Sanchez vs. Lauzon is a potential barnburner, featuring two of the most frequently-bloody fighters on the UFC roster, both of whom are coming off victories. Sanchez most recently squeaked out a split-decision against Ross Pearson at UFC Fight Night 42 in June, while Lauzon earned a cut-stoppage TKO win against Michael Chiesa last month at UFC Fight Night 50.
Sanchez vs. Lauzon is a potential barnburner, featuring two of the most frequently-bloody fighters on the UFC roster, both of whom are coming off victories. Sanchez most recently squeaked out a split-decision against Ross Pearson at UFC Fight Night 42 in June, while Lauzon earned a cut-stoppage TKO win against Michael Chiesa last month at UFC Fight Night 50.
–Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas: Bermudez has won seven straight fights since becoming a finalist on TUF 14 — the longest win streak in UFC featherweight history. Coming off Performance of the Night-earning victories against Jimy Hettes and Clay Guida this year, Bermudez could clinch a title shot with a victory against Lamas, the former title challenger who bounced back to the win column with a decision over Hacran Dias in June. (Hispanic credentials: Bermudez is Puerto Rican-American; Lamas is half-Cuban, half-Mexican.)
–Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas: Bermudez has won seven straight fights since becoming a finalist on TUF 14 — the longest win streak in UFC featherweight history. Coming off Performance of the Night-earning victories against Jimy Hettes and Clay Guida this year, Bermudez could clinch a title shot with a victory against Lamas, the former title challenger who bounced back to the win column with a decision over Hacran Dias in June. (Hispanic credentials: Bermudez is Puerto Rican-American; Lamas is half-Cuban, half-Mexican.)
– Kelvin Gastelum vs. Jake Ellenberger: In a match that’s currently set as the evening’s co-main event, undefeatedTUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum will face off against veteran welterweight Jake Ellenberger, who has lost his last two fights against Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler. It’s a big opportunity for Gastelum, and a possible must-win situation for the struggling “Juggernaut.” (Hispanic credentials: Gastelum is Mexican-American, Ellenberger is your basic white man from Nebraska.)
UFC 180 will also feature the TUF: Latin America featherweight and bantamweight finals, Mexican welterweight prospect Augusto Montano against an opponent to be named later, and Mexican bantamweight Erik “Goyito” Perez against American Dragon Ball Z fanMarcus Brimage.
The event isn’t airing on TV out here in North America, but CagePotato Fight Pass Correspondent Barry “Bear” Siragusa will keep you updated with live round-by-round results from the main card, which will be available after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
(“D’ya loik me man-pannies? Tree peepul DOYD makin’ deese noat-hoaggers.” / Photo byEsther Lin for MMAFighting)
The event isn’t airing on TV out here in North America, but CagePotato Fight Pass Correspondent Barry “Bear” Siragusa will keep you updated with live round-by-round results from the main card, which will be available after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
Preliminary Card Results
– Ilir Latifi def. Chris Dempsey via KO (punch) at 2:07 of round 1
– Neil Seery def. Phil Harris via Unanimous Decision (30-27 X3)
– Cathal Pendred def. Mike King via Submission (RNC) at 3:33 of round 2
– Trevor Smith def. Tor Troeng via Unanimous decision (29-28 X3)
– Nikita Krylov def. Cody Donovan via KO (punches) at 4:57 of round 1
– Patrick Holohan def. Josh Sampo via Submission (RNC) at 3:06 of round 1
Please stand by…
The crowd is crazy! It was deafening during the first Prelim. Will the Irish Con-man live up to the hype? Will Brad Pickett mess up Ian McCall’s hair? Will McCall celebrate by saying “Bully!” should he win? Will Brandao win and become the first(?) UFC fighter to be dragged out of the octagon by an angry mob? Plenty of questions to be answered in the next few hours. I’ll resist the urge to start us off with “top of the evening” and just go with- Right ya miserable buggers, let’s do this.
First up:
Norman Parke vs. Naoyuki Kotani
Norman Parke (19-2 MMA)
Born in Northern Ireland, Parke competed in TUF: The Smashes, where he won the lightweight tournament. He had a nine fight win streak, followed by a single draw against Leonard Santos where Parke was deducted a point for grabbing Santos’s shorts.
Naoyuki Kotani (33-10-7)
Seven draws? This is Kotani’s return to the UFC after a rough start and eventual release from the promotion in 2007. He is a veteran of Pride, Rings, and Pancrase. Despite being only 32 years old, he has been fighting for nearly 15 years.
Round 1:
The crowd is mental. A quick leg kick from Parke. Kotani is waiting for Parke to make the first move. Kotani flurries and changes levels. Parke stuffs the attempt and the briefly end up against the fence before breaking and moving to the center. Some jabs, both men trying to find their range. Lots of foot movement. Another flurry and level change from Kotani. Parke reverses against the fence and pins Kotani there. Nasty elbow inside from Parke. Kotani misses with a leg kick.connects with a left jab. They clicnh and break quickly. A flying knee from Parke that just misses. A head kick from Parke that misses by a hair. Parke has Kotani backing up, but Kotani catches a kick and goes for the takedown. Parke defends and clinches, starts punishing Kotani with knees. Kotani distances himself and backpeddles again. Parke is throwing a lot of body and head kicks. Parke clinches and pushes him against the fence. Parke breaks away and connects with some elbows. Kotani goes for the double leg but Parke sprawls and gets Kotani’sback up against the fence o the ground. Prake dropping Some BOMBS at the ten second mark. Some HUGE ELBOWS to end the round. Wow.
Round 2:
Parke immediately goes on the attack with some leg kicks. A maybe low blow. Parke throws a looping left and kotani ducks under and goes for the single. Misses and Parke lets him up. They clinch and Parke slams Kotani down to the canvas. Parke starts with the ground and pound. Some nasty elbows from the top. Kotani is struggling to find an answer to Parke. Parke with some brutal elbows. Kotani can’t take much more of those. Looked like Kotani was out cold for for a second there. Kotani recovers and attempts a knee bar and Parke jumps up and gets away. They clinch immediately on their feet and Parke pushes Kotani against the fence. Parke drags Kotani to the ground and starts dropping some huge elbows Kotai is just turtled up and it’s over. Some big punches to end that one.
Norman Parke def. Naoyuki Kotani via TKO (punches and elbows) at 3:41 of the second round.
Next up.
Brad Pickett vs. Ian McCall
Brad Pickett (24-8 MMA)
Currently the #6 ranked bantamweight in the UFC but making a run at flyweight where he is ranked #11. Pickett is a four time recipient of Fight of the Night.
Ian McCall (12-4-1 MMA)
Fought Demetrius Johnson to a draw in the first Flyweight fight in UFC history. He later lost the rematch. He had a two fight loosing streak after his draw with Johnson, but rebounded in his last fight with a win over Iliarde Santos. He is currently ranked #3 in UFC flyweight rankings.
Round 1:
Uncle Creepy rocking the Topknot. They touch gloves. McCall misses a leg kick to start things off. Pickett connects with a left hook. McCall connects with some solid leg kicks. A huge amount of movement from McCall. Pickett goes for the double legs. McCall defends and connects with some knees. Pickett manages to knee McCall solid in the nuts. McCall recovers. Huge leg kicks from McCall. They clinch and McCall ends up against the fence. He defends well and connects with some solid legs kicks. McCall tries to control Picketts head, but Pickett just tosses him out of the way. McCall with some solid combos. Pickett firing off some huge shots but McCall is just so fast. McCall has found his range and is connecting solidly with his left jab. Pickett goes for the double leg, pushes McCall against the fence. McCall reverses and gets away from Pickett. Connects wth some big shots. Pickett is moving forward but it seems he is following McCall more than dictating the pace. McCall and Pickett exchange some nasty shots. Pickett rushes McCall and McCall slips but is saved by the bell.
Round 2:
Pickett opens with a few big punches that McCall ducks under. They clinch and McCall takes Pickett down. Pickett gets up quickly and they trade shots. McCall gets double underhooks and trips Picket. McCall gets full mount. Pickett tries to buck him off without success. Pickett is starting to look tired. McCall tries to free up his leg and Pickett uses the opportunity to get to his feet. They face off in the center of the octagon. A straight left jab from McCall. Pickett is throwing some bombs, but McCall sees them coming. McCall attempts a takedown. Picket goes low and eats a knee and a body kick. Pickett pushes McCall against the fence. McCall hits Pickett in the groin with an inside low kick. Pickett is looking green. Ouch… They are back and Pickett connects with a looping right. They clinch and Pickett connects with a left hook on the way out. McCall answers with a jab. They both are winging some huge overhands and missing. McCall connects with a body punch. McCall defends a single leg takedown attempt and connects with a spinning backfist. He breaks away and back-peddles while Pickett hunts him down.
Round 3:
They both go low and miss with overhand rights. McCall connects with a kick to Picketts armpit. McCall throwing a lot more kicks early in the third. Those are starting to sting. Pickett is moving forward and going for the finishing shots. McCall is doing a good job avoiding the hard shots. McCall is shooting some major kicks. McCall connects with a outside leg. Pickett rushes in for the clinch. Some nasty knee’s from the clinch from both fighters. A big right hand from McCall, Pickett attempts a takedown and gets it for a second. McCall is up again and connects with a nasty body kick. McCall gets the takedown. Pickett is attempting a kimura, McCall is still on top and defending well. Now McCall is dropping some elbows and hammerfists to Picketts head. McCall gets full mount for a moment but Pickett defends back to half guard.. McCall is on top but Pickett is attacking McCalls body with some big shots. McCall is really pouring on shots to the head of Pickett. Pickett regains his feet at the last second. McCall connects with an uppercut and looping right at the buzzer.
Ian McCall def. Brad Pickett via Unanimous decision. (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Next up:
Gunnar Nelson vs. Zak Cummings
Gunnar Nelson (13-0-1 MMA)
This will be the Icelandic fighters fourth fight inside the octagon. His first professional fight was a draw, he has been undefeated since. In his last outing he won Performance of the Night. He is known for showing no emotion… He’s the Icelandic Fedor…
Zak Cummings (17-3 MMA)
Cummings was a contestant on TUF Jones vs. Sonnen where he was eliminated in the elimination rounds. In his two UFC appearances he has gone 2-0.
This is the co-main event.
Round 1:
Starts of Cuminsg starts off with an outside leg kick. Nelson connects with a weak overhand left and they clinch. Cummings gets the advantage and connects with some solid knees. Nelson connects with a nasty right hook. Cummings eats it and keeps coming. Cummings is keeping his hands down after throwing combos. Nelson is hanging back and watching. Cummings needs to get his hand back up. A nice body knee from Nelson. Another nasty jab from Nelson that nails Cummings. They clinch and Cummings gains Nelsons back while they stand. Nelson reverses and they break. Cummings connects with a body shot. Nelson misses a head kick. Cummings fakes a superman punch. Cummings is trying to find his range. Cummings with the flying knee attempt. Cummings is throwing a lot while Nelson is just keeping his distance. They clinch and Cummings pushes Nelson against the fence. Cummings connects with some punches while Nelson spins away. There is the buzzer.
Round 2:
Cummings corner was asking for more volume. That’s a bad call.
They feel each other out. Cummings connects with a few punches but nothing hurts Nelson. Cummings attacks Nelsons legs against the fence with some knees. Cummings and Nelson are still clinched but wheeling around the octagon. They break. Cummings with the feints. A quick inside leg from Cummings. Nelson connects with a stinging straight right. Nelson hold his head really far back so his opponents don’t realize how close he is. Nelson connects with a straight right. Cummings with a flurry and an inside leg kick. Nelson with the straight right. Nelson with a great body kick, but Cummings holds on to it and goes for the takedown, Nelson attempts a guillotine Cummings defends but Nelson gets his back and starts working to sink in the RNC. It’s over! Nelson gets the win via RNC.
Gunnar Nelson def. Zak Cummings via Submission (RNC) at 4:48 of Round 2
Next up: Our Main Event.
Conor McGregor vs. Diego Brandao
Conor McGregor (14-2 MMA)
Is currently on a 10 fight win streak. Mcgegor is undefeated in the UFC, but has only fought in the UFC twice. He did however earn the KO of the night in his first appearence in the octagon against Marcus Brimage. McGregor is the former Cage Warriors lightweight champ.
Diego Brandao (18-9 MMA)
Winner of TUF Bisping vs. Miller. Currently ranked #15 in UFC featherweight rankings.
He is coming off of a loss to Dustin Poirier. He fights out of New Mexico and Jackson’s MMA.
Get ready for things to get nutty.
I have not ever heard a crowd like this.
Round 1:
Conor starts with a spinning back kick to the body of Brandao. Damn you could hear that one. Brandao with some nasty punches but nothing connects. Brandao goes for te takedown. Conor defends and abuses Brandaos head with punches from the clinch. McGregor reverses the clinch against the fence. Brandao hits Mcgregor with a nasty knee to the body. Brandao reverse and McGregor ends up in Brandaos guard, Brandao kicks him off and they end up on the ground. Brandao goes for a leg lock but McGregor spins away. Brandao stays down while McGregor stand and tries to land some bombs. McGregor gains the top, but Brandao looks calm. McGregor is landing some shots but nothing hard. Brandao gets his feet and McGregor starts peppering him with some hard shots. Bradnao is starting to throw down, McGregor is staying just out of reeach and connecting with jabs. McGregor connects with a HUGE straight left hand and Brandao goes down! McGRegor is on top and starts absolutely POUNDING Brandao. What is the ref waiting for! There it is. It’s all over. Conor McGregor defeats Diego Brandao via TKO.
Conor McGregor def. Diego Brandao via TKO (Punches) at 4:05 of round one.
Post fight interview:
McGregor: “Not a man alive that could come on this soil (Ireland) and beat me. I’m going back stage with Lorenzo and some “foin” ass whiskey and talk football stadiums and world titles!”
What a main event. The Hype is for real, Conor McGregor as hard as a coffin nail.
There is nothing more to say except.
“May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand”
UFC Fight Night 38 is a rare Sunday event. Despite the odd timing, free MMA is always worth the watch. But page view-wise, covering lower-level Fight Night cards isn’t always worth the investment of time (ring girl galleries have a much higher rate of return). Nevertheless, we’ll be live blogging UFC Fight Night 38’s main card. It starts at 7:00 PM EST and airs on Fox Sports 1. Stay tuned, and refresh for updates!
(Photo via Getty)
UFC Fight Night 38 is a rare Sunday event. Despite the odd timing, free MMA is always worth the watch. But page view-wise, covering lower-level Fight Night cards isn’t always worth the investment of time (ring girl galleries have a much higher rate of return). Nevertheless, we’ll be live blogging UFC Fight Night 38′s main card. It starts at 7:00 PM EST and airs on Fox Sports 1. Stay tuned, and refresh for updates!
Round 1: The fight opens after they pan to a guy in the audience with a styrofoam Jason mask. Siler hits a few leg kicks. Jason attempts a counter right and misses big. He tries another and lands. Siler hits another leg kick, and Jason hits another counter right. Siler lands a front kick but misses a 1-2. Jason hits Siler with a massive right hook on the way in, which stumbles Siler. Jason lands a left hook which floors Siler. After a couple follow-up punches it’s over. Siler immediately rises to his feet and he’s pissed. Lots of people on twitter are annoyed too. Looks like Jason won’t be destroying any walls this time.
Rony Jason def. Steven Siler via KO, 1:17 of round 1.
Round 1: It’s a battle of wiki-less fighters! They touch gloves and immediately Taisumov backs up Prazeres with a front kick. They feel each other out for a minute. Taisumov lands a leg kick and Prazeres lands one of his own. Prazeres connects with a right hand, then a left. They clinch. Prazeres hits a knee to the body, pushes Taisumov against the cage. He attempts to escape but gets taken down. Prazeres gets mount. Taisumov attempts to scramble away, but only manages to down grade Prazeres to side control. Prazeres attempts a north-south choke but Taisumov escapes and the fight returns to the feet. The two fighters stall in over-under position on the cage. There are some week knees. Prazeres finally out-powers Taisumov and drags him to the mat. Prazeres mounts Taisumov and lands some punches. He’s setting up an arm bar but does it lazily, allowing Taisumov to escape back to guard. Prazeres keeps landing punches and some really nice elbows to the body; he’s far too powerful for Taisumov. Prazeres gets mount for an instant, but Taisumove sweeps him. Taisumov lands a kick to Prazeres as he’s still grounded and Mario Yamasaki deducts a point as the round ends. We score it 10-8 Prazeres because of the deduction.
Round 2: Prazeres lands a stiff right to Taismov which wobbles him. Prazeres attempts a guillotine but immediately slips off. He’s not on his back with Taisumov in his guard. A triangle attempt fails. He backs off and Yamasaki stands them up. Prazeres hits a right and and a knee. Taisumov counters with a spinning back kick. Taismov hits Prazeres in the nose with a stiff jab. Yamasaki takes a point away from Taisumov for grabbing the cage on a Prazeres takedown attempt. Prazeres lands a right head kick but it was weak. Taisumov rushes in and eats a right hook for his trouble. Both fighters trade ineffective strikes for the remainder of the round.
Round 3: Prazeres lands yet another right hand to start things off, then presses Taisumov against the cage. He briefly escapes, but winds up there again. Prazeres botches a takedown. Yamasaki warns Taisumov for grabbing the cage again. We thought he might get disqualified with the way Yamasaki has been behaving. Taisumov hits a nasty uppercut on Prazeres which stumbled him. Prazeres eats a big right hand after an atrocious, tired shot. His next takedown attempt is better though, he wrests Taisumov to the ground and gets mount for a split second. Taisumov regains guard and then rises to his feet. A minute left to go now, and miracles aren’t looking likely. Taisumov manages to take Prazeres’ back but he escapes. They reset, and the fight ends. Not surprisingly, Prazeres gets the unanimous decision win.
Michel Prazeres def. Mairbek Taisumov via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-35).
Round 1: Expect this entire fight to be a brawl devoid of technique. Villante lands a leg kick to start the fight. Maldonado rushes in and gets taken down. Villante is in side control landing short elbows. He’s flailing around ineffectively on the bottom, and manages to get to his knees. Villante scrambles quicker though, and is on his back. Maldonado puts his side to the cage and gets to his feet, but Villante is still on him like glue. Villante landing lots of knees to the ass and thighs, and then hits a trip. He remains in side control for about 30 seconds. Maldonado gains half guard for a moment and loses it. Villante can’t seem to do much with his dominant side control save for some short elbows and punches. Maldonado gets back to half guard again and the rounds end after a handful of soft punches.
Round 2: Maldonado lands two jabs and a cross. Villante looks tired and has his hands low. Maldonado lands another two crisp jabs, but Villante lands one of his own. Villante rushes for a messy takedown and gets it. Maldonado gets to his feet quickly but gets his back taken. He escapes but eats an incredible, massive knee at the same time. “Crimson mask” doesn’t quite cover how bloody Maldonado’s face is right now. Villante breathing heavy now. Villante lands a hook, but Maldonado lands two counter hooks to the body. He then lands a jab to the head and two hooks to the head. Villante’s hands are at his waist now, but he lands a very good leg kick. Maldonado lands two body shots and clinches, which is probably a bad idea. Maldonado hits a jab-cross-uppercut combo that snaps Villante’s head back a mile. The round ends.
Round 3: Maldonado lands a triple jab. Villante shoots from across the cage and, predictably, misses. Maldonado is the fresher fighter and seems to be picking Villante apart now. Villante attempts another takedown from a mile away. He follows that up with a leg kick. He goes for a third awful takedown. Maldonado lands a left hook that stuns Villante, and then another. Villante is breathing very heavily and has his hands completely down. Maldonado is pouring on the body shots now, and Villante decides to get on his bicycle. Villante lands a big counter-right but Maldonado eats it and moves forward, landing a jab and a hook. Maldonado is pouring it on it. Villante manages to grab a hold of Maldonado with a body lock. His takedown fails. Maldonado lands three brutal uppercuts. Both fighters are exhausted now and are reaching on their punches. Villante attemps a millionth awful takedown. He’s stumbling around like a drunk at this point, eating massive shots to the face and not blocking any of them. He turtles but the fight ends before it can be stopped. Maldonado gets the nod from the judges.
Fabio Maldonado def. Gian Villante via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Round 1: Santos lands a strong leg kick. Park attempts a high kick and misses. Santos lands a second leg kick which sends Parke’s leg flying back. A third leg kick lands. Santos switches it up and lands a kick to the body, then he hits an uppercut. Parke misses with another high kick. We get an accidental eye poke from Santos and the referee pauses the fight. The action resumes with some wild but ineffective exchanges. Santos lands a stiff uppercut, prompting Parke to clinch. They’re both against the fence, but Parke decides to separate. Parke misses with a leg kick. Santos returns to his leg kicks from earlier in the round. Parke hits a right hand and clinches. The ref separates the two after some inaction. After a few even exchanges, the fighters clinch against the cage again with just as much inactivity. We get another separation. Santos lands a right. Parke throws two more head kicks but Santos blocks each time. Parke clinches and their on the fence again. The round ends as Parke goes for a single leg takedown.
Round 2: A messy exchange leads into another clinch with not much happening. The two start firing punches, with Santos landing more than Parke, though Parke did land a good straight right. He grabs a body lock on Santos. More stalling. The referee takes a point from Parke for grabbing the shorts. That cuold be fight changing. Santos throws a head kick, which Parke blocks. They clinch but separate quickly. On the separation, Parke lands a big right hook. They get into a slugfest and both land big punches. Another clinch occurs. Parke lands a short elbow. Some more good dirty boxing, namely uppercuts, from Parke. The round ends with both fighters clinched and Parke controlling the action. Santos appears to be fading.
Round 3:
Both fighters going insane with strikes at the start of the round, but the awesomeness leads to another clinch with little action in terms of takedowns or advancing position. There’s some strikes from Parke–light knees and punches, but that’s about it. Parke landing more uppercuts from the clinch, but the referee separates them…only for them to go right back into the same position. Great. They get separated again, and a wild slugfest ensues. Santos initiates a clinch this time, only to be backed up against the fence. That’s where the round ends. And guess what? The fight ends in a majority draw!
Leonardo Santos vs. Norman Parke ends in majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28).
Round 1: Ferreira hits with a left. Dolloway lands an overhand right which hurts Ferreira and backs him off. There’s a wild exchange and Dolloway lands a huge hook. Ferreira falls to the mat. Dolloway lands several more follow-up strikes and Ferreira is out cold. This one is over as soon as it started.
C.B. Dolloway def. Cezar Ferreira via TKO, 0:39 of round 1.
Both fighters start of tentative. The “you will die” chants start. Henderson counters a leg kick with an overhand right but misses. Henderson throws a weak leg kick. Shogun lands a strong leg kick. Henderson answers with his own. Henderson tries another “H-bomb” but Shogun blocks it with ease. Henderson wrestles Shogun to the mat briefly but he rises to his feet in a scramble. Both fighters are still tentative. This isn’t shaping up to be anything like their last match, sadly. Hendo lunges for a right hook and misses big. Shogun grabs a thai clinch and lands a knee to the body. The fighters reset. Both throw big right hands and miss. Hendo clips Shogun with a right hook and he’s hurt. Hendo lets his guard down trying to finish, and Shogun lands a brutal counter. Hendo is floored and nearly done. Shogun gets mount and starts landing some punches. Hendo covers up and the round ends. Maybe this will be exciting after all.
Round 2:
The two square off and Shogun lands a big right. Hendo is dazed. Shogun clinches, letting Henderson recover. Henderson hits a couple of knees from the clinch. Stalling. Shogun manages to separate. Shogun reaches with a jab. A wild exchange leads to nothing. Shogun lands a body shot that sends Henderson reeling. Shogun attempts a terrible single leg. An uppercut from Shogun floors Henderson but he doesn’t capitalize. Instead he sits in Henderson’s guard for the next few minutes. Not much activity. Herb Dean finally stands them up. Henderson throws the world’s slowest right hand. The round is over.
Round 3: Henderson moves forwards and flails his arms. Shogun can’t land a counter. Shogun misses a leg kick and twirls around. Henderson shoots. Shogun sprawls and as he rises to his feet Henderson nails him with a picture-perfect H-bomb. Shogun crumples to the mat. Henderson lands some punches and this fight is over.
Here are the card’s complete results:
Main Card
Dan Henderson def. Shogun Rua via TKO (punches), 1:31 of round 3
C.B. Dolloway def. Cezar Ferreira via TKO (punches), 0:39 of round 1
Leonardo Santos vs. Norman Parke ends in majority Draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Fabio Maldonado def. Gian Villante via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Michel Prazeres def. Mairbek Taisumov via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-35)
Rony Jason def. Steven Siler via TKO (punches), 1:17 of round 1
Preliminary Card
Thiago Santos def. Ronny Markes via TKO (body kick and punches), 0:53 of round 1
Jussier Formiga def. Scott Jorgensen via submission (rear naked choke), 3:07 of round 1
Kenny Roberston def. Thiago Perpetuo via submission (rear naked choke), 1:45 of round 1
Hans Stringer def. Francimar Barroso via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Godofredo Castro def. Noad Lahat via KO (flying knee), 2:39 of round 1
Before the UFC 162 pay-per-view card kicks off, how ’bout we warm up with some fights on free TV? Tonight’s FX Prelims broadcast features a crowd-pleasing lineup of sluggers, including Chris Leben, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Edson Barboza, and the first post-TUF Smashes appearance of Norman Parke.
Handling liveblog duties for this leg of the “Silva vs. Weidman” fight card is none other than Matt Saccaro, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please toss your own analysis and witticisms into the comments section. Thanks for being here.
Before the UFC 162 pay-per-view card kicks off, how ’bout we warm up with some fights on free TV? Tonight’s FX Prelims broadcast features a crowd-pleasing lineup of sluggers, including Chris Leben, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Edson Barboza, and the first post-TUF Smashes appearance of Norman Parke.
Handling liveblog duties for this leg of the “Silva vs. Weidman” fight card is none other than Matt Saccaro, who will be stacking round-by-round results after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please toss your own analysis and witticisms into the comments section. Thanks for being here.
The UFC always tries to make the “4th of July” card worth the $60 fans have to pay for it. This time, they succeeded. The main card is studded with talent. The FX preliminaries have some gems too. Fighters like Chris Leben, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Edson Barboza will be trying to rekindle their flames on FX. Hopefully, they’ll also be providing us with fights so exciting that we forget about all the shitty commercials we have to endure throughout the broadcast. Seriously though, if I have to hear Kid Rock talk about the sound of his freedom one more time…
Anyway, the violent festivities are about to start soon, so let’s quickly recap what happened on the Facebook prelims:
Mike Pierce defeated David Mitchell via TKO. The first round was so boring that all 11 people in the audience were booing.
Brian Melancon defeated Seth Baczynski via TKO. This TKO was an interesting one as it came quite literally at the bell. The bell sounded and then viewers saw a starched, lifeless Baczynski that was clearly going to be unable to answer the bell for the second round.
Now, the commercials are finally over and the first pairing of fighters is now entering the cage for the FX portion of the fight card. We have Edson Barboza vs. Rafaello Oliveira—Brazilian Muay Thai stud and former Next Big Thing™ vs. Generic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a 1-2 record in the UFC who’s coming off a year-long absence from the cage.
This is Barboza’s biggest test since getting upset by Jamie Varner back in 2012. Since then, Barboza has only fought once, defeating the unheralded, unheard of Lucas Martins in under three minutes.
Oliveira is coming off his only UFC win, a unanimous decision over the fighter with the toughest name to spell in the history of the UFC, Yoislandy Izquierdo. Prior to that win, Oliveira lost via TKO to Yves Edwards and via Submission to Gleison Tibau.
Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it seems like Barboza is “supposed” to win this fight. He’s younger, more talented, and his spectacular highlight reel and skillset makes him more marketable. The fight is about to start now so I’ll put away my tinfoil hat…
Round 1: They touch gloves to start the fight. Barboza lands a leg kick. Oliveira lands a left hook. Oliveira tries a body shot and misses. Barboza hits two more hard leg kicks in succession. Then he lands a huge body kick. The thud echoed throughout the arena. Barboza lands a left to the body and Oliveira shoots in pathetically. Barboza lands two more vicious leg kicks. Oliveiria is a deer in the headlights and Barboza is a mack truck. Oliveira attempts a single leg and fails, only to eat another kick to the body. Oliveira lands a right hand, then shoots and again fails. Barboza hits a spinning back kick. After a period of inactivity, Barboza hits yet another leg kick. Maybe we’ll see a Paul Varelans vs. Marco Ruas? Oliveira fails to takedown Barboza AGAIN. Barboza lands a millionth hard leg-kick, Oliveira fails his millionth takedown attempt in response. A minute left in the round now. A mouse is forming on Oliveira’s right cheek. Oliveira is limping now too, from all the leg kicks. He’s going to be in trouble in the second round. The bell sounds the end of round one. We score it 10-9, Barboza.
Round 2: An ineffective flurry from both fighters starts the round. Barboza hits a nice sweep when he catches a kick from Oliveira. Oliveira manages to take Barboza down off a leg kick but Barboza gets back to his feet very quickly. Another leg kick buckles Oliveira, and then another right after. Oliveira is moving like a wounded animal. A leg kick floors Oliveira this time. He’s limping really badly. This is brutal. Barboza hits another leg kick and Oliveira falls to the mat. Herb Dean mercifully stops the fight. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are having an orgasm over the fact that Barboza is the first guy to win two fights with a TKO via leg kicks.
Result: Edson Barboza def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (leg kicks) at 1:44 of round 2.
Next up is a scrap between disgraced heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Dave Herman.
For a brief time, the MMA world thought that Gonzaga was “back.” He ran through one of Junior Dos Santos’ training partners and then submitted Ben Rothwell (remember when people thought Rothwell was HW champ material back in the IFL days? Good times). But after that, Travis Browne smashed Gonzaga’s head in with a brutal series of elbows. The fight lasted only a minute.
Dave Herman has lost three in a row. How he still has a job is a bit of a mystery. Maybe the heavyweight division is just really thin and Joe Silva doesn’t want to part with a warm body that can fill a card? Maybe Herman is friends with somebody important? Maybe he has nude pics of Dana? We’re not sure.
Herman is 1-3 in the UFC going into this fight and is on a three-fight losing streak. He lost to Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, and Big Nog. The last loss to Big Nog was the most embarrassing of them all since Herman had infamously proclaimed that BJJ didn’t work…only to be submitted via arm bar.
Will Herman have better luck this time? Or will Gonzaga unmask the power animal in him and RADICALIZE his fighting skills? Let’s watch and find out.
Round 1: They touch gloves. Herman lands two front kicks. Gonzaga counters a leg kick with a massive overhand right that floors Herman. He follows up with a few punches and referee Kim Winslow stops the fight. Herman looks pretty pissed. Stoppage MIGHT have been a bit early, actually. Regardless, the fight is over.
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Dave Herman via TKO (punches) at 0:17 of round 1.
Now that that fight is over, we have our first (and only) piss-break match of the FX prelims: Norman Parke vs. Kazuki Tokudome:
This is a win-win fight for the UFC. They have an Irish guy on a winning streak taking on a Japanese guy on a winning streak. No matter who wins, they get a guy they can market overseas that has a healthy winning streak (even if the streak might not be over the best competition but hey, the MMA media won’t question it).
Now, I called this a piss-break match and that really isn’t fair, I guess. Both of these fighters are talented and, at age 26, could have a bright future. It’s just that, compared to some of the other names on the prelims, these guys aren’t as known—which means that casuals and even some hardcores might tune out during this match.
Well, CagePotato will never tune out. So feel free to smoke or take a piss and then read the liveblog for the results, which are…
Round 1: They touch gloves. Parke lands a nice left hand. Parke misses a head kick. Tokudome lands a weak leg kick. Parke swings big with a right hand and misses by a mile. Parke lands two stiff jabs and Tokudome just eats them. Parke follows up with a big left over the top. Parke misses an Anderson Silva-front kick. Tokudome eats another big left. Tokudome has no footwork and no head movement. He continues to stand in front of Parke. Tokudome throws some ineffective punches and eats some counters. Tokudome comes forward and lands a left, and then eats a counter left. They clinch and Tokudome winds up pinned against the cage. Parke grabs a leg and drags Tokudome to the mat. Tokudome gets up but Parke takes his back during the transition. Park attempts a takedown and is reversed, he’s now on his back with Tokudome in his guard. There’s not much action save for some soft punches from both fighters. Parke tries a Kimura and gives up on it shortly after. Tokudome still can’t pass Parke’s guard. Parke gets up to his feet from guard and simply pushes Tokudome over. He passes Tokudome’s guard and the round ends. Pretty close round but I give it to Parke, 10-9.
Round 2: Tokudome lands a weak leg kick, countered by a right hand. The two fighters exchange half-strength flurries that both miss. Tokudome lands a combo of light punches. Parke lands a big left hand, Tokudome flees, and then Parke lands another. Parke is landing some big punches now. They both slow down. Parke backs off and takes a deep breath. Parke keeps spamming big lefts. The two men clinch briefly and then break up. Parke throws more haymakers, but this time Tokudome counters a few. Parke lands another straight left. Tokudome misses a massive hook. Parke ducks under it and lands a single-leg. He has Tokudome sitting against the fence. There isn’t much action now. Tokudome manages to get back to his feet. Parke still has an underhook but can’t do anything with it. Tokudome separates and lands a sweet flying knee, but it’s all for naught since Parke takes him down off of it and then gets mount. Tokudome powers his way out of mount and then attempts his own takedown, which fails. The two men get back to their feet and exchange strikes until the round ends. 10-9 Parke.
Round 3: A series of strikes from both fighters doesn’t go anywhere. Tokudome takes the center of the cage and has Parke scurrying away. Parke attempts a single which backs Tokudome into the cage. Tokudome gets a takedown, which is reversed. Parke has Tokudome in a front headlock now. Tokudome gets Parke against the cage, who quickly spins around and reverses the position. Tokudome lands some short, strong elbows but Parke is unfazed. Parke takes Tokudome’s back and attempts a takedown, which is successful but Tokudome reverses. He winds on top of Parke, in Parke’s guard. Parke rises to his feet very quickly. Both fighters are breathing with their mouths wide open now. Tokudome lands a head kick which momentarily stuns Parke. Tokudome capitalizes on this, scoring a takedown on Parke, who is only on the ground for a few seconds before rising to his feet. They’re both clinched against the cage now. They separate. There’s a minute left now. Parke lands some more punches on Tokudome’s stationary head. Tokudome lands an uppercut. Parke goes for a single leg which he can’t complete. They’re both against the cage now and it looks like the round is going to end there. It does, but not before Parke gets Tokudome down for a split second. This was the toughest round to score. I say 10-9, Tokudome.
Result: Norman Parke def. Kazuki Tokudome via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
And now, the preliminary bout we’ve all been waiting for—even if you weren’t anticipating it more than the others, you have been waiting for it so technically the statement is accurate—Chris Leben vs. Andrew Craig.
Leben is arguably in the darkest part of his career. He’s 1-3 in his last four and is coming off two losses, most recently to Derek Brunson back in December. But before that, he lost to Mark Munoz and then tested positive for oxycontin. This offense earned him a yearlong suspension.
Leben’s only win in the last two years is over a decrepit Wanderlei Silva. A loss tonight could be damning for Leben.
Craig is 8-1. He’s coming off a loss to Ronny Markes.
Was this fight made to get Leben back on track? After all, Leben has over three times as many fights as Craig. I guess we’ll have to watch.
Round 1: No touch of gloves to star the fight. Leben rushes in sloppily and goes for a single leg. Weird. He hits some foot stomps and keeps Craig against the fence. He hasn’t given up on the takedown yet. He has an underhook and keeps working the foot stomps. Craig gets a Thai plumb and lands a nice knee. Leben gets Craig against the cage again and this time gets Craig onto the mat but only briefly. Craig attempts a knee but it’s blocked. Leben throws a really ugly, lazy leg kick and then almost falls down. Leben throws a body kick and lands a left hook. He rushes in and Craig lands a knee to the body. That doesn’t stop Leben though, who again pushes Craig against the cage. They separate and Craig lands a right hand to Leben’s face. Leben lands a knee to the body and they separate. Craig lands an inside leg kick and then attempts a leg kick. A left-right combo fazes Leben for a bit who attempts a clinch but is shrugged off. Leben looks tired. He tries an off-balance leg kick which misses badly. He goes for a single leg again and fails. He grabs a body lock on Craig and gets him to one knee but then Craig rises. They’re clinched and then they separate. On the separation, both men throw like they’re in a bar fight but nothing comes of it. They reset in the center of the cage. Craig tries a double leg but Leben stuffs it. The round ends shortly after. That one was close but I give it to Leben 10-9.
Round 2: Goldy shills for Fox Sports 1 before the round starts. Both fighters start the round with big punches that miss. Leben, again, presses Craig against the cage and keeps attempting takedowns that go nowhere. Leben tries some more foot stomps but nothing. He grabs a leg again, but still nothing. Craig gets a Thai plumb and hits a big knee to the face but Leben isn’t hurt. Leben continues to press forward and Craig can’t get away; he’s stuck against the cage again. This time though, he manages to reverse the position and push Leben against the fence. He transitions to a Thai clinch and lands another knee before Leben escapes. They reset and Craig lands an elbow. Leben continues his wall-and-stall strategy. He lands a knee to Craig’s body and then Craig escapes off the fence. Leben throws a leg kick. Craig lands a left hook. Leben misses another leg kick and Craig lands a leg kick. Craig initiates a clinch this time and gets Leben against the fence, who reverses Craig. This is like the 20th time we’ve been in this position during this fight. Rogan is commenting about how Leben is the more aggressive fighter but Craig is landing more. Leben clinches again and lands some body shots. Leben throws some big shots which are blocked. The round ends. Tough round to score, as Rogan said. 10-9, Craig.
Round 3: Craig seems much fresher but that doesn’t stop him from letting Leben come forwards and try to bully him. Both fighters throw a flurry of messy strikes. Craig lands a few which floor Leben. Craig keeps landing follow-up strikes but Yves Lavigne doesn’t stop the fight. Leben gets back to his fight and is now pressed up against the cage. His face is red and he looks exhausted. They separate and Craig lands two uppercuts. Leben clinches and, for the 100th time, pushes Craig against the fence and does nothing there save for some light strikes. Leben stalks Craig, who shoves Leben to the floor when Leben attempts to clinch. Craig is in Leben’s guard now. He passes to half guard. Leben gets to his feet after thinking about a Kimura. Craig takes a deep breath. Despite this though, Craig is still visibly the fresher fighter. Craig successfully attempts a double leg. He’s in Leben’s guard now. Both fighters are throwing light punches. Craig passes into half guard. Thirty seconds left. Leben wall-walks his way up and both fighters separate but not for long. Craig takes Leben down again and time expires. I give it to Craig, 10-9.
Result: Andrew Craig def. Chris Leben via split decision (29-28 Craig, 29-28, Leben, 30-27 Craig).
That does it for the UFC 162 FX prelims. Be sure to continue following the action at our main card live blog!
You know, I won’t bother asking here. Props: Cagewall.com
You probably noticed this, but we usually lead off weekend coverage with event aftermath articles – especially the day after a UFC event. Today, not only did we lead off with a story about Cro Cop playing basketball, but honestly, we considered not writing an aftermath at all for this card. With nothing significant on the line, a total lack of Bruce Buffer and no especially memorable finishes, it’s hard to really say too much about last night’s UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson.
In the main event, Ross Pearson looked good in his return to lightweight. His boxing proved to be too much for Sotiropoulos throughout the fight, as Pearson eventually scored the TKO in round three. Not a bad fight by any means, but not especially memorable, either. Sotiropoulos has now lost three straight, with his last victory being a submission over Joe Lauzon back in 2010. And Pearson? Well, he won. I was going to write that he reestablished his place in the lightweight division, but he was never more than a mid-tier fighter in arguably the UFC’s deepest talent pool in the first place.
This concern over the lack of significance in the division leads directly into the TUF Smashes finals. I’m not saying that the Smashes winners Norman Parke and Robert Whittaker looked bad last night, as they didn’t. Nor will I say that their fights were boring to sit through – I actually think Whittaker vs. Scott deserved Fight of the Night honors. Rather, I simply don’t see either fighter having any sort of relevant future in the UFC.
You know, I won’t bother asking here. Props: Cagewall.com
You probably noticed this, but we usually lead off weekend coverage with event aftermath articles – especially the day after a UFC event. Today, not only did we lead off with a story about Cro Cop playing basketball, but honestly, we considered not writing an aftermath at all for this card. With nothing significant on the line, a total lack of Bruce Buffer and no especially memorable finishes, it’s hard to really say too much about last night’s UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson.
In the main event, Ross Pearson looked good in his return to lightweight. His boxing proved to be too much for Sotiropoulos throughout the fight, as Pearson eventually scored the TKO in round three. Not a bad fight by any means, but not especially memorable, either. Sotiropoulos has now lost three straight, with his last victory being a submission over Joe Lauzon back in 2010. And Pearson? Well, he won. I was going to write that he reestablished his place in the lightweight division, but he was never more than a mid-tier fighter in arguably the UFC’s deepest talent pool in the first place.
This concern over the lack of significance in the division leads directly into the TUF Smashes finals. I’m not saying that the Smashes winners Norman Parke and Robert Whittaker looked bad last night, as they didn’t. Nor will I say that their fights were boring to sit through – I actually think Whittaker vs. Scott deserved Fight of the Night honors. Rather, I simply don’t see either fighter having any sort of relevant future in the UFC.
As mentioned earlier, the lightweight division is simply too deep for Norman Parke to make any sort of meaningful impact at this stage in his career. He’ll enjoy the mandatory post-TUF tomato can, but with the division being so competitive, the honeymoon phase won’t last. While Colin Fletcher may have been too busy looking for some new, terrifying shades of clown make-up to learn how to sprawl, the rest of the lightweight division won’t be taken down as easily. Likewise, the welterweight division may not be as stacked, but it’s certainly top-heavy enough to prevent Robert Whittaker from gaining immediate relevance.
In other words, don’t let the ”UFC on FX” label fool you. Last night’s card was very much a TUF Finale, and produced exactly what you would expect a TUF Finale to produce: Not much.
Perhaps the most relevant fight of the night kicked off the show, as Hector Lombard made a quick, brutal example out of Rousimar Palhares. The fight was everything we expected out of Lombard when he signed with the UFC – he was aggressive, he landed hard punches seemingly at will and was never in any real danger of losing this fight (or his ACL). The victory doesn’t entirely make up for his abysmal UFC debut, but it prevents him from being a total bust signing. He called out Bisping in the post-fight interview, but we’ll have to wait and see how Bisping fairs against Vitor Belfort before attempting to set that one up.
As for Paul Harris, I hate to say it, but the loss makes the Brazilian the scariest looking jobber on the UFC roster. His “heel hook anything standing in front of me” strategy may work against the lower end of the midleweight division, but against the more diverse, more talented middleweights, he’s clearly out of his league. I don’t see Palhares getting cut, but perennial undercard fighter isn’t too much better of a position to be in.
Fight of the Night went to Nick Penner vs. Cody Donovan, while Knockout of the Night went to Ben Alloway for his first round knockout over Manuel Rodriguez.
Full Results:
Main Card:
Ross Pearson def. George Sotiropoulos via TKO, 0:41 of Round Three
Robert Whittaker def. Brad Scott via unanimous decision
Norman Parke def. Colin Fletcher via unanimous decision
Hector Lombard def. Rousimar Palhares via KO, 3:38 of Round One
Preliminary Card:
Chad Mendes def. Yaotzen Meza via TKO, 1:55 of Round One
Joey Beltran def. Igor Pokrajac via unanimous decision
Mike Pierce def. Seth Baczynski via unanimous decision
Ben Alloway def. Manuel Rodriguez via KO, 4:57 of Round One
Mike Wilkinson def. Brendan Loughnane via unanimous decision
Cody Donovan def. Nick Penner via TKO, 4:35 of Round One
