This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The fight, according to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, is the biggest height discrepancy in UFC history. Struve (21-5, 5-3 UFC) is the UFC’s tallest fighter at 6-foot-11. Barry (6-3, 3-3 UFC) is 5-11. Both fighters are coming off knockout losses. Struve was stopped by a Travis Browne Superman punch at UFC 130 in May. Barry fell victim to Cheick Kongo’s already legendary come-from-behind knockout at UFC on Versus 4 in June, moments after it appeared Barry had Kongo out on his feet with the fight about to be stopped.
A loss for either will be the first losing streak of his career.
Round 1: It’s the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, Struve (6-11), against the shortest, Barry (5-11). The size difference has been comical to both fighters leading up to the bout. But comedy goes out the window now. Tentative start for both. Barry eats the first body kick, then throws a straight kick. Inside leg kick from Barry lands. Then another. Straight left from Struve finds a home, but it’s Barry coming forward. He throws a left, then another inside leg kick, then another left hand. Outside leg kick from Barry now, and he checks a high kick from Struve in exchange. Referee Dan Miragliotta tells the two big guys to show something. A short flurry has not much there for either fighter, but a Barry right looks good right after. Then another inside leg kick. Strive misses a left hook. Barry comes with another inside leg kick, then tries to push through a couple left jabs. Struve works a couple body kicks, and Barry answers with one of his own. Big knee from Struve just misses, and that may be his best bet given the size advantage he has. Struve throws a kick to the knee, then one to the body. Barry then ducks under a right. Another inside leg kick from Barry is good, but it doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of damage. The crowd is slightly restless. Left straight kick from Struve is answered with another inside leg kick from Barry. Struve throws a big kick that lands toward the end of the round. And that might curry favor with some judges in a close round. But we’re giving the first round to Barry, just barely, 10-9, for coming forward more and throwing with a little more consistency.
Round 2: Dan Miragliotta tells the two they have to “step it up.” So let’s see what happens. Inside leg kick from Struve is answered by a nice uppercut from Barry – and I mean seriously, UPPERcut. He had to in order to reach. Big left head kick from Barry gets to Struve’s right shoulder shortly after. Then an outside leg kick from Barry. Combo to the head, then a kick to the outer leg by Barry, and Struve answers with a nice kick of his own. We trade soft leg kicks with about 2 minutes left. Struve briefly tries to tie Barry up in a clinch, but Barry pushes out of it, wary of the potential for Struve’s knees. Struve throws a kne, and Barry answers with a left. Struve ties him up and tries for a guillotine. Barry is in side control and in a choke. He gets out, but Struve gets a triangle. It’s deep. Barry amazingly picks Struve up with the triangle still on, and drops a massive slam. But Struve still has it, and Barry has to tap. It’s the first two-fight skid of Barry’s career.
Result: Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry, submission (triangle choke), 3:22 Round 2
“I’ve been working on my kickboxing and my reach. I’m thrilled with the result. But give it up for Pat. He’s one of the coolest dudes in MMA,” Struve tells Joe Rogan after the fight.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The fight, according to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, is the biggest height discrepancy in UFC history. Struve (21-5, 5-3 UFC) is the UFC’s tallest fighter at 6-foot-11. Barry (6-3, 3-3 UFC) is 5-11. Both fighters are coming off knockout losses. Struve was stopped by a Travis Browne Superman punch at UFC 130 in May. Barry fell victim to Cheick Kongo’s already legendary come-from-behind knockout at UFC on Versus 4 in June, moments after it appeared Barry had Kongo out on his feet with the fight about to be stopped.
A loss for either will be the first losing streak of his career.
Round 1: It’s the tallest heavyweight in the UFC, Struve (6-11), against the shortest, Barry (5-11). The size difference has been comical to both fighters leading up to the bout. But comedy goes out the window now. Tentative start for both. Barry eats the first body kick, then throws a straight kick. Inside leg kick from Barry lands. Then another. Straight left from Struve finds a home, but it’s Barry coming forward. He throws a left, then another inside leg kick, then another left hand. Outside leg kick from Barry now, and he checks a high kick from Struve in exchange. Referee Dan Miragliotta tells the two big guys to show something. A short flurry has not much there for either fighter, but a Barry right looks good right after. Then another inside leg kick. Strive misses a left hook. Barry comes with another inside leg kick, then tries to push through a couple left jabs. Struve works a couple body kicks, and Barry answers with one of his own. Big knee from Struve just misses, and that may be his best bet given the size advantage he has. Struve throws a kick to the knee, then one to the body. Barry then ducks under a right. Another inside leg kick from Barry is good, but it doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of damage. The crowd is slightly restless. Left straight kick from Struve is answered with another inside leg kick from Barry. Struve throws a big kick that lands toward the end of the round. And that might curry favor with some judges in a close round. But we’re giving the first round to Barry, just barely, 10-9, for coming forward more and throwing with a little more consistency.
Round 2: Dan Miragliotta tells the two they have to “step it up.” So let’s see what happens. Inside leg kick from Struve is answered by a nice uppercut from Barry – and I mean seriously, UPPERcut. He had to in order to reach. Big left head kick from Barry gets to Struve’s right shoulder shortly after. Then an outside leg kick from Barry. Combo to the head, then a kick to the outer leg by Barry, and Struve answers with a nice kick of his own. We trade soft leg kicks with about 2 minutes left. Struve briefly tries to tie Barry up in a clinch, but Barry pushes out of it, wary of the potential for Struve’s knees. Struve throws a kne, and Barry answers with a left. Struve ties him up and tries for a guillotine. Barry is in side control and in a choke. He gets out, but Struve gets a triangle. It’s deep. Barry amazingly picks Struve up with the triangle still on, and drops a massive slam. But Struve still has it, and Barry has to tap. It’s the first two-fight skid of Barry’s career.
Result: Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry, submission (triangle choke), 3:22 Round 2
“I’ve been working on my kickboxing and my reach. I’m thrilled with the result. But give it up for Pat. He’s one of the coolest dudes in MMA,” Struve tells Joe Rogan after the fight.
Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC) returned in March after a 16-month layoff and won a unanimous decision against Dan Hardy. But an injury forced him out of a fight with Nate Marquardt in June, a bout that became Rick Story vs. Brenneman the day before the fight. Brenneman (14-3, 3-1 UFC) won that bout, after having his previous fight on the card scrapped earlier in the week, snapping Story’s six-fight UFC winning streak.
Round 1: Johnson should have a significant size advantage, as he’s regarded as the biggest welterweight in, like, ever. Brenneman catches a leg kick, then backs way out of a Johnson attack. Johnson tracks him down and throws a straight kick that Brenneman avoids. Brenneman trying to hold on on the ground, but Johnson is working some big fists on the ground. Johnson is holding Brenneman’s head down with his right hand and is l anding strikes with the left. It’s a bad spot for Brenneman, and now Johnson starts to light him up with knees to the body. Johnson spins to try to take Brenneman’s back. Brenneman wriggles his way back to half guard, then looks for an arm-in guillotine. Johnson stays busy and gets out. He just misses a kick, but Brenneman scrambles out. But after Brenneman gets up, Johnson telegraphs a huge left kick to the face. Brenneman drops to his butt immediately, and Mario Yamasaki steps in to stop it. Brenneman immediately pops up wondering why it was stopped – and it appears he’s completely fine. It’s the third potentially bad stoppage of the night, but Johnson is going to have a TKO victory.
Result: Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman, TKO, 2:49 Round 1
“I’m very happy. Everyone was talking crap about my last performance against Dan Hardy, so I figured I had to come out here and make a statement. I told Charlie, he was the first guy to ever have me nervous. His wrestling is so good, and I respect him and his camp so much,” Johnson told Joe Rogan after the fight.
Johnson (9-3, 6-3 UFC) returned in March after a 16-month layoff and won a unanimous decision against Dan Hardy. But an injury forced him out of a fight with Nate Marquardt in June, a bout that became Rick Story vs. Brenneman the day before the fight. Brenneman (14-3, 3-1 UFC) won that bout, after having his previous fight on the card scrapped earlier in the week, snapping Story’s six-fight UFC winning streak.
Round 1: Johnson should have a significant size advantage, as he’s regarded as the biggest welterweight in, like, ever. Brenneman catches a leg kick, then backs way out of a Johnson attack. Johnson tracks him down and throws a straight kick that Brenneman avoids. Brenneman trying to hold on on the ground, but Johnson is working some big fists on the ground. Johnson is holding Brenneman’s head down with his right hand and is l anding strikes with the left. It’s a bad spot for Brenneman, and now Johnson starts to light him up with knees to the body. Johnson spins to try to take Brenneman’s back. Brenneman wriggles his way back to half guard, then looks for an arm-in guillotine. Johnson stays busy and gets out. He just misses a kick, but Brenneman scrambles out. But after Brenneman gets up, Johnson telegraphs a huge left kick to the face. Brenneman drops to his butt immediately, and Mario Yamasaki steps in to stop it. Brenneman immediately pops up wondering why it was stopped – and it appears he’s completely fine. It’s the third potentially bad stoppage of the night, but Johnson is going to have a TKO victory.
Result: Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman, TKO, 2:49 Round 1
“I’m very happy. Everyone was talking crap about my last performance against Dan Hardy, so I figured I had to come out here and make a statement. I told Charlie, he was the first guy to ever have me nervous. His wrestling is so good, and I respect him and his camp so much,” Johnson told Joe Rogan after the fight.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The bout is a rematch from a controversial fight at UFC 115 in June 2010 that Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) won by submission when Yves Lavigne stopped the fight, though Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC) never tapped or lost consciousness. The two were scheduled to meet three months later, but Danzig was forced off Fight Night 22 with an injury.
Danzig, the TUF 6 winner, returns for the first time since a knockout win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 124 in December. Wiman had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 132 with a decision loss to Dennis Siver.
Round 1: The rematch is ready. Wiman takes the center and opens with an inside leg kick, then gets aggressive with some punches. Danzig ties him up and lands some nice uppercuts. Then lands some knees in the clinch. Body-head from Danzig, and he pushes Wiman to the cage. Wiman answers with elbows, and Danzig throws a head kick that is on the money – but is caught by Wiman. Wiman takes the fight to the ground and has Danzig pressed against the cage. But Danzig works his way back and looks for a choke while Wiman holds on to Danzig’s left leg. Guillotine attempt from Danzig, and when he can’t hold on he starts lobbing several strikes to Wiman’s head that find the mark. Danzig’s last fight won Knockout of the Night. Wiman comes with a combination that pushes Danzig to the cage. Traded elbows in the center, and Danzig looks for a headlock. Right hand, then left hook from Wiman. Danzig goes body-head yet again, but Wiman backs him up with a knee. Wiman with a left kick then a shot to the body has Danzig on the fence. Danzig is cut around his nose. Nice right from Wiman is answered with a kick to the body by Danzig. Wiman gestures to a backpedaling Danzig to come forward. More body shots from Danzig. It’s a pretty even first round – very tough to score. Since going 10-10 is taking the easy way out, we’ll give a very close 10-9 first round to Wiman.
Round 2:
Wiman takes the middle first and eats a leg kick. Big right from Wiman misses, and Danzig ties him up and lands some body shots. Wiman looks for elbows in close and hits some while eating some Danzig short uppercuts. Wiman takes the fight to the wall, then scores a big takedown into half guard when they move back to the middle. Danzig briefly gets to side control before Wiman gets back to full guard. Wiman throws up a triangle attempt and tries to work on an armbar. He’s got it. Danzig tries to get out of this thing, but Wiman’s got him good. Danzig goes low to keep the leverage away, and he is able to break the hold. He lands some good ground and pound shortly after, then gets to half guard. Again Wiman gets an arm and tries for a kimura. Again Danzig gets out and lands some ground and pound. Wiman gets back to his feet, then eats a short flurry from Danzig. With a minute left, Wiman comes forward and lands some good shots. Leg kick from Wiman. He shoots, but misses and Danzig counters with some good strikes. It’s a close second round, with Wiman scoring points for the submission attempts, but Danzig scoring on the takedown and getting the better of the striking game. Close again, but we’ll give the second to Danzig 10-9.
Round 3:
Superman punch from Wiman misses, and he throws a kick afterward. Nice uppercut from Wiman after a Danzig combo in the clinch. Wiman appears to be coming forward more, and that may wind up being the difference if this fight goes to the judges. Nice elbows from Wiman in the clinch as they trade position on the cage. It’s pretty clear this is tonight’s leading Fight of the Night candidate so far. Wiman’s takedown attempt is stopped, and he counters with a big right to the body. Danzig’s corner yells that Wiman is gassing, but Danzig looks tired, too. More elbows from Wiman, and the two trade looping flurries before breaking. Wiman shoots for a single, drops down, and now has Danzig on top in half guard. Wiman is bleeding from his nose, and Danzig is going for Wiman’d back. With half a round to go, Danzig takes Wiman’s back and tries to get hooks in for a choke. But Wiman defends, shakes him off and Wiman winds up on top in half guard – that may have been the most critical point in this fight. Big elbows from Wiman on the ground. Danzig trying to get up but it’s not happening yet. Danzig’s face right now is the second worst of the night after Keith Wisniewski on the prelims. Danzig trying to get up with a wall walk, and finally does. He’s got 35 seconds to make something happen. The two trade elbows and short uppercuts on the fence. Wiman drops down looking for another takedown. Danzig throws on a guillotine at the end of the round, but Wiman gives thumbs up to the ref that he’s OK. Danzig has it for only five seconds or so before the final horn sounds. It’s another great round, very exciting, and likely a Fight of the Night winner. But we’ll give the third round to Wiman 10-9 and the fight to him 29-28.
Result: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman, a lightweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
The bout is a rematch from a controversial fight at UFC 115 in June 2010 that Wiman (13-6, 7-4 UFC) won by submission when Yves Lavigne stopped the fight, though Danzig (20-8-1, 4-4 UFC) never tapped or lost consciousness. The two were scheduled to meet three months later, but Danzig was forced off Fight Night 22 with an injury.
Danzig, the TUF 6 winner, returns for the first time since a knockout win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 124 in December. Wiman had a three-fight winning streak snapped at UFC 132 with a decision loss to Dennis Siver.
Round 1: The rematch is ready. Wiman takes the center and opens with an inside leg kick, then gets aggressive with some punches. Danzig ties him up and lands some nice uppercuts. Then lands some knees in the clinch. Body-head from Danzig, and he pushes Wiman to the cage. Wiman answers with elbows, and Danzig throws a head kick that is on the money – but is caught by Wiman. Wiman takes the fight to the ground and has Danzig pressed against the cage. But Danzig works his way back and looks for a choke while Wiman holds on to Danzig’s left leg. Guillotine attempt from Danzig, and when he can’t hold on he starts lobbing several strikes to Wiman’s head that find the mark. Danzig’s last fight won Knockout of the Night. Wiman comes with a combination that pushes Danzig to the cage. Traded elbows in the center, and Danzig looks for a headlock. Right hand, then left hook from Wiman. Danzig goes body-head yet again, but Wiman backs him up with a knee. Wiman with a left kick then a shot to the body has Danzig on the fence. Danzig is cut around his nose. Nice right from Wiman is answered with a kick to the body by Danzig. Wiman gestures to a backpedaling Danzig to come forward. More body shots from Danzig. It’s a pretty even first round – very tough to score. Since going 10-10 is taking the easy way out, we’ll give a very close 10-9 first round to Wiman.
Round 2:
Wiman takes the middle first and eats a leg kick. Big right from Wiman misses, and Danzig ties him up and lands some body shots. Wiman looks for elbows in close and hits some while eating some Danzig short uppercuts. Wiman takes the fight to the wall, then scores a big takedown into half guard when they move back to the middle. Danzig briefly gets to side control before Wiman gets back to full guard. Wiman throws up a triangle attempt and tries to work on an armbar. He’s got it. Danzig tries to get out of this thing, but Wiman’s got him good. Danzig goes low to keep the leverage away, and he is able to break the hold. He lands some good ground and pound shortly after, then gets to half guard. Again Wiman gets an arm and tries for a kimura. Again Danzig gets out and lands some ground and pound. Wiman gets back to his feet, then eats a short flurry from Danzig. With a minute left, Wiman comes forward and lands some good shots. Leg kick from Wiman. He shoots, but misses and Danzig counters with some good strikes. It’s a close second round, with Wiman scoring points for the submission attempts, but Danzig scoring on the takedown and getting the better of the striking game. Close again, but we’ll give the second to Danzig 10-9.
Round 3:
Superman punch from Wiman misses, and he throws a kick afterward. Nice uppercut from Wiman after a Danzig combo in the clinch. Wiman appears to be coming forward more, and that may wind up being the difference if this fight goes to the judges. Nice elbows from Wiman in the clinch as they trade position on the cage. It’s pretty clear this is tonight’s leading Fight of the Night candidate so far. Wiman’s takedown attempt is stopped, and he counters with a big right to the body. Danzig’s corner yells that Wiman is gassing, but Danzig looks tired, too. More elbows from Wiman, and the two trade looping flurries before breaking. Wiman shoots for a single, drops down, and now has Danzig on top in half guard. Wiman is bleeding from his nose, and Danzig is going for Wiman’d back. With half a round to go, Danzig takes Wiman’s back and tries to get hooks in for a choke. But Wiman defends, shakes him off and Wiman winds up on top in half guard – that may have been the most critical point in this fight. Big elbows from Wiman on the ground. Danzig trying to get up but it’s not happening yet. Danzig’s face right now is the second worst of the night after Keith Wisniewski on the prelims. Danzig trying to get up with a wall walk, and finally does. He’s got 35 seconds to make something happen. The two trade elbows and short uppercuts on the fence. Wiman drops down looking for another takedown. Danzig throws on a guillotine at the end of the round, but Wiman gives thumbs up to the ref that he’s OK. Danzig has it for only five seconds or so before the final horn sounds. It’s another great round, very exciting, and likely a Fight of the Night winner. But we’ll give the third round to Wiman 10-9 and the fight to him 29-28.
Result: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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In the main event, Dominick Cruz defends his bantamweight title aga…
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Preliminary card Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (punches) – R2, 2:44 (live blog) Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson via submission (heel hook) – R1, 3:00 (live blog)
Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth via TKO (knees, punches) – R2, 4:52 (live blog) TJ Grant def. Shane Roller via verbal submission (armbar) – R3 2:12 (live blog) Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski via TKO (doctor stoppage) – R2, 5:00 (live blog) Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval via TKO (punches) – R1, 1:17 (live blog)
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for all six preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. This is the UFC’s debut in the nation’s capital city.
Sass tries to stay unbeaten in his career when he meets Johnson, who won his first UFC fight in June after losing to Jonathan Brookins in the TUF 12 finals. Edwards and Oliveira had winning streaks snapped over the summer and are looking to rebound. And Neer and Wisniewski return after long stints outside the UFC, Neer more than two years and Wisniewski nearly six years.
Walel Watson vs. Joseph Sandoval
Round 1: We open up with a bout between a pair of debuting bantamweights. Watson trains at the San Diego Combat Academy with Team Hurricane Awesome, including Strikeforce women’s fighter Liz Carmouche. Sandoval is unbeaten at 6-0. Sandoval is channeling Dan Hardy, walking out with a bandana-mask covering his face, as well as a reddish-orange mohawk. Mario Yamasaki gets things rolling. Sandoval opens in southpaw stance and ducks away from two right head kicks from Watson. Then he checks one, then eats one to the mommy-daddy parts. Sandoval gets a few seconds to recover, and Yamasaki warns Watson. Watson comes back with a big head kick and he lands it big time, right under the chin. Sandoval hits the canvas, but bounces up quickly. But Watson is there to land a right kick to the side of the head, and a couple punches before Yamasaki can get in and stop it. It looks like Sandoval could’ve continued, but had he, he just would’ve eaten more shots. “I’ve been working on my striking. I just measured my distance, threw my head kick – same thing I’ve been practicing all day,” Watson tells Joe Rogan.
Result: Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval, TKO, 1:17 Round 1
Josh Neer vs. Keith Wisniewski
Round 1:
Both men returning for the first time in a while. Neer has been out of the UFC more than two years. Wisniewski for nearly six. They start out striking with Wisniewski getting a few short jabs in before clinching up and throwing a few knees. Wisniewski eats a right, then they clinch up again but not much comes from it. Wisniewski has a pretty good height advantage, and as Neer comes inside he lands repeated body blows until Wisniewski pushes him away. They clinch again and trade position against the fence. Neer’s mouthpiece falls out, and we take a second to put it back in. Nice low leg kick from Neer. Wisniewski throws on a Thai clinch, but there’s not much there. Wisniewski lands a left, then eats an uppercut from Neer. Wisniewski may be bloodied over his eye. Neer gets the better of a dirty boxing exchange, then eats a couple shots. Neer goes after Wisniewski’s cut with elbows trying to open it up some more. It’s a pretty interesting round, but it looks like Neer landed a few more shots and we’ll give it to him 10-9.
Round 2: Neer apparently told his corner that Wisniewski has broken his ribs with some body shots. So let’s see how that affects Neer here in Round 2. Big right from Neer backs Wisniewski up. Then a pair of jabs as Wisniewski moves in. Wisniewski told MMA Fighting on Friday he planned to get the better of exchanges and take the fight to the ground in each round. He never did that in the first. Will he look for a takedown in this round? They trade elbows along the fence in some more dirty boxing exchanges. Wisniewski goes back to the body. Wisniewski eats several elbows to the face, and then lands one of his own. Neer getting the better of all these standing elbwos, and Wisniewski looks very battered on his face and is starting to bleed pretty good. Neer lands uppercuts as Wisniewski clinches. Dan Miragliotta calls time to have a doctor look at Wisniewski’s cuts. Wisniewski says he’s fine, he can see and he wants to continue. But he is absolutely a bloody mess. Now we are looking for Wisniewski’s mouthpiece, which has fallen out against the cage and is now apparently lost under the cage! Never seen this before! They send someone under the cage to find it, and they do! Wisniewski probably will come forward with a new strategy now, and he comes forward quickly and looks for a takedown. It’s not there, and he eats some more elbows. With a minute left, Wisniewski is going to need to find some serious offense. But he eats some more elbows, then four straight left jabs. Neer goes for a standing guillotine at the end of the round, and it’s a bloodbath all over the cage. Miragliotta looks closely at the cut that was leaking all over the place as Neer squeezed the guillotine. It’s an easy 10-9 round for Neer, and it very well could be a 10-8. But it won’t matter. The doctor will stop the fight, and it’s a TKO victory for Neer, who landed probably nowhere short of 10,000 elbows.
Result: Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski, TKO (doctor’s stoppage), 5:00 Round 3 “I’m happy. I work on my elbows all the time. I have a lot of respect for (Keith). I wasn’t surprised the fight was stopped. It was getting hard to do anything in there, it was so bloody. I didn’t break my ribs. He definitely hurt me,” Neer tells Rogan afterward.
Shane Roller vs. T.J. Grant
Round 1: Grant walks first, and walks to “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake, conjuring up memories of Mark Wahlberg in “The Fighter” playing boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. This is Grant’s debut at lightweight, moving down from welterweight. Grant in the middle and stalking. Roller misses a looping left, then eats a couple short jabs. Big right uppercut from Roller, and Grant takes him to the ground. But Roller gets a guillotine. They flip-flop position a couple times, and Grant winds up on top looking for a side choke, then an armbar. Roller is an Oklahoma State wrestling product, though, and pretty quickly rolls Grant over and gets on top – and nearly gets a guillotine himself. Good scramble from Grant, though, and he gets up out of the bad position and stands up looking to throw punches from standing. He dives back in and Roller stays back in full guard. Grant looks to land some body shots as Roller looks for a guillotine. Grant moves around and gets to side control, and Rogan mentions the rare “Von Flue” choke that Grant apparently doesn’t know about. Grant traps Roller’s right arm, and proceeds to land some good shots from the top as Roller covers up. It’s a 10-9 round for Grant on the unofficial MMA Fighting card.
Round 2: Head kick from Grant 20 seconds in is partially blocked. Grant then times a nice inside leg kick. Some big knees from Grant lead Roller to shoot for a takedown. Roller tries to control an arm, but as they come back up he settles for some good shots on the feet. Roller starts throwing some bombs. Grant goes for a big takedown and lands it – and lands right into a guillotine. But Grant is able to pop his head out and winds up in side control. Grant changes position, giving up a pretty good spot, and after a short scramble Grant again looks for a crucifix position. But he loses his good spot going for the back, and Roller winds up on top. Roller tries to pass, but a bizarre scramble sees Grant pull off a beautiful transition to an armbar – and Roller just barely survives the round. We’re scoring it for Grant again, 10-9.
Round 3: A little slower pace to start the third round. Both guys trade jabs until Grant lands a big right hand that cuts Roller. Roller looks like he’s having some trouble seeing, blinking a lot. Roller shoots 90 seconds in, but Grant doesn’t have much trouble sprawling to defend. Roller continues to look for the takedown and gets a single, but Grant locks on a guillotine. Roller pops his head out, but Grant throws on an armbar, and it’s a good one. Suddenly, the ref stops the fight. But Roller didn’t tap. Roller is extremely upset. The crowd boos the perceived bad stoppage from Mario Yamasaki’s brother, Fernando.
Result: T.J. Grant def. Shane Roller, TKO (verbal submission), 2:12 Round 3
“He was in there and he yelled out in pain. You’re told before the fight you can’t do that. He gave me a helluva a fight, and that’s what I expected,” Grant said. “I knew I had a short window there (with the armbar).” Roller was less than pleased, talking to Rogan: “We were getting in a scramble, and I ended up an the armbar. It got locked up tight. I moaned, but I didn’t yell. I was trying to get out.”
Mike Easton vs. Byron Bloodworth
Round 1: Both fighters are making their UFC debuts. Bloodworth takes this fight on very short notice, filling in for Doug Hougland. He couldn’t hit the bantamweight limit, though, so this is a 138-pound catchweight fight and Bloodworth is giving up 20 percent of his purse. Easton is a big fan favorite as a D.C. native. Easton is buddy-buddy with Dominick Cruz, and he moves just like him. Easton isn’t doing anything in the way of attacking yet, though. Bloodworth lands an inside leg kick. Nice high kick from Bloodworth is checked. A couple nice inside leg kicks from Easton. Bloodworth shoots for a takedown, but Easton stops it. They clinch up and move to the fence and trade knees. With about 2 minutes left in the round, the ref breaks them for a lack of action. Good spinning back kick from Easton lands to Bloodworth’s gut with 90 seconds left in the round. Bloodworth misses a 1-2 with a spinning back elbow. Easton lands a knee to the midsection, then backs up and re-sets. Bloodworth shoots, but Easton easily sprawls out of it. It’s a pretty close first round, but Easton probably takes it 10-9.
Round 2: Easton has a little more pep in his step, if that’s even possible. Or at least he’s looking more offensive minded than the first, which had a lot of time spent bouncing but not throwing much offense out there. Nice kick from Easton, and then a lazy shot from Bloodworth is pushed away. Left hook from Easton, and a beautiful right kick from Easton to Bloodworth’s left leg. Then another shot to the lead leg, and Bloodworth appears to be feelin’ it for sure. Bloodworth toggles back and forth in his stances hoping to keep Easton away from that left leg, and he’s circling all over the place. Easton throws a kick, but it lands low and Bloodworth gets some time. Easton says, “Dude, totally sorry. My bad.” (Not literally.) But we get back going, and a Bloodworth kick combined with an Easton slip has Easton briefly with a knee on the mat. They clinch with a minute left, then trade position on the fence. Easton throws some big right knees to Bloodworth’s face, then lands a big knee to the body that instantly crumples Bloodworth. Easton gets in four lefts on the ground before Kevin Mulhall steps in to shut things down.
Result: Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth, TKO, 4:52 Round 2
Michael Johnson vs. Paul Sass
Round 1: Flying knee-kick thing from Sass starts the fight, and Johnson moves out of the way. It gets a nice “Ooooh!” from the D.C. crowd, though. Sass is the triangle master with eight of his 11 wins by the choke finish, including seven straight at one point. Johnson lands a nice right, then a left, then a knee that sends Sass to the ground. But instead of moving to the ground to try and finish, Johnson stays well away from Sass’ strength. They stay standing. Spinning elbow from Sass misses. A scramble sees the fight hit the ground, and Sass looks for a heel hook. He loses it, but then locks it up again. He turns it over and looks for leverage. He keeps working the hold, and then he rolls Johnson over and the TUF 12 runner-up has to tap. Sass is truly a submission specialist, and he gets yet another one. Sass, from England, moves to 12-0 – with 11 submissions, and is line for a possible second straight Submission of the Night bonus to start his UFC career.
Result: Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson, submission (heel hook), 3:00 Round 1
“I was trying to go for a triangle today, but any submission I’m going for. He’s hard to tap. I didn’t hear (his knee pop), but I didn’t want to let go,” Sass says after the fight.
Yves Edwards vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Round 1: Oliveira opens with a head kick that is blocked. Then a big flurry that is followed by a press against the fence. Edwards survives the flurry and ties Oliveira up. Edwards looks for a Thai clinch, but it’s not there. Oliveira comes back with another flurry. Another high kick from Oliveira is blocked. Edwards throws a right kick of his own, but it misses. Inside leg kick from Oliveira. Nice combo from Edwards, including a high kick. Nice kick to the body from Edwards now, then a high kick that is blocked. Edwards has stayed patient, and he looks to be in a better rhythm. Edwards ducks under a left, then lands a left of his own. Another good combo from Edwards is on the mark. Oliveira shoots for a takedown, but Edwards defends it nicely and lands a shot on the way back up, then a couple more. Oliveira started fast, but Edwards was more consistent and he gets the round 10-9 on our card.
Round 2: Traded kicks in the first 30 seconds. Good scramble that Edwards defends well. On the standup, he lands a nice inside leg kick. Each guy dodges away from some combos. But Edwards lands a big right that drops Oliveira. He pounces and lands some big shots on the ground as Mario Yamasaki moves in. It looks close to being stopped, but Yamasaki gives Oliveira the chance to recover. And somehow he does. But Edwards continues to land some shots – though Oliveira fights back. But then an Edwards kick to the head drops Oliveira again, and he pounces and lands repeated shots to the head. Yamasaki probably lets it go a little too long this time, but when Edwards takes Oliveira’s back and flattens him out, it’s quickly, and mercifully at this point, over.
Result: Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira, TKO, 2:44 Round 2
“I know Rafaello’s a really tough guy and would come out hard. I just had to get my timing down. I’m faster than just about everyone out there, so I just had to figure that part out. Ultimately I’m just a guy fighting in front of a crowd, asking them to love him,” Edwards said.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for all six preliminary bouts on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. This is the UFC’s debut in the nation’s capital city.
Sass tries to stay unbeaten in his career when he meets Johnson, who won his first UFC fight in June after losing to Jonathan Brookins in the TUF 12 finals. Edwards and Oliveira had winning streaks snapped over the summer and are looking to rebound. And Neer and Wisniewski return after long stints outside the UFC, Neer more than two years and Wisniewski nearly six years.
Walel Watson vs. Joseph Sandoval
Round 1: We open up with a bout between a pair of debuting bantamweights. Watson trains at the San Diego Combat Academy with Team Hurricane Awesome, including Strikeforce women’s fighter Liz Carmouche. Sandoval is unbeaten at 6-0. Sandoval is channeling Dan Hardy, walking out with a bandana-mask covering his face, as well as a reddish-orange mohawk. Mario Yamasaki gets things rolling. Sandoval opens in southpaw stance and ducks away from two right head kicks from Watson. Then he checks one, then eats one to the mommy-daddy parts. Sandoval gets a few seconds to recover, and Yamasaki warns Watson. Watson comes back with a big head kick and he lands it big time, right under the chin. Sandoval hits the canvas, but bounces up quickly. But Watson is there to land a right kick to the side of the head, and a couple punches before Yamasaki can get in and stop it. It looks like Sandoval could’ve continued, but had he, he just would’ve eaten more shots. “I’ve been working on my striking. I just measured my distance, threw my head kick – same thing I’ve been practicing all day,” Watson tells Joe Rogan.
Result: Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval, TKO, 1:17 Round 1
Josh Neer vs. Keith Wisniewski
Round 1:
Both men returning for the first time in a while. Neer has been out of the UFC more than two years. Wisniewski for nearly six. They start out striking with Wisniewski getting a few short jabs in before clinching up and throwing a few knees. Wisniewski eats a right, then they clinch up again but not much comes from it. Wisniewski has a pretty good height advantage, and as Neer comes inside he lands repeated body blows until Wisniewski pushes him away. They clinch again and trade position against the fence. Neer’s mouthpiece falls out, and we take a second to put it back in. Nice low leg kick from Neer. Wisniewski throws on a Thai clinch, but there’s not much there. Wisniewski lands a left, then eats an uppercut from Neer. Wisniewski may be bloodied over his eye. Neer gets the better of a dirty boxing exchange, then eats a couple shots. Neer goes after Wisniewski’s cut with elbows trying to open it up some more. It’s a pretty interesting round, but it looks like Neer landed a few more shots and we’ll give it to him 10-9.
Round 2: Neer apparently told his corner that Wisniewski has broken his ribs with some body shots. So let’s see how that affects Neer here in Round 2. Big right from Neer backs Wisniewski up. Then a pair of jabs as Wisniewski moves in. Wisniewski told MMA Fighting on Friday he planned to get the better of exchanges and take the fight to the ground in each round. He never did that in the first. Will he look for a takedown in this round? They trade elbows along the fence in some more dirty boxing exchanges. Wisniewski goes back to the body. Wisniewski eats several elbows to the face, and then lands one of his own. Neer getting the better of all these standing elbwos, and Wisniewski looks very battered on his face and is starting to bleed pretty good. Neer lands uppercuts as Wisniewski clinches. Dan Miragliotta calls time to have a doctor look at Wisniewski’s cuts. Wisniewski says he’s fine, he can see and he wants to continue. But he is absolutely a bloody mess. Now we are looking for Wisniewski’s mouthpiece, which has fallen out against the cage and is now apparently lost under the cage! Never seen this before! They send someone under the cage to find it, and they do! Wisniewski probably will come forward with a new strategy now, and he comes forward quickly and looks for a takedown. It’s not there, and he eats some more elbows. With a minute left, Wisniewski is going to need to find some serious offense. But he eats some more elbows, then four straight left jabs. Neer goes for a standing guillotine at the end of the round, and it’s a bloodbath all over the cage. Miragliotta looks closely at the cut that was leaking all over the place as Neer squeezed the guillotine. It’s an easy 10-9 round for Neer, and it very well could be a 10-8. But it won’t matter. The doctor will stop the fight, and it’s a TKO victory for Neer, who landed probably nowhere short of 10,000 elbows.
Result: Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski, TKO (doctor’s stoppage), 5:00 Round 3 “I’m happy. I work on my elbows all the time. I have a lot of respect for (Keith). I wasn’t surprised the fight was stopped. It was getting hard to do anything in there, it was so bloody. I didn’t break my ribs. He definitely hurt me,” Neer tells Rogan afterward.
Shane Roller vs. T.J. Grant
Round 1: Grant walks first, and walks to “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake, conjuring up memories of Mark Wahlberg in “The Fighter” playing boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. This is Grant’s debut at lightweight, moving down from welterweight. Grant in the middle and stalking. Roller misses a looping left, then eats a couple short jabs. Big right uppercut from Roller, and Grant takes him to the ground. But Roller gets a guillotine. They flip-flop position a couple times, and Grant winds up on top looking for a side choke, then an armbar. Roller is an Oklahoma State wrestling product, though, and pretty quickly rolls Grant over and gets on top – and nearly gets a guillotine himself. Good scramble from Grant, though, and he gets up out of the bad position and stands up looking to throw punches from standing. He dives back in and Roller stays back in full guard. Grant looks to land some body shots as Roller looks for a guillotine. Grant moves around and gets to side control, and Rogan mentions the rare “Von Flue” choke that Grant apparently doesn’t know about. Grant traps Roller’s right arm, and proceeds to land some good shots from the top as Roller covers up. It’s a 10-9 round for Grant on the unofficial MMA Fighting card.
Round 2: Head kick from Grant 20 seconds in is partially blocked. Grant then times a nice inside leg kick. Some big knees from Grant lead Roller to shoot for a takedown. Roller tries to control an arm, but as they come back up he settles for some good shots on the feet. Roller starts throwing some bombs. Grant goes for a big takedown and lands it – and lands right into a guillotine. But Grant is able to pop his head out and winds up in side control. Grant changes position, giving up a pretty good spot, and after a short scramble Grant again looks for a crucifix position. But he loses his good spot going for the back, and Roller winds up on top. Roller tries to pass, but a bizarre scramble sees Grant pull off a beautiful transition to an armbar – and Roller just barely survives the round. We’re scoring it for Grant again, 10-9.
Round 3: A little slower pace to start the third round. Both guys trade jabs until Grant lands a big right hand that cuts Roller. Roller looks like he’s having some trouble seeing, blinking a lot. Roller shoots 90 seconds in, but Grant doesn’t have much trouble sprawling to defend. Roller continues to look for the takedown and gets a single, but Grant locks on a guillotine. Roller pops his head out, but Grant throws on an armbar, and it’s a good one. Suddenly, the ref stops the fight. But Roller didn’t tap. Roller is extremely upset. The crowd boos the perceived bad stoppage from Mario Yamasaki’s brother, Fernando.
Result: T.J. Grant def. Shane Roller, TKO (verbal submission), 2:12 Round 3
“He was in there and he yelled out in pain. You’re told before the fight you can’t do that. He gave me a helluva a fight, and that’s what I expected,” Grant said. “I knew I had a short window there (with the armbar).” Roller was less than pleased, talking to Rogan: “We were getting in a scramble, and I ended up an the armbar. It got locked up tight. I moaned, but I didn’t yell. I was trying to get out.”
Mike Easton vs. Byron Bloodworth
Round 1: Both fighters are making their UFC debuts. Bloodworth takes this fight on very short notice, filling in for Doug Hougland. He couldn’t hit the bantamweight limit, though, so this is a 138-pound catchweight fight and Bloodworth is giving up 20 percent of his purse. Easton is a big fan favorite as a D.C. native. Easton is buddy-buddy with Dominick Cruz, and he moves just like him. Easton isn’t doing anything in the way of attacking yet, though. Bloodworth lands an inside leg kick. Nice high kick from Bloodworth is checked. A couple nice inside leg kicks from Easton. Bloodworth shoots for a takedown, but Easton stops it. They clinch up and move to the fence and trade knees. With about 2 minutes left in the round, the ref breaks them for a lack of action. Good spinning back kick from Easton lands to Bloodworth’s gut with 90 seconds left in the round. Bloodworth misses a 1-2 with a spinning back elbow. Easton lands a knee to the midsection, then backs up and re-sets. Bloodworth shoots, but Easton easily sprawls out of it. It’s a pretty close first round, but Easton probably takes it 10-9.
Round 2: Easton has a little more pep in his step, if that’s even possible. Or at least he’s looking more offensive minded than the first, which had a lot of time spent bouncing but not throwing much offense out there. Nice kick from Easton, and then a lazy shot from Bloodworth is pushed away. Left hook from Easton, and a beautiful right kick from Easton to Bloodworth’s left leg. Then another shot to the lead leg, and Bloodworth appears to be feelin’ it for sure. Bloodworth toggles back and forth in his stances hoping to keep Easton away from that left leg, and he’s circling all over the place. Easton throws a kick, but it lands low and Bloodworth gets some time. Easton says, “Dude, totally sorry. My bad.” (Not literally.) But we get back going, and a Bloodworth kick combined with an Easton slip has Easton briefly with a knee on the mat. They clinch with a minute left, then trade position on the fence. Easton throws some big right knees to Bloodworth’s face, then lands a big knee to the body that instantly crumples Bloodworth. Easton gets in four lefts on the ground before Kevin Mulhall steps in to shut things down.
Result: Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth, TKO, 4:52 Round 2
Michael Johnson vs. Paul Sass
Round 1: Flying knee-kick thing from Sass starts the fight, and Johnson moves out of the way. It gets a nice “Ooooh!” from the D.C. crowd, though. Sass is the triangle master with eight of his 11 wins by the choke finish, including seven straight at one point. Johnson lands a nice right, then a left, then a knee that sends Sass to the ground. But instead of moving to the ground to try and finish, Johnson stays well away from Sass’ strength. They stay standing. Spinning elbow from Sass misses. A scramble sees the fight hit the ground, and Sass looks for a heel hook. He loses it, but then locks it up again. He turns it over and looks for leverage. He keeps working the hold, and then he rolls Johnson over and the TUF 12 runner-up has to tap. Sass is truly a submission specialist, and he gets yet another one. Sass, from England, moves to 12-0 – with 11 submissions, and is line for a possible second straight Submission of the Night bonus to start his UFC career.
Result: Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson, submission (heel hook), 3:00 Round 1
“I was trying to go for a triangle today, but any submission I’m going for. He’s hard to tap. I didn’t hear (his knee pop), but I didn’t want to let go,” Sass says after the fight.
Yves Edwards vs. Rafaello Oliveira
Round 1: Oliveira opens with a head kick that is blocked. Then a big flurry that is followed by a press against the fence. Edwards survives the flurry and ties Oliveira up. Edwards looks for a Thai clinch, but it’s not there. Oliveira comes back with another flurry. Another high kick from Oliveira is blocked. Edwards throws a right kick of his own, but it misses. Inside leg kick from Oliveira. Nice combo from Edwards, including a high kick. Nice kick to the body from Edwards now, then a high kick that is blocked. Edwards has stayed patient, and he looks to be in a better rhythm. Edwards ducks under a left, then lands a left of his own. Another good combo from Edwards is on the mark. Oliveira shoots for a takedown, but Edwards defends it nicely and lands a shot on the way back up, then a couple more. Oliveira started fast, but Edwards was more consistent and he gets the round 10-9 on our card.
Round 2: Traded kicks in the first 30 seconds. Good scramble that Edwards defends well. On the standup, he lands a nice inside leg kick. Each guy dodges away from some combos. But Edwards lands a big right that drops Oliveira. He pounces and lands some big shots on the ground as Mario Yamasaki moves in. It looks close to being stopped, but Yamasaki gives Oliveira the chance to recover. And somehow he does. But Edwards continues to land some shots – though Oliveira fights back. But then an Edwards kick to the head drops Oliveira again, and he pounces and lands repeated shots to the head. Yamasaki probably lets it go a little too long this time, but when Edwards takes Oliveira’s back and flattens him out, it’s quickly, and mercifully at this point, over.
Result: Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira, TKO, 2:44 Round 2
“I know Rafaello’s a really tough guy and would come out hard. I just had to get my timing down. I’m faster than just about everyone out there, so I just had to figure that part out. Ultimately I’m just a guy fighting in front of a crowd, asking them to love him,” Edwards said.
Filed under: UFCWe’re just a few hours away from the UFC on Versus 6 event, and there are plenty of questions, concerns, and issues to sort through. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them.
I. Will this be the breakthrough fight Dominick Cruz …
We’re just a few hours away from the UFC on Versus 6 event, and there are plenty of questions, concerns, and issues to sort through. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them.
I. Will this be the breakthrough fight Dominick Cruz needs? He’s the UFC’s least celebrated champion, mostly because mainstream fans haven’t seen enough of him yet. The UFC seems to think he can’t sell pay-per-views without Urijah Faber’s help, so Cruz gets stuck on a cable TV fight card smack in between two pay-per-view event weekends. It’s not the best coming out party you could hope for, but a lot depends on what he can make of it. If Cruz can put on another of his frantic, indefatigable performances — and this time, maybe even finish his opponent — he might finally get the attention he deserves. If he simply dominates Demetrious Johnson for the full five rounds, well, it’s hard to make much of a highlight reel out of that.
II. This fight is more important for Pat Barry than it is for Stefan Struve. Both are coming off losses and could really use a rebound win, but they’re not exactly in the same boat. Barry is 32 years old — nine years older than Struve — and has yet to string two victories together in the UFC. Ever since his debut he’s followed a win one, lose one pattern, usually beating the lesser-knowns and then losing the big ones, which doesn’t exactly impress the bosses. To further up the stakes, he’s coming off his first ever knockout loss. Though he previously said it had helped remove his fear of the KO, that’s the kind of thing that has been known to mess with a man’s mind. Now that he knows what it’s like to be the one waking up on his back, will he still feel like wading into those striking exchanges with the much larger Struve? Not that either of them would like to lose two straight, but Barry’s career has much less time left on the clock. Maybe Struve can wait, but Barry needs to make it happen now.
III. Who hypes the hype-man? If the name Mike Easton sounds familiar, it might be because you know him as the guy who’s always standing over Dominick Cruz’s shoulder, reminding him and everyone within shouting distance who the champ is. I admit, the man’s enthusiasm is infectious. We could all use a guy like him to pump up our egos and get us through a tough day. But now that he’s on the same card as Cruz, and getting back into action for the first time since 2009, who’s going to do the shouting? Probably still Easton, actually. He’ll just get to do it from inside the cage this time.
IV. Does Charlie Brenneman have a “Rocky story” sequel in him? “The Spaniard” got to be the hero when he stepped up on short notice and derailed Rick Story’s hype train, but yesterday’s glory fades quickly in this business. The Anthony Johnson fight is tougher because a) Brenneman’s no longer in a situation where he has nothing to lose, and b) “Rumble” has the exact combination of wrestling skills and knockout power that could prove to be a nightmare for a fight like Brenneman. This one may not follow a movie script outline, but it’s no less important for his career.
V. The last time Josh Neer won a fight in the UFC was February 7, 2009. He submitted Mac Danzig, then lost two straight and went on a tour of the minor leagues. Now the journeyman is back as a welterweight, and facing fellow wanderer Keith Wisniewski, who lost a decision in his sole UFC appearance back in 2005. It’s a situation where, if Neer can’t beat Wisniewski, he probably doesn’t belong in the UFC. Then again, you could say the same thing from the other side just as easily.
VI. Barry’s best chance against Struve? Since getting eye-to-eye with the Dutchman requires a little outside help, Barry might have to target his legs, which are at least more within his range. Though certain judges remain convinced that leg kicks can’t end a fight, Barry actually has three career victories that way, including his brutal win over Dan Evensen in his UFC debut. I’m not sure I’d want to put all my faith into my ability to chop away at Struve’s thighs like a lumberjack going to work on an angry redwood, but what else can he do? Unless he gets a boost from the referee, reaching Struve’s chin won’t be so easy.
VII. Hey, remember that whole controversial stoppage thing from the first Mac Danzig-Matt Wiman fight? Yeah, well, now they’re meeting again to settle it, just shy of a year and a half later. Finally, you can stop losing sleep wondering how this match-up would have turned out. I know it was really eating at you.
VIII. Don’t forget about Paul Sass Not unless you want to get choked. The Brit has a nasty submissions game, and is particularly dangerous off his back. He’s also pretty creative about getting there, so it’s not simply a matter of deciding not to take him down. The youngster took a lot of people by surprise in his debut at UFC 120, so it should be interesting to see if Michael Johnson has done his homework on how to avoid getting entangled in that mess. You go to the mat with this man at your peril. And with the way he uses that triangle choke, you’re never truly safe from it until you’ve left the building.
This is the UFC on Versus 6 live blog for Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve, a heavyweight bout on tonight’s UFC Live card from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. 
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