Even as someone who follows the sports as closely as I do, I would be remiss to say that I could regularly identify more fighters on the average UFC card than I could not these days. With over 550 fighters on their roster, the UFC is becoming an increasingly sink-or-swim promotion with little room for error, which doesn’t exactly help fighters still in need of development upon being signed by the world’s premiere organization (ie. TUF stars, unheralded prospects, late replacement opponents, etc.). Nor does it help mid-level MMA bloggers keep track of who’s coming and going.
Earlier this month, the UFC released TUF 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem along with Elias Silverio, Jorge Oliveira, and Nazareno Malegarie, which more or less proves my point (of those four, I only recognize the first two). Late last week, TUF 19 middleweight winner Eddie Gordon was cut following 3 straight losses, as was Christos Giagos (1-2), Matt Van Buren (0-2), and Roger Narvaez (1-2). The most interesting thing to come out of that bit of news was Giagos’ claim that he was released as a result of the UFC “over-booking” their roster and needing to make some cuts as a result, which coincided with an unconfirmed Swedish report that the UFC would be cutting a total of 50 fighters.
Marcus Brimage and Chris Clements announced their releases shortly thereafter, and today, UFCFIGHTERSINFO announced the deletion of some 17 more profiles from the UFC’s fighter database, meaning almost surely that said fighters are no longer under UFC contract. Those fighters are…
Even as someone who follows the sports as closely as I do, I would be remiss to say that I could regularly identify more fighters on the average UFC card than I could not these days. With over 550 fighters on their roster, the UFC is becoming an increasingly sink-or-swim promotion with little room for error, which doesn’t exactly help fighters still in need of development upon being signed by the world’s premiere organization (ie. TUF stars, unheralded prospects, late replacement opponents, etc.). Nor does it help mid-level MMA bloggers keep track of who’s coming and going.
Earlier this month, the UFC released TUF 13 finalist Ramsey Nijem along with Elias Silverio, Jorge Oliveira, and Nazareno Malegarie, which more or less proves my point (of those four, I only recognize the first two). Late last week, TUF 19 middleweight winner Eddie Gordon was cut following 3 straight losses, as was Christos Giagos (1-2), Matt Van Buren (0-2), and Roger Narvaez (1-2). The most interesting thing to come out of that bit of news was Giagos’ claim that he was released as a result of the UFC “over-booking” their roster and needing to make some cuts as a result, which coincided with an unconfirmed Swedish report that the UFC would be cutting a total of 50 fighters.
Marcus Brimage and Chris Clements announced their releases shortly thereafter, and today, UFCFIGHTERSINFO announced the deletion of some 17 more profiles from the UFC’s fighter database, meaning almost surely that said fighters are no longer under UFC contract. Those fighters are…
Ivan Jorge: 2-2 UFC record, most recently submitted by Joseph Duffy at Fight Night 72
Pawel Pawlak: 1-2, last dropped a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards at Fight Night 72
Hernani Perpetuo: 0-2, last dropped a UD to Tim Means at UFC on FOX 12
Vagner Rocha: 0-1 in his second UFC stint, 1-4 overall, choked out by Jake Matthews at Fight Night 55
David Michaud: 1-2, last suffered a third round submission loss to Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC 186
Naoyuki Kotani: 0-3, with losses to Norman Parke, Yan Cabral, and Kajan Johnson
Amir Sadollah: The charismatic TUF7 has been sadly plagued by injuries for the majority of his career, which he has fought exclusively in the UFC. After returning from a two-year layoff in 2014, Sadollah dropped a unanimous decision to Yoshihiro Akiyama and has not competed since.
Luke Zachrich: 1-2, was last submitted by Daniel Kelly at Fight Night 55
TJ Waldburger: 1-3 in his last 4 (4-4 overall), has not competed since a TKO loss to Mike Pyle in February of last year
Lewis Gonzalez: 0-1, dropped a unanimous decision to Leandro Silva at Fight Night 70.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Soa Palelei also announced his retirement from the sport amidst the rash of firings. While I wouldn’t imagine that he was on the chopping block, having gone 4-2 in his second UFC stint with 4 finishes, he was on the heels of a tough loss to Bigfoot Silva, so who knows. Regardless, “The Hulk” took to Twitter to thank the UFC for the opportunities they gave him.
I want to take an opportunity to officially announce my retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Thank you to the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Joe Silva for giving me a second chance to fight for the organization. I’ve had a great time, but feel it’s time to focus on my family and other career interests. After several months of thought and discussion with my family and my team, we realize our future includes many things in MMA, but active competition in the sport is no longer one of them. This isn’t goodbye, as I will still be very much involved in the sport but just not as a fighter. I want to help further MMA around the world and give my contribution to the sport. I know that I have, and will continue to contribute much to the growth of our sport outside of the Octagon. Stay tuned guys as there is still so much more to come from “The Hulk” ?#?WatchThisSpace? ?#?MuchLove
For those of you poor souls without Fight Pass, our tireless liveblogger Bear Siragusa will be sticking live results and commentary after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and leave us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
(Michael Bisping does his best Stephan Bonnar impression at yesterday’s weigh-ins. Needs more blood. / Photo via Getty)
For those of you poor souls without Fight Pass, our tireless liveblogger Bear Siragusa will be sticking live results and commentary after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and leave us your thoughts in the comments section or on twitter @cagepotatomma.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 55 PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
– Jake Matthews def. Vagner Rocha via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 1:52 of round 2.
– Anthony Perosh def. Guto Inocente via Submission (Rear-naked choke) at 3:46 of round 1.
– Sam Alvey def. Dylan Andrews via KO (Punches) at 2:16 of round 1.
– Louis Smolka def. Richie Vaculik via TKO (Head kick and punches) at 0:18 of round 3.
– Chris Clements def. Vik Grujic via TKO (punches) at 4:06 of round 1.
– Daniel Kelly def. Luke Zachrich via Submission (kimura) at 4:27 of round 1.
– Marcus Brimage def. Jumabieke Tuerxun via KO (Head kick) at 2:58 of round 1.
Good morning folks. The prelims have been a gas. Not a single decision! I can’t remember the last card I covered where that happened. Probably because it has never happened in a card I covered. Louis Smolka’s headkick knockout of Richie Vaculik was glorious, and Jake Matthews continues to destroy whoever they put in front of him. That kid is going places… Like bed. It’s past his bedtime.
Australian heavyweight Soa Palelei has been putting together one of the greatest career comeback stories outside of Anthony Johnson. At one time considered to be a one-and-done UFC washout after he lost to Eddie Sanchez at UFC 79, “The Hulk” has won 11 straight fights since 2011 — all by KO/TKO — including three wins in the Octagon.
The quick seven-week turnaround might be less than ideal for Palelei, but fighting in front of a supportive Oceania crowd will more than make up for it. Unrelated fun facts (via BloodyElbow): Palelei got his first tattoo with a wooden chisel and mallet, and Mark Hunt is the only opponent he’d turn down, because “We’re training partners, and we’re like family.”
The current lineup for UFC Fight Night 43 is below…
(Photo via Getty)
Australian heavyweight Soa Palelei has been putting together one of the greatest career comeback stories outside of Anthony Johnson. At one time considered to be a one-and-done UFC washout after he lost to Eddie Sanchez at UFC 79, “The Hulk” has won 11 straight fights since 2011 — all by KO/TKO — including three wins in the Octagon.
The quick seven-week turnaround might be less than ideal for Palelei, but fighting in front of a supportive Oceania crowd will more than make up for it. Unrelated fun facts (via BloodyElbow): Palelei got his first tattoo with a wooden chisel and mallet, and Mark Hunt is the only opponent he’d turn down, because “We’re training partners, and we’re like family.”
The current lineup for UFC Fight Night 43 is below…
Nate Marquardt vs. James Te Huna
Hatsu Hioki vs. Charles Oliveira
Soa Palelei vs. Jared Rosholt
Vik Grujic vs. Chris Indich
Robert Whittaker vs. Mike Rhodes
Sean O’Connell vs. Gian Villante
Jon Delos Reyes vs. Richie Vaculik
(“Well if I can’t get this guy to wake up and fight, YOU TRY!! Photo via Getty.)
Blah blah blah standard introductory paragraph that you don’t read blah blah blah UFC returns to Cincinnati with Fight Night 40 blah blah May 10th. Fights booked:
Soa Palelei vs. Ruan Potts – Just over a week after signing with the UFC, EFC Heavyweight champion Ruan Potts will face the streaking Australian Soa Palelei in his promotional debut. Since returning to the UFC (after going 10-1 in various promotions following his one-off stint at UFC 79), Palelei has scored back to back (T)KO’s over Nikita Krylov and Pat Barry. Expect a stand up war between these two that ends inside the distance, Nation.
Justin Salas vs. Ben Wall: A potential “Loser Leaves Town” match pits Salas, who has dropped 2 out of his past 3 including a most recent submission loss to Thiago Tavares in under three minutes, against the 7-1-1 TUF Smashes alum who was starched by Alex Garcia in under a minute at Fight Night 33.
Blah blah blah who do you like blah blah this gif of Genki Sudo:
(“Well if I can’t get this guy to wake up and fight, YOU TRY!! Photo via Getty.)
Blah blah blah standard introductory paragraph that you don’t read blah blah blah UFC returns to Cincinnati with Fight Night 40 blah blah May 10th. Fights booked:
Soa Palelei vs. Ruan Potts – Just over a week after signing with the UFC, EFC Heavyweight champion Ruan Potts will face the streaking Australian Soa Palelei in his promotional debut. Since returning to the UFC (after going 10-1 in various promotions following his one-off stint at UFC 79), Palelei has scored back to back (T)KO’s over Nikita Krylov and Pat Barry. Expect a stand up war between these two that ends inside the distance, Nation.
Justin Salas vs. Ben Wall: A potential “Loser Leaves Town” match pits Salas, who has dropped 2 out of his past 3 including a most recent submission loss to Thiago Tavares in under three minutes, against the 7-1-1 TUF Smashes alum who was starched by Alex Garcia in under a minute at Fight Night 33.
Blah blah blah who do you like blah blah this gif of Genki Sudo:
Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.
The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off the first half of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges.
Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of a shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.
Check out the results of the co-main event, main event, and for the TL;DR rundown of the card after the jump.
(Mark Hunt is an artist…who only paints in red. / Photo via Getty)
Though the main card was high-quality in terms of entertainment value, the prelims were a dull affair. The two highlights: Ben Wall walking out dressed like a furry before getting KO’d in under a minute, and a great scrap between Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki that saw the latter’s hand raised via unanimous decision.
The main card started with one of the most technical, evenly matched women’s fights the UFC has ever had. Longtime fighter Julie Kedzie met newcomer Bethe Correia. Too bad that FOX Sports 1 blacked out for many viewers, cutting off an early portion of the contest. Furthermore, Greg Jackson’s Matt Serra-level shouting eclipsed some of the action. It’s hard to appreciate what’s going on when all you can hear is Jackson screaming about how amazing a mediocre combo was in order to sway the inept judges. It didn’t work though; Correia took home a split decision victory.
Dylan Andrews and Clint Hester met next. It looked like they weren’t going to continue the card’s momentum, but they pulled through. The bout had spurts of inactivity, but for every dragged-out clinch or half-guard hangout session, there was at least one fiery exchange or big hit. The fight was stopped in between the second and third rounds on account of an Andrews shoulder injury, giving Hester the victory.
The next fight was short and sweet; Soa Palelei came, saw, and conquered Pat Barry‘s consciousness. After shrugging off Palelei’s first takedown, Barry couldn’t duplicate his success. The Australian threw Barry to the mat, passed into mount, and turned off Barry’s brain with a barrage of punches. It was all over in 2:09.
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh was the first lackluster fight of the night. What was expected to be a squash match for Bader turned into a 15-minute grind fest. Bader earned a unanimous decision victory. There’s not much else to say about it. The fight happened and will be forgotten by tomorrow morning. Let’s move on.
Next up was the co-main event: James Te Huna vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The “Pride never die” slogan proved true in this fight. Rua lawn chair’d him. The knockout was so impressive Dana White called it “KO of the century” (though Chris Weidman might disagree with that assessment).
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva met in the night’s main event and produced the magic that the UFC has been lacking for some time. “Warriors” is thrown around way too much, but the two were warriors. By the end of the 25-minutes, both men were lathered in each other’s blood. Hunt-Silva was a fight were martial artistry erupted into bar-brawling and then reverted back again. Even though it ended in a draw—typically a result that pleases nobody—it wasn’t a mood-killer. We get to see that fight happen again, and we’re pumped for it. There aren’t enough hyperboles to explain how great it was. Watch it. You won’t regret it.
TL;DR: The card was worth the time it took to watch. The fights were competitive and the fighters involved mattered—two traits that are becoming rarer as the UFC holds more and more shows.
Complete Results:
Main Card
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva, majority draw (48-47, 47-47, 47-47)
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO (punches), 1:03 of Round 1
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO (punches), 2:09 of Round 1
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (doctor stoppage), 5:00 of Round 2
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-28)
Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO (punches), 4:59 of Round 1
Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO (punches), 0:43 of Round 1
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
(Rugby: You’re doing it wrong. I think. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what rugby’s supposed to look like. / Photo via Getty)
The UFC lands in Brisbane tonight for UFC Fight Night 33, and for a free card overseas, this thing is kind of loaded. In the main event, heavyweight contenders Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva slug it out in a match that is scheduled for five rounds but probably won’t last that long. Also on the card, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua‘s continued status as an active UFC light-heavyweight is on the line against New Zealand native James Te Huna, while Pat Barry and Ryan Bader attempt to bounce back from recent TKO losses against Soa Palelei and Anthony Perosh, respectively. Plus: Julie Kedzie will attempt to humiliate Bethe Correia as badly in the cage as she did during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
Our liveblog of the “Hunt vs. Bigfoot” FOX Sports 1 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Get round-round results after the jump, refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and shoot us your own thoughts in the comments section.
Preliminary Card Results
– Takeya Mizugaki def. Nam Phan via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-28)
– Caio Magalhaes def. Nick Ring via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Justin Scoggins def. Richie Vaculik via TKO, 4:43 of round 1
– Krzysztof Jotko def. Bruno Santos via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27)
– Alex Garcia def. Ben Wall via KO, 0:43 of round 1
Hey folks, BG here. It’s 9 p.m., and I’m just waiting for this Arizona State vs. DePaul game to finish up so the UFC broadcast can start. Apparently, it’ll be running on something called a “FOX Sports Too” until then, but I don’t have that goddamned channel, and I don’t think any of my neighbors do either, so I guess I’ll be liveblogging college hoops for a while. Luckily, the first 20 minutes of any free UFC card are dominated by commercials. I think we’ll be alright.
It’s 9:03. I just saw about seven seconds of Julie Kedzie and Bethe Correia shadowboxing at the camera backstage before the screen went black. Huh.
9:13. At least I ordered pizza and wings, so the night’s not a total loss. And I’ve got twitter to entertain me. Poor Julie Kedzie, though, this sucks for her.
9:18, and Fox Sports 1 finally gets its shit together, midway through round 2. Alright, Kedzie and Correia are slugging, and Greg Jackson goes “WOWWWWWW!” Spinning shit is being thrown, my friends. We’ll start the official liveblog in round 3. Both of these fighters have nice, thick legs, and that’s something I would totally mention even if they were men.
Round 3: Correia lands a straight right. She tries a leg kick and eats a counter-right from Kedzie. Correia attacking with long hooks. Kedzie throwing out kicks without much success. Correia lands a hook while flailing some punches. Her punches are still looking sharp in the third round. Hook/cross from Correia. Correia snatches up a body kick from Kedzie and bulls her to the mat. Correia shoves Kedzie to the cage and tries to work to back control, but Kedzie reverses and escapes to her feet. Kedzie fires a wheel-kick. Is Greg Jackson yelling “JUST KIDDING” over and over again for some reason? Correia rushes forward with punches. Correia with another hook. Kedzie lands a side kick and they brawl to the bell. Like I said, I missed most of the first two rounds, but Correia looked damn good in the third.
Bethe Correia def. Julie Kedzie via split-decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29). Kedzie has lost her fourth consecutive fight. She was 0-2 in Strikeforce, and now she’s 0-2 in the UFC.
Dylan Andrews vs. Clint Hester
FYI, these guys were on TUF 17 together.
Round 1: Andrews marching forward, Hester sticking and moving with leg kicks. Hester wobbles Andrews right away with a stiff right hand. Hester clinches up and fires a knee to the body. Andrews scores a nice body-lock takedown and lands in half-guard. Andrews isn’t doing much from the top. He tries to trap Hester’s arm, but can’t do it. Hester tries to work to his feet and Andrews goes for a guillotine. Hester slips out and establishes top position. Another stalemate on the ground. Andrews gets to his feet, then briefly dumps Hester to the mat. Hester gets up, Andrews puts him right back down. Andrews hangs out in side control until the round ends.
Round 2: They trade leg kicks. Hester whiffs a big left hand and Andrews grabs him, but can’t convert the takedown. Hester with a right, Andrews returns a big right hand of his own. Hester rushes forward and drives Andrews to the mat. Hester with a few decent shots from the top, working Andrews to the body with punches. Hard elbows now. Andrews trying to lock Hester down, stalling him, and the crowd boos. Andrews is bleeding badly from his forehead. Andrews gets to his feet and Hester tees off on him. Andrews escapes danger. Hester pops the jab, Andrews returns fire. Hester gets his leg kicked out from under him, but he pops right back up. Leg kick Hester. There’s something wrong with Andrews’s right hand/arm…he’s holding it almost at his waist. There’s the bell. Clear 10-9 for Hester.
And it is all over. Andrews suffered a shoulder dislocation and can’t answer the bell. Hester goes over to him and they embrace as friends. With his one arm that still works, Andrews raises Hester’s arm.
Clint Hester def. Dylan Andrews via TKO (injury/doctor’s stoppage), 5:00 of round 2.
In the replay, we see the moment where Andrews’s shoulder fell apart. Basically, he just missed a punch and his arm swung out of it’s socket. One in a million shot, doc.
Jesus Christ. I feel like I’ve been watching UFC 168 promos for the last eight minutes, and they’re all fucking awful. Yes, yes, Andy, you back. Trust you. You back.
Pat Barry vs. Soa Palelei
My parlay bet begins…now.
Round 1: Palelei pushes Barry into the fence but Barry circles out. Barry whiffs some hard roundhouses. Palelei catches a knee from Barry and takes him to the mat. Off his back, Barry actually looks for an armlock. Wouldn’t that be something? Palelei escapes it and throws a few punches to Barry’s midsection from half-guard. Palelei jumps to mount. Oh boy, this ain’t good. After just a few punches from the top, Barry is totally unconscious. Don’t let a 265-pound man do that to you, bro.
Soa Palelei def. Pat Barry via KO, 2:09 of round 1. Barry’s face looks like he fell off a motorcycle or something. Jesus. Palelei only hit him like five times. Poor dude. Pat’s UFC record just dropped to 5-7, all losses by stoppage.
Ryan Bader vs. Anthony Perosh
Anthony Perosh is 41 years old, you guys. 41. Bader’s got a nice playoff-beard going.
Round 1: Bader takes the center of the cage. Perosh lands a wide hook. Bader grabs a clinch and whips in some uppercuts. Perosh falls to the ground and he looks to be in trouble as Bader pours it on, but Perosh gets to his feet. Bader lands another big uppercut and Perosh is on his heels. But Perosh collects himself and brushes Bader back with a big right hand of his own. Perosh rushes forward and essentially falls on his face. Bader gets on top and slugs down on Perosh. Perosh rolls to his knees, Bader sticks on him. Perosh gets to his feet. The box for a bit, and then Bader grabs Perosh against the fence and takes him down. Big elbow from Bader. Perosh is split open. Bader is briefly kicked off, but then jumps back on with a “Shogun punch,” as Jon Anik says. Bader with a little more GnP as the round ends. Easy 10-9 for Bader.
Round 2: Perosh dashes forward with punches, then follows it up with a leg kick. Bader drags Perosh down and works some knees to the body on the mat. Gnarly elbow from Bader. And some more short elbows. Perosh trying to find a way up, Bader just burying him with strikes. Perosh is totally stuck. Every time Perosh tries to kick Bader off, Bader dives right back in and punches him in the face. More hard elbows. And more, and more, and more. 10-9, bordering on 10-8 for the fact that Perosh did nothing except endure abuse.
Round 3: Bader wants to finish this thing. He swings some nasty left hooks, hard and reckless. At his earliest opportunity, he scores a takedown and puts Perosh right back against the fence. Bader, with those damn elbows. Perosh rolls, desperately. Bader slugs him in the face. Perosh briefly gets to his feet, Bader dumps him right back down and goes apeshit, looking for the stoppage. Perosh is too tough for his own good. He gets up again, Bader drags him back down. Bader’s arm is drenched in Bader’s blood. The entire mat is, actually. 30 seconds left. Bader punching and punching. There’s the last bell. Well, it’s a win, though I’m sure Bader is disappointed that he couldn’t stop an opponent who had nothing for him.
Ryan Bader def. Anthony Perosh via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 30-26). Bader says he hurt his hand in the first round, and Perosh is super tough, etc. By the way, the judges need to start handing out more 10-8′s. That last round was a mauling.
Mauricio Rua vs. James Te Huna
Round 1: Shogun comes forward swinging. He tries a leg kick. Te Huna comes in for a takedown, and Shogun tosses him to the side. Te Huna scrambles back to his feet, and covers up as Shogun swings on him. Te Huna misses a left hook but Shogun lands one of his own and Te Huna goes down, KO’d. He was stiff before he even hit the mat. Well damn, there goes my parlay. It was going so well, too.
Mauricio Rua def. James Te Huna via KO, 1:03 of round 1. Check out the GIF of the stoppage right here. Gnarly stuff. But is Shogun really “back”? Do we have to say that every time he wins a fight now?
They’re replaying Mizugaki vs. Phan from the prelims. I hear it was a good one. I’m just gonna enjoy it like a civilian.
This is a great fight, but I’m constantly checking my phone anyway. Blame it on my ADD.
Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
All of Bigfoot’s cornermen are texting during the intros. Or Vine-ing. Or some shit. Just put away your damn phones, guys. Silva is booed. Hunt is carrying Oceania on his back right now; it hasn’t gone too well for the home team tonight. Hunt walked out shirtless and has absolutely no sponsors on his trunks.
Round 1: Silva makes first contact with a side-kick to the leg. He tries a front kick. And another side-kick to the leg. Dude thinks he’s Jon Jones or something. Hunt fires a punch over Bigfoot’s head. Silva slips to the mat but pops right back up. Front kick Silva. Hunt engages with a hard punch combo but Silva drops him with counter punches! Silva jumps on but Hunt scrambles to his feet. Leg kick from Hunt. Front kick to the body and a punch from Bigfoot. Leg kick Hunt. Hunt dashes in with a right straight. Silva grabs him against the fence. Hunt reverses him. Knee to the body from Bigfoot. then a body kick from Silva. There’s the bell. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 2: Hunt runs forward with punches, Bigfoot evades. Silva with a leg kick that knocks Hunt off balance. Silva clinches up, Hunt shakes out. Low leg kick from Silva. Bigfoot tries a spinning back kick that misses by a mile. Hook and a cross to the body from Hunt. Silva goes high with a kick. Hunt brushes Silva back with a hard right hand. Hunt with an inside leg kick. Sharp body kick from Hunt. Silva tries a front kick to the body. Hunt stalking Silva down. A leg kick from Silva wobbles Hunt, who’s clearly hurt. Hunt switches stance to avoid more damage. Hunt is limping around in southpaw. The bell gives him a moment to recover. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 3: Hunt comes out with some urgency, swinging hard. Hunt flies forward with a punch into a takedown. Silva tries to get up, Hunt drags him down, Silva gets to his feet again and stays there. Silva clinches, pushes Hunt against the fence. Hunt escapes, Silva throws a head kick at him. Hunt with an uppercut and right straight. Hunt clinches with Bigfoot against the cage. Silva works some knees. They separate, Hunt lands a right hand, and another one that flattens Bigfoot! Hunt gets on top and starts firing down short elbows. Hunt in half-guard. Silva stuck on his back, Hunt with steady GnP. Hunt raises up and drops some big elbows as the third round ends. We are indeed going to the championship rounds, and Hunt has regained momentum. 10-9 Hunt.
Round 4 (come on): Bigfoot ain’t done yet. He’s throwing kicks like the last round never happened. Hunt grabs him and pushes him against the fence. Bigfoot rolls out and starts attacking with punches. Hunt takes him to the mat. Hunt returns to the elbow show. Bigfoot gets to his feet and both men are slugging now. Oh baby, it’s a heavyweight fight. Bigfoot pushes Hunt against the fence and tees off with punches and knees. Hunt is exhausted. He tries for a takedown and falls on his face. Bigfoot gets on top, Hunt swinging at him from his back. Talk about a gamer. Hunt tries to roll out, and Silva gets full mount. It’s Donkey Kong time. Hunt’s forehead is split open from the abuse, but it looks like he’ll hang on to the bell, and he does. My God. Somehow, we are going to round five, and that’s a good thing. 10-9 Bigfoot.
Round 5 (WTF??): Hunt swings a right haymaker, and lands a stiff one on Bigfoot’s chin. Hunt still has a chance as long as he’s standing. Left hook lands from Hunt. Bigfoot tries for a takedown and doesn’t get it. Hunt lands a sharp standing elbow, and another hook, and a right. Bigfoot’s got a chin on him, but he’s completely gassed, and his face is covered in blood. Hunt backs Silva against the fence and tears him up with punches. The ref pauses the fight and brings the doctor in to clear Silva’s face. It’s a break for Bigfoot, and the crowd boos it. Bigfoot storms back, throwing punches, clinching, trying to stay in it. Silva lands four punches in succession, and Hunt returns the favor. Knee from Bigfoot. Holy shit, what a brawl. Pace slowing in the last minute, but both men still working, firing punches. Hunt stuffs a right hand into Bigfoot’s face as the round ends. Jesus. Hunt did all he could. Maybe he would have won if this was scheduled for seven rounds, but the scores here will likely be in Silva’s favor. Fantastic show of heart from both men.
Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva ends in a majority draw (47-47 x 2, 48-47 Hunt). Whoa…I had Bigfoot winning rounds 1, 2, and 4. But if there’s ever a fight that deserved a draw out of principle, this was it. Bigfoot tells the crowd he injured his back recently, and they rightfully boo him for it. But anyway, good God, what a fight, and for once, the draw actually feels satisfying. I loved it. What did you guys think? And should Hunt and Silva do an immediate rematch?
