. Kingsbury on top in half guard for a hot second, but Maldonado slickly reverses the position, and Kingsbury escapes to his feet. Huge head kick from Kingsbury. Kingsbury works the thai clinch again, and Maldonado punches out of it. But Kingsbury is relentless, clinching again, throwing more knees. Kingsbury tries for the trip-takedown, but botches it and falls to the mat. Maldonado lets him up. Kingsbury scores another takedown, but Maldonado quickly gets up, eating a knee on the way up. They clinch up. Knees to the legs from Kingsbury. Maldonado throws a knee of his own and they break. Straight right from Maldonado. Kingsbury tries for a takedown, settles for a knee. Maldonado throwing hooks at the horn, landing one very blatantly after the bell.
Round 3: Kingsbury with a jab. He tries a couple leg kicks, Maldonado returns some counter-punches. Maldonado with a 1-2. And again. Kingbury with the thai clinch and knees, Maldonado gets in some shots when they break. Kingsbury gets a takedown, but Maldonado is up immediately and they jockey for position against the fence. Hard knee to the dome from Kingsbury. Maldonado jabbing to the body. Maldonado teeing off as Kingsbury is visibly slowing. Kingsbury tries for another takedown to slow down the action, but Maldonado defends. Kingsbury’s left eye is swollen shut. Maldonado with a body shot. Kingsbury tries a takedown, but Maldonado reverses it and lands on top. Kingsbury locks him down with rubber guard until the ref stands them up. Maldonado pressing forward, punching. Kingsbury gets in a knee to the face and Maldonado loses his mouthpiece. A brief pause to get it back in. Kingsbury shoots in again, Maldonado defends. Maldonado drags Kingsbury down in the closing seconds but runs out of time to take advantage. There’s the horn. Should be a decision win for Kingsbury. The two fighters embrace and raise their hands, lobbying for that Fight of the Night bonus.
Kyle Kingsbury def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3). Kingsbury’s eye is straight-up disgusting. He says it was the hardest fight of his life. Gritty showing from both guys, but Maldonado may want to consider a drop to middleweight; Kyle seemed to dwarf him out there.
Joe Rogan checks in with Shane Carwin via satellite, hyping up next week’s fight against Junior Dos Santos. Carwin is feeling better than ever after getting surgery on his neck and revamping his diet, and thinking about the Dos Santos match gives him goosebumps. He promises some brutal blows.
Ed “Short Fuse” Herman vs. “Crazy” Tim Credeur
Because of injuries, both of these guys have been out of action since 2009. Who’s ready to see some ring rust?
Round 1: They trade jabs. Herman the aggressor, following Credeur around the cage, initiating the exchanges. Herman lands a pair of uppercuts that drop Credeur, and follows up with some savage shots from the top that flip Credeur’s switch to the off position. Damn. Welcome back, Ed.
Ed Herman def. Tim Credeur via TKO, 0:48 of round 1. Herman plugs his new gym in Fort Collins, Colorado, that he’s running with Ryan Schultz. So swing by if you’re in the area.
And now Rogan checks in with Junior Dos Santos. I like how JDS starts every single answer with “Yeah,” even when he’s not being asked yes/no questions. “Thank you guys, and don’t blink!” he says at the end. Terrible advice from a medical perspective, but the sentiment is clear.
Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida
Line of the night, from Clay Guida: “If you think you’re gonna come into my Octagon with your circus kicks and your flashy moves, you’re gonna pay dearly when I take your legs out from under you and pound your head through the canvas.” #BOOM. Pettis does a little foot-spring off the cage in his warm-up lap around the Octagon. Just getting comfortable with the environment. Protect yourself at all times, Clay. Pettis gives off a little WOO! during the introductions.
Round 1: Clay bouncing around, as he does. He fakes a leg kick, and Pettis pops a pair of punches. Pettis fires his first left head kick. He throws a leg kick and Clay catches it and takes Pettis down. Pettis threatens with an armbar. Clay trying to get to a safer position. Pettis with a very active guard. Clay throws down a punch. And another. Pettis jacks Guida with a punch off his back. Guida gets to his feet, and Pettis throws a roundhouse kick off his back before getting to his feet. Guida puts Pettis on his back again. Pettis looking for the triangle setup. Guida tries to shake out, and finally does. Guida with shoulder-shrugs on top, stuffing Pettis’s head into the cage. The horn sounds, and the judges will probably give it to Guida just for being on top for the majority of the round.
Round 2: Pettis more aggressive with the punch combos now. Guida throws a leg kick, gets countered. Guida grabs a double-leg and dumps Pettis. Guida goes back to humping Pettis’s face against the cage. But he’s not doing much else, and the crowd starts to boo him. Pettis stands, Guida attached to him at the hip. Knees to the leg from Guida. Pettis escapes and pops a couple punches. And a jab. Pettis tries a *reverse* variation of his off the cage kick, but sadly, doesn’t really land it. Will make for a nice GIF, though. Guida scores another takedown. Pettis goes for a triangle, Guida shakes out. Pettis grabs an armbar, Guida somersaults to escape it. Pettis grabs it again but runs out of time.
Round 3: They meet in the middle of the cage and throw punches. Guida fires an overhand right, and pushes forward with a left hook. Another overhand right from Guida, and he shoots for the takedown, landing in Pettis’s dangerous guard, once again. Elbow from the top from Guida. Pettis looking for the triangle, once again. Clay on top in half-guard, jacking his shoulder into Pettis’s face. Punches from the top from Clay. Pettis gets to his feet. Clay tries to dump Pettis, but Pettis reverses it and gets on top. Guida rolls and Pettis takes his back. A minute left. Guida blasts out and gets back on top. Pettis shifts to his knees and now Guida takes Pettis’s back. But time runs out. The look of disappointment on Pettis’s face is obvious as he returns to his corner.
Clay Guida def. Anthony Pettis via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3). Jason Guida drags a giant Clay Guida fathead into the cage. Rogan has to cut Clay off during a long list of shoutouts, but the Carpenter gets back on message, telling everybody that he’s the real lightweight #1 contender, and 2011 is his year.
Ramsey Nijem’s distance-runner girlfriend in Utah supported his broke ass during his MMA journey, so now it’s time to pay her back. He’s training with Court McGee and Jonathan Brookins at the Pit Elevated in Orem, Utah…not a bad crew if you want to be a TUF winner. Ferguson proposed to his girlfriend right after he got off the show. He actually trained at Brock Lesnar’s Death Clutch gym following TUF, but calls Southern California his home.
Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson
Round 1: Nijem jabs, closing the distance. Ferguson scores a quick takedown and gets in half-guard. Ramsey spins out, scrambles to his feet as Ferguson fires punches at his head. Leg kick Ferguson. Nijem with a right, Ferguson with a counter left hook. Another left hook from Ferguson. 1-2 from Ferguson, but a counter from Nijem wobbles him. Nijem attacks, but Ferguson grabs him and takes the fight to the mat. Nijem back on his feet. Quick leg kick from Ferguson. Nijem scores with a straight right. Nijem lands it again. Ferguson responds with a right straight/left hook that drops Nijem cold. Ferguson follows Nijem to the mat and gets in a couple more hard shots from the top as the ref jumps in to end it.
Tony Ferguson def. Ramsey Nijem via KO, 3:54 of round 1. Tony Ferguson is the winner of the Ultimate Fighter Season 13, and has knocked out four straight dudes to get there. He deserves his moment — and has a lot of potential in the sport.
We get the Scott Jorgensen vs. Ken Stone fight from the prelims. Stone making things very difficult for Jorgensen in the early going, using his range and battering Jorgensen with punches. Jorgensen scores a takedown. Stone tries to kick him off, but Scotty gets some space and pounds the damn daylights out of Stone from the top; the fight is called at the 4:01 mark of round 1 via KO.
Other results from the prelims…
– Jeremy Stephens def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
– George Roop def. Josh Grispi via TKO (liver punch), 3:14 of round 3
– Shamar Bailey def. Ryan McGillivray via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Clay Harvison def. Justin Edwards via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Rueben Duran def. Francisco Rivera via submission (rear naked choke), 1:57 of round 3
Oh snap…well, I guess you know how this Roop/Grispi fight is going to end. Lets put this liveblog to bed. Thanks for coming out tonight. I leave you with this:
Demetrious Johnson def. Miguel Torres by unanimous decision – 29-28 (all)
Tim Boetsch def. Kendall Grove by unanimous decision -30-27 (all)
Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago
Round 1
Stann throws a combo, and a lead leg kick. Santiago backing and circling to the right away from Stann’s power hand. Santiago seems to be dropping his head when he throws his combos. Kick to the body for Santiago. Overhand right just misses Stann. Stann continues to move forward. Santiago slips, but gets back to his feet quickly. Santiago lands a lead leg kick. Stann answers with one of his own. Santiago still trying for the overhand right. Stann looks like his game plan is to land combo-leg kick, combo-leg kick. Santiago lands a head kick but doesn’t seem to hurt Stann. Stann drops Santiago with a left after a combo and jumps on top. Santiago throws some up-kicks to try to survive, but Stann gets back on top and into Santiago’s guard, where he forces the Brazilian into the fence and continues his onslaught of ground and pound. Hammer fists and forearm strikes from Stann continue to score. Stann gets back up to his feet and lands a handful of stiff rights before both men regain their feet as the horn sounds.
Round 2
Stiff right by Santiago. Santiago tries for a takedown, but only succeeds in pushing Stann against the cage. Stann circles out and both men throw hooks. Santiago’s lands. Santiago slips again as Stann kicks his leg. He recovers and catches Stann’s chin with a short right. Stann is controlling the Octagon. He stuffs another takedown and clinches before circling away again. Stann lands another front leg kick. Santiago is stunned with a left hook. Santiago lands a spinning back fist, but Stann’s ok. Stann catches a lazy leg kick by Santiago but lets it go. Stann connect with another right to the jaw, followed by a leg kick. Left to the forehead by Stann, followed by a combo that has Santiago on his heels. Santiago tries a flying knee, but Stann knocks him onto his back with a hook. Leg kick by Stann met by crisp right by Santiago. Stann lands a body kick. He drops Santiago with a right and follows up with a half dozen rights that leave Santiago dazed and confused on the canvas.
Brian Stann def. Jorge Santiago by TKO (strikes) 4:29 – R2
———-
Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1
Story throws a combo, Alves dodges and stuffs a takedown. Story shoots again. Alves tries to stall but runs out of room and ends up on his ass agains the cage. Alves puts his hand on the canvas, and Story punishes his side with knees, and continues to tenderizes Alves thighs with relentless knees. Alves needs to get up. Alves gets underhooks and takes Story down, but Story reverses and gets back to his feet. Story working against the fence, and Alves doing his best to prevent being taken down. Story is controlling Alves against the cage, and landing knees to the body and thighs. Finally he breaks and throws a wild combination, but Alves defends. So far this has been more of a clinch match than a fight. Both fighters with 20 seconds left are going toe to toe, winging punches and kicks and the round ends with Story shooting for a takedown.
Round 2
Alves lands a good body kick. Another kick to the body, but Story grabs this one and drags Alves to the canvas. Both men regain their feet. Story has Alves moving backwards, anticipating the takedown. Story shoots for a double, and drops Alves on his back, but Thiago uses the cage to get back to his feet and drops Story on his back with a kick. Alves working from half guard. Story’s elbow is bleeding. Story explodes and gets back to his feet. Story drops for a single, but Thiago defends. Alves can’t get his back off the cage. Alves makes space, but Story ducks under a left hook and grabs him around the waist. Alves seems to be tiring. The referee calls for a break. Alves lands a stiff right, and Story shoots. Alves sprawls. Story turns the corner and drags Alves back down against the fence. Alves stands back up, and is pinned back agains the cage. Alves connects with another right, but can’t get anything going as the buzzer sounds.
Round 3
Story shoots, Alves spins and lands a stiff knee that seems to hurt Story. Story shoots again, and pushes Alves against the fence, landing a knee to the body as they break. Alves lands a left hook, but backs himself into a corner, avoiding Story’s combo. Story lands a left to the body, and grabs a single. Alves defends, and backs away. Story lands a left hook, but Alves answers with a heaver left of his own. Story is breathing heavy. Alves connects with another left to the ear. Alves lands a stiff right. Story seems to be slowing. Alves is getting the better of these exchanges, and Story wants out and grabs for another double. Alves ducks underneath the clinch and circles out, and sneaks in another right hook, and catches Story with a knee as the wrestler shoots. Story clinches again against the cage. Alves again pushes away and circles out. Thiago lands a right and clinches, connecting with a handful of knees and a combo as the round ends.
Rick Story def. Thiago Alves by unanimous decision – 29-28 (all)
———-
Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
Round 1
Both fighters exchange leg kicks, and both keep their hands low. A pair of body kicks connect with each, and Struve tries for a Superman punch that doesn’t connect. Struve presses Browne against the cage, and eats a short elbow. Browne reverses and lands a handful of knees, but Mazzagatti calls for a break. Struve throws a front kick, but it’s blocked by Browne. Browne lands a leg kick and then another. Struve lands a kick to the body, but Browne catches it and lets it go. Browne is winging that overhand right repeatedly, but can’t connect. Struve using the front kick to create space. Struve clinches and attempts to spin Browne into the cage, but ends up on his back as Browne trips him. Browne tries to pass the guard, but is thrown off by Struve. Before Browne can scramble to his feet, Browne locks in a D’arce choke, and switches to an anaconda choke. Struve jumps for a flying knee to the body, and eats a Superman punch, and is out before he hits the canvas, but Browne follows up with a pair of hammerfists for good measure to make sure he finished the fight.
Travis Browne def. Stefan Struve by knockout (strikes) 4:11 – R1
———
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Round 1
Nelson throws a combo and immediately bumrushes Mir into the cage, but can’t complete the takedown. Mir reverses, but can’t keep Nelson from circling out. Nelson works against the cage with short shots, and Mir clinches and lands a knee to Nelson’s forehead. Mir lands a left right, and just misses with a head kick, and gets tagged with a left. Big Country pushes Mir into the fence, and Frank checks the clock with two and a half minutes left. Mir lands a half dozen knees to Nelson’s rotund mid-section and finishes up the flurry with a combination. Nelson grabs on and pushes Mir back into the cage, but does little else than hold him there. Nelson pushes off and whiffs with a right. Combo by Nelson just misses, and Mir makes him pay with another knee to the gut. Mir with a hip throw, takes Nelson’s back, but Roy stands back up and again pushes his much bigger opponent into the fence. The round ends with Nelson connecting with a knee to Mir’s solar plexus.
Round 2
Both men come out breathing heavy and with much less steam behind their shots. Mir lands a body kick. Nelson, a light combo. Mir presses Nelson into the cage now and gets the trip. Working from half guard, Mir covers Nelson’s mouth and takes his back, as Nelson rolls out. Nelson gets back to his feet, and Mir lets him. Nelson lands a few inside uppercuts and eats another knee to the chin. Mir drops for a double, and drops Nelson on his back. Working to pass the guard, Mir pins Nelson’s right arm down like a bully on the playground. Nelson gets back to his feet again after a scramble. Nelson pushes Mir into the cage. Both men are clearly exhausted. Mir lands a kick and a knee to the body, and gets tagged with an overhand right. Nelson pushes Mir once again back up against the cage, but can’t finish the single. Mir’s using overhooks to stifle Nelson’s punches. Josh Rosenthal warns both fighters to work, as they seem content to hug it out. A break before the bell solves nothing as the buzzer sounds a few seconds later.
Round 3
Nelson’s hands are dropped. He’s ready for bed. Mir lands a front kick to the belly. He’s looking for a big combo a la King Hippo. Mir gets the takedown and works short elbows from half guard while covering Nelson’s mouth. Nelson really needs to think long and hard about dropping down to 205. Mir’s size and strength are just too much for him. Nelson scrambles back to his feet. Mir narrowly misses with a knee to the face, but connects with the follow up. Another takedown. Mir working again from side control, scoring with punches and elbows. Roy scrambles back to his feet again. Mir drops him on his back again, and continues to punish Nelson with big elbows while pinning down his right arm above his head. Nelson scrambles back to his feet, and this time avoids the takedown until the buzzer sounds to end the fight.
Frank Mir def. Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
———-
Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill
Round 1
Hamill comes out throwing leg kicks. Rampage is stalking him. Rampage sprawls, avoids the takedown, and tags Hamill on the temple with a left. Looks like Hamill wants to kickbox. Rampage watching Hamill’s face like he’s zoning in on a target. Hamill whiffs with a half-hearted head kick. Rampage continues to push forward. Hamill steps in with a combo that misses, and Rampage connects with a left. Hamill is dropping his hands and his head as he wades in. Hamill fakes the takedown, and Rampage immediately drops his hands, waiting to sprawl. Rampage lands a right to the body and an uppercut. Hamill throws an overhand right and misses, and a leg kick. Another takedown fails. Again, Rampage stuffs Hamill’s takedown attempt. Hamill’s backed up with a jab. Jackson showing great footwork. Hamill lands the jab. Jackson stuffs another takedown. Hamill clinches. Rampage pushes him off and connects with a right. Hamill seems hurt. Jackson stocking forward, and connects with a right and then a left. The round finishes as a lead leg kick lands on Hamill’s thigh.
Round 2
Jackson’s cut over the right eye. Hamill is bloody around the mouth. Hamill continues his leg kick attacks. He throws a weird crane kick and Jackson shrugs it off. Hamill shoots, Rampage defends and pushes him up against the cage. Jackson lands a knee to the body. Hamill drops a level and shoots and Rampage connects with a knee to the belly. Hamill drops for another takedown. Jackson lands a combo and just misses with a knee. Hamill seems tired. Jackson is still on his toes. Hamill’s leg kicks even seem like he’s going through the motions. Rampage catches Hamill with a left to the chin as he drops his head. Hamill connects with a jab and follows up with a leg kick. Another jab by Hamill. Hamill clinches, Rampage stuffs and lands with another punch to the face and a shot to the body. Hamill throws a head kick, and Rampage knocks him off kilter with a combination. He seems hurt, but battles back. Hamill shoots, Rampage stuffs and jumps in for an elbow that grazes Hamill’s ear.
Round 3
Hamill attempts the Superman punch, Jackson counters. Double jab by Hamill. Rampage misses with a right hook. Hamill pushes Jackson into the fence and misses with the push-off uppercut. Rampage hits the jab. Hamill connects with the right left. Hamill connects with a leg kick, and eats a left to the body. Hamill pushes Jackson into the corner and takes a knee to the body. Quinton takes wrist control and avoids another takedown. Right elbow, left hook by Jackson. Leg kick by Jackson. Hamill lands a left hook. Jackson nearly takes the back, looking for a slam. The crowd is booing with a minute and a half left. Jackson is tired. Hamill fakes a shot. Jackson lands a knee to the body. Rampage has double underhooks. Hamill reverse and pushes Jackson against the cage where he uses dirty boxing, but not for long. Jackson gets his second wind, but it’s too little, too late as the buzzer sounds.
Quinton Jackson def. Matt Hamill by unanimous decision – 30-27 (all)
Somehow I don’t see this version of Rampage lasting very long with Jon Jones.
(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa…
(Above: "…and I’m gonna wear one of those stupid jester-hats in the Octagon. And you’re not going to do a damn thing about it." Below: Jon Jones knows that the best way to deal with a bully is to ignore him, Michihiro Omigawa does that ridiculous duck-face thing, and Miguel Torres and Antonio Banuelos face off for the unofficial Mexican Bantamweight Championship. All photos courtesy of the UFC 126: Weigh In Pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com)
Fuck football. Unless you were cursed enough to grow up in Green Bay, or you’re a supporter of dudes who get accused of rape a lot, you know as well as I do that this weekend belongs to cage-fighting. And if you don’t, you can piss off right now. Seriously. The rest of us will wait.
Now then. Tonight’s ultra-stacked lineup features the longest-reigning champion in UFC history defending his middleweight title for the eighth time against a power-punching dynamo who used to be a UFC champion himself, seven years and one weight-class ago. Supporting the main event will be a scrap between two Octagon icons and former belt-holders (Franklin vs. Griffin), a fight that could produce the future of the 205-pound division (Jones vs. Bader), Miguel Torres’s breathtaking mullet, and the UFC debuts of some exciting imported talent from Japan.
Live UFC 126 results will be stacking up after the jump, beginning with a quick recap of the Yamamoto/Johnson Facebook match at 8:25 p.m. ET, leading into the Spike TV prelims broadcast at 9 p.m., and finally the pay-per-view broadcast at 10 p.m. So we’ve got a long night of fighting in front of us — but hey, nobody ever said being an MMA fan would be easy.
