Even though UFC 154 didn’t have its usual sell-out reception from Canada, the Bell Centre still played host to plenty of highlights from the 12-fight card.Of course, the spotlight saw returning champion George St. Pierre return to action by defeating t…
Even though UFC 154 didn’t have its usual sell-out reception from Canada, the Bell Centre still played host to plenty of highlights from the 12-fight card.
Of course, the spotlight saw returning champion George St. Pierre return to action by defeating the always-dangerous Carlos Condit and unifying the UFC welterweight title in a gritty war that left both men covered in blood.
GSP vs. Condit was easily the night’s best fight, but the entire fight was punctuated by interesting moments throughout the entire card.
With the champion’s return in the books, let’s take a took back at the 12 most interesting, exciting, and memorable spots that took place this past Saturday night.
In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 on Saturday night. Hendricks used his lethal left hand to knock Kampmann out just 46 seconds into the first …
In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated Martin Kampmann at UFC 154 on Saturday night.
Hendricks used his lethal left hand to knock Kampmann out just 46 seconds into the first round, shocking the crowd.
Both Hendricks and Kampmann have been rolling lately. Hendricks entered this fight having won his last four bouts, including victories over Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. He has come back in a big way after suffering his first, and to date only, loss against Rick Story at the end of 2010.
For the longest time, Kampmann looked like one of those fighters whose talent was always going to outweigh his actual performance. He would always let his opponents dictate the pace and style of a fight, which wound up costing him some very winnable matchups.
All that changed after Kampmann lost two fights to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez. He has gotten more aggressive and looked much more comfortable in his own skin, which led to him winning his last three fights.
Obviously plans can and will change, depending on what UFC deems to be in the best interest of business, but on merit, Hendricks has proven himself a worthy contender for the championship. He has beaten some of the biggest and best fighters the 170-pound division has to offer.
It also helps Hendricks’ case that Nick Diaz is suspended until February, and Anderson Silva, who has been linked to St-Pierre if GSP defeats Condit, said that he isn’t fighting again until the end of 2013.
We shall see what direction UFC ultimately decides to go, but Hendricks has certainly left the Dana White and Co. with a lot to think about.
Guiding us through the proceedings is liveblogger-supreme Aaron MandelBen Goldstein!, who will be throwin’ down round-by-round results from the UFC 154 pay-per-view main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voices be heard loudly and proudly in the comments section.
Guiding us through the proceedings is liveblogger-supreme Aaron MandelBen Goldstein!, who will be throwin’ down round-by-round results from the UFC 154 pay-per-view main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and let your voices be heard loudly and proudly in the comments section.
Yeah, Aaron pulled out due to some last-minute technical difficulties, so you’re stuck with Old Mom. And here I was, enjoying a pleasant Saturday evening of drinking local craft beer and putting together IKEA furniture. This better be good, guys.
Mark Hominick vs. Pablo Garza
Garza comes out to “Lights” by Ellie Goulding. Hominick comes out to “Kickstart My Heart” by Motley Crue. The dichotomy is both hilarious and awesome. Bruce Buffer greets the crowd with a friendly “Bone Swa, Mon’Reahhhh…”
Round 1: Hominick stalks forward and Garza tries to push him back with leg kicks and a knee. Hominick steps in and throws heavy. Garza trying to keep him at distance with his long scarecrow limbs, but Hommy lands anyway. You can tell that Hominick wants to make an example of this guy. But now Garza dashes in with a great knee to the body and follows it with a good leg kick. Garza throws the head kick. Hominick backs up with punches. Another nice leg kick from Garza. Garza goes low/high with the kicks. He changes levels with punches too, but Hominick counters him hard, backing Garza to the fence. They tie up and Hominick slams him to the mat. Garza goes for the armbar. He nearly sinks it but Hominick pulls out and starts slugging down from inside Garza’s guard. Garza gets up and flings a long knee into Hominick’s body. Garza throws a punch to the ribs. But Hominick lands a devastating punch to Garza’s body and he crumbles. Hominick tries to finish but Garza gets up and lands an uppercut that opens Hominick up. Garza pushes Hominick to the fence and unloads. Hominick escapes at the bell. Awesome round…I have to give it to Garza 10-9 for landing more and drawing blood.
Round 2: Hominick’s face is already puffed up. Garza throws a wild-ass jumping kick to start the round. He grabs Hominick around the waist and drags him down, rolling into Hominick’s guard. Garza working some GnP and lands a couple good shots to Hominick’s mug. Now some elbows. This isn’t going well for the Canadian. He gets some distance and fires down some longer punches now. Hominick trying to tie up an arm then a leg, looking for any kind of submission, but it’s not happening. Hominick looks be bleesing near both eyes now, as Garza continues the assault of punches and elbows from the top. And that’s the bell. 10-9, bordering on 10-8 for Garza.
Round 3: Garza opens with a high kick, then goes to the inside leg. Hominick comes out like he did in the first frame, stalking and throwing hard. Garza grabs Hominick again, but gets shucked off. Garza tries a takedown again and gets it. Garza slashes with elbows. Hominick tosses the legs up looking for an omoplata, but can’t get it. More elbows from Garza. Hominick thinks about going for the leg, then resumes his roadkill-impression. Hominick slaps Garza in the side of the head a few times, doing jack-shit. Garza slugs him hard in the face. Double-hand slaps from the bottom from Hominick? Ugh, dude. Hominick kicks Garza off, Garza knees him in the ribs when he gets up and takes Hominick right back down. Garza in Hominick’s half-guard, and tosses down some hammer-fists. Hominick with a hail-mary triangle-armbar, but Garza pulls out and the fight ends. The crowd boos Garza for beating the dog doo-doo out of their homeboy. This is going to be Garza’s win, and the fourth straight loss for Hominick.
Pablo Garza def. Mark Hominick via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 29-28).
Mark Bocek vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Round 1: Bocek takes the center of the cage. Bocek ties Dos Anjos up and pushes him against the cage; Dos Anjos escapes. Leg kick Dos Anjos. Bocek shoots again, and they’re back to tangling on the fence. Bocek knees Dos Anjos in the thighs from the clinch. Dos Anjos returns a knee to the chest and pushes off. Dos Anjos with a superman punch that misses and an uppercut that lands hard. Bocek lands a head kick but slips to the mat. He pops up, tries for a thai clinch then drops low. Dos Anjos just refuses to be taken down tonight. He’s out, and they trade low kicks. Dos Anjos sticks the uppercut. Leg kick Dos Anjos. Bocek shoots in, puts Dos Anjos against the fence, drops to finish it, can’t. Dos Anjos rolls out and kicks Bocek in the leg. That’s the round. I hope Bocek goes to Plan B, because he’s not landing the takedowns and I don’t particularly want to watch two more rounds of this.
Round 2: After a brief punching exchange, Bocek low-kicks Rafael straight in the Dos Anjos, if you catch my drift. Yowzer. Anyway, Dos Anjos is back in with the quickness. Bocek shoots again and Dos Anjos reverses him. Dos Anjos on top, struggling for control. Bocek powers to his feet but Dos Anjos puts him back down. Bocek looks for an arm, and Dos Anjos straight up sits on the dude’s head in north-south position. (aka, The Arabian Goggles Position.) Bocek thankfully escapes, and eventually gets to his feet. Dos Anjos smells blood, and shoots hard for a takedown, nailing it. He goes to Bocek’s back and slugs down at Bocek’s temple. Bocek covers up. He grabs onto Dos Anjos’s leg and works his way upright. Dos Anjos lifts Bocek straight up and deposits him on the mat. Bocek stands up and gets punched in the face for his troubles. Bocek’s face is a bloody mess. Time for Plan C?
Round 3: Dos Anjos with the superman punch, still looking energetic. Bocek goes back to grabbing Dos Anjos against the fence and dropping for a takedown, but it’s still not working. Dos Anjos with a body slam to get the fight back to the mat. Bocek gets up and goes for a standing kimura, but Dos Anjos escapes. Straight right from Bocek. Jumping knee to the body from Dos Anjos. Bocek attacks with punches. They tie up against the fence. Dos Anjos with a knee to the ribs. Dos Anjos with a crane kick attempt, then a hard uppercut. Dos Anjos slips, gets up and stumbles around a bit, then they trade punches in a firefight to the bell. This is going to be another loss for Team Canada.
Rafael Dos Anjos def. Mark Bocek via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
Francis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor
Lawlor and his crew come out as…nerds, I guess? Not his best work.
Round 1: Lawlor the aggressor, coming forward and darting inside. They clinch on the fence. Carmont returns a knee. There’s another one. Dirty boxing from Filthy Tom. The ref breaks ‘em up when it becomes clear that they’ll spend all night on that fence. Carmont tries to set up a kimura when Lawlor shoots on him again. No dice. It’s back to the fence. They separate. Carmont uses his reach advantage, sticking his hand on Lawlor’s forehead to keep him at bay. Lawlor grabs a guillotine and jumps to the mat with it. Looks tight. Blood starts leaking out of somewhere on Carmont’s head, but he finally pulls out and postures up for some ground-and-pound payback. The bell saves Lawlor from getting punished.
Round 2: Carmont with some 52 Blocks-type hand-gesturing. Lawlor glides in with a straight left. Inside leg kick from Lawlor, then the outside. Carmont responds with a solid knee to the body. Lawlor pushes Carmont back against the fence. Lawlor lands the straight. Lawlor pushes him against the fence again. Carmont with a punch inside, and Lawlor drops for a takedown. He sticks it after some effort. Carmont gets up but eats a knee. Lawlor drags him down again. Carmont looks for the triangle but Lawlor escapes and scrambles for a guillotine attempt. Carmont escapes but the bell sounds before he can retaliate.
Round 3: They’re boxing. Carmont with a kick to the body. Carmont jumps forward with a knee, Lawlor grabs him and puts him against the fence. The crowd boos them, the ref breaks them. High kick from Carmont lands. Inside leg kick from Carmont. Lawlor pushing forward with punches. Carmont lands a right. He throws another high kick. Lawlor lands a counter-left. Kicks from Carmont to the leg and body. Left hook Lawlor, body kick Carmont. Foot stomps from Lawlor against the cage. They’re up after a brief moment on the mat, and that’s the fight. Not exactly a crowd-pleaser. The scores will be close.
Francis Carmont def. Tom Lawlor via split-decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29). The Montreal crowd actually boos the decision, even though the Canadian dude won it. Maybe they just hated the fight.
If you’re wondering where Nick Ring is tonight, read the update at the top of this post.
Johny Hendricks vs. Martin Kampmann
Round 1: Kampmann throws a high kick to open. He tries it again. Hendricks bolts in with his nasty left hand. A lightning fast left/right combo from Hendricks puts Kampmann into falling tree mode, and Hendricks only has time to punch Kampmann’s comatose head once before Big Dan pulls him off. My goodness that was nasty. Ladies and gentlemen, Johny Hendricks is the next in line at 170 pounds.
Johny Hendricks def. Martin Kampmann via KO 0:46 of round 1.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Carlos Condit
Alright, main event time. Who’s ready for five rounds of positional domination? The champ enters the cage and does cartwheels in both directions. SCARED YET, CARLOS?
Round 1: GSP jabs. Carlos with a leg kick. GSP is moving forward, punching, making Condit circle along the outside of the cage. Carlos throws a 1-2, fires a high teep that misses. Leg kick Georges, and a sharp jab. St. Pierre shoots for a leg and twists Condit to the mat. GSP softens him up with punches, carefully avoiding attacks from Condit’s guard. St. Pierre pulls Condit’s neck up to break his position. Condit tries to kick off but St. Pierre is glued on top of him, doing what he does best. Condit looking for an arm, can’t find it. More punches from the top from GSP. St. Pierre with shots to the ribs. Condit escapes to his feet. He’s cut, badly. The bell sounds and jets of blood pulse out of Condit’s forehead. The replay shows that St. Pierre did it with an elbow from the top. Easy 10-9 for the champ.
Round 2: Nice straight/uppercut/kick combo from Condit. They both whiff high kicks. St. Pierre leans in with a straight that connects. Carlos lands a left. Condit lands a 1-2 on GSP, then a hook after a knee attempt. St. Pierre answers with a right. Condit throws a knee kick. Condit goes body/head. St. Pierre shoots for a double leg and nails it. Big shot from the top. Condit’s face is gory. He slugs at GSP off his back, in vain. St. Pierre lands much more effective punches from the top. Condit dashes to his feet. As bloody as he is, he’s still game, getting in GSP’s range and firing punches. GSP punches back. Neither of these guys are playing it cautiously. Another round for the champ.
Round 3: Condit tags St. Pierre with a head kick and floors him! Condit desperately tries to finish, jackhammering punches and elbows down. GSP has quite the goose-egg on the right side of his head. GSP somehow gets to his feet. He’s unsteady, but goes back to attacking Condit, and slams him to the mat. That right there is a champion, folks. Hard elbows from St. Pierre. Condit stands up, grabs a kimura, but loses it as they tumble back to the mat. GSP settles into half-guard as Condit tries to find a way off his back. Nothing doing. St. Pierre stays on top until the bell.
Round 4: Condit goes low/high with kicks. Condit tries the head kick again but gets counter-punched directly after. St. Pierre dives for the takedown and gets it. We’re back in the champ’s world. Condit trying to snake his way out, and stays active punching GSP off his back. St. Pierre with punches whenever he can find an opening. Condit looking for a kneebar, can’t get it, and misses a follow-up triangle attempt. Carlos goes back to slugging GSP in the face from below. Condit tries to get up, GSP drags him down, Condit briefly reverses the position, GSP reverses the reversal. He takes Condit’s back as the fourth round ends.
Round 5: GSP with a brilliant superman jab/leg kick combo. Carlos is swinging at air. Then he lands a spinning back kick. St. Pierre nails another takedown, but Condit is quickly back on his feet. St. Pierre lands a right. Condit charges in and lands a right, then a left. Condit with a hook, then a knee kick. St. Pierre with a pair of jabs, a right hand, and finishes with a takedown. Two minutes left. St. Pierre is doing his best to hold the challenger in place. Condit rolls, St. Pierre takes his back, Condit defends and establishes guard again. St. Pierre gets a little more active in the last 40 seconds, firing down punches. Condit looks for a desperation armlock, switches to elbowing St. Pierre in the head when that doesn’t work. The fight ends, and they both look like they’ve been in a car wreck. It wasn’t always pretty, but Georges St. Pierre just answered all the doubters. The only things left are the scores, and one more obligatory cut to Anderson Silva.
Georges St. Pierre def. Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45 x 2).
GSP says his knee didn’t bother him at all, and he wouldn’t have fought if it did. Joe Rogan asks him the million dollar question about a potential Anderson Silva fight, and the crowd boos. St. Pierre says he was only thinking about Condit; now, he’s going to take a vacation, think it over, and make the right decision for his career. Come on Andy, rush the cage and call him a punk or something! Ah well…the event ends without an awkward post-fight confrontation, but it’s great to see the greatest welterweight in MMA history working again.
That’s a wrap for tonight. Thanks, as always, for hanging out with us.
It’s been a roller coaster of a year. We’ve seen a few thrilling battles take place in 2012, a few letdowns and the outright “Attack of the Injury Bug.” There are a handful of impressive cards lined up to usher 2012 out the door, and with t…
It’s been a roller coaster of a year. We’ve seen a few thrilling battles take place in 2012, a few letdowns and the outright “Attack of the Injury Bug.”
There are a handful of impressive cards lined up to usher 2012 out the door, and with the end of the year comes the hope that 2013 produces fewer injuries and failed drug tests, and far more fireworks inside the cage.
Everyone has something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season: these are just a few of the things that leave me tipping my hat in respectful acknowledgment.
Saturday night, the UFC rolls into Montreal for a ruckus night of action and combat entertainment. At UFC 154, the world’s top welterweights will meet in fights that will have tremendous and lasting impact on the division.With 13 total fights on the ca…
Saturday night, the UFC rolls into Montreal for a ruckus night of action and combat entertainment. At UFC 154, the world’s top welterweights will meet in fights that will have tremendous and lasting impact on the division.
With 13 total fights on the card, there are several pugilists who have a lot on the line. Returning champion Georges St-Pierre is looking to return successfully in defense of his title. Meanwhile, interim champion Carlos Condit hopes to become an undisputed title holder.
Even the bottom of the card has important ramifications. The winner of the curtain-jerker between Darren Elkins and Steven Siler will have an impressive four-fight win streak in the featherweight division.
But for every star who has something to gain, there is someone who is also on the cusp of losing everything that they have worked so hard to achieve.
Who has the most to lose? Some might argue that it’s St-Pierre. After all, the longtime champion is risking his belt against a man who is seen by many as a partial champion. If “Rush” loses the fight, he loses his belt, his momentum and his status as a top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
In my opinion, the severity of GSP‘s injury is what prevents him from having the most to lose. No matter what, if Carlos Condit gets his hand raised on Saturday night, it will not be because people think he was better. Instead of giving credit where it is due, you are going to hear every fan in the world scream that GSP had ring rust and that the injury took too much of a toll.
So if GSP isn’t the man with the most to lose, who is?
Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann each have their eyes on a future title shot. Whoever comes out victorious in their bout will likely get their wish, assuming that the champ doesn’t end up across the cage from Anderson Silva in May.
Because a title shot isn’t guaranteed for the winner, I can’t say that either man has anything more to lose than the momentum that they have built over the last year.
Instead of these men, the fighter with the most to lose on Saturday night is none other than Carlos Condit.
“The Natural Born Killer” entered the UFC as the final welterweight champion of the WEC. Since that time, he has struggled to earn convincing wins, even when his opponents were unranked. With a split decision win against Jake Ellenberger and a come-from-behind victory against Rory MacDonald, many expected Condit to burn out against the top dogs in the UFC.
Although neither Dan Hardy nor Dong Hyun Kim were ranked particularly high, Condit‘s first round knockouts convinced many that he was ready for a chance against the division’s elite.
Still doubted by many, Condit met Nick Diaz in a fight where he was a sizable underdog in a fight for the interim title. After outstriking and outpointing Diaz, Condit finally strapped a UFC championship around his waist. However, due to the nationwide debate over scoring criteria, many still argue that Diaz was robbed on the scorecards.
The long, hard climb to the top for Condit has come to this: a title fight against Georges St-Pierre 13 months after it was originally scheduled. If Condit comes up short on Saturday night, expect to hear cynics decry him as little more than an overrated fraud who didn’t deserve his “fake belt” in the first place.
To go from a world champion in the largest fight organization in existence down to a perceived phony who is unworthy of his spot in the division’s rankings is about as far of a drop as a man can make within a single fight.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report MMA for all things UFC 154, including previews, live coverage and post-fight analysis.
Leading up to this Saturday’s UFC 154, it has, at times, seemed as if co-main event opponents Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks have had to field more questions about past and possible future opponents than one another. The two welterweights square off in what should be a #1 contender’s fight in Montreal for the right to face the winner of the headliner between champion Georges St. Pierre and interim champ Carlos Condit.
There’s good reason that the Dane is getting lots of questions about his past and future even though he’s got Hendricks in front of him. Kampmann, like Hendricks, is on a tear in the welterweight division and also owns a win over Condit.
“It doesn’t matter what fight it is,” Kampmann tells CagePotato. “Everybody tries to be like, ‘you beat this guy,’ ‘what are you going to do after this fight?’ My main thing right now is Johny Hendricks. That’s what I’m training hard for.”
And it’s the training that keeps Martin focused throughout all the potentially distracting media attention and questions he’s fielded over the past few months.
“This started as a hobby for me so I like the grind,” Kampmann explains. “I like to get in the gym. When you have a fight you have to get in the gym a lot but I still enjoy it. Of course some days you want to be in the gym more than others, but overall my motivation is really good. Even when I don’t have a fight I’m in the gym training because I love to train. I enjoy training and I have fun doing it.”
Leading up to this Saturday’s UFC 154, it has, at times, seemed as if co-main event opponents Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks have had to field more questions about past and possible future opponents than one another. The two welterweights square off in what should be a #1 contender’s fight in Montreal for the right to face the winner of the headliner between champion Georges St. Pierre and interim champ Carlos Condit.
There’s good reason that the Dane is getting lots of questions about his past and future even though he’s got Hendricks in front of him. Kampmann, like Hendricks, is on a tear in the welterweight division and also owns a win over Condit.
“It doesn’t matter what fight it is,” Kampmann tells CagePotato. “Everybody tries to be like, ‘you beat this guy,’ ‘what are you going to do after this fight?’ My main thing right now is Johny Hendricks. That’s what I’m training hard for.”
And it’s the training that keeps Martin focused throughout all the potentially distracting media attention and questions he’s fielded over the past few months.
“This started as a hobby for me so I like the grind,” Kampmann explains. “I like to get in the gym. When you have a fight you have to get in the gym a lot but I still enjoy it. Of course some days you want to be in the gym more than others, but overall my motivation is really good. Even when I don’t have a fight I’m in the gym training because I love to train. I enjoy training and I have fun doing it.”
Its something that he and Hendricks did a lot together, in fact. A while back the two adversaries were, in fact, training partners. Kampmann helped the college wrestling superstar with his striking and Hendricks worked with Martin on his wrestling.
“We trained together some years ago when he started fighting. He was fighting in the WEC. He was here in Vegas for a couple of years, I think. In the beginning he was training at Xtreme Couture a lot, and then he was training more at [Marc] Laimon’s gym. I still knew him a little bit and we trained quite a lot together,” Kampmann details.
“He was helping me with my wrestling, helping me a lot actually, and I was helping him with his stand-up. There was mutual benefit for both of us but I’m still confident that I can beat him.”
When asked if the familiarity with one another will work in his favor or not, Kampmann is thoughtful and honest.
“I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. I don’t know.”
What he does know is that Hendricks is no joke and that he can’t look past him.
“The things that stood out in training with him were the same things that stand out when he fights. He’s got a heavy left hand and he’s got great wrestling. That’s his main strength. He had decided to learn, had decided to get better. He’s a hard worker. That’s what has gotten him from the WEC all the way to the top of the UFC welterweight division. He’s been working hard,” Kampmann allows.
The opponent and the stakes of the fight create a lot of pressure but Kampmann says he relishes big fights and the pressure that comes with them. “I’ve been in big fights before and done well. The big fights are the ones I want.”
If Kampmann beats Hendricks he will likely take on St. Pierre or Condit for the unified world title. The Xtreme Couture fighter makes it clear that it is the belt that he’s gunning for, and not any particular fighter.
“Right now GSP is considered the best so right now I want to fight GSP,” Kampmann says. “If Condit beats him I want to fight him. I want to fight for the real belt.”
At first Kampmann picked St. Pierre to beat Condit but says that his opinion has changed recently. “I used to think GSP would win but now I’m leaning for Condit to win the fight,” he says.
“Condit can finish it. Condit is not going to quit. I think he might be able to hurt GSP and make him quit.”
“The Natural Born Killer” at least is more of a known commodity to Kampmann. They fought one another in a close and thrilling 2009 bout where Kampmann came out on top via decision.
“Our first fight was a war so I’m sure the fans wouldn’t mind seeing another one with two more rounds,” he says.
If Condit does manage to upset St. Pierre in his hometown at UFC 154, Kampmann is confident that he will beat the champion much more decisively than he did before.
“I feel confident in that fight and I feel confident that I’d be able to finish him the next time.”
In what could turn out to be one of the most important welterweight bouts of the year, Johny Hendricks defeated 
