The Ultimate Fighting Championship [Archive]

chris caulfield

05-16-2008, 12:56 PM

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UFC 84: Jackson vs. Griffin

Undercard

Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-4) vs. Paul Kelly (7-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Kuniyoshi Hironaka via Split Decision

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Hironaka, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Hironaka puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Kelly covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Hironaka looks for an opening. Low kick from Kelly, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Hironaka will take the round on points. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Hironaka.

Round 2
Hironaka is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Kelly advancing. A sharp right misses, and Hironaka takes the opportunity to pull Kelly in to a tight clinch against the cage. Kelly tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Kelly wants to stand and bang, Hironaka wants to keep things at close quarters. Kelly tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Hironaka, and we're down to the ground. Hironaka has side control, but Kelly has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Hironaka will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Kelly tries to squirm into a better position, but Hironaka puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Hironaka tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Kelly defends it. Kelly manages to bring a knee up and catch Hironaka in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Hironaka responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Kelly covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Hironaka may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Hironaka tries to float over into a mount, but Kelly uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Hironaka enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Hironaka is the last action of the round. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Hironaka.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Kelly is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Hironaka picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Kelly throws a wild punch as a counter, but Hironaka ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Kelly gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Kelly is looking for big punches, Hironaka is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Kelly manages to back Hironaka up against the cage. Kelly takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Hironaka ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Kelly can unload. Kelly may need to think about changing tactics, Hironaka is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Kelly fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Hironaka on the thigh. Hironaka presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Kelly gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hironaka.

The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

Rating: **
Notes: First Loss for Paul which I'm abit annoyed about because it would of been nice to keep him undefeated.

'Hands Of Stone' Sam Stout (13-3-1) vs. Mac Danzig (18-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mac Danzig via Submission

Round 1
Danzig throws a nice series of straight rights from the start, bobbing and weaving to keep Stout from landing anything in return. None of the punches got through though, Stout parried them away. Nice crisp start to the round though. Stout forces Danzig back against the cage and comes in close to try and unload. Danzig pushes him away with a shove, palm across the face, and Stout loses his balance and is dumped onto the ground. Danzig leaps into action to follow up. A clubbing blow from Danzig connects, hitting home across the left cheek. Danzig gets into full mount, Stout is in enormous trouble from this position. Right hands rain down, and Stout can only cover up. One or two got through though, and there's blood coming from a cut below his left eye. Danzig pulls back and throws an absolute bomb, Stout brought his hands up to block but could do almost nothing against it, that had power to spare. Stout looks groggy, and that allows Danzig to start throwing a barrage of rights and lefts to the face. The referee has seen enough, he doesn't think Stout can defend himself, this match is over.

Danzig wins via TKO at 1:26 of the first round.

Rating: **
Notes: Nice win for Danzig here which should help him climb close to the top of the Lightweight division which is where I want him to be.

Shane Carwin (8-0) vs. Eddie Sanchez (8-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shane Carwin via KO

Round 1
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Sanchez is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Carwin picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Sanchez throws a wild punch as a counter, but Carwin ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Sanchez gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Sanchez is looking for big punches, Carwin is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Sanchez manages to back Carwin up against the cage. Sanchez takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Carwin ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Sanchez can unload. Sanchez may need to think about changing tactics, Carwin is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Sanchez fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Carwin on the thigh. Carwin presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Sanchez gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Carwin by 10-9.

Round 2
They circle each other. Sanchez misses with a low kick, and Carwin darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Carwin is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Sanchez is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Carwin isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Sanchez tries to get in close, but Carwin is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. Carwin tries to back Sanchez up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. Carwin gets a solid punch in, catching Sanchez just above the left eye. Sanchez finally gets a clinch, forcing Carwin up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Carwin.

Round 3
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Sanchez is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Carwin blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Sanchez is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Carwin is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Sanchez can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Sanchez some problems later on. Sanchez moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Carwin is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Sanchez before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Sanchez off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Sanchez goes for a trip, but Carwin cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Carwin may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it.

End of round 3. Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Carwin. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Shane Carwin.

Rating: *
Notes: Good win for Carwin geting of to a great start under the Avatar reign.

Thiago Silva (12-0) vs. James Lee (13-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Silva via TKO

Round 1
Lee goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Silva doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Silva comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Lee covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Silva is already out of range. Silva repeats the trick, working a new angle, darting in, then firing off strikes while keeping out of the way of any counter punches. It happens a third time, and Lee is beginning to look frustrated. Silva's footwork and general movement is looking good, Lee is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Silva is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Lee has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Silva is too quick. Lee finally gets in close enough to grapple with Silva, clinching up. Lee scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Silva bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Lee is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Lee swings for the fences, but Silva has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-8 Silva.

Round 2
Silva scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Lee shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Silva moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Lee turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Silva goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Silva looks light on his feet and very agile, Lee looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Lee will need to find a way to nullify Silva's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Silva darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Lee manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Silva's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Silva controlling the round with his superior movement. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva.

Round 3
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Lee is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Silva blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Lee is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Silva is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Lee can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Lee some problems later on. Lee moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Silva is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Lee before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Lee off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Lee goes for a trip, but Silva cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Silva may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-26 to Thiago Silva.

Rating: **
Notes: And Thiago's run continues and maybe in a few more wins he might get a title shot.

Michael 'The Count' Bisping (15-1) vs. 'Da Spyder' Kendall Grove (8-5)
Sherdog's Predicton: Michael Bisping via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Bisping tries a looping punch from way back, but Grove side steps with ease. Jab from Grove, gets one back in response. Bisping comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Grove shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Grove immediately tries to pass guard, but Bisping is not allowing it. Grove fires off some punches, but Bisping blocks them before grabbing a butterfly guard to keep Grove trapped. They stay like that for a while before Grove breaks free, but only back into regular guard. Bisping tries a cheeky guillotine attempt, but Grove easily defends it, I don't think Bisping really thought that was going to work. Grove tries to get side control, but Bisping defends it. Not the second time though, and Grove has the side. Bisping has him tied up pretty well though, and the clock is running down. Grove gets in a firm couple of elbows to the ribs, but the time expires and the referee gets them to part. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Grove.

Round 2
Grove and Bisping meet in the center, and both throw looping right hands at the same time. Neither hits home. Grove throws a couple of nice jabs that cause Bisping to cover up. He throws a sharp right hand in response which narrowly misses. They clinch in the center. Bisping tries to trip Grove, but it is easily dealt with, and Grove cheekily does the exact same thing to Bisping, except with more success. Bisping goes crashing to the ground with Grove on top. Bisping is forced into defending an attempted armbar straight away, although in truth Grove was leaning into it and really didn't have the leverage to apply it, he would need to get past the guard to really make that a dangerous tactic. Speaking of which, Grove does try to pass guard, but Bisping keeps him tightly caught up in the guard. Grove shuffles them all the way over to the cage, so that he can get instructions from the corner. A couple of punches come raining down, but Bisping covers up nicely. Bisping tries to generate some attacking threat of his own, reaching up and trying to secure a guillotine, but Grove pops his head out quite easily. Bisping drags him down into a clinch, and they remain that way for a while, with Grove throwing the occasional punch to the ribs, Bisping throwing them to the back. Grove breaks free and quickly tries to pass guard, getting as far as half guard. He tries to secure an armbar, but Bisping brings his legs in to defend it. Grove stands, still holding the arm, and ends up almost sitting on top of a balled-up Bisping. He can't do a great deal from that position, although Bisping will have found it hard to breathe, and the time expires without any more noteworthy strikes hitting. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Grove.

Round 3
Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Bisping who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Grove fires back with a couple of jabs, both of which connect with the shoulder rather than the face where they were aimed. The two fighters come together in the center and exchange punches, neither getting the clear advantage. Grove suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Bisping manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Grove tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Bisping hits a couple of shots to the back. Grove hits a stomp. Bisping lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Grove the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Grove is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Bisping. He throws some hard downward punches, Bisping defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Grove leaves his arm in for a second too long and Bisping reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Grove gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Bisping the opportunity to scramble back up. There's a nasty mark above the eye where the earlier punch connected though. They go back to circling each other. There's not much time left. Bisping tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Grove avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Grove. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Kendall Grove.

Rating: **
Notes: Didn't expect that at all. This just screws my plans up completely.

Ben Rothwell (29-5) vs. Pedro 'The Rock' Rizzo (16-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ben Rothwell via TKO

Round 1
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Rothwell complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Rizzo throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Rothwell fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Rizzo steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Rothwell's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Rizzo follows up by hitting a right hand too. Rothwell finds himself backed up against the cage. Rizzo advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Rothwell can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Rizzo steps in and scores with a high head kick. Rothwell partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Rothwell gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Rizzo into a clinch. Knee strike from Rizzo. They break. Rothwell still looks hurt from that first kick. Rizzo gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Rothwell hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Rizzo has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Rizzo by 10-9.

Round 2
Rizzo scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Rothwell shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Rizzo moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Rothwell turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Rizzo goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Rizzo looks light on his feet and very agile, Rothwell looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Rothwell will need to find a way to nullify Rizzo's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Rizzo darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Rothwell manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Rizzo's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Rizzo controlling the round with his superior movement. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Rizzo.

Round 3
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Rizzo goes for the first takedown, but Rothwell has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Rothwell storms back in almost immediately and takes Rizzo down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Rizzo just had a lapse in concentration. Rothwell tries to pass the guard but can't, with Rizzo employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Rizzo is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Rothwell makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Rizzo has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Rothwell on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Rothwell. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Pedro Rizzo.

Rating: **
Notes: This match I didn't care who won so I'm just happy for Rizzo here.

Main Card

'Thunder' Yushin Okami (21-4) vs. Alan 'The Talent' Belcher (12-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yushin Okami via TKO

Round 1
Belcher starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Okami. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Okami goes for a single leg and puts Belcher on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Okami from getting on top. Belcher definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Okami hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Belcher again. This time Belcher isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Okami will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Belcher defends. Okami tries to slip past to get side control, but Belcher just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Okami has the side. Two big elbows land, and Belcher seems in trouble. Okami goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Okami.

Round 2
Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Belcher who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Okami fires back with a couple of jabs, both of which connect with the shoulder rather than the face where they were aimed. The two fighters come together in the center and exchange punches, neither getting the clear advantage. Okami suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Belcher manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Okami tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Belcher hits a couple of shots to the back. Okami hits a stomp. Belcher lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Okami the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Okami is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Belcher. He throws some hard downward punches, Belcher defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Okami leaves his arm in for a second too long and Belcher reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Okami gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Belcher the opportunity to scramble back up. There's a nasty mark above the eye where the earlier punch connected though. They go back to circling each other. There's not much time left. Belcher tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Okami avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Okami by 10-9.

Round 3
Okami works an angle and comes in from the side of Belcher, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Belcher hits a low kick to back Okami against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Okami fights out and the action returns to the center. Belcher throws a big head kick, but Okami ducks and back pedals to safety. If that had hit, this was all over, because Belcher wasn't holding anything back on that missile of a kick. Okami regains his composure and advances, throwing a pair of looping rights. Belcher throws a kick to the legs, then a range-finding left hand. Okami steps to the side to get a better angle, then steps in...and this time the scorching head kick that comes his way catches him unaware and lands flush to the side of the jaw! Okami goes completely limp as he crash-lands to the ground, that was a brutal knock out kick.

The official time of the knock out is 2:22 of round 3.

Rating:**
Notes: Unlucky for Okami there. Won the first 2 round and then gets Ko'ed by Belcher. Hopefully this isn't a one time thing for Belcher.

Matt 'The Terror' Serra (9-5) vs. 'The Irish Hand Grenade' Marcus Davis (14-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mat Serra via Submission

Round 1
Davis starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Serra. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Serra goes for a single leg and puts Davis on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Serra from getting on top. Davis definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Serra hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Davis again. This time Davis isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Serra will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Davis defends. Serra tries to slip past to get side control, but Davis just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Serra has the side. Two big elbows land, and Davis seems in trouble. Serra goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Serra.

Round 2
Good start from Serra, taking Davis down almost immediately! Davis scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Serra will be disappointed with that. Davis comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Serra to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Davis felt that one for sure. He stalks Serra, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Serra keeps out of the way. Davis tries a kick, but Serra catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Serra gets Davis down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Serra throws some punches, then tries to pass. Davis doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Serra easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Serra followed by a pass attempt, with Davis blocking the pass and throwing the occasional punch in response. The round ends like that, just as the referee was about to stand them back up. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-8 for Serra.

Round 3
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Serra gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Davis throws a left, then a right, but neither connects. Serra clinches up, and they wind up against the cage. Davis tries to throw a knee, but Serra sweeps his standing leg and is on top on the ground. Serra gets past the guard, but only just, one leg is trapped by Davis. A couple of right hands by Serra leave ugly red marks where they hit the unprotected stomach of Davis. Serra gets both legs free and transitions higher up the body, putting Davis in huge trouble. Serra manages to get a forearm firmly across the throat of Davis and he pushes down. Davis, with no way of getting out, has no alternative but to tap out.

Official time of the choke submission is 1:33 of the third.

Rating: ***
Notes: Quality win here for Serra and keeps him up there in the Welterweight rankings.

Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida (12-0) vs. 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' Tito Ortiz (15-5-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Lyoto Machida via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Machida throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Ortiz. Kick to the thigh from Ortiz, but it lacked power. For a second it looked like Machida was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Ortiz misses with a straight right. Machida hits a standing kick, and Ortiz is rocked, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor. Machida leaps into action and fires off a barrage of right hands. The referee dives in and protects Ortiz, bringing the fight to an end. The kick didn't knock Ortiz out, but it left him stunned, and that was all that Machida needed to finish the job.

The official time of the TKO is 1:21 of round 1.

Rating: ***
Notes: And bye bye Tito. Great win here for Machida.

Frankie 'The Answer' Edgar (8-0) vs. 'El Matador' Roger Huerta (20-1-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Roger Huerta via TKO

Round 1
They come together, both throwing punches. Huerta gets a nice clean shot in, and Edgar stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Huerta is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Huerta wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 0:31.

Rating: **
Notes: Huerta's first step towards a Lightweight title shot maybe?

Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson (29-6) vs. Forrest Griffin (15-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Quinton Jackson via TKO

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Jackson puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Griffin defended well. Straight right from Griffin in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Jackson probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Griffin gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Jackson. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Jackson.

Round 2
Griffin and Jackson circle to start. Jackson throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Griffin sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Jackson comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Griffin to slip a nice jab in, catching Jackson just underneath the right eye. Griffin comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Jackson misses with a right cross, then backs off. Griffin stalks him, forcing Jackson back up against the cage. Griffin doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Jackson throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Griffin pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Jackson covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Griffin in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Griffin throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Jackson comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Griffin parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Griffin's favour. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Griffin.

Round 3
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Griffin comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Jackson really put some venom into that strike. Griffin backs off, clearly stung. Jackson is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Griffin ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Jackson was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Griffin is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Griffin from getting in too close. Jackson stalks Griffin, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Griffin is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Jackson hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Jackson squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Griffin comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Jackson tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Griffin backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Jackson advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Griffin. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Jackson. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Jackson.

Round 4
They circle each other. Griffin misses with a low kick, and Jackson darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Jackson is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Griffin is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Jackson isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Griffin tries to get in close, but Jackson is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Jackson gets a solid punch in, catching Griffin just above the left eye. Griffin finally gets a clinch, forcing Jackson up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. The fourth round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Jackson by 10-9.

Round 5
Jackson starts with a high kick, but Griffin was well out of range. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Jackson steps in and exchanges strikes with Griffin, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Griffin parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Jackson on the shoulder. The round has been a little flat so far, neither of them is really forcing the issue. They enter into a clinch, which doesn't help matters, and that seems to last for an eternity before the referee separates them and tells them to get on with it. Jackson finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Griffin did well to defend it, bobbing and weaving out of the way and using his gloves to parry away anything that was too close. He uses a low kick to the thigh as a response, then steps in and unloads with two fine punches, although Jackson blocked them. Jackson scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Griffin square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Griffin backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Jackson's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Jackson probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Jackson. The three judges all give the match as 49-46 to Quinton Jackson. Quinton Jackson successfully retains the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Rating: ***
Notes: Comfortable defence here for Jackson.

Fighter Bonuses
Fight Of The Night: Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin
Submission Of The Night: Matt Serra
Knock Out Of The Night: Alan Belcher

chris caulfield

05-16-2008, 01:16 PM

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New Rankings & Resignings

Sam Stout, Paul Kelly and Kuniyashi Hironaka have all signed new contracts with the UFC however Eddie Sanchez has not been offered a contract.

Also the UFC have released new rankings after their UFC 84 event. Here they are.

Lightweight
1. BJ Penn
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Sean Sherk
4. Roger Huerta
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Joe Stevenson
7. Tyson Griffin
8. Mac Danzig
9. Din Thomas
10. Rich Clementi

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Hughes
3. Karo Parisyan
4. Jon Fitch
5. Matt Serra
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Thiago Alves
8. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
9. Akihiro Gono
10. Dan Hardy

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Alan Belcher
6. Patrick Cote
7. Joey Villasenor
8. Kendall Grove
9. Chris Leben
10. Joe Doerkson

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Lyoto Machida
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Shogun
5. Wanderlei Silva
6. Keith Jardine
7. Ricardo Arona
8. Rashad Evans
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
10. Wilson Gouveia

Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Randy Couture
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4. Tim Sylvia
5. Andrei Arlovski
6. Fabrico Werdum
7. Pedro Rizzo
8. Sergei Kharitonov
9. Frank Mir
10. Cheick Kongo

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Fedor Emelianenko
3. Anderson Silva
4. Gearge St. Pierre
5. Lyoto Machida
6. Randy Couture
7. Matt Hughes
8. Dan Henderson
9. BJ Penn
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

chris caulfield

05-17-2008, 04:18 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 85: Fedor vs. Couture

Today UFC announced UFC 85: Fedor vs. Couture. Here is the card.

Maincard
Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3)
Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0)
Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)
Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)

chris caulfield

05-17-2008, 04:34 AM

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UFC 85 Preview

Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)
Here we have a guy who is just starting t break through in Brad Morris and also possibly the next great Gracie. If Morris wins it could propel him up but if Rolles wins it will just add to the already abundant hype he has.

Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)
Here is a meaningless Lightheavyweight matchup that wil be good for what it is. If James Irvin can get another KO he may move up to higher level opponents.

Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Here is Cung Le's UFC debut and if he wins it could be instumental in his fighting career. If he loses however he could go down just as quick as he came up.

Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
A comfortable win here for Sanchez is what I am seeing but who knows anything can happen in MMA.

Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0)
This is Eddie Alvarez's UFC debut but if he loses to Corey Hill me may be out before he got a real chance.

Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3)
Seems the UFC have changed their approach for Lesnar here giving him an easier opponent this time, maybe hoping for him to get a winning streak going.

Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)
Jonathan Goulet goes up against a living legend in Matt Hughes here and if he could win it would catapult him into possible title contention.

Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Here if Rich wins it does nothing for him having already lost to Anderson Silva twice already but if Leben wins he could possibly get another shot against Silva.

Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Interesting matchup here. If either of these men win another win could easily give them a title shot so alot is up for stakes here.

Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Effectively whoever wins this fight will get a shot at Penn. So both fighters will hopefully be going all out here.

Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Fedor's UFC debut and it's against Rany Couture, by no means an easy fight for him. Randy will be as happy as anyone in the world right now as he has been waiting for thiss fight for a long time. We should see a Fedor win here and then he could possibly go up against Big Nog for the title.

Tyler Gadzinski

05-20-2008, 06:20 PM

UFC Announces UFC 85: Fedor vs. Couture

Today UFC announced UFC 85: Fedor vs. Couture. Here is the card.

Maincard
Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3) ... There is no way Lesnar is gonna win.. if he does I will eat my shoe!
Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0) ... Experiance over undefeated.
Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)
Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)

smurphy1014

05-20-2008, 09:57 PM

UFC 85: Fedor vs. Couture

Maincard
Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)

Undercard
Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3)
Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0)
Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)
Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)

critical-23

05-21-2008, 04:54 AM

Maincard
Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3)
Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0)
Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)
Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)

Dustin

05-21-2008, 05:41 AM

chris caulfield

05-24-2008, 04:37 PM

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UFC 85: Couture vs. Fedor

Undercard

Brad Morris (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (1-0)Sherdog's Prediction: Rolles Gracie via Submission

Round 1
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Gracie is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Morris on the side of the cheek. Gracie follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Morris goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Gracie is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Morris has Gracie against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Gracie reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Morris, who pulls guard. Gracie starts pounding away and does some damage before Morris grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Morris has both of Gracie's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Gracie uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Morris isn't going to be too bothered by that. Gracie pulls one arm free. Morris still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Gracie sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Gracie steps through the legs and forces Morris to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Morris manages to ensare one leg though, and so Gracie has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Gracie hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Morris keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Gracie is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Gracie pulls Morris's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Morris rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Gracie continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Gracie by 10-9.

Round 2
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Morris gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Gracie clinches with Morris. A quick trip sends Morris falling backward, pulling guard to take Gracie down with him. Gracie tries to pass the guard. Morris is holding it quite high, which is helping. Gracie throws a couple of loose punches, then grabs the legs and turns Morris over. Morris tries to scramble free, but Gracie is already on top of him and has his back! Gracie doesn't waste any time, he starts throwing bombs with both left and right fists, slamming them into the side of Morris's head. He is trying to cover up, but a lot of shots are getting through. The referee is watching closely. A vicious right hand thunders into the ear of Morris, then another to the side of the nose. That's all the referee wants to see, he pulls Gracie off.

The official time of the TKO is 1:34 of round 2.

Rating: *
Notes: Was expecting Rolles to win but definately not by TKO. Was expecting a easy an easy decision maybe even a submission but never a TKO.

Antonio Mendes (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)Sherdog's Prediction: Mendes via TKO

Round 1
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Mendes, providing the first moment of real action. Irvin hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Mendes side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Irvin is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Irvin.

Round 2
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Mendes, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Mendes puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Irvin covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Irvin glances at the referee, not sure why. Low kick from Irvin, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Mendes will take the round on points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Mendes.

Round 3
The fighters come together right in the center. Irvin throws out a jab, but Mendes bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Mendes works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Irvin covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Mendes is making Irvin look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Irvin hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Irvin looks to be working an angle. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Mendes got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Irvin slightly. Irvin initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Irvin looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Mendes is clearly winning them. Irvin needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Mendes tries a speculative high kick, but Irvin saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Irvin tries to work an angle, but Mendes is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Mendes, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Mendes. All three judges give a score of 29-28 to Antonio Mendes.

Rating: *
Notes: Thought Irvin would win this but guess I was wrong. This does nothing for Mendes really maybe a few more wins then he could get better competition but not now.

Marvin Eastman (15-7) vs. Cung Le (5-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Cung Le via TKO

Round 1
Eastman starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Le keeps out of their way. Eastman steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Le moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Eastman doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Le moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Eastman parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Le begins to stalk Eastman, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Eastman hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Eastman clinches up, stopping Le from following up. It looks like Eastman needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Le is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Le clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Eastman is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Le continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Eastman takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Eastman looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Le from throwing bombs. Eastman gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Le will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Le by 10-9.

Round 2
A fizzing right hand from Le opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Eastman's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Eastman fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Le pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Eastman looks for a moment like he may be about to get overwhelmed, especially after a right hand appears to hit flush on the chin, but he recovers well and works his way back to the center. Le is looking the more confident of the two by far. He smells blood, and comes in looking for a big right hand, only to walk right into a takedown. Eastman had to time that perfectly, and did. Le doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Eastman taking his back! Eastman tries to go for a choke, but Le bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Eastman from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Le scores with two leg kicks, Eastman hits a tasty right hand to the body, but otherwise nothing much happens for the next couple of exchanges. Indeed, the clock runs down and the round ends without further noteworthy events. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Le.

Round 3
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Eastman comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Le really put some venom into that strike. Eastman backs off, clearly stung. Le is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Eastman ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Le was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Eastman is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Eastman from getting in too close. Le stalks Eastman, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Eastman is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Le hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Le squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Eastman comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Le tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Eastman backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Le advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Eastman. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Le. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Le. Cung Le wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: **
Notes: Great octagon debut for Le here. What he can do afer this against better competition though is unknown.

Diego Sanchez (18-2) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (12-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Diego Sanchez via TKO

Round 1
Sanchez is quickest out, and comes at Fioravanti with a series of jabs and straight punches. Fioravanti covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Fioravanti hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Sanchez who takes it to the ground. Fioravanti pulls guard. There's a lull, as Sanchez tries to pass, and Fioravanti defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Fioravanti almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Sanchez, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sanchez by 10-9.

Round 2
Sanchez leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Fioravanti deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Fioravanti uses a knee to the ribs before backing Sanchez up against the cage. Right hand from Sanchez connects though, that was well timed. Fioravanti breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Sanchez was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Fioravanti sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Sanchez fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. They clinch, although it's an ugly-looking one. Sanchez forces his way to the side, still grappling for supremacy, and then manages to get all the way behind. Fioravanti gave up his back quite easily. Sanchez takes Fioravanti down with a variation on the suplex, but Fioravanti keeps his wits and makes sure that he is able to pull guard pretty quickly upon landing. Sanchez moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Fioravanti is defending it. There's a small lull as Sanchez continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Fioravanti finally couldn't stop it. Sanchez starts firing off punches, and Fioravanti has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Fioravanti. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Fioravanti can come up with some answers. Sanchez hits another big elbow. And another.

The referee leaps in, it's over! The official time is 4:59.

Rating: *
Notes: Comfortable win for Diego which should help him build up a few wins before a possible title shot maybe.

Eddie Alvarez (14-1) vs. Corey Hill (2-0)
Sherdog's Predictions: Eddie Alvarez via TKO

Round 1
Hill works an angle and comes in from the side of Alvarez, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Alvarez hits a low kick to back Hill against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Hill fights out and the action returns to the center. Hill hits a right hand above Alvarez's right eye, but gets clinched up before he can do anything further. Alvarez forces him back against the cage. They struggle, with Hill keeping the takedown from happening by pulling away from every trip attempt. Alvarez pushes Hill into the cage, then sweeps the legs quickly. Hill couldn't get out of the way that time, and goes down. He pulls guard. Alvarez breaks the guard and stands up, leaving Hill on his back. Hill tries to keep Alvarez back with some up-kicks, Alvarez has to be careful not to get caught with them, they have power. Alvarez fakes a dive, pushes the legs to one side, and gets side control. Hill tries to turn into it so that he can pull guard, but Alvarez isn't allowing it, and traps both arms, creating a crucifix position. Alvarez starts throwing punches to the face, Hill having no arms free to block them. Big shot from Alvarez, that caught Hill on the chin as he momentarily lifted his head while trying to struggle free. Hill is out like a light. The referee jumps in, this is over.

The official time is 2:25.

Rating: **
Notes: Getting a KO win on your debut is always nice. Does Alvarez have further potential who knows, but lets hope so.

Brock Lesnar (1-1) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO

Round 1
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Lesnar is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Wellisch on the side of the cheek. Lesnar follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Wellisch goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Lesnar is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Wellisch has Lesnar against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Lesnar reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Wellisch, who pulls guard. Lesnar starts pounding away and does some damage before Wellisch grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Wellisch has both of Lesnar's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Lesnar uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Wellisch isn't going to be too bothered by that. Lesnar pulls one arm free. Wellisch still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Lesnar sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Lesnar steps through the legs and forces Wellisch to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Wellisch manages to ensare one leg though, and so Lesnar has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Lesnar hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Wellisch keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Lesnar is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Lesnar pulls Wellisch's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Wellisch rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Lesnar continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lesnar by 10-9.

Round 2
Quick start to the round from Wellisch, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Lesnar defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Lesnar connects. Wellisch gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Wellisch pushes Lesnar back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Lesnar blocks it. Lesnar suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Wellisch down to the ground, into guard. Lesnar throws out a right hand, parried away by Wellisch. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Lesnar looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Wellisch isn't offering any sort of attacking threat yet, instead concentrating on keeping the strikes from landing. A big punch is driven into the ribs, Wellisch thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Wellisch reaches up and pulls Lesnar down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Lesnar defends it easily, and gets in a sharp jab to the face too. He stands up slightly, leaning forward into the guard, and starts throwing some right hands. One gets through, the others are parried. Wellisch looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Lesnar was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Lesnar gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Wellisch fires off two punches from his back, but Lesnar defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Lesnar stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Wellisch does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Lesnar breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Wellisch will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lesnar by 10-9.

Round 3
Wellisch may have realised that he left the gas on back at home, as he starts the round as if he needs to get this fight finished quickly, throwing two giant-sized right hand bombs and a vicious uppercut within the first thirty seconds. Lesnar dealt with them well though, avoiding the first two and parrying the uppercut away. Lesnar fakes a takedown, causing Wellisch to back up, ready to sprawl. Wellisch stalks Lesnar, forcing him back toward the cage. Wellisch moves in, looking to throw another big shot, but Lesnar springs forward and connects with a great punch, crunching his fist into the cheek. Wellisch goes down! Lesnar tries to pounce and pound his way to victory, but Wellisch has enough awareness to ensnare Lesnar in the guard position as he dives in. Lesnar fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Wellisch. Lesnar tries to pass the guard, but can't, Wellisch isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Lesnar will start raining down punches. Lesnar tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Wellisch gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Lesnar again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Lesnar fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Wellisch fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Wellisch, and Lesnar is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Wellisch has defended the danger well. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Lesnar. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Brock Lesnar.

Rating: ***
Notes: Solid win for Lesnar which proves he isn't just a load of hype. My plans from now on are to keep him on the undercard and feed him cans and then when he has a good run going he can fight some real competition so if he does lose it won't make his record look terrible.

Maincard

Matt Hughes (41-6) vs. Jonathan Goulet (21-9)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hughes via TKO

Round 1
Hughes tries to work an angle from the start, but is kept back by some sharp kicks, one landing painfully across the outside of the calf. Goulet steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Hughes lands a jab of his own, but gets hit with a vicious waist-high kick when stepping in to follow up. Good tactics so far from Goulet, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Hughes comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Goulet gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Hughes to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Goulet has controlled this one, Hughes is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Goulet.

Round 2
Hughes starts strongly, hitting two stiff jabs to the gloves, stinging the hands of Goulet. The third strike is a meaty left hook that narrowly misses. If that had hit, Goulet may well have been decapitated. Despite leaning backwards, Goulet throws a mighty kick that explodes across the chest, Hughes staggers back. That was an enormously powerful blow, and Hughes didn't see it coming at all. They circle for a moment, sizing each other up. Goulet throws a flurry of jabs, but Hughes blocks them easily. A right hand from Hughes lands below the eye, and a straight left glances off the shoulder. Another exchange doesn't see either fighter get an advantage. Hughes throws a heavy left, but Goulet goes underneath it. Another hard kick from Goulet, this time smashing into the left thigh. Hughes almost get knocked down. He throws a left hook in retaliation which misses by a mile, and gives Goulet the chance to hit another big kick, this time to the ribs. The round has been pretty even, with the exception of those kicks by Goulet which have really made a big difference. As the round comes to an end, it looks like those will make sure that Goulet wins the round on points. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Goulet.

Round 3
Goulet throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Hughes throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Goulet steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Hughes hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Goulet. They struggle all the way back, with Goulet ending up backed up against the cage. Hughes hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Goulet stomps downward onto his foot. Goulet manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Hughes gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Goulet ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Goulet tries a high kick to start, but Hughes saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Hughes who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Goulet on the nose. Goulet hits a straight right, enough to stop Hughes from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hughes. The official scores are: 29-28 from all three judges for Jonathan Goulet.

Rating: **
Notes: Wow did not expect that. Could this propel Goulet to top tier or was this just a fluke. In previous games of mine whoever has beaten Hughes has gone on to have atleast a title shot, some examples would be Kos and Lyte. Now Goulet has the potential factor but what will he do with it.

Rich Franklin (23-3) vs. Chris Leben (18-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rich Franklin via TKO

Round 1
Franklin and Leben circle to start. Leben throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Franklin sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Leben comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Franklin to slip a nice jab in, catching Leben just underneath the right eye. Franklin comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Leben misses with a right cross, then backs off. Franklin stalks him, forcing Leben back up against the cage. Franklin doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Leben throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Franklin pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Leben covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Franklin in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Franklin throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Leben comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Franklin parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Franklin's favour. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Franklin by 10-9.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Leben puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Franklin defended well. Straight right from Franklin in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Leben probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Franklin gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Leben. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Leben.

Round 3
Leben doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Franklin easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Franklin throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. Franklin throws a stinging jab, landing just above the left eye. Leben steps in and fires off one of his own, but Franklin bobs out of the way and scores with a pair of solid shots to the body. Leben turns and swings, just as Franklin also unloads...and it's Franklin who connects first! Leben's hands drop and he is on rubbery legs. Franklin follows up with a beauty of a right hand, and that drops Leben. The referee doesn't even wait for Franklin to dive in to finish, he's seen enough, Leben is clearly on Dream Street.

This bout is over! The official time is 1:34.

Rating: ***
Notes: Nice win here for Franklin which with a few more wins might give him a third match with Anderson Silva.

Rashad Evans (11-0-1) vs. Stephan Bonnar (11-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rashad Evans via Knock Out

Round 1
Evans starts fast, immediately going on the attack with jabs and straight rights. Bonnar covers up from the initial burst, then starts throwing some raking rights and lefts. Evans bobs and weaves out of harm's way, countering by flicking off jabs whenever possible, peppering Bonnar with strikes. None of them are likely to knock Bonnar down, but they will add up over time. Bonnar moves in and tries to back Evans up against the cage, but he is too quick, and won't allow himself to get caught. Bonnar is having a real problem with Evans's movement, which is allowing him to dart in and out almost at will, hitting quick jabs and avoiding any counters. There's another example, as Evans scores with a sharp left hand to the chest, and is gone before the big right hand of Bonnar hits. Bonnar looks frustrated, and switches tactics, no longer looking for the big punches but trying to stop Evans getting in close by using low kicks and long, raking punches. Evans is kept from doing any further damage, but Bonnar isn't generating any offence either. Evans comes in from an angle, takes a right hand, but scores with a flurry of his own. Bonnar tries to hit a low kick, but misses. Time is running down, Evans is going to take this round on points, he has been able to dominate it thanks to his superior movement. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-8 to Evans.

Round 2
The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Bonnar starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Evans is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Evans steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Bonnar throws a vicious right cross, but Evans goes under it and catches Bonnar with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Evans using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Bonnar's counters. Bonnar is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Evans has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Bonnar. Bonnar finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Evans coming in with a low kick. Evans still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Bonnar can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Evans having dominated. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Evans.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Evans works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Bonnar backed up against the cage. Evans gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Bonnar, who uses his legs well to defend. Evans pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Bonnar gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Evans follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Evans hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Bonnar tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Bonnar leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Evans. All three judges give a score of 30-26 to Rashad Evans.

Rating: ***
Notes: Quality win here for Rashad. Hopefully he wins a few more and sets up a match with Jackson.

Sean Sherk (32-2-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (11-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Sean Sherk via TKO

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Griffin flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Sherk easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Griffin could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Sherk moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Griffin is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Griffin forces Sherk back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Sherk in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Griffin does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Sherk saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Griffin turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Griffin is up quickly, causing Sherk, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Griffin was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Griffin throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Sherk to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Sherk.

Round 2
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Sherk lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Griffin sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Sherk on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Griffin manages to get the better position, pushing Sherk up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Griffin. Sherk hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Griffin tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Sherk was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Griffin down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Griffin covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Sherk hits a big elbow to the ribs, Griffin definitely felt that. Sherk drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Griffin brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Sherk will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Griffin defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Sherk unable to generate any attacks, and Griffin unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Sherk will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sherk.

Round 3
The fighters come together right in the center. Griffin throws out a jab, but Sherk bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Sherk works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Griffin covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Sherk is making Griffin look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Griffin hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Sherk tries to back Griffin up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Sherk got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Griffin slightly. Griffin initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Griffin looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Sherk is clearly winning them. Griffin needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Sherk tries a speculative high kick, but Griffin saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Griffin tries to work an angle, but Sherk is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Sherk, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Sherk. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Sean Sherk.

Rating: **
Notes: Solid win for Sherk and after one more fight if not straight away he will prebably be against Penn for the title.

Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) vs. Randy Couture (16-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko via Decision

Round 1
Couture comes out quick and immediately starts pressing Emelianenko back toward the cage. Couture tries to use the position to his advantage, pinning Emelianenko in to prevent him from moving freely, but the exchange of punches that follows is clearly won by Emelianenko, who catches Couture with a wicked right cross during the flurry of blows. Couture tries again, but Emelianenko is looking sharp and parries away any dangerous shot, getting in a few crisp jabs of his own along the way. Couture finally backs off, realising that this isn't working. Emelianenko is showing superior ability with his hands, they're fast and accurate, Couture isn't able to cope with them at close quarters, being made to look slow and ragged in comparison. Couture switches to using raking right hands and looping punches, keeping Emelianenko back, but its effectiveness is limited as Couture's punches are easily parried away, and Emelianenko can still hit the occasional right hand. The round ends with that being the pattern. Emelianenko has used his better punching technique and hand speed to confound Couture, and has controlled this round almost entirely. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Emelianenko by 10-9.

Round 2
Couture starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Emelianenko keeps out of their way. Couture steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Emelianenko moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Couture doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Emelianenko moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Couture parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Emelianenko begins to stalk Couture, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Couture hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Couture clinches up, stopping Emelianenko from following up. It looks like Couture needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Emelianenko is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Emelianenko clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Couture is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Emelianenko continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Couture takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Couture looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Emelianenko from throwing bombs. Couture gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Emelianenko will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Emelianenko.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Emelianenko works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Couture backed up against the cage. Emelianenko gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Couture, who uses his legs well to defend. Emelianenko pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Couture gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Emelianenko follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Emelianenko hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Couture tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Couture leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Emelianenko by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Fedor Emelianenko.

Rating: ***
Notes: And Fedor wins and now will almost certainly get shot at Big Nog for the title.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Eddie Alvarez
Fight of the Night: Rich Franklin vs. Chris Leben

Resignings
James Irvin, Randy Couture, Luigi Fioravanti and Antonio Mendes will all be resigned but unfortunately both Christian Wellisch and Marvin Eastman will be released after their next fight.

chris caulfield

05-25-2008, 04:18 AM

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New Rankings From UFC 85

UFC have released the new ranking following their UFC 85 event.

Lightweight
1. Sean Sherk +2
2. BJ Penn -1
3. Shinya Aoki -1
4. Roger Huerta
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Joe Stevenson
7. Mac Danzig +1
8. Din Thomas +1
9. Rich Clementi +1
10. Joe Lauzon - New Entry

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Karo Parisyan +1
3. Jon Fitch +1
4. Matt Serra +1
5. Diego Sanchez +1
6. Jonathan Goulet - New Entry
7. Thiago Alves
8. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
9. Matt Hughes -7
10. Akihiro Gono -1

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Alan Belcher
6. Patrick Cote
7. Joey Villasenor
8. Kendall Grove
9. Joe Doerkson +1
10. Dean Lister - New Entry

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Lyoto Machida
3. Chuck Liddell
4. Shogun
5. Rashad Evans +3
6. Wanderlei Silva -1
7. Keith Jardine -1
8. Antonio Mendes - New Entry
9. Ricardo Arona -2
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -1

Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +1
3. Tim Sylvia +1
4. Fabrico Wedum +2
5. Andrei Arlovski
6. Pedro Rizzo +1
7. Sergei Kharitonov +1
8. Frank Mir +1
9. Randy Couture -7
10. Cheick Kongo

P4P
1. Fedor Emelianenko +1
2. Quinton Jackson -1
3. Anderson Silva
4. Sean Sherk - New Entry
5. Gearge St. Pierre -1
6. Lyoto Machida -1
7. Dan Henderson +1
8. BJ Penn +1
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +1
10. Rich Franklin - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Rashad Evans: He jumped up 3 places this month this month after his unanimous decision win over Stephan Bonnar. He is now recognised as a top 5 Light Heavyweight in the UFC. His next fight should be against tougher competition to show his rise in the rankings. He will probably face either Wanderlei Silva or Shogun.

Biggest Drop this month: Matt Hughes/Randy Couture: both these huge stars dropped 7 spots after losses this month. The losses came under very different circumstances though. Couture lost a fight he wasn't really expected to win against the #1 Heavyweight in the world and he drew out a decision from him, but Hughes on the other hand lost in a massive upset to Jonathan Goulet. Both will be looking to get a win when they fight next but who they will be against is unknown.

Most Impressive New Entry: Sean Sherk(P4P)/Jonathon Goulet: Lets start with Goulet shall we. He defeated someone who many say is the best Welterweight of all time in Matt Hughes. This could of just been a massive fluke and Goulet will be a flash in the pan or it could propel him to stardom. We will all see in his next fight I guess which is rumoured to be against either Thiago Alves or Diego Sanchez. Now lets talk about Sherk. He was already on the Lightweight rankings at number 3 last month but not only has he gone to the top of the Lightweight rankings but he has debuted on the P4P rankings at a resounding #4. Some say he doesn't deserve his #4 spot because he only beat Tyson Griffin but never the less it is still a great achievement. Sean Sherk's next fight will most likely be against BJ Penn for the title.

chris caulfield

05-25-2008, 07:31 AM

Prediction Contest
O.K. I've decided to run a prediction contest thanks to all the predictions I got last time. So here is how everyone did.

Dustin: 9/11
Critical-23: 8/11
smurphy1014: 7/11
Tyler Gadzinski: 3/11

The prize for winning this month is to decide who will fight George St. Pierre for his Welterweight title at the next PPV out of either Karo Parisyan or Jon Fitch. If you could post your choice here or PM me with it asap so I can get the card up.

chris caulfield

05-25-2008, 08:23 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 86: St. Pierre vs. Fitch

Today UFC announced UFC 86: St. Pierre vs. Fitch. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: George St. Pierre (16-2) vs. Jon Fitch (16-2)
Chuck Liddell (21-5) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (16-3)
Cheick Kongo (11-4) vs. Frank Mir (11-3)
Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Alan Belcher (13-4)
Shinya Aoki (15-2) vs. Spencer Fisher (20-4)
Undercard
Karo Parisyan (18-4) vs. Ben Saunders (5-0-2)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) vs. Matt Hamill (3-1)
Rich Clementi (31-12-1) vs. Mac Danzig (19-4-1)
Thiago Alves (13-3) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-8)
Demian Maia (7-0) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2)
Jake O'Brian (10-1) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (11-0)

chris caulfield

05-25-2008, 09:34 AM

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UFC 86 Preview

Jake O'Brian (10-1) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (11-0)
Tuchscherer here with his octagon debut and if he wins he could soon become a serious contender. A win here for him would prove he belongs in the UFC and his record would speak for itself at 12-0. But if he loses it doesn't do much for O'Brian as most just see him as a low level gatekeeper. I'm sure UFC officials will be hoping for a dominant Tuchscherer win here.

Demian Maia (7-0) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2)
A win for either man here could put him in the top 10 middleweights which from there after another win or two could give the a title shot. Demian Maia is undefeated coming into this and will hope to carry on his streak. Almeida on the other hand has 2 defeats but that won't matter too much if he wins this fight which would put him at 10-2.

Thiago Alves (13-3) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-8)
A win here for Alves could put him in the top 5 welterweights and another win form there would almost certainly give him a title shot. Chonan on the other hand has nothing to gain as most will just say it was an upset and blow him off as a flash in the pan. UFC officials will definately be hoping for an Alves win.

Rich Clementi (31-12-1) vs. Mac Danzig (19-4-1)
Mac Danzig is back in the Octagon just 2 months after he beat Sam Stout via TKO after only 1:26 of the first round. Another comfortable win like that could put him into the top 5 Lightweights. Clementi on the other hand comes into this as the underdog. If Clementi wins he could get a run going and maybe even get a title shot if he is lucky. UFC will hope Danzig can get another win here just to show that TUF wasn't a waste as so many people say.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) vs. Matt Hamill (3-1)
Two rising stars go to battle here and whoever wins seems to have a bright future, but the other will almost definately need to win their next fight if they are to remain in the UFC. A Sokoudjou win could put him in the top 10 which would be a good step for him. A win for Hamill would have to be pretty impressive to put him into the top 10 though.

Karo Parisyan (18-4) vs. Ben Saunders (5-0-2)
Karo Parisyan is ranked as the #2 Welterweight in the UFC but he is still fighting on the undercard, which just shows how stacked this card is. Karo will be expecting a win here and then to fight the winner of the main event after that. Saunders though will be hoping for an upset that could propel him to the top 10. UFC will definately be hoping for a Karo win as a Saunders win would throw a spanner in their plans for their Welterweight division.

Shinya Aoki (15-2) vs. Spencer Fisher (20-4)
Aoki is already being recognised as one of the top 3 Lightweights in the UFC before he has even debuted. His debut will be at the next PPV though against Spencer Fisher where Aoki will be hoping to move into the top 2 Lightweights or even move upto #1. If he does go to #1 it could wreck Sean Sherk's plans as Sherk was hoping to go against BJ Penn for the Lightweight title in his next fight but if Aoki goes #1 or even #2 Sherk may have to beat Aoki before he gets a shot at Penn or he may not even get that opportunity and the UFC may just give the shot to Aoki. Fisher will not be given a chance by most people but tou can never right anyone off in MMA so Aoki won't be able to just lay back he will have to give it his all in his Octagon debut. The UFC will be hoping for an Aoki debut win as tha would put the Lightweight division in a great palce with lots of viable contenders for a title shot.

Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Alan Belcher (13-4)
When Belcher KO'ed Yushin Okami at UFC 84 everyone was surprised but if he wins here people might actually start believing it wasn't an upset. He is already ranked in the top 5 UFC middleweights but a win here could put him in with the big 3 of Franklin, Henderson and Silva. Cote will be hoping for a win here as it would definately put him into the top 5 as he is #6 now and Belcher is #5. Whoever wins this after a win over Nate Marquardt and another over either Henderson or Franklin and they could be in line for a title shot.

Cheick Kongo (11-4) vs. Frank Mir (11-3)
A exciting looking Heavyweight bout here with both being in the top 10 UFC Heavyweights. A win for either wouldn't put them in title contention but a win or 2 after that and then the will almost certainly get a title shot.

Chuck Liddell (21-5) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (16-3)
A massive fight here as Liddell goes up against Shogun. Liddell is the #3 Light Heavyweight and Shougn the #4 so a win here could put either in serious title contention along with Lyoto Machida. The winner of this fight will fight 1 out of 3 people next. 1 is Rashad Evans to see if Evans really deserves his top 5 ranking but this match is more likely for the loser of the bout. 2 is Lyoto Machida which would be a #1 contender fight for a shot at Rampage for the title. Or option 3 is go straight to the title shot with Rampage. all 3 could main event a future PPV so alot is at stake here for both fighters so we should see a exciting match here as both go all out.

UFC Welterweight Championship: George St. Pierre (16-2) vs. Jon Fitch (16-2)
St. Pierre will make his first defence of his Welterweight title against Jon Fitch who is on a 15 fight win streak and is undefeated in all of his 8 bouts in the Octagon. The question is though can he keep it up? George St. Pierre will hope the answer will be no as he will not want to repeat what happened last time he was champion where he lost in his first defence. Whoever wins here will almost definately fight Karo Parisyan next for the title if Karo wins his next fight earlier in the night. If Karo loses though the next title shot could go to a number of people. One would be Thiago Alves if he won his fight earlier in the night. If Jon Fitch won Matt Serra might possibly get the next shot after his near domination of Marcus Davis at UFC 84. Diego Sanchez could possibly get the next title shot or even Jonathan Goulet after his upset Decisoin win over Matt Hughes. Whatever happens there are plenty of contenders which just goes to show how strong the UFC Welterwight division really is.

chris caulfield

05-25-2008, 10:11 AM

OOC: There will be a prize for the person with the most correct predictions for this months PPV aswell so hurry up and get your predictions in but I probably won't get the show posted up until next weekend as I'm going on holiday for the week and I'm pretty sure I won't have an internet connection. Not sure what the prize will be for the winner this time but it probably won't be as big as picking a #1 contender and one half of a main event so I may very well give two prizes out possibly to the same person or possibly to different people I havn't decided yet. One of the prizes will have something to do with someone debuting in the middleweight division though.

chris caulfield

05-31-2008, 07:39 AM

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UFC 86: St. Pierre vs. Fitch

Undercard

Jake O'Brian (10-1) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (11-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jake O'Brian via TKO

Round 1
Nice fast-paced start from Tuchscherer, who gets right in O'Brien's face from the beginning of the round, throwing some crisp jabs and then a vicious uppercut. The two jabs got parried, the uppercut missed as O'Brien side-stepped. O'Brien fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Tuchscherer steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from O'Brien. Tuchscherer is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Tuchscherer sweeps O'Brien's standing leg and takes them to the ground. O'Brien quickly pulls guard. Tuchscherer throws out a right hand, parried away by O'Brien. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Tuchscherer looks content to stay there and throw some punches. O'Brien isn't offering any sort of attacking threat yet, instead concentrating on keeping the strikes from landing. A big punch is driven into the ribs, O'Brien thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. O'Brien reaches up and pulls Tuchscherer down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Tuchscherer defends it easily, and gets in a sharp jab to the face too. He stands up slightly, leaning forward into the guard, and starts throwing some right hands. One gets through, the others are parried. O'Brien looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Tuchscherer was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Tuchscherer gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. O'Brien fires off two punches from his back, but Tuchscherer defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Tuchscherer stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time O'Brien does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Tuchscherer breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like O'Brien will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Tuchscherer.

Round 2
Tuchscherer starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. O'Brien covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. O'Brien backs up to buy some time, but Tuchscherer keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. O'Brien scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Tuchscherer catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. O'Brien pulls guard. Tuchscherer fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of O'Brien. Tuchscherer tries to pass the guard, but can't, O'Brien isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Tuchscherer will start raining down punches. Tuchscherer tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. O'Brien gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Tuchscherer again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Tuchscherer fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but O'Brien fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by O'Brien, and Tuchscherer is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but O'Brien has defended the danger well. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Tuchscherer by 10-9.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. O'Brien puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Tuchscherer defended well. Straight right from Tuchscherer in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, O'Brien probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Tuchscherer gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to O'Brien. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to O'Brien by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 29-28 to Chris Tuchscherer.

Rating: *
Notes: And Tuchscherer's streak continues and it now stands at twelve straight wins. With such a weak Heavyweight division at the moment a few more wins may make him a key player.

Demian Maia (7-0) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Demian Maia via Split Decision

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Almeida flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Maia easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Almeida could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Maia moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Almeida is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Almeida forces Maia back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Maia in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Almeida does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Maia saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Almeida turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Almeida is up quickly, causing Maia, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Almeida was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Almeida throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Maia to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening.

The first round is over. Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Maia.

Round 2
The round starts. They touch gloves. Almeida throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Maia to back off. Maia throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Almeida sees it coming and steps back. Maia advances and they meet in the center. Almeida ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Maia throws a one-two combination, neither connecting, but it does allow him to follow up with a stinging kick to the ribs. A big red mark has appeared there. Almeida bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Maia ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Almeida to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Almeida tries to come in to get a measure of revenge, but is met with some low kicks that make sure that he can't get close enough to throw any bombs. Maia's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Almeida and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Almeida is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Maia.

Round 3
Maia is quickest out, and comes at Almeida with a series of jabs and straight punches. Almeida covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Almeida hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Maia who takes it to the ground. Almeida pulls guard. There's a lull, as Maia tries to pass, and Almeida defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Almeida almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Maia, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. That's the end of the round.

Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Maia. Demian Maia wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: **
Notes: Maia could be the person to dethrone Anderson Silva with his strictly ground based style. In another win or two he could get a chance to try.

Thiago Alves (13-3) vs. Ryo Chonan (14-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Alves via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round, there's a lot of circling going on, not much contact though. Alves fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a left hand to the shoulder region. Chonan almost catches Alves with a massive left hook. A big arcing kick from Alves catches Chonan on the shoulder, it wasn't far away from landing on the side of the jaw. Chonan storms in throwing a flurry of blows, but Alves dodges out of the way. A jab catches Chonan on the cheek, then another big kick hits home, this time into the ribs. Alves is really using those big kicks well, they're both keeping Chonan at bay and hurting him. Chonan tries another attack, first working an angle away from the kicks then coming in with a couple of straight rights. Alves defends it well, parrying the punches away and moving to safety before Chonan can unload with any bombs. Alves hits another kick, this time to the thigh, setting it up with a couple of raking punches. That's the last significant action of the round, a round that Alves has dominated with kicks. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Alves.

Round 2
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Alves, providing the first moment of real action. Chonan hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Alves side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Chonan is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Chonan.

Round 3
Alves comes out strongly, looking for an early knock down, but three crisp jabs all get blocked, and Chonan ties him up in a clinch inside of the first thirty seconds. They struggle in the clinch for a while. Alves breaks free and steps back. Chonan tries to follow, but takes a harsh kick to the hip as a result. Alves moves in and throws some high speed jabs. Chonan defends them fairly easily, and throws a right hand, narrowly missing. Alves thunders another kick into the hip area. Chonan backs off, limping slightly. Chonan fakes a takedown, allowing him to bring out a left cross from way down. Alves manages to parry it away, but it glances off the side of his head nonetheless. Chonan tries to capitalise, coming in with a looping overhand right, but Alves gets out of the way and has the time to pick his spot for another brutal kick. This one is slightly higher, crashing into the rib cage. Chonan is having real trouble finding a way past those kicks, they are so powerful that they're allowing Alves to dictate the action. He will win this round on points, as time is about to run out. That's the end of the round.

Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Alves. The three judges all give the match as 29-28 to Thiago Alves.

Rating: *
Notes: Thiago Alves here shows why he is a top ten Welterweight with a hard fought decision win.

Rich Clementi (31-12-1) vs. Mac Danzig (19-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mac Danzig via TKO

Round 1
Clementi hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Danzig to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Clementi hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Danzig tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Clementi having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Danzig. Danzig gets caught with a solid right hand out of nowhere, and is rocked. Clementi follows up with another one, and Danzig looks in trouble all of a sudden. He is backed up against the cage and Clementi is unloading. The punches are raining down, Danzig is covering up. The referee has seen enough and stops the fight, clearly feeling that Danzig was unable to defend himself intelligently. Clementi wins.

Clementi wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 3:45.

Rating: **
Notes: Danzig can't garner a second win under the new Avater regime as he falls to Rich Clementi. Clementi will be very happy with this win here and this and a few more wins could provide him with a title shot.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-2) vs. Matt Hamill (3-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO

Round 1
Sokoudjou starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Hamill. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Hamill goes for a single leg and puts Sokoudjou on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Hamill from getting on top. Sokoudjou definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Hamill hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Sokoudjou again. This time Sokoudjou isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Hamill will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Sokoudjou defends. Hamill tries to slip past to get side control, but Sokoudjou just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Hamill has the side. Two big elbows land, and Sokoudjou seems in trouble. Hamill goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Hamill.

Round 2
Nice fast-paced start from Hamill, who gets right in Sokoudjou's face from the beginning of the round, throwing some crisp jabs and then a vicious uppercut. The two jabs got parried, the uppercut missed as Sokoudjou side-stepped. Sokoudjou fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Hamill steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Sokoudjou. Hamill is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Hamill sweeps Sokoudjou's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Sokoudjou quickly pulls guard. Hamill fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Sokoudjou. Hamill tries to pass the guard, but can't, Sokoudjou isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Hamill will start raining down punches. Hamill tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Sokoudjou gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Hamill again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Hamill fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Sokoudjou fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Sokoudjou, and Hamill is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Sokoudjou has defended the danger well. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hamill.

Round 3
Sokoudjou doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Hamill sprawls and keeps him at bay. Sokoudjou pushes harder, but Hamill has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Sokoudjou on his back. Hamill gets sucked into his guard though. The fight falls into a lull as a pattern develops; Hamill punctuating attempts to pass guard with some sharp punches to the body and face, while Sokoudjou parries away any big blows and puts all of his effort into making sure Hamill doesn't get a better position. Things heat up as Hamill manages to break the guard and get through into a half mount. Sokoudjou hits a nice clean right hand in response. Hamill throws a couple of hard punches to the stomach. He has one leg trapped, and is trying to pull that free so that he can move further up the body and really start pounding away. Sokoudjou knows that having the leg trapped is his key to not ending up in huge trouble, and so has it locked up tight. Hamill tries a half-hearted attempt at a kimura, but Sokoudjou defends it well. The round ends with Hamill still unable to transition into side control, although he has landed enough shots to have lit up Sokoudjou's upper body with red marks, and definitely won the round on points. That's the end of the round.

Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Hamill. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Matt Hamill.

Rating: **
Notes: Hamill hands Sokoudjou his second UFC loss and surely if Sokoudjou doesn't win his next fight he will surely be released. For Hamill though this is a big step in the right direction.

Karo Parisyan (18-4) vs. Ben Saunders (5-0-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Karo Parisyan via Decision

Round 1
Parisyan hits the first punch of the round, scoring with a jab to the cheek. Saunders throws a left hook in response, but it's well wide of the mark. Parisyan steps in and hits a low kick. Saunders ignores it and shoots in for a takedown. Parisyan saw it coming though, and defends it brilliantly, sprawling at first, then pushing Saunders face-down to the ground so that he can take his back. Saunders turtles up. Parisyan hits a couple of hard shots to the body, but can't stop Saunders working his way up and turning over, pulling guard. Parisyan doggedly tries to pass guard, but Saunders keeps him at bay. The referee tells them that he wants to see more in the way of action or he'll stand them up. Not much of an incentive for Saunders to do anything, but it does inspire Parisyan to throw a couple of hard punches, albeit ones that are easily parried by the gloves of Saunders. Parisyan manages to work past Saunders's right leg, but gets caught in half guard before he can get the mount that he was looking for. The fight once again slows right down, with Saunders's tenacious defence frustrating Parisyan. Saunders sucks Parisyan into a clinch, and even tries a cheeky guillotine. Parisyan pushes him away though, and nails a beauty of a right hand to the cheek in response. I don't think Saunders will be trying that move again for a while. Parisyan grabs an arm and tries to twist it backward to create some torque. Saunders uses his free arm to grab his own wrist, preventing that from happening. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Parisyan.

Round 2
Parisyan starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Saunders covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Saunders backs up to buy some time, but Parisyan keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Saunders scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Parisyan catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Saunders pulls guard. Saunders tries to push free, but Parisyan forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Parisyan reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Saunders breaks it by bringing his arms up. Parisyan steps through in an effort to mount Saunders, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Parisyan throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Saunders rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Parisyan determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Saunders uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Parisyan having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Parisyan.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Parisyan works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Saunders backed up against the cage. Parisyan gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Saunders, who uses his legs well to defend. Parisyan pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Saunders gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Parisyan follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Parisyan hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Saunders tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Saunders leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. The 3rd round ends.

Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Parisyan. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Karo Parisyan.

Rating: **
Notes: Comfortable win here for Parisyan cewrtainly secureing his title shot against the winner of tonights main event.

Maincard

Shinya Aoki (15-2) vs. Spencer Fisher (20-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shinya Aoki via Submission

Round 1
The round starts. They touch gloves. Fisher throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Aoki to back off. Aoki throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Fisher sees it coming and steps back. Aoki advances and they meet in the center. Fisher ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Aoki throws a one-two combination, neither connecting, but it does allow him to follow up with a stinging kick to the ribs. A big red mark has appeared there. Fisher bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Aoki ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Fisher to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Fisher tries to come in to get a measure of revenge, but is met with some low kicks that make sure that he can't get close enough to throw any bombs. Aoki's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Fisher and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Fisher is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Aoki.

Round 2
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Fisher is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Aoki picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Fisher throws a wild punch as a counter, but Aoki ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Fisher gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Fisher is looking for big punches, Aoki is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Fisher manages to back Aoki up against the cage. Fisher takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Aoki ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Fisher can unload. Fisher may need to think about changing tactics, Aoki is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Fisher fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Aoki on the thigh. Aoki presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Fisher gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Aoki.

Round 3
The round begins with Fisher taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Aoki replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Fisher goes for the takedown, but Aoki sprawls. Fisher tries to power through, but Aoki uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Fisher defend this. Aoki is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Fisher isn't allowing it. Fisher pulls Aoki in tight, locking up both his arms. Aoki pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Aoki tries a big right hand, which Fisher defends well. He has quite a high guard, Aoki has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Fisher once again drags Aoki down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Aoki easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Aoki trying to pass guard. Fisher tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Aoki, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Aoki scores with a jab, then a second. Fisher goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Aoki enough time to take him down again. Aoki quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Fisher once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Aoki on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Aoki. Shinya Aoki wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: **
Notes: Aoki proves he is worth his high ranking with a comfortable win here over Fisher.

Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Alan Belcher (13-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Patrick Cote via Submission

Round 1
Cote hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Belcher to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Cote hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Belcher tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Cote having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Belcher. Belcher makes Cote back up against the cage by throwing some looping punches. He comes in closer and hits a right hook to the body, getting a jab to the cheek in return. Belcher throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Cote lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Belcher by surprise, putting him down! Cote follows up and starts raining down right hands.

Belcher covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Cote off, the match is over. The official time is 3:18.

Rating: **
Notes: Cote with a confident win here over Belcher securing it with a first round TKO. This will almost certainly put Cote into the top 5 midleweights withis a step in the right direction for him.

Cheick Kongo (11-4) vs. Frank Mir (11-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Frank Mir via Submission

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Mir flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Kongo easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Mir could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Kongo moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Mir is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Mir forces Kongo back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Kongo in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Mir does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Kongo saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Mir turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Mir is up quickly, causing Kongo, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Mir was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Mir throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Kongo to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Kongo.

Round 2
Kongo starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Mir avoids it without too much trouble. Kongo isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Mir getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Kongo finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Mir opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Kongo is backed up against the cage, covering up. Mir clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Kongo hits a knee strike to the hip. Mir slips one leg behind Kongo and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Kongo landed hard, with Mir on top. They're in half guard. It's to Kongo's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Mir from attacking the left hand side of the body. Kongo is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Mir tries to step over to mount, but Kongo keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Mir fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Kongo doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Mir isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Kongo ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Mir can get free. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Mir.

Round 3
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Mir comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Kongo really put some venom into that strike. Mir backs off, clearly stung. Kongo is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Mir ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Kongo was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Mir is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Mir from getting in too close. Kongo stalks Mir, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Mir is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Kongo hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Kongo squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Mir comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Kongo tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Mir backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Kongo advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Mir. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Kongo. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Kongo. The three judges all give the match as 29-28 to Cheick Kongo.

Rating: **
Notes: Good win here for Kongo which barely anyone would of predicted as Mir was a strong favourite.

Chuck Liddell (21-5) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (16-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Chuck Liddell via Knock Out

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Liddell throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Rua. Kick to the thigh from Rua, but it lacked power. For a second it looked like Liddell was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Rua with a jab. Rua looks to be working an angle. Big kick from Rua! That was out of nowhere, and hit Liddell on the jaw. I don't think anyone saw that coming, least of all Liddell, and he has been laid out cold with one massively powerful kick.

Official time of the knock out is 1:44 of the first round.

Rating: ****
Notes: Wow! Great win here for Shogun and what a way to do it. This could give him a title shot or atleast a fight with Machida for the #1 contendership.

UFC Welterweight Championship: George St. Pierre (16-2) vs. Jon Fitch (16-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: George St. Pierre via Submission

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from St. Pierre, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. St. Pierre puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Fitch covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. St. Pierre with a body shot. Low kick from Fitch, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that St. Pierre will take the round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to St. Pierre by 10-9.

Round 2
The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Fitch starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but St. Pierre is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. St. Pierre steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Fitch throws a vicious right cross, but St. Pierre goes under it and catches Fitch with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; St. Pierre using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Fitch's counters. Fitch is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that St. Pierre has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Fitch. Fitch finally hits a meaningful blow, catching St. Pierre coming in with a low kick. St. Pierre still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Fitch can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with St. Pierre having dominated. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. St. Pierre puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Fitch defended well. Straight right from Fitch in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, St. Pierre probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Fitch gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to St. Pierre. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 4
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Fitch is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but St. Pierre blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Fitch is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. St. Pierre is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Fitch can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Fitch some problems later on. Fitch moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. St. Pierre is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Fitch before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Fitch off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Fitch goes for a trip, but St. Pierre cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from St. Pierre may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to St. Pierre.

Round 5
St. Pierre starts with a high kick, but Fitch was well out of range. Fitch looks to be working an angle. St. Pierre steps in and exchanges strikes with Fitch, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Fitch parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches St. Pierre on the shoulder. The round has been a little flat so far, neither of them is really forcing the issue. They enter into a clinch, which doesn't help matters, and that seems to last for an eternity before the referee separates them and tells them to get on with it. St. Pierre finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Fitch did well to defend it, bobbing and weaving out of the way and using his gloves to parry away anything that was too close. He uses a low kick to the thigh as a response, then steps in and unloads with two fine punches, although St. Pierre blocked them. St. Pierre scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Fitch square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Fitch backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately St. Pierre's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with St. Pierre probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. The round is over.

Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to St. Pierre. Georges St. Pierre wins, with a score of 50-45 from two judges, 49-46 from the other. Georges St. Pierre retains the UFC Welterweight title.

Rating: ***
Notes: Good win here for GSP and one must wonder if he beats Karo who else is left. And then will he change weight classes to Middleweight or Lightweight. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
Fight of the Night: Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua

Resignings
Brock Lesnar, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, Jake O'Brian, Alan Belcher, Ricardo Almeida and Thiago Alves have all been resigned to the UFC but unfortunately Jason Black has been let go.

chris caulfield

05-31-2008, 03:05 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 86

UFC have released the new ranking following their UFC 86 event.

Lightweight
1. Sean Sherk
2. Shinya Aoki +1
3. BJ Penn -1
4. Roger Huerta
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Joe Stevenson
7. Rich Clementi +2
8. Din Thomas
9. Joe Lauzon +1
10. Thiago Tavares - New Entry

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Karo Parisyan
3. Thiago Alves +4
4. Matt Serra
5. Diego Sanchez
6. Jonathan Goulet
7. Kuniyoshi Hironaka +1
8. Matt Hughes +1
9. Akihiro Gono +1
10. Dan Hardy - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Patrick Cote +2
5. Nate Marquardt -1
6. Joey Villasenor +1
7. Demian Maia - New Entry
8. Kendall Grove
9. Joe Doerkson
10. Dean Lister

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua +2
3. Lyoto Machida -1
4. Rashad Evans +1
5. Wanderlei Silva +1
6. Keith Jardine +1
7. Antonio Mendes +1
8. Ricardo Arona +1
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +1
10. Chuck Liddell -7

Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Tim Sylvia
4. Cheick Kongo +6
5. Andrei Arlovski
6. Fabrico Werdum -2
7. Pedro Rizzo -1
8. Sergei Kharitonov -1
9. Randy Couture
10. Aleksander Emelianenko - New Entry

P4P
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Quinton Jackson
3. George St. Pierre +2
4. Anderson Silva
5. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua - New Entry
6. Sean Sherk -2
7. Lyoto Machida -1
8. Shinya Aoki - New Entry
9. Karo Parisyan - New Entry
10. BJ Penn -2

Biggest Jump this month: Cheick Kongo: Kongo had a impressive display this month against Frank Mir which he won by decision. He is now considered the #4 Heavyweight in the UFC and this will surely be a great pleasure for him to see. His next fight will probably be against Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski or Fabrico Werdum.

Biggest Drop this month: Chuck Liddell/Jon Fitch: Liddell fell 7 places this month after being brutally KO'ed by a Shogun head kick. He was expected to fight Rashad Evans next if he lost but after such a big drop he will probably either 'Lil Nog' or Arona, while Evans will probably fight Wanderlei Silva next. The other big drop this month is Jon Fitch after he has completely dropped of the Welterweight rankings after being #3 last month. This massive drop comes after his decision loss to George St. Pierre in the main event of UFC 86. He is expected to fight someone like Kuniyoshi Hironaka or Jonathan Goulet next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua(P4P)/Demian Maia: Lets start with Maia. He is now ranked as the #7 Middleweight in the UFC after his decision win over Ricardo Almeida. He will likely fight Kendall Grove, Joe Doerkson or Dean Lister next. Shogun moved up form #4 to #2 in the Light Heavyweight rankings this month but he also debuted on the P4P top 10 at #5 after his brutal KO of Chuck Liddell after only 1 minute and 44 seconds of the first round. He is expected to fight either Lyoto Machida for the #1 contendership to the title or Quinton Jackson for the title next. He will be hoping for the latter.

chris caulfield

05-31-2008, 04:08 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 87: Jackson vs. Machida

Today UFC announced UFC 87:Jackson vs. Machida. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (30-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Andrei Arlovski (12-5) vs. Aleksander Emelianenko (12-3)
Jonathan Goulet (22-9) vs. Akihiro Gono (28-12-7)
Din Thomas (20-7) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-3)
Thiago Silva (13-0) vs. Jason Lambert (23-7)
Undercard
Michael Bisping (15-2) vs. Jason Macdonald (19-9)
Kenny Florian (7-3) vs. Clay Guida (22-9)
Shane Carwin (9-0) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-4)
Wilson Gouveia (10-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-1)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) vs. Marcus Davis (14-4)
Cung Le (6-0) vs. Rory Singer (11-7)

petecrimson00

05-31-2008, 05:12 PM

Maincard
Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida
Andrei Arlovski vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Jonathan Goulet vs. Akihiro Gono
Din Thomas vs. Joe Lauzon
Thiago Silva vs. Jason Lambert
Undercard
Michael Bisping vs. Jason Macdonald
Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch
Wilson Gouveia vs. Luis Cane
Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Marcus Davis
Cung Le vs. Rory Singer

Dustin

05-31-2008, 07:16 PM

chris caulfield

06-01-2008, 08:43 AM

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UFC 87 Preview

Cung Le (6-0) vs. Rory Singer (11-7)
Cung Le with his second fight in the octagon here after his decision win over Marvin Eastman at UFC 85. Most will expect Le to remain undefeated and defeat Singer without much trouble. With a win here Le may move into the top ten.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) vs. Marcus Davis (14-4)
Yoshida will make octagon debut against Davis here. Davis will be looking to win and possibly break into the top ten while Yoshida will just be happy to win in his debut.

Wilson Gouveia (10-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-1)
Gouveia will look to become a viable contender here with a win over Cane. Cane however will look to make his already impressive looking record become even better by addig another fight in the win column. A win here for Gouveia could break him into the top ten.

Shane Carwin (9-0) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-4)
Carwin with his second UFC fight here after his decision win over Eddie Sanchez at UFC 84. Carwin will look to make his win streak go into double digits with a win over Wellisch. Wellisch however look to get a win after his loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 85.

Kenny Florian (7-3) vs. Clay Guida (22-9)
A very exciting looking fight here. Guida is always exciting and Florian is looking to get to the top and a win here would do him a world of good. A win for either of them could put them into the top ten Lightweights.

Michael Bisping (15-2) vs. Jason Macdonald (19-9)
Bisping who had a dissapointing loss last time out to Kendall Grove will look to get a win here which after another win could put him into the title picture. Macdonald will just be happy to be there with barely anyone expecting to see him win.

Thiago Silva (13-0) vs. Jason Lambert (23-7)
Thiago will want to finish this against Lambert who he says doesn't deserve to be in the UFC. Will he be able to prove his point or not who knows but if he does win one would expect to see him make appearance in the top ten Light Heavyweights with a record like his.

Din Thomas (20-7) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-3)
Two top ten Lightweights go to battle here with Din ranked at #8 at Lauzon at #9. A win could put either into the top five which would do wonders for either. With such a stacked Lightweight division a win here would be great for either fighter.

Jonathan Goulet (22-9) vs. Akihiro Gono (28-12-7)
Goulet steps into the octagon for the first time since his upset win against Matt Hughes. A win here could but him into the top five Welterweights in the UFC where a title shot could be on the horizon. Gono though is no can as he he is ranked at #9 in the UFC and will be looking to win here and climb the ranks further.

Andrei Arlovski (12-5) vs. Aleksander Emelianenko (12-3)
This is a big fight for the Heavyweight division which people continue to call weak despite all the great fighters in there. A win for Arlovski would put him in serious contention for a title shot against whoever may hold it with Nog looking certain to fight Fedor next. Meanwhile Aleksander is making his UFC debut and by no means is it an easy one. He is already ranked at #10 in the UFC and a win over Arlovski who is ranked #5 would do him the world of good. Whoever wins here will defintely be in contendership for a title shot as both are already considered top class and a win over either could just push them up another level.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (30-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Rampage defends his title as he goes up against the undefeated Lyoto Machida just 3 months after he defended it against the then #1 contender Forrest Griffin. Machida fought on that same card though as he defeated Tito Ortiz in his final fight in the UFC. There isn't a favourite in this fight as both fighters are considered world class fighters. Rampage is the champ and has looked increasingly impressive ever since he got into the UFC. Machida though is undefeated and has wins over people like BJ Penn, Rich Franklin and most recently Tito Ortiz. People describe him as 'elusive' and he will need to be at his most 'elusive' to defeat Rampage who is ranked as the #1 Light Heavyweight and the #2 pound for pond fighter in the UFC. Whoever wins here will almost certainly go up against the #2 ranked Light Heavyweight Shogun after his brutal KO win over Chuck Liddell.

chris caulfield

06-05-2008, 12:30 PM

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UFC 87: Jackson vs. Machida

Undercard

Cung Le (6-0) vs. Rory Singer (11-7)Sherdog's Prediction: Cung Le via TKO

Round 1
Le starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Singer on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Le to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Singer, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Le, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Singer is looking a little lost so far, Le is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Le with a body shot. Le leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Singer was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Singer comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Singer is that although Le clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Le.

Round 2
Le comes out fast and quickly backs Singer up, all the way up against the cage. Le throws a series of rights and lefts; none of the strikes to the head got through, but two nice body shots did. He doesn't follow up though, instead keeping a few steps back, clearly not wanting to get tied up in a clinch. Singer throws a low kick, then advances with some jabs, forcing Le to back off a little. They meet in the center and exchange strikes, with Le looking the crisper striker of the two, although without doing any real damage. Singer shoots in for the takedown, but Le sprawls and eventually pushes free. Right hand from Le, then two jabs which both find their mark. Singer bats away a third, then comes in hard and fast for a second takedown attempt. Le sprawls again, but gets pushed all the way up against the cage. Singer has a leg, but is low down to the ground and doesn't have the leverage to complete the takedown. He works to a better standing position, but has to lose the leg and grab a clinch instead. They both fire off some small punches from there. Singer tries for a trip, but Le avoids it and works free from the clinch. He returns to the center, clearly wanting a striking battle rather than a grappling match. Singer follows, hands held high, and throws a couple of jabs. Le connects with one instead though, and then with a looping right hand that catches Singer above the eye. He felt that, but doesn't go down. Best strike of the round so far. Singer throws a low kick. Le comes in to strike again, but this time cannot sprawl quickly enough and gets taken down. Le pulls guard. Unfortunately for Singer, now that he has finally gotten the takedown, there's less than thirty seconds left. He tries to pass guard to get to side control, but Le comfortably defends it until the round is over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Le.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Singer is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Le picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Singer throws a wild punch as a counter, but Le ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Singer gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Singer is looking for big punches, Le is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Singer manages to back Le up against the cage. Singer takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Le ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Singer can unload. Singer may need to think about changing tactics, Le is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Singer fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Le on the thigh. Le presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Singer gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of the round.

Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Le. Cung Le wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: **
Notes: Comfortable win here for Le here, but then again he was expected to win here. Le is now 7-0 and 2-0 in the UFC. Hopefully this will make him a top ten UFC Middleweight.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) vs. Marcus Davis (14-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yoshida via Submission

Round 1
The round starts. They touch gloves. Davis throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Yoshida to back off. Yoshida throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Davis sees it coming and steps back. Yoshida advances and they meet in the center. Davis ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Yoshida throws a one-two combination, neither connecting, but it does allow him to follow up with a stinging kick to the ribs. A big red mark has appeared there. Davis bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Yoshida ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Davis to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Davis tries to come in to get a measure of revenge, but is met with some low kicks that make sure that he can't get close enough to throw any bombs. Yoshida's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Davis and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Davis is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Yoshida.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Davis comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Yoshida really put some venom into that strike. Davis backs off, clearly stung. Yoshida is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Davis ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Yoshida was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Davis is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Davis from getting in too close. Yoshida stalks Davis, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Davis is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Yoshida hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Yoshida squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Davis comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Yoshida tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Davis backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Yoshida advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Davis. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Yoshida. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Yoshida by 10-8.

Round 3
Yoshida is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Davis advancing. A sharp right misses, and Yoshida takes the opportunity to pull Davis in to a tight clinch against the cage. Davis tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Davis wants to stand and bang, Yoshida wants to keep things at close quarters. Davis tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Yoshida, and we're down to the ground. Yoshida has side control, but Davis has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Yoshida will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Davis tries to squirm into a better position, but Yoshida puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Yoshida tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Davis defends it. Davis manages to bring a knee up and catch Yoshida in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Yoshida responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Davis covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Yoshida may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Yoshida tries to float over into a mount, but Davis uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Yoshida enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Yoshida is the last action of the round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Yoshida. Yoshiyuki Yoshida wins, with a score of 30-26 from two judges, 29-27 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Great UFC debut for Yoshida here as he dominates Davis. Yoshida will be loving life at the moment and will be hoping to get a few more wins soon.

Wilson Gouveia (10-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Wilson Gouveia via Submission

Round 1
They touch gloves to begin. Gouveia throws out a looping right hand, setting up a mid-level kick. The punch found gloves, the kick found nothing but thin air as Cane had stepped back in time. They meet in the center, exchanging a series of blows, and Gouveia gets the better of it, scoring with a crisp jab that causes Cane to back up quickly. Sensing a chance, Gouveia follows and forces him up against the cage with some jabs. Cane covers up, as two hard strikes find the gloves from Gouveia. A right hand misses, and that is the chance Cane needs to quickly get out of trouble and back to the center. Great start to the round from Gouveia. Cane looks to be working an angle. Cane leads with a right hand, then comes in for a quick takedown. Gouveia saw it coming and smartly turns out of the grapple, pushing Cane to the ground, and ending up taking his back in a great defensive move. Gouveia gets one arm in and snakes it around the throat of Cane, squeezing his wind-pipe shut. Cane tries to pull the arm free, but can't, and so rolls over in a last-ditch effort to break free. It is to no avail though, as that allows Gouveia to get a body-scissors in too.

With no alternatives left, Cane taps out. Official time of the rear choke submission is 2:47 of the first.

Rating: **
Notes: Gouveia with a great submission win here over Cane which could get him into the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Shane Carwin (9-0) vs. Christian Wellisch (8-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shane Carwin via Decision

Round 1
Wellisch tries to work an angle from the start, but is kept back by some sharp kicks, one landing painfully across the outside of the calf. Carwin steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Wellisch lands a jab of his own, but gets hit with a vicious waist-high kick when stepping in to follow up. Good tactics so far from Carwin, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Wellisch comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Carwin gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Wellisch to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Carwin has controlled this one, Wellisch is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Carwin.

Round 2
Wellisch goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Carwin doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Carwin comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Wellisch covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Carwin is already out of range. Carwin repeats the trick, working a new angle, darting in, then firing off strikes while keeping out of the way of any counter punches. It happens a third time, and Wellisch is beginning to look frustrated. Carwin's footwork and general movement is looking good, Wellisch is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Carwin is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Wellisch has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Carwin is too quick. Wellisch finally gets in close enough to grapple with Carwin, clinching up. Wellisch scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Carwin bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Wellisch is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Wellisch swings for the fences, but Carwin has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-8 Carwin.

Round 3
The round begins with Wellisch taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Carwin replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Wellisch goes for the takedown, but Carwin sprawls. Wellisch tries to power through, but Carwin uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Wellisch defend this. Carwin is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Wellisch isn't allowing it. Wellisch pulls Carwin in tight, locking up both his arms. Carwin pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Carwin tries a big right hand, which Wellisch defends well. He has quite a high guard, Carwin has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Wellisch once again drags Carwin down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Carwin easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Carwin trying to pass guard. Wellisch tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Carwin, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Carwin scores with a jab, then a second. Wellisch goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Carwin enough time to take him down again. Carwin quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Wellisch once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Carwin on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Carwin by 10-9. The three judges all give the match as 30-26 to Shane Carwin.

Rating: **
Notes: Carwin easily dispatches Wellisch in the win that takes his winning streak into double digits. He is 2-0 in the octagon after this win and in a year or so he may even get a title shot with another 3 or 4 wins.

Kenny Florian (7-3) vs. Clay Guida (22-9)
Sherdog's Prediction: Clay Guida via TKO

Round 1
Florian scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Guida shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Florian moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Guida turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Florian goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Florian looks light on his feet and very agile, Guida looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Guida will need to find a way to nullify Florian's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Florian darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Guida manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Florian's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Florian controlling the round with his superior movement. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian.

Round 2
Guida tries to work an angle from the start, but is kept back by some sharp kicks, one landing painfully across the outside of the calf. Florian steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Guida lands a jab of his own, but gets hit with a vicious waist-high kick when stepping in to follow up. Good tactics so far from Florian, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Guida comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Florian gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Guida to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Florian has controlled this one, Guida is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian.

Round 3
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Guida lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Florian sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Guida on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Florian manages to get the better position, pushing Guida up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Florian. Guida hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Florian tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Guida was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Florian down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Florian covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Guida hits a big elbow to the ribs, Florian definitely felt that. Guida drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Florian brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Guida will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Florian defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Guida unable to generate any attacks, and Florian unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Guida will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. That's the end of the round.

Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Guida. Kenny Florian wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Florian with an impressive win here over Guida but he had to fight hard for it and Guida didn't just lay down for him. This could catapult Florian up the ranks and afte another win or two a title shot could be within touching distance.

Michael Bisping (15-2) vs. Jason Macdonald (19-9)
Sherdog's Prediction: Michael Bisping via TKO

Round 1
MacDonald is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Bisping advancing. A sharp right misses, and MacDonald takes the opportunity to pull Bisping in to a tight clinch against the cage. Bisping tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Bisping wants to stand and bang, MacDonald wants to keep things at close quarters. Bisping tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from MacDonald, and we're down to the ground. MacDonald has side control, but Bisping has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. MacDonald will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Bisping tries to squirm into a better position, but MacDonald puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. MacDonald tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Bisping defends it. Bisping manages to bring a knee up and catch MacDonald in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. MacDonald responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Bisping covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far MacDonald may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. MacDonald tries to float over into a mount, but Bisping uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance MacDonald enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from MacDonald is the last action of the round. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to MacDonald by 10-9.

Round 2
Bisping meets MacDonald in the center. They exchange tentative long-range punches. MacDonald steps in to press the action, but gets caught with a right hand. Bisping scores with a left too, then a crisp jab. MacDonald backs off, that exchange did not go in his favour by any means. Bisping presses the advantage and gets in a couple more jabs, forcing MacDonald onto the back-foot, all the way until he is up against the cage. Bisping stands just in range and starts throwing occasional straight rights, forcing MacDonald to try and react in time. MacDonald parries a few shots away, but also gets caught with a couple. He steps forward and tries to get a clinch, but Bisping keeps away from it and continues to flick quick jabs out. MacDonald is really getting schooled so far, Bisping's hand speed and technique have allowed him to completely control everything about this round, MacDonald hasn't been able to generate anything of note. MacDonald tries to change that by coming after Bisping, but Bisping meets him in the center and exchanges punches, again winning the encounter comfortably. The final minute of the round sees MacDonald try two more times, and in neither can he manage to break Bisping's control. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Bisping.

Round 3
MacDonald starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Bisping keeps out of their way. MacDonald steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Bisping moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. MacDonald doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Bisping moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. MacDonald parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Bisping begins to stalk MacDonald, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. MacDonald hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. MacDonald clinches up, stopping Bisping from following up. It looks like MacDonald needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Bisping is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Bisping clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and MacDonald is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Bisping continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. MacDonald takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. MacDonald looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Bisping from throwing bombs. MacDonald gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Bisping will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Bisping. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Michael Bisping.

Rating: **
Notes: Despite winning this fight Bisping was not impressive. So far under the Avatar regime he has lost in an upset to Kendall Grove and now has an unimpressive win over Jason Macdonald. If he wishes to be a success in the Middleweight division he better start fighting better.

Maincard

Thiago Silva (13-0) vs. Jason Lambert (23-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Silva via TKO

Round 1
They circle each other. Lambert misses with a low kick, and Silva darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Silva is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Lambert is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Silva isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Lambert tries to get in close, but Silva is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Silva gets a solid punch in, catching Lambert just above the left eye. Lambert finally gets a clinch, forcing Silva up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Silva by 10-9.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Lambert comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Silva really put some venom into that strike. Lambert backs off, clearly stung. Silva is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Lambert ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Silva was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Lambert is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Lambert from getting in too close. Silva stalks Lambert, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Lambert is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Silva hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Silva squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Lambert comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Silva tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Lambert backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Silva advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Lambert. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Silva. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva.

Round 3
Silva and Lambert circle to start. Lambert throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Silva sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Lambert comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Silva to slip a nice jab in, catching Lambert just underneath the right eye. Silva comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Lambert misses with a right cross, then backs off. Silva stalks him, forcing Lambert back up against the cage. Silva doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Lambert throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Silva pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Lambert covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Silva in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Silva throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Lambert comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Silva parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Silva's favour. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Thiago Silva.

Rating: ***
Notes: Good showing here from Thiago with a decision win over Lambert. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Light Heavyweights and face some tougher competition.

Din Thomas (20-7) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joe Lauzon via TKO

Round 1
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Thomas lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Lauzon sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Thomas on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Lauzon manages to get the better position, pushing Thomas up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Lauzon. Thomas hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Lauzon tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Thomas was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Lauzon down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Lauzon covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Thomas hits a big elbow to the ribs, Lauzon definitely felt that. Thomas drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Lauzon brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Thomas will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Lauzon defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Thomas unable to generate any attacks, and Lauzon unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Thomas will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Thomas.

Round 2
Thomas doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Lauzon easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Lauzon throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. They clinch. Lauzon gets in a nice knee, but a second attempt sees him swept to the ground. Lauzon landed hard with Thomas right on top of him, it looks like he got winded. Thomas hits three big punches to the face, and Lauzon is rocked. Thomas gets an arm, locks in a kimura, and Lauzon has no alternative but to tap out.

Thomas wins via 2nd round kimura submission with the official time being 1:31.

Rating: **
Notes: Din will be hoping to move up a place or two in the Lightweight rankings with this submission win over Lauzon here.

Jonathan Goulet (22-9) vs. Akihiro Gono (28-12-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Akihiro Gono via TKO

Round 1
An early exchange of punches goes nowhere. Goulet tries to force Gono up against the cage, but can't. Gono scores with the first meaningful blow of the round, a solid right hand to the ribs. Goulet steps in, but we don't get to find out his intentions as Gono clinches up quickly. Goulet tries to shake free, but gets taken down via a trip. Gono tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Goulet is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Gono tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Gono connects, but there was no real power behind it. Gono fakes Goulet out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Goulet manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Gono switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Goulet blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Gono looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Goulet is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Gono tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Goulet is safe. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Gono by 10-9.

Round 2
Gono hits a nice left hook. Goulet felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Gono comes in close and hits a couple of big body shots, bobbing out of the way of the jabs that were aimed for his jaw. Goulet clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Gono uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Gono passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Goulet has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Gono's left arm. Gono's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Goulet covers up to defend them. Gono tries to pin down one of Goulet's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Goulet uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Gono finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Gono.

Round 3
Goulet throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Gono throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Goulet steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Gono hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Goulet. They struggle all the way back, with Goulet ending up backed up against the cage. Gono hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Goulet stomps downward onto his foot. Goulet manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Gono gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Goulet ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Goulet tries a high kick to start, but Gono saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Gono who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Goulet on the nose. Goulet hits a straight right, enough to stop Gono from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Gono. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Akihiro Gono.

Rating: **
Notes: I guess Goulet's win over Hughes was a fluke after all. This is bad for everyone except Gono ofcourse. It's bad for Hughes as he now has a loss to Goulet on his record and has 3 losses in his last 4 fights. It's bad for the UFC because they have Highes in a bad position and he is supposed to be a big part of the Welterweight division so they wanted Goulet to get a decent win streak going so he can replace Hughes but now that is down the drain with Goulet being thought of as a flash in the pan Hughes down near the bottom of the top ten of the Welterweights and Gono not really going up to much as people don't really think beating Goulet is much of an achievement.

Andrei Arlovski (12-5) vs. Aleksander Emelianenko (12-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Arlovski via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Emelianenko stalks Arlovski, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Emelianenko is down! Arlovski goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Arlovski stunned Emelianenko with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Arlovski looks to pound out a victory, throwing some big punches. Emelianenko's guard prevents him from getting his body behind the shots though, and none of them have enough power to really trouble Emelianenko. A couple do get through and hit home though. Emelianenko reaches up and smothers Arlovski into a clinch. He fights free, with some difficulty, and starts punching away again. Emelianenko parries the shots away. Unfortunately the round enters a lull, with Arlovski unable to pass guard and so being content just to throw punches from there, while Emelianenko is unwilling to risk letting Arlovski pass guard. We enter the final thirty seconds of the round before Arlovski gets a breakthrough, managing to power through the guard and mount Emelianenko! Emelianenko covers up and tries to buck and roll his hips to desperately try and dislodge Arlovski. It doesn't work, but it does unbalance him enough to reduce the amount of punches being thrown. Some do come raining down though, and Emelianenko is probably relieved when the round ends with him not having taken too much damage. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Arlovski.

Round 2
Emelianenko throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Arlovski throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Emelianenko steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Arlovski hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Emelianenko. They struggle all the way back, with Emelianenko ending up backed up against the cage. Arlovski hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Emelianenko stomps downward onto his foot. Emelianenko manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Arlovski gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Emelianenko ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Emelianenko tries a high kick to start, but Arlovski saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Arlovski who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Emelianenko on the nose. Emelianenko hits a straight right, enough to stop Arlovski from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Arlovski.

Round 3
They come together into a clich almost right away. Arlovski gets a knee in, but that's about the total sum of the action, and the referee separates them. Emelianenko moves in, but gets caught with a big kick to the legs that causes him to stumble to the mat. Arlovski came in fast to try and capitalise, but Emelianenko uses the guard well. Emelianenko has the guard held very high. Arlovski throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Emelianenko throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Arlovski throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Emelianenko right through the canvas, Emelianenko is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Arlovski is controlling the round from this position, although it has to be said that he hasn't yet truly looked like he can stop the match from here. Emelianenko moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Arlovski stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Emelianenko to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Arlovski having totally controlled the round from the guard. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Arlovski. Andrei Arlovski wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Arlovski with an impressive win here. Arlovski could be in line for a title shot after the almost certain Nog-Fedor fight.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (30-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Machida via Submission

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Machida puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Jackson defended well. Straight right from Jackson in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Machida probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Jackson gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Machida. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Machida by 10-9.

Round 2
Jackson hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Machida to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Jackson hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Machida tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Jackson having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Machida. They come together, both throwing punches. Jackson gets a nice clean shot in, and Machida stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Jackson is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Jackson wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 3:38. Quinton Jackson successfully retains the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Rating: ****
Notes: Jackson hands Machida his first loss of his MMA career with a solid TKO. A Jackson Shogun fight must surely be looming now.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Din Thomas
Knock Out of the Night: Quinton Jackson
Fight of the Night: Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida

Injuries
Andrei Arlovski was injured after his fight with Aleksander Emelianenko. He will be out for around 1 or 2 months with the head injury. Also Jason Lambert will be out for 1 or 2 months with a head injury.

Resignings
Michael Bisping, Thiago Silva, Shane Carwin, Din Thomas, Jonathan Goulet and Joe Lauzon will all be resigned to the UFC. Christian Wellisch has left after he completed his last contracted fight.

chris caulfield

06-05-2008, 01:26 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 87

UFC have released the new ranking following their UFC 87 event.

Lightweight
1. Sean Sherk
2. Shinya Aoki
3. BJ Penn
4. Roger Huerta
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Din Thomas +2
7. Joe Stevenson -1
8. Rich Clementi -1
9. Thiago Tavares +1
10. Marcus Aurelio - New Entry

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Karo Parisyan
3. Thiago Alves
4. Matt Serra
5. Diego Sanchez
6. Akihiro Gono +3
7. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
8. Matt Hughes
9. Dan Hardy +1
10. Jon Fitch - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Patrick Cote
5. Nate Marquardt
6. Joey Villasenor
7. Kendall Grove +1
8. Demian Maia -1
9. Joe Doerkson
10. Dean Lister

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
3. Rashad Evans +1
4. Wanderlei Silva +1
5. Keith Jardine +1
6. Lyoto Machida -3
7. Antonio Mendes
8. Ricardo Arona
9. Thiago Silva - New Entry
10. Wilson Gouveia - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Andrei Arlovski +2
4. Tim Sylvia -1
5. Cheick Kongo -1
6. Fabrico Werdum
7. Pedro Rizzo
8. Sergei Kharitonov
9. Randy Couture
10. Heath Herring - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson +1
2. Fedor Emelianenko -1
3. George St. Pierre
4. Anderson Silva
5. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
6. Sean Sherk
7. Shinya Aoki +1
8. Karo Parisyan +1
9. BJ Penn +1
10. Dan Henderson - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Akihiro Gono: Gono moved up 3 places to #6 this month after he defeated Jonathan Goulet via decision. He only moved up this much because in Goulet's previous match he won a upset against Matt Hughes which is now said to be a flash in the pan. Gono is expected to fight either Diego Snchez or Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

Biggest Drop this month: Lyoto Machida: Machida dropped 3 places in the Light Heavyweight rankings and dropped off the pound for pound rankings this month after his first ever loss to Quinton Jackson. Even though he won the first round he could do nothing to stop Jackson as he TKO'ed Machida in the second. He is expected to fight Ricardo Arona, Antonio Mendes or even Keith Jardine next to get him back on track.

Most Impressive New Entry: There isn't any impressive new entries this month as all the new entries are in the bottom two of the top ten.

chris caulfield

06-06-2008, 12:03 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 88: Fedor vs. Nogueira
Today UFC announced UFC 88: Fedor vs. Nogueira. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Heavyweight Championship: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)
Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (12-0-1)
Matt Serra (10-5) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Roger Huerta (21-1-1) vs. Joe Stevenson (28-8)
Rich Franklin (24-3) vs. Dan Henderson (22-7)
Undercard
Pedro Rizzo (17-7) vs. Jake O'Brian (10-2)
Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. George Sotiropoulos (8-2)
Glover Teixeira (5-2) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-5)
Brock Lesnar (2-1) vs. Eddie Sanchez (8-2)
Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Cole Miller (13-3)
Dean Lister (10-5) vs. Gregard Mousasi (21-2-1)

UFC-KING

06-06-2008, 05:13 PM

Heavyweight Championship: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)
Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (12-0-1)
Matt Serra (10-5) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Roger Huerta (21-1-1) vs. Joe Stevenson (28-8)
Rich Franklin (24-3) vs. Dan Henderson (22-7)
Undercard
Pedro Rizzo (17-7) vs. Jake O'Brian (10-2)
Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. George Sotiropoulos (8-2)
Glover Teixeira (5-2) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-5)
Brock Lesnar (2-1) vs. Eddie Sanchez (8-2)
Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Cole Miller (13-3)
Dean Lister (10-5) vs. Gregard Mousasi (21-2-1)

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 06:29 AM

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UFC 88 Preview

Dean Lister (10-5) vs. Gregard Mousasi (21-2-1)
Mousasi makes his UFC debut against the #10 ranked Middleweight. A win for Lister could push him up the rankings abit but a win for Gregard could put him on the rankings.

Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Cole Miller (13-3)
Alvarez is back in the octagon after his 1st round KO of Corey Hill. He will be hoping to replicate that win against Cole Miller this tiem around. The win for Alvarez could just sneak into the top ten Lightweights.

Brock Lesnar (2-1) vs. Eddie Sanchez (8-2)
Brock Lesnar steps into the octagon for only the third time here against Eddie Sanchez. Since the Mir fight it seems the UFC are keeping him away from any top ten talent and are giving him journeymen and low level gate keepers. A win for Sanchez could give him the push he needs to get a nice streak going.

Glover Teixeira (5-2) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-5)
Arona and Teixeira both make their UFC debuts here and whoever wins could be propeled up the rankings. Arona will be the fovourite at he has alot more experiance and he was a former PRIDE star. A win for Teixeira would be like a dream come true for him with his UFC debut and a win over Arona all in one.

Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. George Sotiropoulos (8-2)
Kos will be the early favourite for this fight but one thing you must learn in MMA is that anything can happen. Sotiropoulos will be hoping that something will turn out as a win for him. A win for Kos could put him in the top ten Welterweights.

Pedro Rizzo (17-7) vs. Jake O'Brian (10-2)
Rizzo's UFC comeback continues with this fight against O'Brian. Rizzo is coming off of a decision win over Ben Rothwell, while O'Brian is coming off a decision loss to Chris Tuchscherer. A win for Rizzo could put him into the top five Heavyweights.

Rich Franklin (24-3) vs. Dan Henderson (22-7)
A year or two ago Franklin vs. Henderson would be the main event but now it's only the first televised bout. But this just shows how stacked this card is. In this bout the #2 and #3 Middleweights go head to head. While both would be worthy of a title shot after a win but both have already lost to the champion. Franklin has lost to Silva twice so he has next to no chance of ever getting another shot while Silva is champion. Henderson however has only lost to Silva once so if he gets a decent streak going he could get another chance. Both are in a really bad position as both could beat almost all the division except Silva but anyone else wanting a title shot would have to go through atleast one of them to get it. Someone like Patrick Cote could wipe out all the division except the top three and he wouldn't get a title shot. And if he faced either Henderson or Franklin he would more than likely lose.

Roger Huerta (21-1-1) vs. Joe Stevenson (28-8)
All the talk in the Lightweight division is about BJ Penn, Sean Sherk or Shinya Aoki. Everyone is so wrapped up in this trio it is forgetting the rest of the division. But interest is high in a Huerta-Penn fight and if Huerta should win you wouldn't rule out a title shot. Joe Stevenson is no can either though as he is ranked at #7 in the Lightweight division.

Matt Serra (10-5) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Both fighters are coming off a win form their last fight. Serra beat Marcus Davis with a third round submission. Sanchez comes off of a second round TKO of Luigi Fioravanti. A win for either fighter would put them in serious title contention right behind Karo and Alves.

Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (12-0-1)
A massive fight for the Light Heavyweight division. Whoever wins this fight will be enxt in line for a title shot right after Shogun. A Silva-Rampage 3 would just be awesome for old PRIDE fans. An Evans-Rampage fight wouldn't be as hyped ut after Evans has beat Silva it would be big enough to main event any PPV.

UFC Heavyweight Championship: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)
Fedor fresh off his superfight win over Randy Couture gsquares off against Nogueira for the title. Fedor has beat Nogueira twice before in the old PRIDE days. Whoever wins this will be the undisputed Heavyweight king of the UFC. the next challenger is unknown at this point but it will most likely be out of 3. Andrei Arlovski, Tim Sylvia and Cheick Kongo are the 3 fighters that are right up there in the Heavyweight division and any of the 3 could get the next title shot.

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 11:51 AM

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UFC 88: Fedor vs. Nogueira

Undercard

Dean Lister (10-5) vs. Gregard Mousasi (21-2-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dean Lister via Submission

Round 1
They meet in the center. Lister hits a nice jab, a second misses. Mousasi steps in close and hits a brutal body shot, causing Lister to back up quickly. That was a really powerful shot. Mousasi stalks Lister, flicking occasional jabs. It looks like Mousasi wants to stand and trade punches with Lister. Mousasi gets within striking distance and throws a bomb of a right hand, narrowly missing. Lister fires off a raking left hook in response, but that is off target too. They meet and exchange punches. Lister goes for the body, but gets tagged with a left hand to the side of the head. Lister is rattled by it, but doesn't step off, instead throwing a couple of crisp jabs. Mousasi throws another big punch, this time thundering it into Lister's shoulder. They clinch. So far it looks like Lister simply can't live with the power that Mousasi has in his hands, you get the sense that if this continues, Lister is going to wind up knocked out sooner or later. The clinch is broken, but within thirty seconds they are right back in it, this time leaning against the cage. By the time that is broken, the round only has a few seconds left. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-8 for Mousasi.

Round 2
Lister starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Mousasi checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Lister doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Lister cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Mousasi with a beauty of a right hook. Mousasi stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Lister presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Mousasi clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Mousasi scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Lister in the gut. Lister uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Lister gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Mousasi reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Lister has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Mousasi has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Lister from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Lister tries to step over and fully apply it, but Mousasi breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Lister steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Mousasi hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Lister will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lister by 10-9.

Round 3
Mousasi doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Lister was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Lister hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Lister is looking the slightly more fit of the two fighters. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Mousasi hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Lister. Mousasi is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Time ticks away, and Lister offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Mousasi by 10-9. Gegard Mousasi wins the match, getting a score of 29-27 from all three judges.

Rating: *
Notes: Mousasi wins on his UFC debut after a dominating first round and winning the third round. If Mousasi continues to win he may soon reach the top end of the division.

Eddie Alvarez (15-1) vs. Cole Miller (13-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Eddie Alvarez via TKO

Round 1
Miller starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Alvarez checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Miller doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Miller cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Alvarez with a beauty of a right hook. Alvarez stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Miller presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Alvarez clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Alvarez scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Miller in the gut. Miller uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Miller gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Alvarez reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Miller has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Alvarez has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Miller from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Miller tries to step over and fully apply it, but Alvarez breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Miller steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Alvarez hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Miller will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Miller.

Round 2
Alvarez starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Miller avoids it without too much trouble. Alvarez isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Miller getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Alvarez finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Miller opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Alvarez is backed up against the cage, covering up. Miller clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Alvarez hits a knee strike to the hip. Miller slips one leg behind Alvarez and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Alvarez landed hard, with Miller on top. They're in half guard. It's to Alvarez's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Miller from attacking the left hand side of the body. Alvarez is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Miller tries to step over to mount, but Alvarez keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Miller fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Alvarez doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Miller isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Alvarez ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Miller can get free. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Miller.

Round 3
Alvarez hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Miller to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Alvarez hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Miller tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Alvarez having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Miller. Alvarez hits two body shots, then comes in low under an attempted right cross and uses a single leg to take Miller down. Nicely done. Miller pulls guard. Miller is forced to cover up as Alvarez starts hammering away with enormous strikes from the guard, trying to simply power the shots through. Some do cause some damage, landing as Miller tries unsuccessfully to throw some counters. Alvarez transitions to side control without any issues and starts finding the punches down again, this time with more leverage and therefore more power. Miller tries to defend them, but a lot of them are getting through. The referee finally has enough and calls an end to the match, feeling that Miller was getting overwhelmed.

Alvarez wins via TKO at 4:39 of the third round.

Rating: **
Notes: Wow Alvarez is a lucky man. I was worried Miller was going to win then and then Alvarez just TKO's him. Alvarez will be happy no matter what though as he still has the win.

Brock Lesnar (2-1) vs. Eddie Sanchez (8-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO

Round 1
Lesnar starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Sanchez covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Sanchez backs up to buy some time, but Lesnar keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Sanchez scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Lesnar catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Sanchez pulls guard. Lesnar fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Sanchez. Lesnar tries to pass the guard, but can't, Sanchez isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Lesnar will start raining down punches. Lesnar tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Sanchez gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Lesnar again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Lesnar fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Sanchez fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Sanchez, and Lesnar is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Sanchez has defended the danger well. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Lesnar.

Round 2
Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Lesnar fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Sanchez fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Lesnar to the floor. The momentum causes Sanchez to almost go completely over the top though, and Lesnar is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Lesnar throws out a right hand, parried away by Sanchez. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Lesnar looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Sanchez isn't offering any sort of attacking threat yet, instead concentrating on keeping the strikes from landing. A big punch is driven into the ribs, Sanchez thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Sanchez reaches up and pulls Lesnar down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Lesnar defends it easily, and gets in a sharp jab to the face too. He stands up slightly, leaning forward into the guard, and starts throwing some right hands. One gets through, the others are parried. Sanchez looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Lesnar was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Lesnar gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Sanchez fires off two punches from his back, but Lesnar defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Lesnar stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Sanchez does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Lesnar breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Sanchez will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Lesnar.

Round 3
Lesnar throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Sanchez throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Lesnar steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Sanchez hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Lesnar. They struggle all the way back, with Lesnar ending up backed up against the cage. Sanchez hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Lesnar stomps downward onto his foot. Lesnar manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Sanchez gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Lesnar ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Lesnar tries a high kick to start, but Sanchez saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Sanchez who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Lesnar on the nose. Lesnar hits a straight right, enough to stop Sanchez from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sanchez by 10-9. Brock Lesnar wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.

Rating: ***
Notes: Lesnar with his second win in a row now. It's only against Eddie Sanchez but it's still impressive.

Glover Teixeira (5-2) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Glover Teixeira via TKO

Round 1
Right hand from Teixeira was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Arona. Teixeira follows up by coming in close, but Arona is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Arona hits a stinging right hand, Teixeira felt it too. Arona moves in to follow up, but Teixeira anticipated it well and scores with a massive kick. Arona is stunned, and stumbles to the ground. Teixeira is on top of him almost right away, and fires off a series of punches. Arona covers up, barely, but a lot of shots are getting through. The referee decides that enough is enough, and pulls Teixeira off, it's a TKO victory.

Teixeira wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 1:11.

Rating: *
Notes: Arona makes his UFC deut and he is TKO'ed in the first round by Teixeira. Teixeira will be overwhelmed to of TKO'ed someone who was once a top 5 LHW.

Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. George Sotiropoulos (8-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Josh Koscheck via TKO

Round 1
Koscheck leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Sotiropoulos deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Sotiropoulos uses a knee to the ribs before backing Koscheck up against the cage. Right hand from Koscheck connects though, that was well timed. Sotiropoulos breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Koscheck was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Sotiropoulos sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Koscheck fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Koscheck hits two jabs, then a high kick. It glances off Sotiropoulos's shoulder, catching him on the top of the head. He stumbles backward, ending up against the cage.

Koscheck charges in and starts unloading, and after several crunching punches have landed the referee has no choice but to jump in and bring the match to the end. The official time is 3:22.

Rating: *
Notes: Koscheck wl be happy with this win. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Welterweights with this win.

Pedro Rizzo (17-7) vs. Jake O'Brian (10-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Pedro Rizzo via Submission

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Rizzo puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but O'Brien defended well. Straight right from O'Brien in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Rizzo probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. O'Brien gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Rizzo. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Rizzo by 10-9.

Round 2
Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. O'Brien uses a trip to make a takedown, but doesn't go down himself, instead staying back. He pushes the raised legs away and dives in to get side control, but Rizzo scrambles and manages to get up, pushing O'Brien down to the ground. Rizzo ends up on top, in guard. Rizzo stands into a half-crouching position, dragging O'Brien's guard with him. O'Brien reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Rizzo knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. O'Brien blocks it. Rizzo floats over and gets into side control. O'Brien scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Rizzo lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften O'Brien up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. O'Brien makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Rizzo can't get either arm isolated properly. Rizzo changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. O'Brien fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Rizzo can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Rizzo.

Round 3
Rizzo and O'Brien meet in the center, and both throw looping right hands at the same time. Neither hits home. Rizzo throws a couple of nice jabs that cause O'Brien to cover up. He throws a sharp right hand in response which narrowly misses. They clinch in the center. O'Brien tries to trip Rizzo, but it is easily dealt with, and Rizzo cheekily does the exact same thing to O'Brien, except with more success. O'Brien goes crashing to the ground with Rizzo on top. Rizzo tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but O'Brien is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Rizzo tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Rizzo connects, but there was no real power behind it. Rizzo fakes O'Brien out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. O'Brien manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Rizzo switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but O'Brien blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Rizzo looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. O'Brien is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Rizzo tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and O'Brien is safe. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Rizzo. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Pedro Rizzo.

Rating: **
Notes: Rizzo with two wins and zero losses since returning to the UFC. Rizzo may even break into the top five with this win.

Maincard

Rich Franklin (24-3) vs. Dan Henderson (22-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Henderson via TKO

Round 1
Right hand from Henderson was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Franklin. Henderson follows up by coming in close, but Franklin is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. They come together, both throwing punches. Franklin gets a nice clean shot in, and Henderson stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Franklin is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly.

The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early. The official time is 1:53.

Rating: ***
Notes: Henderson will not be happy after the fight was supposedly stopped early. Franklin however would argue that Henderson wasn't coming back from being knocked down and the two big punches while he was on the floor. Franklin though will have nowhere to go after this. He is the undisputed #2 Middleweight in the UFC now but he can't beat the #1 Middleweight in Anderson Silva.

Roger Huerta (21-1-1) vs. Joe Stevenson (28-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joe Stevenson via TKO

Round 1
Stevenson comes in quick to start, but none of the flurry of jabs that are thrown actually connect with anything but gloves. Huerta gets in a nice counter punch, bouncing a fist off the cheek. Stevenson backs off, then starts to circle. Stevenson throws a right hand to the the body that connects, then goes immediately for a high right hand that misses and puts him well off balance. Huerta capitalises, throwing a big kick to the head! Stevenson goes down, although it's unclear as to how much of that was due to the power of the kick, and how much was down to a stumble. He doesn't look too stunned, as he has the presence of mind to roll over and get ready to defend an attack. It doesn't come though, as Huerta remains back, biding his time. Huerta steps in and kicks at the legs, avoiding the up-kick that comes back. He tries to move around to the side, but Stevenson scoots the same way to keep the defence strong. Huerta finally moves in to throw some punches, but Stevenson manages to pull guard without taking any serious punishment. Huerta tries to pass guard, but Stevenson doesn't allow it. Stevenson throws a couple of punches, but they're parried away. He breaks his guard to bring a leg across and try to kick Huerta in the face, but it's a mistake as Huerta pushes the leg aside and gets side control. Huerta pushes them closer to the cage, near his own corner so that they can give him instructions. Following what they say, Huerta throws some heavy blows to the unprotected stomach of Stevenson, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Stevenson frantically tries to stop that happening, but does indeed give it up. He does manage to roll to the side, giving himself some good leverage and preventing Huerta from extending the arm. Huerta continues trying to apply an armbar, but Stevenson is not allowing it. Eventually Huerta turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Stevenson fights that off too. The round ends with Huerta still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Stevenson tenaciously stopping it. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Huerta.

Round 2
Fast start by Stevenson, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Huerta circles, drawing a lunge from Stevenson, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Stevenson ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Huerta hopping on the other to remain vertical. Stevenson tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Huerta manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Stevenson has one leg trapped between Huerta's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Huerta defends it well, without fully escaping it, Stevenson can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Huerta suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Stevenson's back. Stevenson was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Huerta up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Huerta throws a couple of short-range punches. Stevenson gets a leg in and trips Huerta, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Huerta, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Stevenson by 10-9.

Round 3
Nice fast-paced start from Huerta, who gets right in Stevenson's face from the beginning of the round, throwing some crisp jabs and then a vicious uppercut. The two jabs got parried, the uppercut missed as Stevenson side-stepped. Stevenson fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Huerta steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Stevenson. Huerta is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Huerta sweeps Stevenson's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Stevenson quickly pulls guard. Huerta passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Stevenson has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Huerta's left arm. Huerta's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Stevenson covers up to defend them. Huerta tries to pin down one of Stevenson's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Stevenson uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Huerta finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Huerta. The official scores are: 29-28 from all three judges for Roger Huerta.

Rating: **
Notes: Huerta Is right in the title picture now. Huerta could fight the person who doesn't get a shot against Penn, either Sherk or Aoki.

Matt Serra (10-5) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Serra via Decision

Round 1
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Sanchez is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Serra picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Sanchez throws a wild punch as a counter, but Serra ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Sanchez gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Sanchez is looking for big punches, Serra is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Sanchez manages to back Serra up against the cage. Sanchez takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Serra ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Sanchez can unload. Sanchez may need to think about changing tactics, Serra is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Sanchez fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Serra on the thigh. Serra presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Sanchez gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Serra.

Round 2
Serra meets Sanchez in the center. They exchange tentative long-range punches. Sanchez steps in to press the action, but gets caught with a right hand. Serra scores with a left too, then a crisp jab. Sanchez backs off, that exchange did not go in his favour by any means. Serra presses the advantage and gets in a couple more jabs, forcing Sanchez onto the back-foot, all the way until he is up against the cage. Serra stands just in range and starts throwing occasional straight rights, forcing Sanchez to try and react in time. Sanchez parries a few shots away, but also gets caught with a couple. He steps forward and tries to get a clinch, but Serra keeps away from it and continues to flick quick jabs out. Sanchez is really getting schooled so far, Serra's hand speed and technique have allowed him to completely control everything about this round, Sanchez hasn't been able to generate anything of note. Sanchez tries to change that by coming after Serra, but Serra meets him in the center and exchanges punches, again winning the encounter comfortably. The final minute of the round sees Sanchez try two more times, and in neither can he manage to break Serra's control. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Serra.

Round 3
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Serra lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Sanchez sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Serra on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Sanchez manages to get the better position, pushing Serra up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Sanchez. Serra hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Sanchez tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Serra was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Sanchez down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Sanchez covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Serra hits a big elbow to the ribs, Sanchez definitely felt that. Serra drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Sanchez brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Serra will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Sanchez defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Serra unable to generate any attacks, and Sanchez unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Serra will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Serra. Matt Serra wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: ***
Notes: Serra may move past Alves in the Welterweight rankings after this win over Diego. Serra will probably fight Alves next for the #1 contendership after Karo gets his shot.

Wanderlei Silva (31-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (12-0-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Wanderlei Silva via Knock Out

Round 1
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Evans complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Silva throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Evans fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Silva steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Evans's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Silva follows up by hitting a right hand too. Evans finds himself backed up against the cage. Silva advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Evans can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Silva steps in and scores with a high head kick. Evans partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Evans gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Silva into a clinch. Knee strike from Silva. They break. Evans still looks hurt from that first kick. Silva gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Evans hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Silva has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Silva by 10-9.

Round 2
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Evans, providing the first moment of real action. Silva hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Evans side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Silva is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva.

Round 3
As the round begins, it's noticeable that Evans still looks pretty wobbly, some of the shots he has taken so far seem to have taken their toll. Can Silva capitalise? Silva advances and throws a solid right, hitting gloves. A left hook gets parried. A crisp jab finds its way through and tags Evans above the right eye. That won't help. Evans puts together a nice sequence, following a one-two combination with a meaty right hook. Silva dealt with it well, parrying or avoiding each one. Silva sneaks a right hand in under the guard, landing just below the throat. The referee tells him to avoid hitting there. Evans finds an energy spurt and forces Silva back with a flurry of jabs. His head may be beginning to clear. Silva hits a right cross, then gets pulled into a clinch. That wastes a whole heap of time, and by the time they are broken apart by the referee, the time for the round is almost over. Silva will win this round on points, but he will be disappointed that he couldn't finish a rocked Evans off. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Wanderlei Silva.

Rating: ****
Notes: Silva will be next in line for a title shot right after the Shogun-Rampage fight. Evans will not be too dissapointed as he is still young and only has one loss on his record still and there is no shame in losing to Wanderlei Silva. He will jsut be happy he didn't get KO'ed like so may people before him.

UFC Heavyweight Championship: Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko via Knock Out

Round 1
Nogueira throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Emelianenko defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. There's a short period with not a lot happening. Emelianenko and Nogueira come in close and exchange strikes. Down goes Emelianenko!

Replays show that Nogueira hit a vicious uppercut during that exchange, although it appears that he actually just went for broke and simply swung for the fences as hard as he could. It doesn't change the fact that Emelianenko has been knocked out though. The official time of the knock out is 1:56 of round 1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira successfully retains the UFC Heavyweight title.

Rating: ***
Notes: I guess third time is a charm. Nog beats Fedor on his third try and by KO no less. What will Fedor do next? Who will face Nog next? Will they face again? This fight has produced many questions and all will be answerd soon enough but one question that has already been answered is that currently Nog is the true Heavyweight king.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Fight of the Night: Wanderlei Silva vs. Rashad Evans

Injuries
Rich Franklin suffered a leg injury during his fight with Dan Henderson and will be out for around 2 months. Also Pedro Rizzo suffered an elbow injury which will rule him out for just over a month.

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 12:33 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 88

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 88 event.

Lightweight
1. Sean Sherk
2. Roger Huerta +2
3. Shinya Aoki -1
4. BJ Penn -1
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Din Thomas
7. Rich Clementi +1
8. Eddie Alvarez - New Entry
9. Thiago Tavares
10. Joe Stevenson -3

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Karo Parisyan
3. Matt Serra +1
4. Thiago Alves -1
5. Akihiro Gono +1
6. Kuniyoshi Hironaka +1
7. Matt Hughes +1
8. Dan Hardy +1
9. Jon Fitch +1
10. Chris Lytle - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Rich Franklin +2
2. Anderson Silva -1
3. Patrick Cote +1
4. Nate Marquardt +1
5. Gregard Mousasi - New Entry
6. Dan Henderson -4
7. Joey Villasenor -1
8. Kendall Grove -1
9. Demian Maia -1
10. Joe Doerkson -1

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
3. Wanderlei Silva +1
4. Keith Jardine +1
5. Lyoto Machida +1
6. Antonio Mendes +1
7. Thiago Silva +2
8. Wilson Gouveia +2
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - New Entry
10. Chuck Liddell - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +1
2. Andrei Arlovski +1
3. Fedor Emelianenko -2
4. Tim Sylvia
5. Cheick Kongo
6. Pedro Rizzo +1
7. Fabrico Werdum -1
8. Sergei Kharitonov
9. Randy Couture
10. Heath Herring

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - New Entry
3. Rich Franklin - New Entry
4. George St. Pierre -1
5. Anderson Silva -1
6. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -1
7. Sean Sherk -1
8. Roger Huerta - New Entry
9. Shinya Aoki -2
10. Karo Parisyan -2

Biggest Jump this month: Roger Huerta: Roger jumped 2 places this month along with many others but his may mean the most for his division. His jump came after his decision win over Joe Stevenson who now lies at #10. Huerta is now ranked as the #2 Lightweight behind only Sean Sherk. Next for Huerta will be any of the 3 that are with him in the top four now.

Biggest Drop this month: Dan Henderson/Rashad Evans: Henderson dropped 4 places this month after his loss to Rich Franklin. Henderson will likely fight Nate Marquardt or Patrick Cote next.

Most Impressive New Entry:Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira(P4P)/Gregard Mousasi: Mousasi came in at #5 in the Middleweight rankings after his Decision win over Dean Lister. Next for him will probably be Joe Doerkson or Kendall Grove. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira moved from #2 to #1 in the Heavyweight rankings this month but he was a new entry on the pound for pound list debuting at an amazing #2 being behind only Quinton Jackson. This all came after his 1st round KO of Fedor. Next for Big Nog will probably be against Andrei Arlovski but could be against either Tim Sylvia or Cheick Kongo aswell.

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 01:21 PM

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UFC Make Move To Rejuvenate Middleweight Division & Bring In New Title Shot System

UFC held a press conference today where they made not one but two huge announcements. First of all they introduce a new system to change how they hand out title shots. It will work around their ranking system. They announced that the only way for a fighter to get a title shot was to be ranked in the top 3 in their division. So in prectice the #4 fighter in their division couldn't get a title shot no matter what. They say that this will help the title fights to be contested between the best of the division.

And second they aim to rejuvenate the Middleweight division by asking 2 welterweights to move up in weight class and 3 Light Heavyweights to move down in oreder to shake up the Middleweight division after they came to the decision that it had no viable contenders to Anderson Silva. Moving down form Light Heavyweight will be Forrest Griffin, Ricardo Arona & Stephan Bonnar. And moving up from Welterweight is Jonathan Goulet and Karo Parisyan. They announced that Karo Parisyan would fight Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Title in the main event of the next PPV. This will comply with the new top three rule as Karo has been placed at #3 in the middleweight rankings.

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 01:55 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 89: Silva vs. Karo

Today UFC announced UFC 89: Silva vs. Karo. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1)
Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1)
Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5)
Undercard
Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5)
Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8)
Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5)
Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)

chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 02:08 PM

OOC: Ok there wasn't a prediction contest last time because I couldn't think of a prize but there will be for this event because in game Couture has said he will retire after his next fight so he will main event the next fight night which will be after UFC 89. The prize will be for you to choose which division, Light Heavyweight or Heavyweight, and who against.

UFC-KING

06-07-2008, 04:27 PM

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1)
Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1)
Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5)
Undercard
Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5)
Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8)
Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5)
Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)

rjhabeeb

06-07-2008, 05:15 PM

Not to be picky but its 4th times a charm for Big Nog............btw WAR NOG Bros

.................................................. .....

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1) break his arm again fabrico
Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1) the mod Im on HIGHLY overrates Clementi though.....btw what mod are you using
Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5) Grove is another guy highly overrated in mods but Griffen would be a ginormas 185
Undercard
Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5) No spoiler intended but poor Hughes
Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8) Fireworks in this one
Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5) glass chin Irvin
Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)
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chris caulfield

06-07-2008, 05:23 PM

Not to be picky but its 4th times a charm for Big Nog

I wasn't counting the No Contest fight. Thanks for the predictions btw and keep them coming in and I will probably get the results up tommorow. Also and feedback on what I've done to revive the middleweights.

EDIT: I'm using Modern Warriors 1.0 with a few tweaks by me but nothing major at all. Can't stand the loading time for Tap Or Snap.

Dustin

06-07-2008, 05:34 PM

Today UFC announced UFC 89: Silva vs. Karo. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1)
Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1)
Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5)
Undercard
Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5)
Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8)
Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5)
Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 08:43 AM

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UFC 89 Preview

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)
Yoshida is back after a dominating decision win over Marcus Davis and this time he is against #10 ranked Welterweight Chris Wilson. If Yoshida wins he will almost certainly break into the top ten and then a win or two more and a title shot will be waiting.

Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Goulet makes his Middleweight debut after moving up from the Welterweight division after he found mixed success. Herman will hope to make it a bad debut for Goulet as he aims to break the top ten. However if Goulet wins he will certainly break into the top ten.

Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Rothwell returns after his decision loss to Pedro Rizzo and it doesn't get any easier as he goes up against up and coming star Brandon Vera. A win for either could push them up into the rankings sooner rather than later.

Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5)
A Light Heavyweight match up here and both fighters seem to be just there in a stacked division. A win though could give them a good enough push to get their confidence up for them to get a winning streak going.

Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8)
Griffin returns after his loss to now #1 Lightweight Sean Sherk. He will hope for a better showing this time around. Ludwig is definately an easier opponent than Sherk but he is no can or he wouldn't be here. If Griffin wins and gets a few more wins he could be in the title hunt along with all the others.

Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5)
Hughes returns after his surprise decision loss to Jonathan Goulet. This time it's the same level of opponent being that he isn't at the bottom of the division but he isn't too far up either. Lytle will be looking to start making a big name for himself with a win like Goulet did but he would like to use this to get a streak of top names going.

Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5)
Forrest with his first fight since his loss to Rampage and it's also his debut in the Middleweight division. Griffin is already a big name so a win or two could get him a title shot sooner than many people would expect.

Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1)
Aoki said he didn't want a title shot right away so he was given a fight with UFC veteran Rich Clementi. This is by no means an easy fight for Aoki but it is one he is expected to win. a win could put him back at #2 or even put him at #1.

Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1)
In this fight the #4 and #7 Heavyweights duke it out. A win for Wrdum would put him at #5 or #6 or if he is lucky #4 so he would still need another win to get a title shot. But if Sylvia wins he could go upto #3 past Fedor and then he would be eligible for a title shot along with Arlovski.

Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Two top Light Heavyweights fight for ranking places here with Mendes at #6 at Silva at #7. A win for either could push them into the top five and after that a title shot looms. If they get to #4 then the loser of Shogun-Rampage will probably drop quite a bit and then they would be eligible for a title shot.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Parisyan is the third fighter to make his Middleweight debut on this card. And what a way to debut in a divisioN, by going up against the champion. A win for Silva would put him back at #1 in the Middleweight rankings after being inactive for over half a year. He fell to #2 last month after Rich Franklin beat Dan Henderson by 1st round TKO, but he would surely reclaim the top spot with a win over Parisyan. Karo will be looking to make his mark on the division though and if he wns it could open the whole division up for many people. I f Karo won it would give Rich Franklin another chance to be champion as he would no doubt be the #1 contender to Karo. But it wouldn't just open the division up for Franklin it would open it up for anyone who ever lost to Silva.

Tyler Gadzinski

06-08-2008, 09:44 AM

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 10:42 AM

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UFC 89: Silva vs. Karo

Undercard

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) vs. Chris Wilson (13-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yoshiyuki Yoshida via Submission

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Wilson flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Yoshida easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Wilson could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Yoshida moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Wilson is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Wilson forces Yoshida back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Yoshida in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Wilson does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Yoshida saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Wilson turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Wilson is up quickly, causing Yoshida, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Wilson was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Wilson throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Yoshida to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Yoshida by 10-9.

Round 2
Yoshida throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Wilson throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Yoshida steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Wilson hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Yoshida. They struggle all the way back, with Yoshida ending up backed up against the cage. Wilson hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Yoshida stomps downward onto his foot. Yoshida manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Wilson gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Yoshida ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Yoshida tries a high kick to start, but Wilson saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Wilson who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Yoshida on the nose. Yoshida hits a straight right, enough to stop Wilson from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Wilson by 10-9.

Round 3
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Yoshida, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Yoshida puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Wilson covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Wilson glances at the referee, not sure why. Low kick from Wilson, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Yoshida will take the round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Yoshida by 10-9. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

Rating: **
Notes: Yoshida is now 2-0 in the UFC and will be hoing to break through to the top ten Welterweights after this win over the #10 Welterweight Chris Wilson. He wasn't as dominant this time around though.

Ed Herman (14-5) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jonathan Goulet via TKO

Round 1
Goulet starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Herman avoids it without too much trouble. Goulet isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Herman getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Goulet finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Herman opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Goulet is backed up against the cage, covering up. Herman clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Goulet hits a knee strike to the hip. Herman slips one leg behind Goulet and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Goulet landed hard, with Herman on top. They're in half guard. It's to Goulet's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Herman from attacking the left hand side of the body. Goulet is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Herman tries to step over to mount, but Goulet keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Herman fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Goulet doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Herman isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Goulet ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Herman can get free. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Herman.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Herman comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Goulet really put some venom into that strike. Herman backs off, clearly stung. Goulet is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Herman ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Goulet was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Herman is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Herman from getting in too close. Goulet stalks Herman, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Herman is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Goulet hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Goulet squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Herman comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Goulet tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Herman backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Goulet advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Herman. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Goulet. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-8 to Goulet.

Round 3
Not much happening at first. Herman is the first to make a move, coming in with a right hand that narrowly misses. Goulet gets in a jab that landed on the left cheek of Herman, and leaves a mark. Quite a slow paced round so far. Herman takes another jab and moves in to retaliate, but it was a set-up and he gets creamed with a high right kick to the side of the head! Herman stumbles but doesn't go down, and has to cover up as Goulet comes in with a series of punches to try and finish the job. Herman somehow manages to hold on long enough to get his senses back, and buys some time by clinching. Hard knee from Herman from the clinch, and Goulet felt that, he looks a little tired from unloading that barrage. They break, and Herman gets in a nice right hand. Goulet looks to be working an angle. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Goulet by 10-9. The official scores are: 29-27 (twice), 30-26 for Jonathan Goulet.

Rating: *
Notes: Goulet is back to winning ways and starts off with a win in the Middleweight division. He lost the first round but he rallied in the second and dominated and then took the third for the decision win.

Brandon Vera (8-1) vs. Ben Rothwell (29-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ben Rothwell via Split Decision

Round 1
Vera leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Rothwell deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Rothwell uses a knee to the ribs before backing Vera up against the cage. Right hand from Vera connects though, that was well timed. Rothwell breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Vera was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Rothwell sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Vera fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Rothwell seems to be growing in confidence over the past thirty seconds. He has just come up with four good separate straight rights, although I don't think any of them did too much damage. He moves in for another, but takes a wicked kick from Vera. Rothwell looks wobbly, and his hands drop. Vera sees it, and comes in with a solid right hand that drops Rothwell to the mat. Vera follows up with more punches, and the referee has to get in there and stop it, Rothwell was not defending himself properly.

I think it's the kick that did the most damage, it seemed to scramble his brains. The official time of the TKO is 3:47 of round 1.

Rating: ***
Notes: Vera with a great win here, but if Rothwell loses his next fight he may be out. Vera will be happy to be back to winning.

Tomasz Drwal (14-2) vs. James Irvin (13-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Tomasz Drwal via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Drwal fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Irvin fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Drwal to the floor. The momentum causes Irvin to almost go completely over the top though, and Drwal is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. The fight falls into a lull as a pattern develops; Drwal punctuating attempts to pass guard with some sharp punches to the body and face, while Irvin parries away any big blows and puts all of his effort into making sure Drwal doesn't get a better position. Things heat up as Drwal manages to break the guard and get through into a half mount. Irvin hits a nice clean right hand in response. Drwal throws a couple of hard punches to the stomach. He has one leg trapped, and is trying to pull that free so that he can move further up the body and really start pounding away. Irvin knows that having the leg trapped is his key to not ending up in huge trouble, and so has it locked up tight. Drwal tries a half-hearted attempt at a kimura, but Irvin defends it well. The round ends with Drwal still unable to transition into side control, although he has landed enough shots to have lit up Irvin's upper body with red marks, and definitely won the round on points. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Drwal by 10-9.

Round 2
Drwal hits a nice left hook. Irvin felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Drwal comes in close and hits a couple of big body shots, bobbing out of the way of the jabs that were aimed for his jaw. Irvin clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Drwal uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Irvin has the guard held very high. Drwal throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Irvin throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Drwal throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Irvin right through the canvas, Irvin is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Drwal is controlling the round from this position, although it has to be said that he hasn't yet truly looked like he can stop the match from here. Irvin moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Drwal stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Irvin to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Drwal having totally controlled the round from the guard. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Drwal.

Round 3
Irvin starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Drwal. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Drwal goes for a single leg and puts Irvin on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Drwal from getting on top. Irvin definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Drwal hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Irvin again. This time Irvin isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Drwal will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Irvin defends. Drwal tries to slip past to get side control, but Irvin just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Drwal has the side. Two big elbows land, and Irvin seems in trouble. Drwal goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Drwal. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Tomasz Drwal.

Rating: **
Notes: Comfortable win here for Drwal and he will look to get a streak going to break into the top ten now, while Irvin will just look for a win.

Tyson Griffin (11-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (16-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Tyson Griffin via TKO

Round 1
Ludwig may have realised that he left the gas on back at home, as he starts the round as if he needs to get this fight finished quickly, throwing two giant-sized right hand bombs and a vicious uppercut within the first thirty seconds. Griffin dealt with them well though, avoiding the first two and parrying the uppercut away. Griffin fakes a takedown, causing Ludwig to back up, ready to sprawl. Ludwig stalks Griffin, forcing him back toward the cage. Ludwig moves in, looking to throw another big shot, but Griffin springs forward and connects with a great punch, crunching his fist into the cheek. Ludwig goes down! Griffin tries to pounce and pound his way to victory, but Ludwig has enough awareness to ensnare Griffin in the guard position as he dives in. Griffin tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Ludwig reaches up to try and bring Griffin down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Griffin fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Ludwig is forced to cover up. Griffin switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Ludwig deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Griffin looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Ludwig occasionally tries to roll his hips to get free, but it may be that he has realised that this round is beyond saving, and is just making sure that he doesn't put himself into a position to be knocked out or submitted by trying to escape. Indeed, time ticks away with nothing breaking the pattern of occasional strikes and defensive positioning. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Griffin.

Round 2
Griffin throws a low kick early on, although it missed. Ludwig flicks out a couple of jabs, trying to work an angle. He steps in to throw a body shot but gets caught with a left hook. Ludwig stumbles backwards, falling on his ass, stunned. Griffin charges in and throws a knock out powered right hand, but Ludwig parries it and brings his legs around Griffin's waist to pull guard. The fight falls into a lull as a pattern develops; Griffin punctuating attempts to pass guard with some sharp punches to the body and face, while Ludwig parries away any big blows and puts all of his effort into making sure Griffin doesn't get a better position. Things heat up as Griffin manages to break the guard and get through into a half mount. Ludwig hits a nice clean right hand in response. Griffin throws a couple of hard punches to the stomach. He has one leg trapped, and is trying to pull that free so that he can move further up the body and really start pounding away. Ludwig knows that having the leg trapped is his key to not ending up in huge trouble, and so has it locked up tight. Griffin tries a half-hearted attempt at a kimura, but Ludwig defends it well. The round ends with Griffin still unable to transition into side control, although he has landed enough shots to have lit up Ludwig's upper body with red marks, and definitely won the round on points. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Griffin.

Round 3
Ludwig starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Griffin avoids it without too much trouble. Ludwig isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Griffin getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Ludwig finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Griffin opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Ludwig is backed up against the cage, covering up. Griffin clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Ludwig hits a knee strike to the hip. Griffin slips one leg behind Ludwig and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Ludwig landed hard, with Griffin on top. They're in half guard. It's to Ludwig's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Griffin from attacking the left hand side of the body. Ludwig is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Griffin tries to step over to mount, but Ludwig keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Griffin fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Ludwig doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Griffin isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Ludwig ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Griffin can get free. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9. Tyson Griffin wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Griffin gets back on track with a win here over Ludwig. He will hope to get a few more and then hopefully a title shot.

Matt Hughes (41-7) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hughes via TKO

Round 1
Hughes throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Lytle throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Hughes steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Lytle hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Hughes. They struggle all the way back, with Hughes ending up backed up against the cage. Lytle hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Hughes stomps downward onto his foot. Hughes manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Lytle gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Hughes ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Hughes tries a high kick to start, but Lytle saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Lytle who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Hughes on the nose. Hughes hits a straight right, enough to stop Lytle from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Lytle.

Round 2
Right hand from Hughes was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Lytle. Hughes follows up by coming in close, but Lytle is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Lytle hits a right hand above Hughes's right eye, but gets clinched up before he can do anything further. Hughes forces him back against the cage. They struggle, with Lytle keeping the takedown from happening by pulling away from every trip attempt. Hughes pushes Lytle into the cage, then sweeps the legs quickly. Lytle couldn't get out of the way that time, and goes down. He pulls guard. Hughes drops a bomb of a right hand, smashing into the hands of Lytle and forcing them back into his face. Another right hand finds its way through, landing right above the eye, stunning Lytle. With his opponent's wits scrambled, Hughes moves from the guard into a mount with ease, and starts unloading with rights and lefts. Lytle tries to cover up, but is getting decimated, and the referee is forced to come in and pull Hughes off, signalling the win.

Official time of the TKO is 1:32 of the second.

Rating: **
Notes: I bet Matt Hughes fans worldwide were worried after he lost that first round, but Hughes rallied and won via 2nd round TKO.

Maincard

Forrest Griffin (15-5) vs. Kendall Grove (9-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Forrest Griffin via TKO

Round 1
Griffin starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Grove on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Griffin to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Grove, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Griffin, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Grove is looking a little lost so far, Griffin is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Grove narrowly misses a right cross. Griffin leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Grove was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Grove comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Grove is that although Griffin clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Griffin.

Round 2
Griffin starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Grove is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Griffin. Grove tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Grove, but it only caught Griffin on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Griffin, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Grove from doing very much. Grove looks to be working an angle. Right hand from Grove, that one definitely registered, but I don't think it had much power behind it. The time ticks away without anything further of interest happening. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-8.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Griffin puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Grove defended well. Straight right from Grove in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Griffin probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Grove gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Griffin. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Griffin. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-26, the other 29-27, all for Forrest Griffin.

Rating: ***
Notes: Griffin with a dominant decision win over Grove here. In a win or two more a title shot may be on the horizon for Forrest.

Shinya Aoki (16-2) vs. Rich Clementi (32-12-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shinya Aoki via Submission

Round 1
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Clementi is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Aoki blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Clementi is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Aoki is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Clementi can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Clementi some problems later on. Clementi moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Aoki is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Clementi before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Clementi off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Clementi goes for a trip, but Aoki cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Aoki may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Aoki.

Round 2
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Aoki throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Clementi. Kick to the thigh from Clementi, but it lacked power. Both fighters circle. Aoki clinches with Clementi. A quick trip sends Clementi falling backward, pulling guard to take Aoki down with him. Aoki moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Clementi is defending it. There's a small lull as Aoki continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Clementi finally couldn't stop it. Aoki starts firing off punches, and Clementi has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Clementi. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Clementi can come up with some answers. Aoki hits another big elbow. And another.

The referee leaps in, it's over! The official time is 1:30.

Rating: ***
Notes: Confident win here for Aoki that could push him upto the #1 spot in the LIghtweight rankings.

Tim Sylvia (24-4) vs. Fabrico Werdum (10-3-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Fabrico Werdum via Split Decision

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Sylvia puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Werdum defended well. Straight right from Werdum in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Sylvia probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Werdum gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Sylvia. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Sylvia.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Sylvia is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Werdum blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Sylvia is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Werdum is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Sylvia can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Sylvia some problems later on. Sylvia moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Werdum is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Sylvia before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Sylvia off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Sylvia goes for a trip, but Werdum cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Werdum may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Werdum.

Round 3
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Sylvia gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Tentative long range jabs from both fighters. Werdum with a low sweeping kick, but it was telegraphed. Sylvia comes in quick but misses a kick. Werdum with a straight right, another, but then walks right into a solid punch. That certainly connected, the crowd could clearly hear it. Werdum backs up quickly, almost on instinct; his hands are down by his side, and he looks glassy eyed and unsteady on his feet. The referee quickly steps in and ends the fight, stopping Sylvia from following up. It'll go down as a TKO for Sylvia. As Sylvia celebrates, the doctor is quickly in to check on Werdum. From the looks of things, he may have been dealt a concussion with that punch to the jaw, as he doesn't look like he knows where he is.

Sylvia wins via TKO at 1:14 of the third round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Sylvia will be hoping this gets him the #3 or even #2 spot in the Heavyweight ranking so he will be right in line for a title shot. It was a very good fight with Sylvia winning the first and Werdum winning the second and then Sylvia wins with the TKO finish in the third.

Thiago Silva (14-0) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Silva via TKO

Round 1
Silva doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Mendes was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Mendes hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Mendes glances at the referee, not sure why. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Silva hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Mendes. Silva is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Time ticks away, and Mendes offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva.

Round 2
Silva comes out strongly, looking for an early knock down, but three crisp jabs all get blocked, and Mendes ties him up in a clinch inside of the first thirty seconds. They struggle in the clinch for a while. Silva breaks free and steps back. Mendes tries to follow, but takes a harsh kick to the hip as a result. Silva moves in and throws some high speed jabs. Mendes defends them fairly easily, and throws a right hand, narrowly missing. Silva thunders another kick into the hip area. Mendes backs off, limping slightly. Mendes fakes a takedown, allowing him to bring out a left cross from way down. Silva manages to parry it away, but it glances off the side of his head nonetheless. Mendes tries to capitalise, coming in with a looping overhand right, but Silva gets out of the way and has the time to pick his spot for another brutal kick. This one is slightly higher, crashing into the rib cage. Mendes is having real trouble finding a way past those kicks, they are so powerful that they're allowing Silva to dictate the action. He will win this round on points, as time is about to run out. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva.

Round 3
Silva isn't hanging around, right from the start Mendes is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Mendes circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Silva weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Silva, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Mendes is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Silva really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Mendes was wide open for a moment there. Silva hits a high kick, catching Mendes on the shoulder. Jab from Mendes finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Silva fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Mendes scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Silva, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Thiago Silva.

Rating: ***
Notes: Silva will be really happy with this comfortable decision win here. He will be hoping to move up quite a few ranking spots after this win.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (21-4) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anderson Silva via TKO

Round 1
Silva's straight right hand punch finds its mark early, tagging Parisyan below the right eye, leaving a mark. Parisyan throws a couple of strikes in return, but can't find a way past the gloves. Silva keeps Parisyan off balance by switching between looping punches, low kicks, and plenty of jabs. Parisyan can't work an angle under the barrage, and backs off. Silva tries to press the advantage, but Parisyan is quick to clinch up. Parisyan goes for a trip but Silva kicks it away. Parisyan drops down and tries for a single leg, but Silva bends down and blocks it. There's an awkward moment as neither can do a great deal. Parisyan eventually releases the leg and gets back into the clinch. Silva hits a knee, and they part. Parisyan throws a nice kick. Silva gets in close enough to hit a kick to the body, then darts back out of range. He repeats the trick, this time replacing the kick with a hard right hand. It appears that he is using 'hit and run' tactics, and Parisyan isn't coping with it yet. Silva goes for it again, and this time almost gets taken down as Parisyan times it well and shoots in. Silva sprawls to block the first attempt, then scrabbles free on the second push, getting out from the side. Parisyan was very close then. Silva keeps Parisyan back, throwing kicks. The action unfortunately peters out, with Parisyan unable to get in close enough to go for a takedown, Silva unwilling to risk the takedown by coming in and throwing strikes. The time eventually runs out on the round. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva.

Round 2
Silva leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Parisyan deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Parisyan uses a knee to the ribs before backing Silva up against the cage. Right hand from Silva connects though, that was well timed. Parisyan breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Silva was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Parisyan sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Silva fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Parisyan works a nice angle and scores with a nice right hand to the body. Silva doesn't seem to pay it much attention though. He steps in and throws two sharp jabs, the first hitting gloves, the second grazing off the left shoulder. Parisyan throws a reckless left hook, then steps in. Silva throws a head kick in response, and it lands flush! Parisyan is out cold from the second it hits, and plummets to the ground completely limp. Silva doesn't even bother following up, he knew that was the match-ender as soon as it connected.

Silva wins via 2nd round knock out with the official time being 3:42. Anderson Silva retains the UFC Middleweight title.

Rating: ****
Notes: Anderson Silva with another dominant performance here. He hasn't been out of the second round since 2004. Karo loses his first Middleweight matches but it won't matter too much as it was to Anderson Silva. Next for Karo will probably be Rich or Henderson. Next for Silva is a mystery.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Anderson Silva
Fight of the Night: Anderson Silva vs. Karo Parisyan

Injuries
Fabrico Werdum suffered a concussion last night during his fight with Tim Sylvia and will be out for 3 months. Also Antonio Mendes has suffered a back injury and will be out for 1 month.

Resignings
Forrest Griffin, Tomasz Drwal, Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan, Rich Clemanti and Tyson Griffin will all be signing new contracts soon.

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 02:27 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 89

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 89 event.

Lightweight
1. Sean Sherk
2. Shinya Aoki +1
3. Roger Huerta -1
4. BJ Penn
5. Vitor Ribeiro
6. Din Thomas
7. Tyson Griffin - New Entry
8. Eddie Alvarez
9. Rich Clementi -2
10. Thiago Tavares -1

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra +1
3. Thiago Alves +1
4. Matt Hughes +3
5. Akihiro Gono
6. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
7. Yoshiyuki Yoshida - New Entry
8. Dan Hardy
9. Jon Fitch
10. Josh Koscheck - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Rich Franklin
2. Anderson Silva
3. Patrick Cote
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Forrest Griffin - New Entry
6. Gregard Mousasi -1
7. Dan Henderson -1
8. Karo Parisyan - New Entry
9. Joey Villasenor -2
10. Jonathan Goulet - New Entry

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Thiago Silva +3
5. Keith Jardine -1
6. Lyoto Machida -1
7. Tomasz Drwal - New Entry
8. Wilson Gouveia
9. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
10. Chuck Liddell

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia +2
3. Andrei Arlovski -1
4. Fedor Emelianenko -1
5. Cheick Kongo
6. Pedro Rizzo
7. Sergei Kharitonov +1
8. Randy Couture +1
9. Heath Herring +1
10. Chris Tuchscherer - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Rich Franklin
4. Anderson Silva +1
5. George St. Pierre -1
6. Tim Sylvia - New Entry
7. Sean Sherk
8. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -2
9. Shinya Aoki
10. Roger Huerta -2

Biggest Jump this month: Matt Hughes/Thiago Silva: Matt Hughes and Thiago Silva both jumped up 3 spots this month after they both won their respective bout. Hughes returned to winning ways with a second rounf TKO of Chris Lytle. He would of been worried after he lost the first round though but he came back like the great fighter he is. He will likely fight either Akihiro Gono or Kuniyoshi Hironaka next. Thiago Silva jumped to #4 in the Light Heavyweight rankings after his Unanimous Decision win over Antonio Mendes. He will likely fight Keith Jardine next.

Biggest Drop this month: Rich Clementi: Clementi dropped two spots in the Lightweight rankings this month after his second round TKO loss to the now #2 Lightweight Shinya Aoki. He will likely fight either Thiago Tavares or Eddie Alvarez next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Forrest Griffin: Griffin made his debut at Middleweight with an impressive and dominant decision win over Kendall Grove. He makes his debut on the Middleweight rankings at an impressive #5. He will likely fight Nate Marquardt next.

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 02:59 PM

Prediction Contest

Dustin, rjhabeeb, UFC-KING: 8/11
Tylar Gadzinski: 6/11

So it's a three way tie which is fine. Do you guys want to see Randy fight his last fight at Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight. The 2 options at Heavyweight will be Pedro Rizzo & Brock Lesnar and the 2 options at Light Heavyweight will be Keith Jardine or Lyoto Machida. Please post the weight class you want him to fight in and your choice of Rizzo & Lesnar and also your choice of Jardine & Machida. Because there are three winners I will choose what weight and who by which option gets 2 votes or the full three.

UFC-KING

06-08-2008, 03:06 PM

I want either one of them

At LHW : I want Machida
At HW : I want Lesnar

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 03:17 PM

UFC-KING: If both rjhabeeb & Dustin both pick the same weight class it is fine but is they pick different weight classes you will have the deciding vote so you can say now or say when or if the time arises.

UFC-KING

06-08-2008, 03:28 PM

alright

i think i will wait

chris caulfield

06-08-2008, 03:35 PM

Thats fine with me.

Dustin

06-08-2008, 04:06 PM

Couture vs Machida at LHW

rjhabeeb

06-08-2008, 07:07 PM

Man I'll be the odd man out and for Randy's last fight pick a rematch with Pedro Rizzo

UFC-KING

06-08-2008, 09:50 PM

Alright so that means i have the deciding vote

so i want Couture vs. Machida

rjhabeeb

06-09-2008, 12:33 AM

tisk tisk tisk......give a leaving Couture get a chance to dethrone your future king Machida if you want but Im starting a Blurcat post about this conspiracy

chris caulfield

06-09-2008, 01:13 AM

I'm surprised no one wanted him to fight Lesnar. As I've said before Lesnar will be fed cans for a while so I thought people would want to give him a challenge.

rjhabeeb

06-09-2008, 02:19 AM

I'm surprised no one wanted him to fight Lesnar. As I've said before Lesnar will be fed cans for a while so I thought people would want to give him a challenge.

what a challenge to stay alive

chris caulfield

06-10-2008, 11:22 AM

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UFC Announces Ultimate Fight Night 14: Couture vs. Machida

Today UFC announced Ultimate Fight Night 14: Couture vs. Machida. Here is the card.

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

Tyler Gadzinski

06-10-2008, 02:20 PM

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephans (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

chris caulfield

06-10-2008, 03:17 PM

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Ultimate Fight Night 14 Preview

Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)
Jason Lambert returns after his decision loss to Thiago Silva to fight another young prspect in Tim Boetsch. Boetsch will look to win here and will then hope to get on a televised bout next time.

Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Aaron Meisner will make his UFC debut in only his third ever pro fight. This will surely be his biggest fight ever. Lister will just be looking to dispatch of the rookie early.

Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Kim will look to take out the veteran Davis and get a streak started to start of his UFC spell. Davis who is coming off of two consecutive losses to Matt Serra and Yoshiyuki Yoshida will be fighting for his job as he only has two fights left on his contract.

Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Two young fighters go head to head in this fight with Diaz being 23 and Stephens being only 22. Whoever wins here will be looking to break into the top ten lightweights after another win and at such a tender age that can only be good.

Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
The #5 and #6 Lightweights go head to head in a fight that could preoduce yet another title contender. This is Ribeiro's UFC debut while Thomas is coming off a submission win over Joe Lauzon.

Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Fitch returns after his loss to GSP. He will look to get back on track with a win against Gono. Gono won't lie down though as he looks to rise the Welterweight rankings and a win over Fitch could put him past Matt Hughes into #4.

Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Glover Teixeira returns after his first round TKO win over Ricardo Arona. Sokoudjou however is coming off of a decision loss to Matt Hamill. If Sokoudjou doesn't win this his future will look very dark. If Teixeira wins you wouldn't bet against him breaking into the top ten.

Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Bonnar makesbhis Middleweight debut after moving down from Light Heavyweight following a decision loss to Rashad Evans. If Cote wins he would almost definately get the next title shot against Anderson Silva, so alot is at stake for him.

Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Brock Lesnar goes into only his 5th pro fight as he looks to avenge his only loss so far. If Lesnar wins he could burst into the top ten as a win here would give him a three fight win streak. Mir will look to get back to winning ways as he returns from a decision loss to Cheick Kongo.

Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Randy Couture will fight his final fight against someone who only has one loss on their otherwise untainted record. Couture will look to add a second loss to Machida's record in his last ever fight. Both are coming off major losses in their last fights. Couture comes off a decision loss to Fedor while Machida comes off a TKO loss to Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. The result won't matter too much in the future for Couture but on the night it will mean everything to him as he fights for pride, honour and his legacy. Machida though is fighting to make a legacy and get back on track and on his way to a second shot for the title.

UFC-KING

06-10-2008, 05:10 PM

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

Dustin

06-10-2008, 06:43 PM

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)

Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

grits207

06-10-2008, 08:39 PM

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

rjhabeeb

06-10-2008, 11:35 PM

Maincard
Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3) good rematch Teixeira seems to be really good in my game
Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Undercard
Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7) Toughest pick......sorry Shaolin
Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5) Arm Snap
Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0) Double Arm Snap
Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)

chris caulfield

06-11-2008, 02:20 PM

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Ultimate Fight Night 14: Couture vs. Machida

Undercard

Tim Boetsch (7-1) vs. Jason Lambert (23-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Tim Boetsch via TKO

Round 1
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Lambert complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Boetsch throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Lambert fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Boetsch steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Lambert's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Boetsch follows up by hitting a right hand too. Lambert finds himself backed up against the cage. Boetsch advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Lambert can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Boetsch steps in and scores with a high head kick. Lambert partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Lambert gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Boetsch into a clinch. Knee strike from Boetsch. They break. Lambert still looks hurt from that first kick. Boetsch gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Lambert hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Boetsch has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Boetsch.

Round 2
Lambert starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Boetsch keeps out of their way. Lambert steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Boetsch moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Lambert doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Boetsch moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Lambert parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Boetsch begins to stalk Lambert, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Lambert hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Lambert clinches up, stopping Boetsch from following up. It looks like Lambert needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Boetsch is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Boetsch clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Lambert is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Boetsch continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Lambert takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Lambert looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Boetsch from throwing bombs. Lambert gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Boetsch will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Boetsch by 10-9.

Round 3
Lambert is quickest out, and comes at Boetsch with a series of jabs and straight punches. Boetsch covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Boetsch hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Lambert who takes it to the ground. Boetsch pulls guard. There's a lull, as Lambert tries to pass, and Boetsch defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Boetsch almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Lambert, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lambert by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 29-28, the other 30-27, all for Tim Boetsch.

Rating: *
Notes: Boetsch wins and his record is now 8-1 which is very impressive. He could see himself being a break out star sooner or later.

Dean Lister (10-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (2-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dean Lister via Submission

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Meisner, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Meisner puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Lister covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Meisner narrowly misses a right cross. Low kick from Lister, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Meisner will take the round on points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Meisner.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Lister puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Meisner defended well. Straight right from Meisner in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Lister probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Meisner gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Lister. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Lister.

Round 3
Meisner starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Lister on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Meisner to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Lister, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Meisner, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Lister is looking a little lost so far, Meisner is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Meisner leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Lister was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Lister comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Lister is that although Meisner clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Meisner. Aaron Meisner wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.

Rating: *
Notes: Meisner remains undefeated and goes up to 3-0. Meisner still has a long way to go before he makes it big though.

Dong Hyun Kim (9-1-1) vs. Marcus Davis (14-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dong Hyun Kim via TKO

Round 1
Davis isn't hanging around, right from the start Kim is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Kim circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Davis weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Davis, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Kim is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Davis really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Kim was wide open for a moment there. Davis hits a high kick, catching Kim on the shoulder. Jab from Kim finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Davis fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Kim scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Davis, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Davis.

Round 2
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Kim, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Kim puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Davis covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. A looping left from Davis, but it's wide of the mark. Low kick from Davis, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Kim will take the round on points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Kim.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Davis is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Kim picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Davis throws a wild punch as a counter, but Kim ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Davis gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Davis is looking for big punches, Kim is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Davis manages to back Kim up against the cage. Davis takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Kim ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Davis can unload. Davis may need to think about changing tactics, Kim is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Davis fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Kim on the thigh. Kim presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Davis gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Kim. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Dong Hyun Kim.

Rating: **
Notes: Kim wins and in another few wins he could be very close to a title shot against GSP or whoever holds it by then.

Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (13-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jeremy Stephens via TKO

Round 1
The fighters come together right in the center. Diaz throws out a jab, but Stephens bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Stephens works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Diaz covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Stephens is making Diaz look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Diaz hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Stephens looks to be working an angle. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Stephens got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Diaz slightly. Diaz initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Diaz looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Stephens is clearly winning them. Diaz needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Stephens tries a speculative high kick, but Diaz saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Diaz tries to work an angle, but Stephens is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Stephens, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Stephens by 10-9.

Round 2
They circle each other. Diaz misses with a low kick, and Stephens darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Stephens is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Diaz is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Stephens isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Diaz tries to get in close, but Stephens is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. Diaz throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Stephens easily avoided them. Stephens gets a solid punch in, catching Diaz just above the left eye. Diaz finally gets a clinch, forcing Stephens up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-8 Stephens.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Stephens works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Diaz backed up against the cage. Stephens gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Diaz, who uses his legs well to defend. Stephens pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Diaz gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Stephens follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Stephens hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Diaz tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Diaz leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Stephens. The official scores are: 30-26 (twice), 29-27 for Jeremy Stephens.

Rating: **
Notes: Stephens wins and Diaz won't be happy but he is still young and will have plenty of time to get revenge on Stephens. Stephens will be very happy to of won here and will hope to be televised next time.

Vitor Ribeiro (19-2) vs. Din Thomas (21-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Vitor Ribeiro via Submission

Round 1
Ribeiro starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Thomas is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Ribeiro. Thomas tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Thomas, but it only caught Ribeiro on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Ribeiro, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Thomas from doing very much. Thomas looks to be working an angle. Right hand from Thomas, that one definitely registered, but I don't think it had much power behind it. The time ticks away without anything further of interest happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Ribeiro.

Round 2
Thomas starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Ribeiro keeps out of their way. Thomas steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Ribeiro moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Thomas doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Ribeiro moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Thomas parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Ribeiro begins to stalk Thomas, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Thomas hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Thomas clinches up, stopping Ribeiro from following up. It looks like Thomas needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Ribeiro is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Ribeiro clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Thomas is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Ribeiro continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Thomas takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Thomas looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Ribeiro from throwing bombs. Thomas gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Ribeiro will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Ribeiro by 10-9.

Round 3
Thomas is quickest out, and comes at Ribeiro with a series of jabs and straight punches. Ribeiro covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Ribeiro hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Thomas who takes it to the ground. Ribeiro pulls guard. There's a lull, as Thomas tries to pass, and Ribeiro defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Ribeiro almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Thomas, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Thomas. The official scores are in; two judges give 29-28, the other 30-27, all for Vitor Ribeiro.

Rating: *
Notes: Ribeiro with a win on his UFC debut and has bumped himself up to 20 pro fight wins. He could now be considered another title contender for BJ Penn's title as if there wern't enough already.

Maincard

Jon Fitch (16-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-12-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jon Fitch via Knock Out

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Gono flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Fitch easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Gono could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Fitch moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Gono is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Gono forces Fitch back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Fitch in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Gono does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Fitch saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Gono turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Gono is up quickly, causing Fitch, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Gono was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Gono throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Fitch to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 2
The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Gono starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Fitch is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Fitch steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Gono throws a vicious right cross, but Fitch goes under it and catches Gono with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Fitch using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Gono's counters. Gono is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Fitch has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Gono. Gono finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Fitch coming in with a low kick. Fitch still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Gono can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Fitch having dominated. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Fitch.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Fitch puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Gono defended well. Straight right from Gono in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Fitch probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Gono gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Fitch. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Fitch. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Jon Fitch.

Rating: **
Notes: Fitch gets back on track with this win over Gono. Another 2 or 3 wins and he could get another title shot.

Glover Teixeira (6-2) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO

Round 1
Sokoudjou starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Teixeira avoids it without too much trouble. Sokoudjou isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Teixeira getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Sokoudjou finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Teixeira opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Sokoudjou is backed up against the cage, covering up. Teixeira clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Sokoudjou hits a knee strike to the hip. Teixeira slips one leg behind Sokoudjou and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Sokoudjou landed hard, with Teixeira on top. They're in half guard. It's to Sokoudjou's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Teixeira from attacking the left hand side of the body. Sokoudjou is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Teixeira tries to step over to mount, but Sokoudjou keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Teixeira fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Sokoudjou doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Teixeira isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Sokoudjou ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Teixeira can get free. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Teixeira.

Round 2
Teixeira comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Sokoudjou stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Sokoudjou connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Teixeira is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Sokoudjou seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Sokoudjou, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Teixeira felt that, and backs off. Teixeira tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Sokoudjou gets him to back off with some jabs. Sokoudjou has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Teixeira has been blocked at every turn. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou.

Round 3
Right hand from Teixeira was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Sokoudjou. Teixeira follows up by coming in close, but Sokoudjou is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Teixeira pushes Sokoudjou back against the cage, and is able to use that as a set up to taking Sokoudjou down the mat, landing in side control. Sokoudjou tries to scramble into a better position, but Teixeira grabs an arm and tries to lock a hold in. Sokoudjou bucks him over, and manages to wind up on top, but Teixeira still has the arm, and now has his legs wrapped around it. Sokoudjou hits a flurry of left hands to the back and thighs of Teixeira, who is almost upside down now. It's no good though, as Sokoudjou cannot get his arm free, and as soon as Teixeira starts to sink the hold in fully, there's no choice but to tap out.

The official time of the armbar submission is 1:32 of round 3.

Rating: **
Notes: At last a fight that didn't end in a decision. Sokoudjou is in real trouble now with his record now only standing at 4-4. Teixeira will be hoping this breaks him into the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Patrick Cote via TKO

Round 1
Cote starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Bonnar on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Cote to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Bonnar, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Cote, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Bonnar is looking a little lost so far, Cote is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. A looping left from Cote, but it's wide of the mark. Cote leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Bonnar was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Bonnar comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Bonnar is that although Cote clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Cote by 10-9.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Bonnar is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Cote blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Bonnar is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Cote is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Bonnar can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Bonnar some problems later on. Bonnar moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Cote is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Bonnar before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Bonnar off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Bonnar goes for a trip, but Cote cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Cote may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Cote by 10-9.

Round 3
The fighters come together right in the center. Bonnar throws out a jab, but Cote bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Cote works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Bonnar covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Cote is making Bonnar look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Bonnar hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Bonnar looks for an opening. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Cote got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Bonnar slightly. Bonnar initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Bonnar looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Cote is clearly winning them. Bonnar needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Cote tries a speculative high kick, but Bonnar saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Bonnar tries to work an angle, but Cote is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Cote, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Cote by 10-9. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Patrick Cote.

Rating: **
Notes: Cote wins but like nearly every fight this night it is by decision. Cote will almost surely get a title shot after this win.

Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (11-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Frank Mir via TKO

Round 1
The round begins with Lesnar taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Mir replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Lesnar goes for the takedown, but Mir sprawls. Lesnar tries to power through, but Mir uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Lesnar defend this. Mir is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Lesnar isn't allowing it. Lesnar pulls Mir in tight, locking up both his arms. Mir pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Mir tries a big right hand, which Lesnar defends well. He has quite a high guard, Mir has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Lesnar once again drags Mir down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Mir easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Mir trying to pass guard. Lesnar tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Mir, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Mir scores with a jab, then a second. Lesnar goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Mir enough time to take him down again. Mir quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Lesnar once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Mir on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Mir.

Round 2
Lesnar is quickest out, and comes at Mir with a series of jabs and straight punches. Mir covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Mir hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Lesnar who takes it to the ground. Mir pulls guard. There's a lull, as Lesnar tries to pass, and Mir defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Mir almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Lesnar, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Lesnar.

Round 3
Mir makes Lesnar back up against the cage by throwing some looping punches. He comes in closer and hits a right hook to the body, getting a jab to the cheek in return. Mir throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Lesnar lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Mir by surprise, putting him down! Lesnar follows up and starts raining down right hands. Mir covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Lesnar off, the match is over.

Official time of the TKO is 1:18 of the third round.

Rating: ****
Notes: Brock Lesnar avenges his only loss and has now won his last 3 fights in a row. This is Lesnar's biggest win to date by far. This may push Lesnar into the top ten Heavyweights if he is lucky.

Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Lyoto Machida (13-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Lyoto Machida via Submission

Round 1
Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Couture stalks Machida, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Couture is down! Machida goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Machida stunned Couture with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Couture tries to push free, but Machida forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Machida reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Couture breaks it by bringing his arms up. Machida steps through in an effort to mount Couture, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Machida throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Couture rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Machida determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Couture uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Machida having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Machida.

Round 2
They come together into a clich almost right away. Machida gets a knee in, but that's about the total sum of the action, and the referee separates them. Couture moves in, but gets caught with a big kick to the legs that causes him to stumble to the mat. Machida came in fast to try and capitalise, but Couture uses the guard well. Machida stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Couture's guard with him. Couture reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Machida knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Couture blocks it. Machida floats over and gets into side control. Couture scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Machida lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Couture up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Couture makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Machida can't get either arm isolated properly. Machida changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Couture fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Machida can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Machida.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Machida puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Couture defended well. Straight right from Couture in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Machida probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Couture gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Machida. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Machida. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Lyoto Machida.

Rating: ***
Notes: Machida gets back on track and what a way to do it, by taking down a legend in his final fight. Machida in 2 or 3 more wins could get another title shot against whoever may hold it by then.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Glover Teixeira
Knock Out of the Night: Brock Lesnar
Fight of the Night: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir

Injuries
Patrick Cote suffered a Stomach injury during his fight with Stephan Bonnar and will be out for around 2 months.

Resignings
Stephan Bonner, Tim Boetsch, Frank Mir, Patrick Cote, Marcus Davis and Jon Fitch will all be resigned to new UFC contracts.

chris caulfield

06-11-2008, 02:47 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 90: Penn vs. Sherk

Today UFC announced UFC 90: Penn vs. Sherk. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Undercard
Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)

grits207

06-11-2008, 05:23 PM

BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)

rjhabeeb

06-12-2008, 03:00 AM

man sucked on the last show........
UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Undercard
Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2) oooooo teamates thats fun
Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2) wierd hunch
James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)

Dustin

06-12-2008, 03:50 AM

UFC-KING

06-12-2008, 09:57 AM

UFC Announces UFC 90: Penn vs. Sherk

Today UFC announced UFC 90: Penn vs. Sherk. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Undercard
Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)

RyanMMA09

06-12-2008, 11:43 AM

BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Michael Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
James Lee (13-4) vs. Luiz Cane (7-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)

chris caulfield

06-12-2008, 02:23 PM

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UFC 90 Preview

Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)
Two young not fully developed talents go up against each other here with both looking to make a name for themselves. A win here would help them to start that.

Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Teh still undefeated Tuchscherer goes up against the veteran Mark Coleman. Tuchscherer is already the #10 Heavyweight so a win here could muve him up to as high as #7 or #6. Coleman however will be looking to recapture his glory days.

James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Two nothing men in the Light Heavyweight division right now but a win for either could start something which would lead to them becoming more than nothing.

Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
Evangelista makes his UFC debut and will hope to remain undefeated as he goes up against Dan Lauzon (Joe Lauzon's brother). A win for either could propel them up the Lightweight rankings and maybe get a tougher opponent next time.

Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
The young talent Thales Leites goes up against gatekeeper Alessio Sakara. A win for Leites could put him into the top ten Middleweights. A win for Sakara could also raise him up the rankings.

Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Koscheck and Swick both hold the same win-loss record right now but after they fight they will be quite different. Koscheck looks to rise the ranks with a win here while Swick will look to get onto the rankings.

Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Florian and Wiman go up against each other and this is a fight between two potential future challengers. Florian is coming off of a close decision win over Clay Guida while Wiman hasn't fought under the Avatar reign yet.

Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Bisping has been unimpressive so far under the Avatar reign and will look to put on a better showing this time around. Belcher has been hit and miss aswell KOing Yushin Okami but then losing his next fight. They will both be looking to show people they are better than their recent performances show.

Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Biggish match for the Light Heavyweight division her as the #8 and #5 Light Heavyweights go up against each other. Jardine who is at #5 could get into title contention with a win here. Gouveia if he wins could replace Jardine in the top five which would be a step in the right direction.

Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
A win here could put either into #4 or #5 in the Heavyweight ranking which could put them into contention after the next title fight. Kharitonov is making his debut in the UFC while this will be Rizzo's third fight since he returned to the UFC.

UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
This will be Penn's first fight under the Avatar reign and it will be against the current #1 Lightweight Sean Sherk. Sherk is coming off of a decision win over Tyson Griffin. Whoever lose here will drop quite a way down the rankings as the top end of the top ten is pretty compasct with plenty of competition up there.

chris caulfield

06-12-2008, 03:33 PM

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UFC 90: Penn vs. Sherk

Undercard

Anthony Johnson (4-1) vs. Paul Kelly (7-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anthony Johnson via Knock Out

Round 1
Tentative circling to begin with. They meet in the center, but quickly fall into a clinch. Johnson gets a nice shot in to the ribs. Kelly gets a pair of punches to the side of the head, but they lacked power. The referee breaks them up eventually. Johnson presses forward, flicking out straight rights. Kelly leans in to throw a looping left hand. Johnson avoids it, and it allows him to throw a powerful counter punch that catches Kelly right above the ear. Great punch. Johnson moves in and throws a devastating right hand. Kelly just about manages to parry it, but it still caught him on the shoulder. Kelly throws a right hand counter, but Johnson swats it aside and lands a big left to the chest. Kelly clinches up again. So far, Johnson's power is allowing him to control this round, Kelly is simply being out-gunned thus far. They end up next to the cage. Kelly gets in a couple of nasty right hands to the chest. That's the first time this round that he looks to have actually hurt Johnson. Johnson pushes Kelly up against the cage and unloads with three big right hands. One got through and caught Kelly above the left eye, the other two hit home across the chest. Kelly clinches up again to avoid getting obliterated, and the round ends before they are broken up. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Johnson.

Round 2
Kelly isn't hanging around, right from the start Johnson is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Johnson circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Kelly weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Kelly, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Johnson is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Kelly really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Johnson was wide open for a moment there. Kelly hits a high kick, catching Johnson on the shoulder. Jab from Johnson finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Kelly fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Johnson scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Kelly, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Kelly.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Kelly is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Johnson picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Kelly throws a wild punch as a counter, but Johnson ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Kelly gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Kelly is looking for big punches, Johnson is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Kelly manages to back Johnson up against the cage. Kelly takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Johnson ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Kelly can unload. Kelly may need to think about changing tactics, Johnson is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Kelly fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Johnson on the thigh. Johnson presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Kelly gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Johnson. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 29-28 to Anthony Johnson.

Rating: *
Notes: Johnson wins here and will hopefully have a bright future on the way for him.

Chris Tuchscherer (12-0) vs. Mark Coleman (15-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Chirs Tuchscherer via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Tuchscherer fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Coleman fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Tuchscherer to the floor. The momentum causes Coleman to almost go completely over the top though, and Tuchscherer is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Tuchscherer throws out a right hand, parried away by Coleman. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Tuchscherer looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Coleman isn't offering any sort of attacking threat yet, instead concentrating on keeping the strikes from landing. A big punch is driven into the ribs, Coleman thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Coleman reaches up and pulls Tuchscherer down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Tuchscherer defends it easily, and gets in a sharp jab to the face too. He stands up slightly, leaning forward into the guard, and starts throwing some right hands. One gets through, the others are parried. Coleman looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Tuchscherer was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Tuchscherer gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Coleman fires off two punches from his back, but Tuchscherer defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Tuchscherer stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Coleman does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Tuchscherer breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Coleman will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Tuchscherer.

Round 2
They touch gloves. Tuchscherer throws out a couple of jabs, but they find nothing but gloves. Coleman throws a low kick. Coleman circles, looking for an angle from which to strike. Tuchscherer moves in and throws a high kick, but it's inaccurate and allows Coleman to take him down to the ground. It's an unusual position though, as Coleman is almost in a triangle when they hit the deck. He tries to go over the top to break free, but Tuchscherer uses his leg strength and leverage to flip Coleman over, almost getting a mount, but getting shrugged off into guard. Tuchscherer tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Coleman reaches up to try and bring Tuchscherer down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Tuchscherer fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Coleman is forced to cover up. Tuchscherer switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Coleman deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Tuchscherer looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Coleman occasionally tries to roll his hips to get free, but it may be that he has realised that this round is beyond saving, and is just making sure that he doesn't put himself into a position to be knocked out or submitted by trying to escape. Indeed, time ticks away with nothing breaking the pattern of occasional strikes and defensive positioning. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Tuchscherer.

Round 3
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Coleman goes for the first takedown, but Tuchscherer has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Tuchscherer storms back in almost immediately and takes Coleman down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Coleman just had a lapse in concentration. Tuchscherer tries to pass the guard but can't, with Coleman employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Coleman is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Tuchscherer makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Coleman has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Tuchscherer on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Tuchscherer. Chris Tuchscherer wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Tuchscherer with a confident win here and this should move him up the rankings quite nicely.

James Lee (13-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Luis Cane via TKO

Round 1
Cane is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Lee with a jab to the cheek. Lee uses a nice straight left to return fire. Cane comes in to work the body, but Lee saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Cane onto the floor, falling into guard. Lee fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Cane. Lee tries to pass the guard, but can't, Cane isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Lee will start raining down punches. Lee tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Cane gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Lee again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Lee fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Cane fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Cane, and Lee is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Cane has defended the danger well. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Lee.

Round 2
Slow start, Lee looks content to sit back and let Cane commit himself, perhaps looking to capitalise on any mistake. Cane does indeed commit himself, and it's to throw a big right hand, and it hits hard into the gloves, forcing Lee to back up against the cage. Cane steps in and unleashes a second, but this time Lee was ready and a right hand counter hits Cane, who is leaning in to his own punch, right on the chin. Cane goes down, stunned. Lee dives in and hits a beauty of a right hand, but gets sucked into the guard before he can do any more damage. Good recovery from Cane. Lee tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Cane reaches up to try and bring Lee down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Lee fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Cane is forced to cover up. Lee switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Cane deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Lee looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Cane occasionally tries to roll his hips to get free, but it may be that he has realised that this round is beyond saving, and is just making sure that he doesn't put himself into a position to be knocked out or submitted by trying to escape. Indeed, time ticks away with nothing breaking the pattern of occasional strikes and defensive positioning. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lee by 10-9.

Round 3
Cane starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Lee avoids it without too much trouble. Cane isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Lee getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Cane finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Lee opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Cane is backed up against the cage, covering up. Lee clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Cane hits a knee strike to the hip. Lee slips one leg behind Cane and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Cane landed hard, with Lee on top. They're in half guard. It's to Cane's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Lee from attacking the left hand side of the body. Cane is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Lee tries to step over to mount, but Cane keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Lee fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Cane doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Lee isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Cane ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Lee can get free. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Lee. James Lee wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: *
Notes: Cane has not been on good form lately but Lee will be pleased with this win.

Billy Evangelista (5-0) vs. Dan Lauzon (9-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Billy Evangelista via TKO

Round 1
Lauzon tries to work an angle from the start, but is kept back by some sharp kicks, one landing painfully across the outside of the calf. Evangelista steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Lauzon lands a jab of his own, but gets hit with a vicious waist-high kick when stepping in to follow up. Good tactics so far from Evangelista, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Lauzon comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Evangelista gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Lauzon to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Evangelista has controlled this one, Lauzon is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Evangelista by 10-9.

Round 2
Evangelista starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Lauzon is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Evangelista. Lauzon tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Lauzon, but it only caught Evangelista on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Evangelista, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Lauzon from doing very much. For a second it looked like Evangelista was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Right hand from Lauzon, that one definitely registered, but I don't think it had much power behind it. The time ticks away without anything further of interest happening. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Evangelista by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Lauzon goes for the first takedown, but Evangelista has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Evangelista storms back in almost immediately and takes Lauzon down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Lauzon just had a lapse in concentration. Evangelista tries to pass the guard but can't, with Lauzon employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Lauzon is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Evangelista makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Lauzon has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Evangelista on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Evangelista. Billy Evangelista wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: DUD
Notes: Evangelista wins on his UFC debut and will be happy with this win even though it was only by decision.

Alessio Sakara (12-7) vs. Thales Leites (12-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Alessio Sakara via TKO

Round 1
Sakara starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Leites. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Leites goes for a single leg and puts Sakara on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Leites from getting on top. Sakara definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Leites hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Sakara again. This time Sakara isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Leites will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Sakara defends. Leites tries to slip past to get side control, but Sakara just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Leites has the side. Two big elbows land, and Sakara seems in trouble. Leites goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Leites.

Round 2
Leites starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Sakara checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Leites doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Leites cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Sakara with a beauty of a right hook. Sakara stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Leites presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Sakara clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Sakara scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Leites in the gut. Leites uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Leites gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Sakara reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Leites has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Sakara has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Leites from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Leites tries to step over and fully apply it, but Sakara breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Leites steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Sakara hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Leites will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Leites.

Round 3
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Sakara throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Leites. Kick to the thigh from Leites, but it lacked power. Sakara looks for an opening. Leites pushes Sakara back against the cage, and is able to use that as a set up to taking Sakara down the mat, landing in side control. Sakara tries to scramble into a better position, but Leites grabs an arm and tries to lock a hold in. Sakara bucks him over, and manages to wind up on top, but Leites still has the arm, and now has his legs wrapped around it. Sakara hits a flurry of left hands to the back and thighs of Leites, who is almost upside down now. It's no good though, as Sakara cannot get his arm free, and as soon as Leites starts to sink the hold in fully, there's no choice but to tap out.

The official time of the armbar submission is 1:56 of round 3.

Rating: **
Notes: Leites with the first finish of the card and it's an impressive submission of Sakara. This could move Leites up onto the top ten Middleweights.

Josh Koscheck (11-2) vs. Mike Swick (11-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Josh Koscheck via TKO

Round 1
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Koscheck works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Swick backed up against the cage. Koscheck gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Swick, who uses his legs well to defend. Koscheck pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Swick gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Koscheck follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Koscheck hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Swick tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Swick leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Koscheck by 10-9.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Koscheck puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Swick defended well. Straight right from Swick in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Koscheck probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Swick gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Koscheck. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Koscheck.

Round 3
Swick leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Koscheck deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Koscheck uses a knee to the ribs before backing Swick up against the cage. Right hand from Swick connects though, that was well timed. Koscheck breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Swick was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Koscheck sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Swick fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Koscheck forces Swick back against the cage, where they clinch up. Koscheck has the better position, all the leverage is with him. He uses that to lift Swick up onto his shoulder, turns...and hits a running slam that gets the crowd going crazy! Big power takedown from Koscheck. Swick pulls guard, but he has to be stunned from that. Koscheck drops a bomb of a right hand, smashing into the hands of Swick and forcing them back into his face. Another right hand finds its way through, landing right above the eye, stunning Swick. With his opponent's wits scrambled, Koscheck moves from the guard into a mount with ease, and starts unloading with rights and lefts. Swick tries to cover up, but is getting decimated, and the referee is forced to come in and pull Koscheck off, signalling the win.

Official time of the TKO is 3:50 of the third.

Rating: **
Notes: Koscheck with an impressive TKO over Swick. This should move him up the rankings to somewhere like #7 or #6.

Maincard

Kenny Florian (8-3) vs. Matt Wiman (9-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Kenny Florian via Submission

Round 1
Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Wiman tries a looping punch from way back, but Florian side steps with ease. Jab from Florian, gets one back in response. Wiman comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Florian shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Florian stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Wiman's guard with him. Wiman reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Florian knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Wiman blocks it. Florian floats over and gets into side control. Wiman scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Florian lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Wiman up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Wiman makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Florian can't get either arm isolated properly. Florian changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Wiman fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Florian can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Florian.

Round 2
Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Wiman uses a trip to make a takedown, but doesn't go down himself, instead staying back. He pushes the raised legs away and dives in to get side control, but Florian scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Wiman down to the ground. Florian ends up on top, in guard. Florian tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Wiman is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Florian tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Florian connects, but there was no real power behind it. Florian fakes Wiman out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Wiman manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Florian switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Wiman blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Florian looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Wiman is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Florian tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Wiman is safe. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Florian.

Round 3
Florian starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Wiman checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Florian doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Florian cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Wiman with a beauty of a right hook. Wiman stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Florian presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Wiman clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Wiman scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Florian in the gut. Florian uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Florian gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Wiman reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Florian has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Wiman has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Florian from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Florian tries to step over and fully apply it, but Wiman breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Florian steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Wiman hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Florian will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Kenny Florian.

Rating: **
Notes: Florian with another win here over another good fighter. after 3 or maybe 4 more wins he could be a contender.

Michaels Bisping (16-2) vs. Alan Belcher (13-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Michael Bisping via Knock Out

Round 1
The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Bisping throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Belcher from coming inside. Bisping works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Belcher responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Bisping backs off slightly, maybe a bit relieved not to have taken that one on the chin. Neither fighter appears to be looking for any sort of takedown or grapple, this is all about the striking. Belcher circles and throws a series of high jabs, but Bisping blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Bisping fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Belcher covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from Bisping though, best action of the round. They stay clinched for a while, exchanging occasional punches to the ribs, then are separated by the referee. It looks like this round is going to the judges though, as there's only a few seconds remaining. Bisping throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Bisping.

Round 2
Tentative long range jabs from both fighters. Belcher with a low sweeping kick, but it was telegraphed. Bisping comes in quick but misses a kick. Belcher with a straight right, another, but then walks right into a solid punch. That certainly connected, the crowd could clearly hear it. Belcher backs up quickly, almost on instinct; his hands are down by his side, and he looks glassy eyed and unsteady on his feet. The referee quickly steps in and ends the fight, stopping Bisping from following up. It'll go down as a TKO for Bisping. As Bisping celebrates, the doctor is quickly in to check on Belcher. From the looks of things, he may have been dealt a concussion with that punch to the jaw, as he doesn't look like he knows where he is.

Bisping wins via TKO at 0:59 of the second round.

Rating: ****
Notes: Bisping with a really impressive stoppage of Belcher here. With a few more of those types of wins and he could be in title contention sooner rather than later.

Keith Jardine (13-3-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (11-4)
Sherdog's Prediciton: Keith Jardine via TKO

Round 1
Quick start to the round from Jardine, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Gouveia defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Gouveia connects. Jardine gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Jardine pushes Gouveia back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Gouveia blocks it. Gouveia suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Jardine down to the ground, into guard. Gouveia passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Jardine has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Gouveia's left arm. Gouveia's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Jardine covers up to defend them. Gouveia tries to pin down one of Jardine's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Jardine uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Gouveia finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Gouveia by 10-9.

Round 2
Jardine doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Gouveia sprawls and keeps him at bay. Jardine pushes harder, but Gouveia has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Jardine on his back. Gouveia gets sucked into his guard though. Jardine tries to push free, but Gouveia forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Gouveia reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Jardine breaks it by bringing his arms up. Gouveia steps through in an effort to mount Jardine, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Gouveia throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Jardine rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Gouveia determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Jardine uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Gouveia having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Gouveia.

Round 3
Jardine starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Gouveia. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Gouveia goes for a single leg and puts Jardine on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Gouveia from getting on top. Jardine definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Gouveia hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Jardine again. This time Jardine isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Gouveia will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Jardine defends. Gouveia tries to slip past to get side control, but Jardine just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Gouveia has the side. Two big elbows land, and Jardine seems in trouble. Gouveia goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Gouveia. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Wilson Gouveia.

Rating: **
Notes: Gouveia with a really impressive win over Jardine here which could move him up into the top five Light Heavyweights.

Sergei Kharitonov (15-3) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Sergei Kharitonov via TKO

Round 1
A fizzing right hand from Kharitonov opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Rizzo's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Rizzo fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Kharitonov pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Rizzo looks for a moment like he may be about to get overwhelmed, especially after a right hand appears to hit flush on the chin, but he recovers well and works his way back to the center. Kharitonov is looking the more confident of the two by far. He smells blood, and comes in looking for a big right hand, only to walk right into a takedown. Rizzo had to time that perfectly, and did. Kharitonov doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Rizzo taking his back! Rizzo tries to go for a choke, but Kharitonov bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Rizzo from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Kharitonov scores with two leg kicks, Rizzo hits a tasty right hand to the body, but otherwise nothing much happens for the next couple of exchanges. Indeed, the clock runs down and the round ends without further noteworthy events. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Kharitonov by 10-9.

Round 2
Kharitonov doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Rizzo to come and trade blows. Rizzo wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Kharitonov isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Rizzo. They meet near the cage. Rizzo hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Kharitonov stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Kharitonov believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Rizzo is trying to keep moving, to not let Kharitonov get set to throw a bomb. Kharitonov is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Rizzo is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Kharitonov throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Rizzo returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Kharitonov has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Kharitonov by 10-9.

Round 3
Rizzo looks slow starting, the punishment from the previous rounds seem to be have taken their toll. Kharitonov throws the first meaningful attack of the round, a couple of right hands followed by a crunching left hook. The rights get parried away, but the left landed satisfyingly deep into the rib cage. Rizzo felt that one for sure. He fires off a left in response, but Kharitonov ducks out the way. Rizzo is definitely showing signs of sluggishness, if anything he is looking like the big shots he has taken before have left him a little stunned. Kharitonov scores with a nice left, but gets pulled into a clinch near the cage. They exchange some weak punches and the occasional knee. This will suit Rizzo, it will give him some time to recover. They are eventually broken apart. Kharitonov ups the tempo, throwing some big punches. Rizzo covers up, deflecting the shots away. Kharitonov is definitely looking to finish this, although he is also being careful not to do anything foolish and walk into a big punch; he knows that this fight is going his way, there's no point throwing that all away. Rizzo throws the occasional combination in return, but it's one way traffic at the moment, Kharitonov is picking his shots. Time comes to Rizzo's rescue though, as it expires before Kharitonov can turn his dominance into a finish. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-8 to Kharitonov. The official scores are: 30-26 from all three judges for Sergei Kharitonov.

Rating: **
Notes: Kharitonov with a dominant decision win over Rizzo as he hands him his first loss since his UFC comeback. Kharitonov with another win or two could get a title shot.

UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (12-4-1) vs. Sean Sherk (33-2-1)
Sherodg's Prediction: BJ Penn via TKO

Round 1
Fast start by Sherk, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Penn circles, drawing a lunge from Sherk, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Sherk ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Penn hopping on the other to remain vertical. Sherk tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Penn manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Sherk has one leg trapped between Penn's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Penn defends it well, without fully escaping it, Sherk can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Penn suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Sherk's back. Sherk was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Penn up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Penn throws a couple of short-range punches. Sherk gets a leg in and trips Penn, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Penn, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Sherk.

Round 2
The two fighters circle. A series of looping punches from Penn forces Sherk back up against the cage, and he has to cover up to withstand the three strikes that follow. No real damage caused, but Penn is aggressively chasing this match. A hook finds the body and Sherk clinches. They almost lose their balance as they jockey for position, Sherk gets in a couple of knees when they regain their footing. Penn seems to be trying to break the clinch, it's Sherk who is holding it tight, perhaps hoping to calm the energetic start that Penn had. The referee finally does break them up, after nearly a full minute of inactivity. Penn hits a solid left, then a right. Sherk felt both of them, and backs off a little. Penn charges right in to follow up though, and unleashes a powerful right hook, and Sherk took it flush on the chin! Penn doesn't even bother following up on that, because Sherk was out cold from the instant that that hit. Incredible punch.

Official time of the knock out is 4:41 of the second round. BJ Penn successfully retains the UFC Lightweight title.

Rating: ***
Notes: Penn with a win in his first match since UFC 80 and his first under the Avatar reign. Penn will be a happy man after beating Sherk as he will be looking forward to jumping back up the ranking where he believes he belongs.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Thales Leites
Knock Out of the Night: BJ Penn
Fight of the Night: Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher

Injuries
Anthony Johnson suffered an injury last night and will be out for 1 month. Also Alan Belcher suffered a concussion and will be out for just over 3 months.

Resignings
James Lee, Josh Koscheck, Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Anthony Johnson will all be resigned to the UFC.

RyanMMA09

06-12-2008, 04:21 PM

rjhabeeb

06-12-2008, 08:53 PM

chris caulfield

06-13-2008, 01:34 AM

I can't believe Swick and Coleman got their asses handed to them like that. Especially Mark Coleman, he's basically done, give him one more big fight just so he can go out the right way, but regardless, he needs to stop fighting, Tuchscherer is doing good in your game, but after watching him in his YAMMA performences, he's nothing special, probably a Jake O'Brien type guy at best, I'm not saying style, I'm saying hype. Leites should be close to a title shot, the guy has one loss and it's to Martin Kampmann, nothing to be ashamed of. It's about time Bisping shows his potential that he's shown lately in real life in the game. I think Gouveia is going to need a bigger win to be top five worthy, speaking of him, what happened to Goran Reljic in your game? He gets a huge win over Gouveia in real life and you haven't give the poor guy a fight lol. Pedro Rizzo did much better in Rizzo/Kharitonov II, he lost the first one in about two minutes if I remember. May I suggest BJ Penn versus Georges St. Pierre II? That would be the logical next step, I don't see anybody at 155 beating BJ Penn right now.

I agree with you on Coleman he is just there isn't he. If Tuchscherer succeeds I won't stop him as he is undefeated which is very marketable. Leites in game wasn't given much name value and I like a title fight to be a main event and there wouldn't be enough interest in the fight, Also Cote is next in line. Reljic wasn't in the mod I have as I still have v1.0 but I could import him from ToS5 and then sign him if you really want me to. BJ Penn has plenty of opponents at Lightweight and there is no way he is moving up without beating them all. There is Aoki, Hueta, Ribeiro and by the time he's beat all those there will be a few more. Anyway I would much prefer a GSP vs. Anderson Silva superfight, which I may make happen sooner rather than later as there is quite a lack of challengers in both divisions.

chris caulfield

06-14-2008, 03:56 AM

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New Rankings After UFN 14 & UFC 90

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFN 14 & UFC 90 events.

Lightweight
1. Shinya Aoki +1
2. BJ Penn +2
3. Vitor Ribeiro +2
4. Roger Huerta -1
5. Sean Sherk -4
6. Kenny Florian - New Entry
7. Eddie Alvarez +1
8. Rich Clementi +1
9. Tyson Griffin -2
10. Thiago Tavares

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Thiago Alves
4. Matt Hughes
5. Jon Fitch +4
6. Kuniyoshi Hironaka
7. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
8. Josh Koscheck +2
9. Dan Hardy -1
10. Akihiro Gono -5

Middleweight
1. Rich Franklin
2. Anderson Silva
3. Patrick Cote
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Forrest Griffin
6. Gregard Mousasi
7. Dan Henderson
8. Karo Parisyan
9. Joey Villasenor
10. Jonathan Goulet

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Lyoto Machida +2
5. Thiago Silva -1
6. Wilson Gouveia +2
7. Tomasz Drwal
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +1
9. Chuck Liddell +1
10 Glover Teixeira - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia
3. Andrei Arlovski
4. Fedor Emelianenko
5. Sergei Kharitonov +2
6. Cheick Kongo -1
7. Chris Tuchscherer +3
8. Heath Herring +1
9. Pedro Rizzo -3
10. Fabricio Werdum - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Rich Franklin
4. Anderson Silva
5. George St. Pierre
6. Tim Sylvia
7. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua +1
8. Shinya Aoki +1
9. BJ Penn - New Entry
10. Vitor Ribeiro - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Jon Fitch: Fitch got back on track this month after losing to St. Pierre, by beating Gono by decision at UFN 14. In a few more wins he could be getting another shot at St. Pierre. He is expected to fight either Kuniyoshi Hironaka or Matt Hughes next.

Biggest Drop this month: Akihiro Gono: Gono dropped 5 spots this month after his decisioon loss to Fitch at UFN 14. He is only ranked #10 now after been ranked #5 last month. He will look to rebound in he=is next fight and win. He is expected to fight Josh Koscheck or Dan Hardy next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Kenny Florian: Florian got another win this month after beating Matt Wiman by decision. He has debuted at #6 and is on the outskirts of the potential title challengers, so another win could push him into the title picture. He is expected to fight Rich Clementi or Sean Sherk next.

chris caulfield

06-14-2008, 06:06 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 91: St. Pierre vs. Alves

Today UFC announced UFC 91: St. Pierre vs. Alves. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Undercard
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)

chris caulfield

06-14-2008, 01:12 PM

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UFC 91 Preview

Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)
Hardy will make his UFC debut here already ranked as the #9 Welterweight. With a win in his debut he could jump to as high as #7. Cummo will look to break Hardy's dream and get into the top ten himself. A win for Hardy could set him on the raod to eventually getting a title shot.

Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Hamill comes off of a decision win over Sooudjou while Irvin comes off two straight losses to Tomasz Drwal & Antonio Mendes both by decision. A win for Hamill could just push him onto the top ten while Irvin will be looking to rebound from recent losses to save his job.

Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Rivera is a full 8 years older than Palhales which means alot more experiance and Rivera will look to use that to his advantage in this fight. Palhales though will look to use his exellent ground skills to submit Rivera and ge a streak going and break into the top ten.

Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Gracie is coming off of a TKO victory over Brad Morris way back at UFC 85. Gonzaga will be fighting in his first fight since Scott Avatar was hired. This will be the biggest fight for Gracie since his debut. If Gracie wins this another win could burst him into the top ten Heavyweights.

Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Joe Lauzon is coming off of a submission loss to Din Thomas and will look to rebound with a win over Tavares here. Tavres is already the #10 Lightweight and a win here could push him up to as high as #7 while a win for Lauzon could put him in the top ten.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
the #6 and #7 Welterweights will go to war in this fight and it will be an exellent ground war between the two. A win for either would push them up the Welerweight rankings to as high as #3 by the end of the night. Yoshida is coming off of two consecutive decision wins over Chris Wilson and Marcus Davis. Hironaka is coming off of a decision win over Paul Kelly.

Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Arlovski goes up against Herring which almost confirms that Tim Sylvia will get the next Heavyweight title shot. If Arlovski wins here though he will most certainly be next in line after Sylvia. Herring will look to stop those plans though and a win over Arlovski could push him upto #5 or #6 in the Heavyweight rankings. If Herring does win Arlovski will lose his title shot and Kharitonov is the best current candinate to recieve it then.

Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
The #5 Middleweight Forrest Griffin goes against the #4 Middleweight Nate Marquardt in only Griffin's second fight at Middleweight since moving down from Light Heavyweight. This is an important fight for the Middleweight division as if the winner moves up to #3 in the rankings then they will be geting the next title shot and even is they are only #4 they will be next in line after Cote gets his eventual title shot.

Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Thiago Silva is still undefeated and if he wins again against Drwal he could move beyond Wanderlei Silva in the rankings and will get the next title shot after Shogun. If Drwal wins he could move into the top five Light Heavyweights and be a win or two away from a title shot.

Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Tyson Griffin is the #9 Lightweight while Roger Huerta is the #4 Lightweight so there is quite a bit at stake for the fighter here. For Griffin there is the prospect of moving high up the rankings and being a win or two away from a title contention. While for Huerta there is the off chance he will get the next title shot with a win here and he will almost certainly move above Vitor Ribeiro into #3 and possibly above BJ Penn into #2 so Huerta would be almost garunteed a title shot atleast after Shinya Aoki if not before.

UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
#1 Welterweight Gearges St. Pierre will defend his title agaisnt #3 Welterweight Thiago Alves with the winner likely facing Matt Serra for the title next. St. Pierre is coming off of a decision win over Jon Fitch in his last title defence. while Alves is coming off of decision win over Ryo Chonan. If St. Pierre wins and then wins the rubber fight with Serra then St. Pierre could switch weight classes ,if ther are no new challengers, which could mean that he would have a rematch with BJ Penn this time at Lightweight or he could fight Anderson Silva at Middleweight in a superfight.

grits207

06-14-2008, 02:07 PM

Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)

rjhabeeb

06-14-2008, 02:40 PM

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2) I feel like Im in Colorado watching this one:D
Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Undercard
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0) :eek::D:eek: I flipped a coin
Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)

UFC-KING

06-14-2008, 05:33 PM

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Undercard
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)

Dustin

06-14-2008, 09:44 PM

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Undercard
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)

chris caulfield

06-15-2008, 01:36 PM

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UFC 91: St. Pierre vs. Alves

Undercard

Dan Hardy (17-6) vs. Luke Cummo (6-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dan Hardy via TKO

Round 1
Hardy doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Cummo to come and trade blows. Cummo wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Hardy isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Cummo. They meet near the cage. Cummo hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Hardy stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Hardy believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Cummo is trying to keep moving, to not let Hardy get set to throw a bomb. Hardy is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Cummo is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Hardy throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Cummo returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Hardy has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Hardy.

Round 2
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Cummo, providing the first moment of real action. Hardy hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Cummo side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Hardy is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hardy.

Round 3
Cummo comes out quick and immediately starts pressing Hardy back toward the cage. Cummo tries to use the position to his advantage, pinning Hardy in to prevent him from moving freely, but the exchange of punches that follows is clearly won by Hardy, who catches Cummo with a wicked right cross during the flurry of blows. Cummo tries again, but Hardy is looking sharp and parries away any dangerous shot, getting in a few crisp jabs of his own along the way. Cummo finally backs off, realising that this isn't working. Hardy is showing superior ability with his hands, they're fast and accurate, Cummo isn't able to cope with them at close quarters, being made to look slow and ragged in comparison. Cummo switches to using raking right hands and looping punches, keeping Hardy back, but its effectiveness is limited as Cummo's punches are easily parried away, and Hardy can still hit the occasional right hand. The round ends with that being the pattern. Hardy has used his better punching technique and hand speed to confound Cummo, and has controlled this round almost entirely. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hardy. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Dan Hardy.

Rating: *
Notes: Hardy with a impressive debut with a win over Cummo. This win should boost Hardy up the rankings quite nicely.

Matt Hamill (4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO

Round 1
The fighters come together right in the center. Irvin throws out a jab, but Hamill bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Hamill works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Irvin covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Hamill is making Irvin look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Irvin hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Irvin looks to be working an angle. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Hamill got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Irvin slightly. Irvin initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Irvin looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Hamill is clearly winning them. Irvin needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Hamill tries a speculative high kick, but Irvin saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Irvin tries to work an angle, but Hamill is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Hamill, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Hamill by 10-9.

Round 2
Hamill starts with a high kick, but Irvin was well out of range. Hamill throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Irvin easily avoided them. Hamill steps in and exchanges strikes with Irvin, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Irvin parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Hamill on the shoulder. The round has been a little flat so far, neither of them is really forcing the issue. They enter into a clinch, which doesn't help matters, and that seems to last for an eternity before the referee separates them and tells them to get on with it. Hamill finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Irvin did well to defend it, bobbing and weaving out of the way and using his gloves to parry away anything that was too close. He uses a low kick to the thigh as a response, then steps in and unloads with two fine punches, although Hamill blocked them. Hamill scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Irvin square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Irvin backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Hamill's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Hamill probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Hamill by 10-9.

Round 3
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Hamill is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Irvin blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Hamill is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Irvin is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Hamill can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Hamill some problems later on. Hamill moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Irvin is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Hamill before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Hamill off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Hamill goes for a trip, but Irvin cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Irvin may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Irvin. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 29-28 to Matt Hamill.

Rating: **
Notes: Hamill with another win this time over Irvin. Another win for Hamill and he could break into the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Jorge Rivera (15-6) vs. Rousimar Palhales (7-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rousimar Palhales via Submission

Round 1
Palhales is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Rivera advancing. A sharp right misses, and Palhales takes the opportunity to pull Rivera in to a tight clinch against the cage. Rivera tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Rivera wants to stand and bang, Palhales wants to keep things at close quarters. Rivera tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Palhales, and we're down to the ground. Palhales has side control, but Rivera has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Palhales will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Rivera tries to squirm into a better position, but Palhales puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Palhales tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Rivera defends it. Rivera manages to bring a knee up and catch Palhales in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Palhales responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Rivera covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Palhales may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Palhales tries to float over into a mount, but Rivera uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Palhales enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Palhales is the last action of the round. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Palhales.

Round 2
Palhales starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Rivera checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Palhales doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Palhales cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Rivera with a beauty of a right hook. Rivera stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Palhales presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Rivera clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Rivera scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Palhales in the gut. Palhales uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Palhales gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Rivera reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Palhales has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Rivera has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Palhales from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Palhales tries to step over and fully apply it, but Rivera breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Palhales steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Rivera hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Palhales will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Palhales.

Round 3
Rivera throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Palhales defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Rivera scores with a jab, then another, then comes in fast with a takedown. Palhales scrambles and after an extended period of struggling manages to get himself into north and south position, on top of Rivera. Palhales hits a hard right to the chest, then turns and gets a full mount. Rivera is really struggling, and can barely get his arms up to cover up from the strikes that Palhales is now raining down. A quick transition and Palhales has an arm and applies an americana. Rivera has no choice, there's the tap out.

Palhales wins via 3rd round americana submission with the official time being 1:29.

Rating: **
Notes: Palhales with an impressive submission over the more experianced Rivera. Palhales will have a impressive UFC career if he carries on this way.

Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Rolles Gracie (2-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Gabriel Gonzaga via Submission

Round 1
Gracie and Gonzaga start slowly, exchanging some jabs. Gonzaga is the first to chance a big shot, bringing an uppercut out from way down, forcing Gracie to back-pedal swiftly to avoid getting hit. Gonzaga wisely keeps up the pressure, stalking Gracie, using searching right hands to keep him moving. Gracie fires back with a low kick, catching Gonzaga on the outside of the calf. Gonzaga steps in, and the two fighers are close. Gracie pushes forward, throwing a right hand, and Gonzaga goes down! Replays show that it was more of a stumble, the punch barely connected. Gracie gets tied up in guard as he tries to follow up. Gracie stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Gonzaga's guard with him. Gonzaga reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Gracie knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Gonzaga blocks it. Gracie floats over and gets into side control. Gonzaga scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Gracie lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Gonzaga up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Gonzaga makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Gracie can't get either arm isolated properly. Gracie changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Gonzaga fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Gracie can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Gracie.

Round 2
They touch gloves. Gracie begins brightly, putting together several crisp jabs to put Gonzaga on the back foot early. Gonzaga parries the final jab, and uses that to move in close and hit two right hands and a vicious uppercut. Gracie got his chin out of the way at the last second, otherwise that could have very well caused a knock out. Gonzaga keeps up the pressure by coming in swinging, looking for another brutal shot, but Gracie ducks under it and drops Gonzaga to the ground with a quick takedown. Gonzaga pulls guard. Gracie stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Gonzaga's guard with him. Gonzaga reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Gracie knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Gonzaga blocks it. Gracie floats over and gets into side control. Gonzaga scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Gracie lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Gonzaga up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Gonzaga makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Gracie can't get either arm isolated properly. Gracie changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Gonzaga fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Gracie can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Gracie.

Round 3
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Gonzaga lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Gracie sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Gonzaga on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Gracie manages to get the better position, pushing Gonzaga up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Gracie. Gonzaga hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Gracie tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Gonzaga was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Gracie down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Gracie covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Gonzaga hits a big elbow to the ribs, Gracie definitely felt that. Gonzaga drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Gracie brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Gonzaga will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Gracie defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Gonzaga unable to generate any attacks, and Gracie unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Gonzaga will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Gonzaga. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Rolles Gracie.

Rating: **
Notes: Big win for Gracie here. If he carries on like this he may be the next great Gracie.

Thiago Tavares (13-1) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Tavares via Split Decision

Round 1
An early exchange of punches goes nowhere. Lauzon tries to force Tavares up against the cage, but can't. Tavares scores with the first meaningful blow of the round, a solid right hand to the ribs. Lauzon steps in, but we don't get to find out his intentions as Tavares clinches up quickly. Lauzon tries to shake free, but gets taken down via a trip. Lauzon tries to push free, but Tavares forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Tavares reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Lauzon breaks it by bringing his arms up. Tavares steps through in an effort to mount Lauzon, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Tavares throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Lauzon rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Tavares determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Lauzon uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Tavares having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Tavares by 10-9.

Round 2
Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Lauzon uses a trip to make a takedown, but doesn't go down himself, instead staying back. He pushes the raised legs away and dives in to get side control, but Tavares scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Lauzon down to the ground. Tavares ends up on top, in guard. Tavares tries to pass guard, but Lauzon doesn't allow it. Lauzon throws a couple of punches, but they're parried away. He breaks his guard to bring a leg across and try to kick Tavares in the face, but it's a mistake as Tavares pushes the leg aside and gets side control. Tavares pushes them closer to the cage, near his own corner so that they can give him instructions. Following what they say, Tavares throws some heavy blows to the unprotected stomach of Lauzon, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Lauzon frantically tries to stop that happening, but does indeed give it up. He does manage to roll to the side, giving himself some good leverage and preventing Tavares from extending the arm. Tavares continues trying to apply an armbar, but Lauzon is not allowing it. Eventually Tavares turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Lauzon fights that off too. The round ends with Tavares still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Lauzon tenaciously stopping it. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Tavares.

Round 3
Lauzon is quickest out, and comes at Tavares with a series of jabs and straight punches. Tavares covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Tavares hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Lauzon who takes it to the ground. Tavares pulls guard. There's a lull, as Lauzon tries to pass, and Tavares defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Tavares almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Lauzon, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Lauzon by 10-9. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Thiago Tavares.

Rating: **
Notes: Tavares with an impressive win over Lauzon. Thiago should move up a few spaces in the Lightweight rankings with this win.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO

Round 1
Fast start by Yoshida, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Hironaka circles, drawing a lunge from Yoshida, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Yoshida ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Hironaka hopping on the other to remain vertical. Yoshida tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Hironaka manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Yoshida has one leg trapped between Hironaka's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Hironaka defends it well, without fully escaping it, Yoshida can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Hironaka suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Yoshida's back. Yoshida was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Hironaka up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Hironaka throws a couple of short-range punches. Yoshida gets a leg in and trips Hironaka, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Hironaka, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Yoshida.

Round 2
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Yoshida is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Hironaka on the side of the cheek. Yoshida follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Hironaka goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Yoshida is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Hironaka has Yoshida against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Yoshida reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Hironaka, who pulls guard. Yoshida starts pounding away and does some damage before Hironaka grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Hironaka has both of Yoshida's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Yoshida uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Hironaka isn't going to be too bothered by that. Yoshida pulls one arm free. Hironaka still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Yoshida sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Yoshida steps through the legs and forces Hironaka to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Hironaka manages to ensare one leg though, and so Yoshida has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Yoshida hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Hironaka keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Yoshida is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Yoshida pulls Hironaka's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Hironaka rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Yoshida continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Yoshida.

Round 3
Hironaka is bobbing and weaving, trying to find an angle of attack. Jabs and an occasional low kick from Yoshida are making that hard though. A crisp right hand from Hironaka stings the gloves of Yoshida, and he follows up with a kick that crashed into the ribs. That really connected, great strike. Hironaka looks to be growing in confidence, and comes in again, using the right hand lead once more. Yoshida was ready though, and fires off a high kick. It connects with the side of the jaw, Hironaka did not see that one coming! He staggers and falls to the floor, totally unbalanced. Yoshida is right in there; hammer fist to the side of the head, and another! There's a third. Hironaka is in big trouble. Vicious punch. The referee leaps in, that is all she wrote! That kick caught Hironaka out, and from there onwards there was only going to be one outcome.

Yoshida wins via 3rd round TKO with the official time being 1:17.

Rating: **
Notes: Yoshida with yet another win. This should boost Yoshida into the top 5 Welterweights and if he is lucky even further.

Maincard

Andrei Arlovski (13-5) vs. Heath Herring (28-13)
Sherdog's Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO

Round 1
Arlovski starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Herring on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Arlovski to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Herring, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Arlovski, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Herring is looking a little lost so far, Arlovski is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. They both seem to be looking for an opening, and it's creating a stalemate at the moment. Arlovski leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Herring was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Herring comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Herring is that although Arlovski clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Arlovski.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Arlovski puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Herring defended well. Straight right from Herring in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Arlovski probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Herring gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Arlovski. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Arlovski.

Round 3
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Herring throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Arlovski's jaw, but it is parried. Arlovski steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Herring moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Arlovski put a lot of weight behind it. Herring hits a nice jab, then clinches. Arlovski hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Herring hits a low kick to the leg. Arlovski bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Herring goes down! Good shot from Arlovski! He tries to follow up and pound on Herring, but Herring is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Arlovski, sensing that Herring is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Herring ends up backed up against the cage. Arlovski gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Herring, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Arlovski has in his hands is really posing Herring some problems. The clinch drags on, with Arlovski unable to break free, and the round ends like that. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Arlovski. Andrei Arlovski wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.

Rating: ***
Notes: Arlovski wil be happy with this win as it almost guarantees he will get if not the next shot at Nog then the next one after Tim Sylvia.

Forrest Griffin (16-5) vs. Nate Marquardt (26-7-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Forrest Griffin via Knock Out

Round 1
Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Marquardt uses a trip to make a takedown, but doesn't go down himself, instead staying back. He pushes the raised legs away and dives in to get side control, but Griffin scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Marquardt down to the ground. Griffin ends up on top, in guard. Griffin passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Marquardt has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Griffin's left arm. Griffin's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Marquardt covers up to defend them. Griffin tries to pin down one of Marquardt's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Marquardt uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Griffin finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9.

Round 2
Marquardt may have realised that he left the gas on back at home, as he starts the round as if he needs to get this fight finished quickly, throwing two giant-sized right hand bombs and a vicious uppercut within the first thirty seconds. Griffin dealt with them well though, avoiding the first two and parrying the uppercut away. Griffin fakes a takedown, causing Marquardt to back up, ready to sprawl. Marquardt stalks Griffin, forcing him back toward the cage. Marquardt moves in, looking to throw another big shot, but Griffin springs forward and connects with a great punch, crunching his fist into the cheek. Marquardt goes down! Griffin tries to pounce and pound his way to victory, but Marquardt has enough awareness to ensnare Griffin in the guard position as he dives in. Griffin tries to pass guard, but Marquardt doesn't allow it. Marquardt throws a couple of punches, but they're parried away. He breaks his guard to bring a leg across and try to kick Griffin in the face, but it's a mistake as Griffin pushes the leg aside and gets side control. Griffin pushes them closer to the cage, near his own corner so that they can give him instructions. Following what they say, Griffin throws some heavy blows to the unprotected stomach of Marquardt, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Marquardt frantically tries to stop that happening, but does indeed give it up. He does manage to roll to the side, giving himself some good leverage and preventing Griffin from extending the arm. Griffin continues trying to apply an armbar, but Marquardt is not allowing it. Eventually Griffin turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Marquardt fights that off too. The round ends with Griffin still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Marquardt tenaciously stopping it. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9.

Round 3
Slow start to this round, Griffin is being tentative and Marquardt looks like he is waiting for an angle to appear. The first exchange of strikes doesn't really go anywhere. A second set falls in Griffin's favour, as he gets a nice jab in, hitting right above the nose, and a solid shot to the body. Marquardt goes in for a takedown but only manages to secure one leg. Griffin hammers down two shots to the back, but can't really do a lot else. Marquardt tries to push him over onto his back, but Griffin manages to pull free and back off. Marquardt throws a high left handed jab then goes in for another takedown. Good sprawl from Griffin, and he backs off. Marquardt doesn't get a chance to go for a third, because Griffin takes the fight to him with a barrage of lefts and rights, forcing him back against the cage. Griffin clinches up, only after hitting a hard shot to the stomach though. The clinch seems to go on forever, with Marquardt unable to get a good enough position to try a takedown, and Griffin tied up too much to really throw any decent strikes. Eventually the time runs out and they head back to their corners. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Forrest Griffin.

Rating: ***
Notes: Griffin with an impressive win here and he will be hoping to move up to #3 in the Middleweight rankings as if he does he will almost certainly get the next title shot.

Thiago Silva (15-0) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Silva via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to this round, Silva is being tentative and Drwal looks like he is waiting for an angle to appear. The first exchange of strikes doesn't really go anywhere. A second set falls in Silva's favour, as he gets a nice jab in, hitting right above the nose, and a solid shot to the body. Drwal goes in for a takedown but only manages to secure one leg. Silva hammers down two shots to the back, but can't really do a lot else. Drwal tries to push him over onto his back, but Silva manages to pull free and back off. Drwal throws a high left handed jab then goes in for another takedown. Good sprawl from Silva, and he backs off. Drwal doesn't get a chance to go for a third, because Silva takes the fight to him with a barrage of lefts and rights, forcing him back against the cage. Silva clinches up, only after hitting a hard shot to the stomach though. The clinch seems to go on forever, with Drwal unable to get a good enough position to try a takedown, and Silva tied up too much to really throw any decent strikes. Eventually the time runs out and they head back to their corners. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva.

Round 2
Good start from Drwal, taking Silva down almost immediately! Silva scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Drwal will be disappointed with that. Silva comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Drwal to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Silva felt that one for sure. He stalks Drwal, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Drwal keeps out of the way. Silva tries a kick, but Drwal catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Drwal gets Silva down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Drwal throws some punches, then tries to pass. Silva doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Drwal easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Drwal followed by a pass attempt, with Silva blocking the pass and throwing the occasional punch in response. The round ends like that, just as the referee was about to stand them back up. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Drwal.

Round 3
An exchange of jabs doesn't go anywhere. Drwal fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a straight left before backing out fast to avoid a left-right combination from Silva. They clinch, and Silva winds up backed against the cage. A couple of minor blows get exchanged, but it's turned into a bit of a stalemate. Drwal tries to push Silva back, but can't. The referee waits a while, then separates them and gets them to resume. Drwal gets caught with a solid right hand out of nowhere, and is rocked. Silva follows up with another one, and Drwal looks in trouble all of a sudden. He is backed up against the cage and Silva is unloading. The punches are raining down, Drwal is covering up. The referee has seen enough and stops the fight, clearly feeling that Drwal was unable to defend himself intelligently.

Silva wins. Official time of the TKO is 4:16 of the third.

Rating: ***
Notes: Silva gets the third round TKO win over #7 Light Heavyweight Tomasz Drwal and that should move him up the rankings quite nicely up to as high as #3 if he is lucky.

Roger Huerta (22-1-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (12-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Roger Huerta via TKO

Round 1
Huerta scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Griffin shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Huerta moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Griffin turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Huerta goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Huerta looks light on his feet and very agile, Griffin looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Griffin will need to find a way to nullify Huerta's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Huerta darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Griffin manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Huerta's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Huerta controlling the round with his superior movement. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Huerta.

Round 2
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Huerta goes for the first takedown, but Griffin has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Griffin storms back in almost immediately and takes Huerta down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Huerta just had a lapse in concentration. Griffin tries to pass the guard but can't, with Huerta employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Huerta is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Griffin makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Huerta has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Griffin on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Griffin.

Round 3
They circle each other. Griffin misses with a low kick, and Huerta darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Huerta is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Griffin is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Huerta isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Griffin tries to get in close, but Huerta is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. Griffin glances at the referee, not sure why. Huerta gets a solid punch in, catching Griffin just above the left eye. Griffin finally gets a clinch, forcing Huerta up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Huerta. The official scores are: 29-28 from all three judges for Roger Huerta.

Rating: ***
Notes: Huerta battled for a deserved win here against Griffin. Griffin will have no need to be dissapointed though as he battled hard and against a worthy opponent. Huerta should move back into the top three Lightweights with this win.

UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (17-2) vs. Thiago Alves (14-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Georges St. Pierre via Submission

Round 1
Alves makes St. Pierre back up against the cage by throwing some looping punches. He comes in closer and hits a right hook to the body, getting a jab to the cheek in return. Alves throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. St. Pierre lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Alves by surprise, putting him down! St. Pierre follows up and starts raining down right hands. Alves covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls St. Pierre off, the match is over.

St. Pierre wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 1:57. Georges St. Pierre retains the UFC Welterweight title.

Rating: ****
Notes: Quick and impressive win for St. Pierre here and he only has to beat Serra in a rubber match before there isn't anyone left in the Welterweight division to challenge him, then he can change weight classes and have a superfight with someone.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Rousimar Palhales
Knock Out of the Night: Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Fight of the Night: Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves

Injuries
Rousimar Palhales suffered a knee injury in his fight last night and wil be out for almost 2 months recovering.

Resignings
Matt Hamill and Yoshiyuki Yoshida will both be resigned to new UFC contracts.

Signings
Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza will be signed to an exclusive UFC contract to fight in the UFC Middleweight division. Also Ryan Schultz will be signed to compete in the UFC Lightweight division.

chris caulfield

06-16-2008, 11:04 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 91

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 91 events.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta +3
2. Shinya Aoki -1
3. BJ Penn -1
4. Vitor Ribeiro -1
5. Sean Sherk
6. Thiago Tavares +4
7. Kenny Florian -1
8. Eddie Alvarez -1
9. Rich Clementi -1
10. Joe Stevenson - New Entry

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida +4
4. Matt Hughes
5. Jon Fitch
6. Dan Hardy +3
7. Josh Koscheck +1
8. Thiago Alves -5
9. Akihiro Gono +1
10. Diego Sachez - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Rich Franklin
2. Anderson Silva
3. Patrick Cote
4. Forrest Griffin +1
5. Gregard Mousasi +1
6. Dan Henderson +1
7. Rousimar Palahales - New Entry
8. Karo Parisyan
9. Joey Villasenor
10. Jonathan Goulet

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
3. Thiago Silva +2
4. Wanderlei Silva -1
5. Lyoto Machida -1
6. Wilson Gouveia
7. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +1
8. Chuck Liddell +1
9. Glover Teixeira +1
10. Rashad Evans - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia
3. Andrei Arlovski
4. Fedor Emelianenko
5. Sergei Kharitonov
6. Cheick Kongo
7. Chris Tuchscherer
8. Pedro Rizzo +1
9. Fabricio Werdum +1
10. Shane Carwin - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta - New Entry
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -1
4. Rich Franklin -1
5. George St. Pierre
6. Anderson Silva -2
7. Tim Sylvia -1
8. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -1
9. Shinya Aoki -1
10. BJ Penn -1

Biggest Jump this month: Yoshiyuki Yoshida/Thiago Tavares: Tavares moved up foer ranks upto #6 in the Lightweight rankings this month. He moved this far up thanks to his decision win over Joe Lauzon. He is expected to fight either Rich Clementi or Kenny Florian next. Yoshida also moved up four ranks this month all the way up to #3 in the Welterweight rankings which makes him eligible for a title shot. This came after he beat Kuniyoshi Hironaka via a third round TKO. He is expected to fight either Matt Hughes or Jon Fitch next.

Biggest Drop this month: Thiago Alves: Thiago Alves dropped five ranks this month as he fell to #8 in the Welterweight rankings. This came after he lost to Georges St. Pierre via TKO in only one minute and fifty seven seconds. He is expected to fight Akihiro Gono next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Roger Huerta(P4P)/Rousimar Palhales: Palhales debuted on the Middleweight rankings this month at #7 after his impressive submission win over Jorge Rivera. He is expected to fight Joey Villasenor next. Roger Huerta moved up 3 ranks to become the #1 Lightweight this month but also he debuted on the P4P top ten at a impressive #2. This all came after his close decision win over Tyson Griffin. H eis expected to challenge BJ Penn for the title in his next fight.

chris caulfield

06-16-2008, 11:16 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 92: Jackson vs. Shogun

Today UFC announced UFC 92: Jackson vs. Shogun. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3)
Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2)
Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1)
Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3)
Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7)
Undercard
Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0)
Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2)
Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)
Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1)
Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0)
Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0)

rjhabeeb

06-16-2008, 01:19 PM

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3) THE UFC vs. PRIDE curse continues
Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2) :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1) :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3)
Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7) :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Undercard
Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0)
Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2)
Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)
Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1)
Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0)
Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0)

UFC 92: Night of Upsets

critical-23

06-16-2008, 03:03 PM

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3) I hate this kind of match-up (ya know, two faves facing each other)
Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2) No hesitation here. . .
Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1) If the fight stays standing, Eddie all the way.
Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3) The Nightmare can pull this one out.
Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7) Tanner could have both hands tied behind his back and I would STILL choose him. I'm just a big Tanner fan. Sue me.

Undercard

Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0) Honestly never heard of Carwin (sorry to all the purists).

Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2) Love Alexander's brawling style but Rashad brings too much to the table.

Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)Can't say I know either of these two fighters. I just went with the more experienced record.

Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1) Saunders uses Bruce Lee's style of fighting. I am not a purist, just a fan of martial arts, which is why I picked Ben.

Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0) Puder sucks as a pro wrestler, I'm hoping he is a better MMA fighter.

Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0) Once again, not familiar with either fighter but I am going with the more experienced record.

chris caulfield

06-17-2008, 01:28 PM

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UFC 92 Preview

Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0)
Dolloway will fight in his UFC debut as he tries to retain his unbeaten record as he fights Rory Singer. Singer is oming off of a decision loss to Cung Le at UFC 87. CB will be very excited as he is still only 25 and he is already fighting in the UFC and if he wins here it could start something big.

Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0)
Puder is another young undefeated fighter being only 27. He is fighting the more experianced 30 year old Brad Morris who is coming off of a second round TKO loss to Rolles Gracie at UFC 85. If Puder gets a win here and then a few more along the line then he could become quite the heavyweight star with abit of hard work.

Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1)
Two more young talents go at it in this fight as Matt Arroyo who is 26 goes up against Ben Saunders who is 25. Saunders is coming off of a decision loss to Karo Parisyan , who has since moved to the Middleweight division, back at UFC 86.

Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)
Two experianced fighters go up against each other in a Lightweight battle. A win for either could put them into the tep ten ranking system, which could push them up the card and put them against better and more well known competition.

Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2)
Rashad Evans returns to fight Houston Alexander. This will be Evans first fight since his decision loss against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 88. Evans is ranked at the #10 Light Heavyweight right now so a win could put Alexander on the map. A win for Evans though could push him up the rankings to as high as #6.

Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0)
Young undefeated fighter Carwin ,only 25, fights Vera is possibly the biggest fight of his career. Vera is coming off of a first round TKO win over en Rothwell at UFC 89. Carwin is still undefeated and is 2-0 in the UFC with decision wins over Eddie Sanchez and Christian Wellisch. Carwin is already ranked as the #10 Heavyweight and a win over Vera could push him up to as high as #6. A win for Vera though could put him into the rankings and in a place where he could start to build up to a title shot.

Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7)
Bisping has won his last two fights with his last fight being the most impressive as he beat Alan Belcher via TKO after only fifty nine seconds into the second round. A win for Bisping could put him into the top ten Middleweights where he could push into the top three and get a title shot.

Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3)
Diego Sanchez returns after his decision loss to Matt Serra at UFC 88. Koscheck on the other hand is coming off of two consecutive TKO vitories over George Sortiropoulos and Mike Swick. Sanchez is ranked as the #10 Welterweight and Koscheck as the #7. A win for Sanchez could put him upto around #6 while a win for Koscheck could put him upto as high as #4.

Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1)
The #8 and #10 Lightweights go up against each other in this fight which could be an important fight for future of the Lightweight division. A win for Alvarez could put him as high as #6 or if he is lucky #5. A win for Stevenson would put him somewhere around #7. Stevenson is coming off of a decision loss to Roger Huerta at UFC 88. Alvarez however is currently 2-0 in the UFC after he defeated Cole Miller with a third round TKO after losing the two rounds. And also in his UFC debut at UFC 85 he defeated Corey Hill in two minutes and twenty five seconds when he KO'ed Hill for a debut victory.

Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2)
Chuck Liddell returns as he fights for the first time since he fought against Shogun when he lost via a brutal 1st round KO. This time he goes up against Glover Teixeira who is coming off of two staight wins in the UFC. So far Teixeira has beat Ricardo Arona via TKO after only 71 seconds of the fight, also he has defeted Sokoudjou via a third round submission at UFN 14. Both fighters are ranked in the top ten Light Heavyweights with Liddell coming in at #8 while Teixeira is at #9. A win for either could put them up as high as #5 in the rankings.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3)
Shogun will be the fourth challenger for Rampage's title as he returns to the UFC after his brutal 1st round KO of Chuck Liddell. Rampage has defended his title against the likes of Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida so he won't be intimidated even by the likes of the PRIDE legend and a man that has knocked him out in the past. Rampage in not just ranked as the #1 Light Heavyweight but he is also ranked as the #1 pound for pound fighter so it is safe to say that he will be considered the favourite as Shogun is only ranked as the #8 pound for pound fighter.

D.O.

06-17-2008, 02:57 PM

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3)
Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2)
Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1)
Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3)
Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7)
Undercard
Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0)
Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2)
Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)
Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1)
Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0)
Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0)

RyanMMA09

06-17-2008, 03:08 PM

Rampage is a beatable guy, but I don't think Shogun's the guy to do it. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm just saying it won't. This is clearly the biggest day in the life of Glover Teixeira's career, problem is, he might choke being the co-Main Event. I've got Liddell by brutal knockout in that fight. Stevenson needs a win and Alvarez is a tough fight for him. I almost question the booking in this fight, seems like a lose situation. If Stevenson wins, great for him, but not good for a 16-1 Alvarez, but if Alvarez wins, he was supposed to. Kos and Sanchez, well I hate them both pretty equally, let's say Diego Sanchez with a decision. Bisping is on his game after his last fight and Tanner's all but a former shell of himself, Bisping via TKO in round one or two is my guess. Next fight is another one where it's only going to hurt you for either to lose, Carwin's not quite ready for Vera and he'll find out quick. I'm not a Rashad Evans fan, but he's a good wrestler, he'll take Houston down at will and pound on him. Josh Thomson should make easy work of Marcus Aurelio and I have Arroyo over Saunders. Morris and Puder will be an interesting fight, I have Puder unfortunately. Rory Singer's done, Dollaway will make a tool of him. This is a decent card, not your best though.

chris caulfield

06-17-2008, 03:34 PM

OOC: I'd just like to go out of my way to thank you all for making predictions but one person in particular I would like to thank is RyanMMA09 because as I write this diary it is so pleasing for me to see everyone predict my cards but it is extra nice when you get someone who actually takes some extra time just to go abit more indepth instead of just bolding a name. There is nothing wrong with just bolding names because that is what I do so I'm not moaning at the others as I am so very grateful for all the predictors but anyone who also writes a diary will also know the joy when you get a post in your diary that goes into even just abit more detail. Also I'm just wondering because at the end of your post you said it wasn't my best card but would you mind telling me what you thought my best card was and why if you don't mind just so I can referance it in my head and know what types of matchups to put on in the future that make my readers happy. Anyway thankyou to everyone that has predicted and if anyone else wants to predict then do it soon as I plan to get the show up tomorrow and if not tomorrow then definately by thursday.

chris caulfield

06-18-2008, 01:20 PM

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/wackyplanetshop/ufc-section-banner.jpg

UFC 92: Jackson vs. Shogun

Undercard

Rory Singer (11-8) vs. CB Dolloway (6-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: CB Dolloway via TKO

Round 1
Singer goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Dollaway doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Dollaway comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Singer covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Dollaway is already out of range. Dollaway repeats the trick, working a new angle, darting in, then firing off strikes while keeping out of the way of any counter punches. It happens a third time, and Singer is beginning to look frustrated. Dollaway's footwork and general movement is looking good, Singer is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Dollaway is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Singer has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Dollaway is too quick. Singer finally gets in close enough to grapple with Dollaway, clinching up. Singer scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Dollaway bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Singer is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Singer swings for the fences, but Dollaway has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Dollaway.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Dollaway puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Singer defended well. Straight right from Singer in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Dollaway probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Singer gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Dollaway. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Dollaway by 10-9.

Round 3
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Singer throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Dollaway's jaw, but it is parried. Dollaway steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Singer moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Dollaway put a lot of weight behind it. Singer hits a nice jab, then clinches. Dollaway hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Singer hits a low kick to the leg. Dollaway bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Singer goes down! Good shot from Dollaway! He tries to follow up and pound on Singer, but Singer is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Dollaway, sensing that Singer is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Singer ends up backed up against the cage. Dollaway gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Singer, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Dollaway has in his hands is really posing Singer some problems. The clinch drags on, with Dollaway unable to break free, and the round ends like that. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-8 for Dollaway. CB Dollaway wins, with a score of 30-26 from two judges, 29-27 from the other.

Rating: *
Notes: Dominant decision win here for Dolloway. Great debut for him as he easily gets past Singer. He remains undefeated and is now 7-0.

Brad Morris (8-4) vs. Daniel Puder (6-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Daniel Puder via TKO

Round 1
There is some tentative circling to begin with, before they meet in the center for the first action of the round. It's a tight affair, both fighters heavily using the jab, but Puder looks to get the better of it, landing with one crisp strike to the face in particular. Morris backs off, a little shaken. Replays show that it landed right on the nose. Puder press the action, forcing Morris back against the cage and upping the tempo with rapid-fire lefts and rights, bobbing and weaving at the same time to keep from getting caught with a counter punch. Morris clinches up. Puder is displaying a much more accomplished and confident striking game than Morris, the technique and speed with which the punches are being delivered is leaving Morris looking ragged in comparison. The pattern continues once they've been separated, with Puder looking the sharper of the two. He isn't overwhelming Morris by any means, but he is comfortably controlling the pace and tempo of the round, and preventing Morris from stamping any sort of mark on it. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Puder.

Round 2
Puder starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Morris avoids it without too much trouble. Puder isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Morris getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Puder finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Morris opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Puder is backed up against the cage, covering up. Morris clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Puder hits a knee strike to the hip. Morris slips one leg behind Puder and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Puder landed hard, with Morris on top. They're in half guard. It's to Puder's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Morris from attacking the left hand side of the body. Puder is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Morris tries to step over to mount, but Puder keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Morris fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Puder doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Morris isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Puder ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Morris can get free. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Morris.

Round 3
Puder meets Morris in the center. They exchange tentative long-range punches. Morris steps in to press the action, but gets caught with a right hand. Puder scores with a left too, then a crisp jab. Morris backs off, that exchange did not go in his favour by any means. Puder presses the advantage and gets in a couple more jabs, forcing Morris onto the back-foot, all the way until he is up against the cage. Puder stands just in range and starts throwing occasional straight rights, forcing Morris to try and react in time. Morris parries a few shots away, but also gets caught with a couple. He steps forward and tries to get a clinch, but Puder keeps away from it and continues to flick quick jabs out. Morris is really getting schooled so far, Puder's hand speed and technique have allowed him to completely control everything about this round, Morris hasn't been able to generate anything of note. Morris tries to change that by coming after Puder, but Puder meets him in the center and exchanges punches, again winning the encounter comfortably. The final minute of the round sees Morris try two more times, and in neither can he manage to break Puder's control. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Puder. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Daniel Puder.

Rating: *
Notes: A sucessful debut for Puder but he would of liked to of won a bit more easily.

Ben Saunders (5-1-2) vs. Matt Arroyo (3-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Arroyo via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Arroyo fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Saunders fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Arroyo to the floor. The momentum causes Saunders to almost go completely over the top though, and Arroyo is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Arroyo stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Saunders's guard with him. Saunders reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Arroyo knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Saunders blocks it. Arroyo floats over and gets into side control. Saunders scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Arroyo lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Saunders up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Saunders makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Arroyo can't get either arm isolated properly. Arroyo changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Saunders fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Arroyo can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Arroyo by 10-9.

Round 2
Saunders starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Arroyo. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Arroyo goes for a single leg and puts Saunders on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Arroyo from getting on top. Saunders definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Arroyo hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Saunders again. This time Saunders isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Arroyo will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Saunders defends. Arroyo tries to slip past to get side control, but Saunders just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Arroyo has the side. Two big elbows land, and Saunders seems in trouble. Arroyo goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Arroyo.

Round 3
Arroyo hits a nice left hook. Saunders felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Arroyo comes in close and hits a couple of big body shots, bobbing out of the way of the jabs that were aimed for his jaw. Saunders clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Arroyo uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Arroyo stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Saunders's guard with him. Saunders reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Arroyo knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Saunders blocks it. Arroyo floats over and gets into side control. Saunders scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Arroyo lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Saunders up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Saunders makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Arroyo can't get either arm isolated properly. Arroyo changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Saunders fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Arroyo can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Arroyo. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Matt Arroyo.

Rating: *
Notes: Arroyo with a good win here over Saunders. He is now 4-1 and could go on to be something good if he carries on the way he is going.

Marcus Aurelio (15-5) vs. Josh Thomson (14-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Josh Thomson via TKO

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Thomson puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Aurelio defended well. Straight right from Aurelio in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Thomson probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Aurelio gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Thomson. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Thomson.

Round 2
Aurelio comes out fast, but gets hit with a counter right hand strike when he throws a left hand which was too high. Thomson moves in and hits a nice body shot before they clinch. Aurelio gets in a short, sharp jab to the side of the head, it looked to hit right on the ear. Thomson didn't like that, and scores with two knee strikes and a punch to the cheek. They break apart. Thomson swings and hits a nice right hand. Aurelio fires off a series of sharp jabs, all hitting gloves. He throws out a looping left, but gets tagged with a punch to the jaw and stumbles to the ground! Thomson dives in to finish him off, but he scrambles back up quickly and they end up facing off on their feet again. Replays show that the punch barely connected, it was more of a stumble on Aurelio's part than anything else. It might not look that way to the judges though. Thomson looks more confident after that, and puts together a nice chain of strikes, ending with a scathing low kick that catches Aurelio on the outside of the calf. He definitely felt that. Time is running out; Thomson will probably take this round on the judges' score cards, primarily due to that one dubious knock down. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Thomson.

Round 3
Thomson leads with a right hand, then delivers a brutal uppercut, Aurelio had to step back quickly to avoid getting caught. He winds up back against the cage, and Thomson doesn't relent, moving in fast to unload with a series of jabs. Aurelio got some of his own in, but the upper hand is definitely with Thomson. Vicious right hand! Out of nowhere, it caught Aurelio flush in the face, and he slumps down against the cage. Thomson follows up with more punches, and the referee dives in to break it up. It's all over. Aurelio wasn't knocked out, but that one punch was a beauty, and it stopped him getting any sort of defence together to stop the following punches.

Thomson wins via 3rd round TKO with the official time being 0:45.

Rating: *
Notes: Thomson with a nice TKO win here that could put him into the top ten Lightweights.

Rashad Evans (12-1-1) vs. Houston Alexander (8-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rashad Evans via Knock Out

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Evans throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Alexander. Kick to the thigh from Alexander, but it lacked power. Alexander looks to be working an angle. Evans throws a stinging jab, landing just above the left eye. Alexander steps in and fires off one of his own, but Evans bobs out of the way and scores with a pair of solid shots to the body. Alexander turns and swings, just as Evans also unloads...and it's Evans who connects first! Alexander's hands drop and he is on rubbery legs. Evans follows up with a beauty of a right hand, and that drops Alexander. The referee doesn't even wait for Evans to dive in to finish, he's seen enough, Alexander is clearly on Dream Street.

This bout is over! The official time of the TKO is 1:24 of round 1.

Rating: ***
Notes: Evans gets back on track with a dominant TKO victory over Alexander. Evans should move up the rankings quite nicely with such a dominant win.

Brandon Vera (9-1) vs. Shane Carwin (10-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shane Carwin via Submission

Round 1
Vera hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Carwin to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Vera hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Carwin tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Vera having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Carwin. Vera pushes Carwin up against the cage in a clinch. Vera throws a knee, then a couple of short punches to the side of the head. Carwin pushes him away and steps in to score with an uppercut. Vera took it flush on the chin and is rocked! Another right hand drops Vera against the cage, and Carwin follows up by unloading with a barrage of punches. The referee gets in and pulls Carwin away, he wins the match by TKO.

Official time of the TKO is 3:18 of the first.

Rating: ***
Notes: Carwin is now 11-0 after the biggest win of his career. Vera will be dissapointed but I'm sure he will bounce back sooner rather than later. Carwin will move up the rankings with this impressive win.

Maincard

Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Evan Tanner (32-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Michael Bisping via Knock Out

Round 1
The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Tanner starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Bisping is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Bisping steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Tanner throws a vicious right cross, but Bisping goes under it and catches Tanner with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Bisping using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Tanner's counters. Tanner is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Bisping has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Tanner. Tanner finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Bisping coming in with a low kick. Bisping still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Tanner can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Bisping having dominated. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Bisping.

Round 2
Bisping doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Tanner to come and trade blows. Tanner wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Bisping isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Tanner. They meet near the cage. Tanner hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Bisping stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Bisping believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Tanner is trying to keep moving, to not let Bisping get set to throw a bomb. Bisping is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Tanner is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Bisping throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Tanner returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Bisping has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Bisping.

Round 3
Tanner is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Bisping advancing. A sharp right misses, and Tanner takes the opportunity to pull Bisping in to a tight clinch against the cage. Bisping tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Bisping wants to stand and bang, Tanner wants to keep things at close quarters. Bisping tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Tanner, and we're down to the ground. Tanner has side control, but Bisping has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Tanner will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Bisping tries to squirm into a better position, but Tanner puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Tanner tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Bisping defends it. Bisping manages to bring a knee up and catch Tanner in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Tanner responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Bisping covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Tanner may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Tanner tries to float over into a mount, but Bisping uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Tanner enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Tanner is the last action of the round. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Tanner. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Michael Bisping.

Rating: **
Notes: This was Bisping's toughest opponent since his move to Middleweight but many believed he would win a bit more dominantly than this. He will hopefully take away the positives though as he did win and this will probably put him into the top ten Middleweights.

Josh Koscheck (12-2) vs. Diego Sanchez (19-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Diego Sanchez via TKO

Round 1
Koscheck starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Sanchez is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Koscheck. Sanchez tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Sanchez, but it only caught Koscheck on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Koscheck, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Sanchez from doing very much. Sanchez gets pinned against the cage, and the referee eventually has to separate them. Right hand from Sanchez, that one definitely registered, but I don't think it had much power behind it. The time ticks away without anything further of interest happening. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Koscheck.

Round 2
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Koscheck, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Koscheck puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Sanchez covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Koscheck throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Sanchez easily avoided them. Low kick from Sanchez, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Koscheck will take the round on points. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Koscheck.

Round 3
Sanchez comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Koscheck stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Koscheck connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Sanchez is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Koscheck seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Koscheck, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Sanchez felt that, and backs off. Sanchez tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Koscheck gets him to back off with some jabs. Koscheck has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Sanchez has been blocked at every turn. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Koscheck by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Josh Koscheck.

Rating: ***
Notes: Koscheck with his third win in a row as he hands Sanchez his second loss in a row. Koscheck will move up the rankings quite nicely with this decision win while Sanchez will likely frop out of the top ten and will hope to bounce back in his next fight.

Joe Stevenson (28-9) vs. Eddie Alvarez (16-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joe Stevenson via TKO

Round 1
Alvarez starts fast, immediately going on the attack with jabs and straight rights. Stevenson covers up from the initial burst, then starts throwing some raking rights and lefts. Alvarez bobs and weaves out of harm's way, countering by flicking off jabs whenever possible, peppering Stevenson with strikes. None of them are likely to knock Stevenson down, but they will add up over time. Stevenson moves in and tries to back Alvarez up against the cage, but he is too quick, and won't allow himself to get caught. Stevenson is having a real problem with Alvarez's movement, which is allowing him to dart in and out almost at will, hitting quick jabs and avoiding any counters. There's another example, as Alvarez scores with a sharp left hand to the chest, and is gone before the big right hand of Stevenson hits. Stevenson looks frustrated, and switches tactics, no longer looking for the big punches but trying to stop Alvarez getting in close by using low kicks and long, raking punches. Alvarez is kept from doing any further damage, but Stevenson isn't generating any offence either. Alvarez comes in from an angle, takes a right hand, but scores with a flurry of his own. Stevenson tries to hit a low kick, but misses. Time is running down, Alvarez is going to take this round on points, he has been able to dominate it thanks to his superior movement. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Alvarez by 10-9.

Round 2
The fighters come together right in the center. Stevenson throws out a jab, but Alvarez bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Alvarez works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Stevenson covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Alvarez is making Stevenson look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Stevenson hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. A looping left from Alvarez, but it's wide of the mark. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Alvarez got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Stevenson slightly. Stevenson initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Stevenson looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Alvarez is clearly winning them. Stevenson needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Alvarez tries a speculative high kick, but Stevenson saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Stevenson tries to work an angle, but Alvarez is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Alvarez, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Alvarez.

Round 3
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Stevenson is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Alvarez blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Stevenson is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Alvarez is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Stevenson can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Stevenson some problems later on. Stevenson moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Alvarez is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Stevenson before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Stevenson off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Stevenson goes for a trip, but Alvarez cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Alvarez may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Alvarez. Eddie Alvarez wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Alvarez with a big win and an impressive win which should move him up the rankings quite nicely and into the top five if he is lucky.

Chuck Liddell (21-6) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Chuck Liddell via Decision

Round 1
Right hand from Teixeira was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Liddell. Teixeira follows up by coming in close, but Liddell is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Teixeira scores with a low kick to the outside of the knee, then backs off. Those will take their toll. Liddell responds with a right hand that hits gloves, a left hook to the body that stings Teixeira, then throws a spectacular head kick that connects! Teixeira was backing off after those two punches and didn't see it coming, he goes sailing backward, his body entirely limp. Liddell has knocked Teixeira out cold with one brutally powerful kick.

Liddell wins via knock out at 1:51 of the first round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Liddell comes back from a KO loss and gets a KO of is own. Teixeira won't be bothered too much as he is still young and there is no shame in losing to a MMA legend, and his record is still 7-3 so it doesn't look bad at all. Liddell will be looking to get around two more wins and thn will be looking for a title shot.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (31-6) vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Quinton Jackson via TKO

Round 1
Jackson throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Rua throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Jackson steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Rua hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Jackson. They struggle all the way back, with Jackson ending up backed up against the cage. Rua hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Jackson stomps downward onto his foot. Jackson manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Rua gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Jackson ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Jackson tries a high kick to start, but Rua saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Rua who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Jackson on the nose. Jackson hits a straight right, enough to stop Rua from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Rua.

Round 2
Jackson doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Rua easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Rua throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. Rua throws a nice combination of punches, and although none of them find anything but gloves, it does force Jackson backward against the cage. Rua follows in and scores with a superb jab. Jackson felt that. Rua tries a venomous kick to the thigh, but Jackson saw it coming; he catches the leg just below the knee, steps in, and puts Rua down to the canvas with a trip, done with a violent snap. Rua pulled guard though, stopping Jackson from getting around and into side control. Jackson stands, and uses his arms to push Rua's guard apart. Leaning down between the legs, he starts throwing vicious punches. Rua tries to bring his legs back in to pull guard again, while simultaneously covering up, but he is having trouble; Jackson is using his body to keep the legs from coming in. More punches rain down, and Rua is starting to get really pounded. A big shot lands hard on the nose, then a left hand crunches into his cheek. The referee has seen enough and pulls Jackson away, signalling the end of this match.

Official time of the TKO is 1:36 of the second round. Quinton Jackson retains the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Rating: *****
Notes: That is definately the fight of the year so far and what a win it was for Rampage. Rampage further impresses the critics as he beats Shogun to yet again defend his title. Shogun will be dissapointed to lose after winning the first round, but I'm sure he will bounce back in his next fight.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Chuck Liddell
Fight of the Night: Quinton Jackson vs. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua

Resignings
Joe Stevenson, Glover Teixeira and Ben Saunders will all be resigned to new UFC contracts.

chris caulfield

06-18-2008, 01:41 PM

Prediction Contest

rjhabeeb: 6/11
critical-23: 5/11
Derek4jc: 4/11
RyanMMA09: 9/11

The prize for the winner ,RyanMMA09, is the opportunity to choose who will challenge Anderson Silva for the title in the main event of the next PPV. Your choices are out of Rich Franklin and Patrick Cote. Please reply ASAP so I can set up the card please. Rankings and hopefully next card should be posted by tomorrow.

RyanMMA09

06-18-2008, 02:03 PM

Awesome show man, glad to see that I predicted most of it, more power to Shane Carwin, I didn't think he was ready for Vera yet, you should probably see if Brandon Vera's willing to move to 205, he's just too small for a Heavyweight. Well, we've seen Rich Franklin get tooled by Silva twice and while I like him, I don't think he's the guy to beat Silva. So let's see it, Anderson Silva versus Patrick Cote to headline UFC 93, looking forward to it. Also, go Bisping!

chris caulfield

06-19-2008, 12:47 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 92

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 92 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. BJ Penn
4. Vitor Ribeiro
5. Sean Sherk
6. Eddie Alvarez +2
7. Thiago Tavares -1
8. Kenny Florian -1
9. Rich Clementi
10. Din Thomas - New Entry

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
4. Matt Hughes
5. Josh Koscheck +2
6. Jon Fitch -1
7. Dan Hardy
8. Thiago Alves
9. Akihiro Gono
10. Dong Hyun Kim - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Rich Franklin
2. Anderson Silva
3. Patrick Cote
4. Forrest Griffin
5. Gregard Mousasi
6. Dan Henderson
7. Karo Parisyan +1
8. Rousimar Palahales -1
9. Joey Villasenor
10. Michael Bisping - New Entry

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Thiago Silva +1
3. Wanderlei Silva +1
4. Lyoto Machida +1
5. Wilson Gouveia +1
6. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -4
7. Chuck Liddell +1
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -1
9. Rashad Evans +1
10. Keith Jardine - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia
3. Andrei Arlovski
4. Fedor Emelianenko
5. Sergei Kharitonov
6. Cheick Kongo
7. Chris Tuchscherer
8. Shane Carwin
9. Pedro Rizzo
10. Fabricio Werdum

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Roger Huerta
4. Rich Franklin
5. George St. Pierre
6. Anderson Silva
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Shinya Aoki +1
9. BJ Penn +1
10. Vitor Ribeiro - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Josh Koscheck/Eddie Alvarez: Kos and Alvarez both moved up 2 ranks this month in a slow month. Kos moved up after he beat the then #10 Welterweight Diego Sanchez via decision. He is expected to fight Jon Fitch or Matt Hughes next. Alvarez moved upto #6 in the Lightweight rankings this month after he beat then #10 Lightweight Joe Stevenson via decision. He is expected to fight Kenny Florian or Thiago Tavares next.

Biggest Drop this month: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua: Shogun dropped 4 ranks to #6 this month as he lost in a title fight against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. He lost via second round TKO just like Lyoto Machida did before him. He will look to get back on track with a win in his next fight which is expected to be against either 'Lil Nog' Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or Wilson Gouveia.

Most Impressive New Entry: There isn't any impressive new entries this month as all the new entries are in the bottom two of the top ten.

chris caulfield

06-19-2008, 01:00 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 93: Silva vs. Cote

Today UFC announced UFC 93: Silva vs. Cote. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick Cote (14-4)
Fedor Emelianenko (28-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (12-4)
Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)
Lyoto Machida (14-1) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Kendall Grove (9-6)
Undercard
Dan Hardy (18-6) vs. Mike Swick (11-3)
Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3)
Aleksander Emelianenko (12-4) vs. Heath Herring (28-14)
Spencer Fisher (20-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) vs. Luke Cummo (6-6)
Joe Doerkson (39-11-1) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)

RyanMMA09

06-19-2008, 02:30 PM

Alrighty, this one has a lot of potential to be your best show yet in my books, just has a lot to do with the results. Alrighty, Demian Maia shouldn't have too much of a problem with Joe Doerkson, although he is a good strong opponent, nice booking. Luke Cummo is the underdog going into his fight, but he's a scrappy kid, I think his Muay Thai is solid enough to beat Kim, so I'll go against the odds and say Cummo wins it, probably a TKO if he does. Next fight Spencer Fisher needs a win to get back on track and Stephens is a good guy to test him a little, but still, Fisher should knock him out. lol, the next few fights are huge for undercard fights. Emelianenko's a tough bastard and I don't see Herring beating him, so yeah, I'll go with Aleksander Emelianenko. Matt Hammill has finally met a guy who's just flat out outmatched him, Antonio Rogerio Nogueria should make easy work out of Hammill, go Lil Nog. Next is Dan Hardy versus my pick, Mike Swick. This should be a fairly easy win for Swick, I'm wondering why you're still feeding Quick people, he's already faced better competition in real life. But still, glad he's fighting. Main card time.

In a major upset, I'm choosing Kendall Grove over Stephen Bonnar.

Lyoto Machida
Mac Danzig
Fedor
Patrick COTE.

Edit: I gotta go, I'll get my predictions up and I'll go into detail later.

critical-23

06-20-2008, 06:34 AM

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick Cote (14-4)
Why: The Spider brings way too much to the table for Cote (phenomenal striking, awesome BJJ) unless the Predator somehow manages to catch the MW champ with a right from Nowhere.

Fedor Emelianenko (28-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (12-4)
Why: FE hasn't been looking to dominant in this dynasty when compared to the real world IMO--neither has Cheick Kongo. Since Kongo has the better standup, I see Emelianenko taking this to the ground and submitting him or pounding out a win.

Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)
Why: Danzig has brute strength and the wits to match it. I just can't see KenFlo taking Danzig down easily or trying to submit a submission grappler.

Lyoto Machida (14-1) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Why: Lyoto "The Technical Machine" Machida (see what I did there? tee-hee!) is just too dang technical to do anything with--just ask Tito Ortiz--and Drwal was TKO two events ago. Machida's gonna submit him.

Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Kendall Grove (9-6)
Why: I'll have to jump on the Grove wagon with RyanMMA09. I can just see Kendall using his flexibility to lock on a submission as soon as Bonnar makes a small mistake.

Undercard

Dan Hardy (18-6) vs. Mike Swick (11-3)
Why: I pick Swick because well--he's quick. Quick to KO ya or submit ya.

Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3)
Why: Big Hamill fan--HUGE fan of ARN. Hamill will pound him but Nogueira will pull out another From Out Of Nowhere submission and end the fight.

Aleksander Emelianenko (12-4) vs. Heath Herring (28-14)
Why: I hate to bet against another Southern boy, yet I wouldn't be too surprised if Aleksander submitted Herring. But, I will keep my fingers crossed in hopes that Herring can eke out a win.

Spencer Fisher (20-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-2)
Why: Simple: If the fight is standing--the fight is Fisher's.

Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) vs. Luke Cummo (6-6)
Why: Cummo has not been the ass-kicking nerd I remember from TUF, but I still believe there is something there. Plus, I can't say that I've seen any of DHK's fights in real life.

Joe Doerkson (39-11-1) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)
Why: Maia is undefeated and I believe that Doerkson is a great opponent for him. I just Demian will keep his undefeated streak going.

chris caulfield

06-20-2008, 02:05 PM

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UFC 93 Preview

Joe Doerkson (39-11-1) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)
Demian Maia is coming off of an impressive decision victory over Ricardo Almeida way back at UFC 86. A win for either could push them into the top ten Middleweights. Maia who is a BJJ specialist will look to take this fight to the ground from the off and sub Doerkson. Doerkson is no slouch on the ground though and will try and fend off the waves of submission attempts that Maia will throw at him.

Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) vs. Luke Cummo (6-6)
Kim is coming off of a decision win over Marcus Davis at UFN 14 while Cummo is coming off of a decision loss to Dan Hardy. Kim who is ranked as the #10 Welterweight will be the favourite for ths fight as he has the better stand-up and ground skills. If Kim wins he could move up as high as #7 in the Welterweight rankings.

Spencer Fisher (20-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-2)
Spencer Fisher is coming off of a decision loss to the now #1 ranked Lightweight Shinya Aoki while Stephens is coming off of a decision win over Nate Diaz. Stephens is still just 22 years old yet with a win here he could just break into the top ten Lightweights if he is lucky.

Aleksander Emelianenko (12-4) vs. Heath Herring (28-14)
Even though this is an undercard fight this is a massive fight for the Heavyweight division. Both fighters are incredibly talented and I'm sure a win for either would put them right into the Heavyweight rankings. Both fighters are coming off of decision losses to Andrei Arlovski.

Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3)
Hamill is coming off of two straight wins over Sokoudjou and James Irvin both by decision and will be looking to improve his record to 6-1 with a win over 'Lil Nog'. Nogueira who is ranked at #8 in the Light Heavyweight rankings will be looking for a win here in his UFC debut which would boost him up the rankings to as high as #5 in the rankings. A win for Hamill though could put Hamill into the top ten which would be a step in the right direction for him.

Dan Hardy (18-6) vs. Mike Swick (11-3)
Dan Hardy is returing after only 2 months off after he beat Luke Cummo via decision. Swick is coming off of a third round TKO loss to Josh Koscheck. Dan Hardy is ranked at #7 in the Welterweight rankings and a win over Swick could push him up as high as #5. A win for Swick though could get him into the top ten Welterweights.

Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Kendall Grove (9-6)
Bonnar will be fighting in his second fight at Middleweight after he lost his Middleweight debut to the guy in the main event Patrick Cote. Grove is also coming off of a loss as he lost to Forrest Griffin via decision at UFC 89. This is a must win for Bonnar who is coming off two straight losses to Rashad Evans and Patrick Cote so he needs a win over Grove to get back on track. A win for Bonnar if he is lucky could put him into the top ten Middleweights.

Lyoto Machida (14-1) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Drwal is coming off of a third round TKO loss to the now #2 Light Heavyweight Thiago Silva while Machida is comig off of a massive win via decision over Randy Couture in Randy's last ever MMA fight. Lyoto Machida is currently ranked as the #4 Light Heavyweight and a win over Drwal would almost definately put him into the top three Light Heavyweights and he will then be eligible for a title shot a rematch aginst Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. A win for Drwal would be massive for him and would definately put him into the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)
Kenny Florian is coming off of two decision wins over Clay Guida and Matt Wiman and is currently ranked at #8 in the Lightweight rankings. Danzig however is coming off of a first round TKO loss to Rich Clementi, but a win over Florian would surely put him into the top ten Lightweights. A win for Florian though could put him into the top five Lightweights if he is lucky.

Fedor Emelianenko (28-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (12-4)
Fedor returns to fight Kongo after he was handed only his second loss ever to the now #1 Heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via a first round KO after only one minute and fifty six seconds. Kongo is coming off of a decision win over Frank Mir at UFC 86. Both fighter are ranke dpretty high in the Heavyweight rankings with Fedor being at #4 and Kongo being at #6. This is a big chance for Kongo as if he beats Fedor it could be a career changing fight. A win for either could put them into the top three Heavyweights which would make them eligible for a title shot.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick Cote (14-4)
Anderson Silva will be defending his Middleweight crown once again and this time it will be against Patrick Cote. Cote earned his shot by beating Alan Belcher via a first round TKO and also beating Stephan Bonnar via decision. Silva's last defence was against Karo Parisyan when he KO'ed him after almost four minutes of the second round. Silva despite being the champion i only ranked as the #2 Middleweight though a win here would surely put him back as #1. Cote is currently the #3 Middleweight but a win here could put him upto #1.

RennikKain076

06-20-2008, 02:16 PM

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick Cote (14-4)
Fedor Emelianenko (28-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (12-4)
Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)
Lyoto Machida (14-1) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Kendall Grove (9-6)
Undercard
Dan Hardy (18-6) vs. Mike Swick (11-3)
Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3)
Aleksander Emelianenko (12-4) vs. Heath Herring (28-14)
Spencer Fisher (20-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-2)
Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) vs. Luke Cummo (6-6)
Joe Doerkson (39-11-1) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)

ReyRey619

06-20-2008, 07:17 PM

chris caulfield

06-21-2008, 11:23 AM

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UFC 93: Silva vs. Cote

Undercard

Joe Doerkson (39-11-1) vs. Demian Maia (8-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joe Doerkson via TKO

Round 1
Doerksen is quickest out, and comes at Maia with a series of jabs and straight punches. Maia covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Maia hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Doerksen who takes it to the ground. Maia pulls guard. There's a lull, as Doerksen tries to pass, and Maia defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Maia almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Doerksen, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Doerksen.

Round 2
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Maia, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Maia puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Doerksen covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Low kick from Doerksen, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Maia will take the round on points. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Maia.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Doerksen is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Maia picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Doerksen throws a wild punch as a counter, but Maia ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Doerksen gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Doerksen is looking for big punches, Maia is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Doerksen manages to back Maia up against the cage. Doerksen takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Maia ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Doerksen can unload. Doerksen may need to think about changing tactics, Maia is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Doerksen fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Maia on the thigh. Maia presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Doerksen gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Maia. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Demian Maia.

Rating: *
Notes: Another win for Maia who is now 9-0 after this close win over a game Doerkson. Doerkson will be dissapointed with the loss afteer winning the first round.

Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) vs. Luke Cummo (6-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dong Hyun Kim via TKO

Round 1
Kim starts strong, hitting a nice low kick and following in with a shot to the body. Cummo backs off, but just gets pushed up against the cage. Kim presses the advantage and works a nice hook to the body. Cummo responds with an attempted sweep, and when that doesn't work, a punch that lands behind the ear. Kim gets in a low kick as he backs off, and the fight returns towards the center. Kim throws a big right hand, but misses and is wide open, allowing Cummo to take him down with ease. Kim scrambles, Cummo tries to stay with him , and a battle for ground supremacy happens. Kim manages to sweep Cummo, and the frenetic grappling ends with Kim in Cummo's guard. Kim stands slightly, and throws a couple of downward punches, testing Cummo's guard. He wants to try and move out of this into half guard, but Cummo is keeping him at bay. Kim pushes a leg aside, narrowly avoiding an up-kick, and manages to secure side control. Well worked. Kim gets himself into a good position, a crucifix, pinning both of Cummo's arms down. Kim rears back...and plants a monster of an elbow right onto the chin! Cummo couldn't do anything about it, and got absolutely creamed! The referee sees him go limp briefly as he loses consciousness, and pulls Kim off, it's going to be a K.O. victory.

Kim wins via knock out at 2:50 of the first round.

Rating: **
Notes: That was a brutal KO and I'm sure it changed alot of peoples views on Kim. Kim will be very happy with such a win after his UFC debut only went to a decision. Kim should move up the rankings quite nicely with this win.

Spencer Fisher (20-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (14-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Spencer Fisher via TKO

Round 1
Stephens and Fisher circle to start. Fisher throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Stephens sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Fisher comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Stephens to slip a nice jab in, catching Fisher just underneath the right eye. Stephens comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Fisher misses with a right cross, then backs off. Stephens stalks him, forcing Fisher back up against the cage. Stephens doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Fisher throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Stephens pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Fisher covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Stephens in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Stephens throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Fisher comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Stephens parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Stephens's favour. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Stephens.

Round 2
Not much happening at first. Fisher is the first to make a move, coming in with a right hand that narrowly misses. Stephens gets in a jab that landed on the left cheek of Fisher, and leaves a mark. Quite a slow paced round so far. Fisher takes another jab and moves in to retaliate, but it was a set-up and he gets creamed with a high right kick to the side of the head! Fisher stumbles but doesn't go down, and has to cover up as Stephens comes in with a series of punches to try and finish the job. Fisher somehow manages to hold on long enough to get his senses back, and buys some time by clinching. Hard knee from Fisher from the clinch, and Stephens felt that, he looks a little tired from unloading that barrage. They break, and Fisher gets in a nice right hand. Fisher looks for an opening. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Stephens.

Round 3
Stephens doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Fisher to come and trade blows. Fisher wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Stephens isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Fisher. They meet near the cage. Fisher hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Stephens stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Stephens believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Fisher is trying to keep moving, to not let Stephens get set to throw a bomb. Stephens is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Fisher is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Stephens throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Fisher returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Stephens has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Stephens. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Jeremy Stephens.

Rating: ***
Notes: The underdog gets the win this time as Stephens gets the decision victory. Stephens will be very happy with this win as he was the underdog and barely anyone expected him to pull it off but he pulled out the decision.

Aleksander Emelianenko (12-4) vs. Heath Herring (28-14)
Sherdog's Prediction: Aleksander Emelianenko via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round, there's a lot of circling going on, not much contact though. Emelianenko fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a left hand to the shoulder region. Herring almost catches Emelianenko with a massive left hook. A big arcing kick from Emelianenko catches Herring on the shoulder, it wasn't far away from landing on the side of the jaw. Herring storms in throwing a flurry of blows, but Emelianenko dodges out of the way. A jab catches Herring on the cheek, then another big kick hits home, this time into the ribs. Emelianenko is really using those big kicks well, they're both keeping Herring at bay and hurting him. Herring tries another attack, first working an angle away from the kicks then coming in with a couple of straight rights. Emelianenko defends it well, parrying the punches away and moving to safety before Herring can unload with any bombs. Emelianenko hits another kick, this time to the thigh, setting it up with a couple of raking punches. That's the last significant action of the round, a round that Emelianenko has dominated with kicks. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Emelianenko.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Emelianenko puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Herring defended well. Straight right from Herring in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Emelianenko probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Herring gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Emelianenko. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Emelianenko by 10-9.

Round 3
Emelianenko comes out strongly, looking for an early knock down, but three crisp jabs all get blocked, and Herring ties him up in a clinch inside of the first thirty seconds. They struggle in the clinch for a while. Emelianenko breaks free and steps back. Herring tries to follow, but takes a harsh kick to the hip as a result. Emelianenko moves in and throws some high speed jabs. Herring defends them fairly easily, and throws a right hand, narrowly missing. Emelianenko thunders another kick into the hip area. Herring backs off, limping slightly. Herring fakes a takedown, allowing him to bring out a left cross from way down. Emelianenko manages to parry it away, but it glances off the side of his head nonetheless. Herring tries to capitalise, coming in with a looping overhand right, but Emelianenko gets out of the way and has the time to pick his spot for another brutal kick. This one is slightly higher, crashing into the rib cage. Herring is having real trouble finding a way past those kicks, they are so powerful that they're allowing Emelianenko to dictate the action. He will win this round on points, as time is about to run out. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Emelianenko. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Aleksander Emelianenko.

Rating: **
Notes: Emelianenko with the win here. Though is wasn't the most impressive win it was a win none the less and it will get him back on track after his loss to Arlovski. He will probably break into the top ten Heavyweights thanks to this win.

Matt Hamill (5-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (13-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO

Round 1
Quick start to the round from Hamill, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Nogueira defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Nogueira connects. Hamill gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Hamill pushes Nogueira back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Nogueira blocks it. Nogueira suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Hamill down to the ground, into guard. Nogueira stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Hamill's guard with him. Hamill reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Nogueira knocks the attempt away and nails a hard shot to the ribs before reaching over and trying to nail a downward punch to the chin. Hamill blocks it. Nogueira floats over and gets into side control. Hamill scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Nogueira lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Hamill up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Hamill makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Nogueira can't get either arm isolated properly. Nogueira changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Hamill fights it for as long as he possibly can, but eventually gets caught. The length of struggle is, in itself, a good defence though, as the round ends before Nogueira can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Nogueira by 10-9.

Round 2
They circle to begin the round. Hamill throws two short jabs, then a long-range looping right hand. Nogueira had to be on his toes to get out of the way, and does. Hamill goes to follow up, and narrowly avoids walking right into a right cross. He bobs underneath it, then comes in fast with a right hand. Nogueira parries it with his gloves, then shoots in and scores with a nice takedown. Hamill tries to sprawl, but was too late and can only pull guard as he crash-lands to the ground. Nogueira passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Hamill has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Nogueira's left arm. Nogueira's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Hamill covers up to defend them. Nogueira tries to pin down one of Hamill's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Hamill uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Nogueira finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Nogueira.

Round 3
Hamill is quickest out, and comes at Nogueira with a series of jabs and straight punches. Nogueira covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Nogueira hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Hamill who takes it to the ground. Nogueira pulls guard. There's a lull, as Hamill tries to pass, and Nogueira defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Nogueira almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Hamill, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Hamill. The judges are split; Antonio Rogerio Nogueira gets 29-28 from the first, Matt Hamill gets 29-28 from the second, the third gives 29-28 to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira gets the split decision victory.

Rating: **
Notes: Nogueira with the win in his UFC debut and by doing so he has halted the momentum of Matt Hamill. Hamill won't be too dissapointed with the loss though as he took the #8 Light Heavyweight to a split decision so he will be content I believe.

Dan Hardy (18-6) vs. Mike Swick (11-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dan Hardy via TKO

Round 1
Swick is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Hardy advancing. A sharp right misses, and Swick takes the opportunity to pull Hardy in to a tight clinch against the cage. Hardy tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Hardy wants to stand and bang, Swick wants to keep things at close quarters. Hardy tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Swick, and we're down to the ground. Swick has side control, but Hardy has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Swick will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Hardy tries to squirm into a better position, but Swick puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Swick tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Hardy defends it. Hardy manages to bring a knee up and catch Swick in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Swick responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Hardy covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Swick may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Swick tries to float over into a mount, but Hardy uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Swick enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Swick is the last action of the round. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Swick.

Round 2
Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Hardy who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Swick fires back with a couple of jabs, both of which connect with the shoulder rather than the face where they were aimed. The two fighters come together in the center and exchange punches, neither getting the clear advantage. Swick suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Hardy manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Swick tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Hardy hits a couple of shots to the back. Swick hits a stomp. Hardy lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Swick the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Swick is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Hardy. He throws some hard downward punches, Hardy defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Swick leaves his arm in for a second too long and Hardy reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Swick gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Hardy the opportunity to scramble back up. There's a nasty mark above the eye where the earlier punch connected though. They go back to circling each other. There's not much time left. Hardy tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Swick avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Swick by 10-9.

Round 3
Swick hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Hardy to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Swick hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Hardy tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Swick having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Hardy. Swick ducks a right hand, but steps forward right into a brutal left cross! Hardy put so much power on that swing that he almost floored himself. Swick goes down, stunned. Hardy dives on top and starts punching away, landing several big shots. The referee has seen enough, and pulls Hardy off, ending the match.

The official time of the TKO is 4:43 of round 3.

Rating: **
Notes: Hardy with an impressive TKO after being quite frankly dominated for the first two rounds. He won't see it that way though all he will see is Mike Swick's name in his win column. Swick won't be happy that he allowed himself to get caught with the left hand of Hardy and will durely try to work on that in the future.

Maincard

Stephan Bonnar (11-6) vs. Kendall Grove (9-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Stephan Bonnar via TKO

Round 1
Bonnar and Grove circle to start. Grove throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Bonnar sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Grove comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Bonnar to slip a nice jab in, catching Grove just underneath the right eye. Bonnar comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Grove misses with a right cross, then backs off. Bonnar stalks him, forcing Grove back up against the cage. Bonnar doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Grove throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Bonnar pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Grove covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Bonnar in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Bonnar throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Grove comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Bonnar parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Bonnar's favour. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Bonnar.

Round 2
A thunderous kick connects from Bonnar, catching Grove hard across the chest. He staggers back up against the cage, looking stunned. Bonnar follows in and scores with several punches. Grove tries to cover up, but falls down and becomes overwhelmed with more punches. The referee has seen enough and jumps in to stop the match.

Bonnar wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 1:39.

Rating: **
Notes: Bonnar gets back on track with an impressive second round TKO victory here. He was the favourite to win and he showed Grove why in that seond round.

Lyoto Machida (14-1) vs. Tomasz Drwal (15-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Lyoto Machida via TKO

Round 1
Machida hits the first punch of the round, scoring with a jab to the cheek. Drwal throws a left hook in response, but it's well wide of the mark. Machida steps in and hits a low kick. Drwal ignores it and shoots in for a takedown. Machida saw it coming though, and defends it brilliantly, sprawling at first, then pushing Drwal face-down to the ground so that he can take his back. Drwal turtles up. Machida hits a couple of hard shots to the body, but can't stop Drwal working his way up and turning over, pulling guard. Machida tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Drwal is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Machida tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Machida connects, but there was no real power behind it. Machida fakes Drwal out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Drwal manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Machida switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Drwal blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Machida looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Drwal is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Machida tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Drwal is safe. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Machida.

Round 2
Machida is quickest out, and comes at Drwal with a series of jabs and straight punches. Drwal covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Drwal hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Machida who takes it to the ground. Drwal pulls guard. There's a lull, as Machida tries to pass, and Drwal defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Drwal almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Machida, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Machida.

Round 3
Drwal doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Machida sprawls and keeps him at bay. Drwal pushes harder, but Machida has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Drwal on his back. Machida gets sucked into his guard though. Machida passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Drwal has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Machida's left arm. Machida's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Drwal covers up to defend them. Machida tries to pin down one of Drwal's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Drwal uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Machida finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Machida. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Lyoto Machida.

Rating: **
Notes: Machida with the comfortable decision win here and Drwal is his latest victim. Another win or two for Machida and he could get a chance to get revenge on the only man to beat him, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson.

Kenny Florian (9-3) vs. Mac Danzig (19-5-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mac Danzig via TKO

Round 1
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Danzig goes for the first takedown, but Florian has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Florian storms back in almost immediately and takes Danzig down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Danzig just had a lapse in concentration. Florian tries to pass the guard but can't, with Danzig employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Danzig is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Florian makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Danzig has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Florian on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian.

Round 2
Florian doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Danzig easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Danzig throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. Florian suddenly seizes on a wayward uppercut from Danzig and thunders in with a takedown. Danzig landed hard, but had the presence of mind to pull guard before Florian could get a better position. Florian passes guard without too much trouble, and cracks Danzig with a hard punch to the cheek. Danzig tries to scramble into a better position without dropping his guard against another punch, but can't, and Florian maneuvers so that he has one knee planted on Danzig's chest, keeping him from rolling. Florian quickly secures the left arm and transitions into a tight arm bar. Danzig has no way out, he taps.

Florian wins via 2nd round armbar submission with the official time being 1:32.

Rating: **
Notes: Florian with yet another win here over Danzig. Florian showing off his ground game to the fans here with the submission victory.

Fedor Emelianenko (28-2) vs. Cheick Kongo (12-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko via Decision

Round 1
They touch gloves to begin. Emelianenko throws out a looping right hand, setting up a mid-level kick. The punch found gloves, the kick found nothing but thin air as Kongo had stepped back in time. They meet in the center, exchanging a series of blows, and Emelianenko gets the better of it, scoring with a crisp jab that causes Kongo to back up quickly. Sensing a chance, Emelianenko follows and forces him up against the cage with some jabs. Kongo covers up, as two hard strikes find the gloves from Emelianenko. A right hand misses, and that is the chance Kongo needs to quickly get out of trouble and back to the center. Great start to the round from Emelianenko. Emelianenko moves in close and hits a left hook to the body. Kongo steps back, and suddenly fires off a roundhouse kick. Emelianenko didn't see it coming, and it lands right behind his ear. Emelianenko is down, knocked out cold, and the referee is quick to step in and stop Kongo from inflicting any more damage.

Kongo wins via knock out at 2:24 of the first round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Kongo with the biggest win in his life here as he KO's Fedor. This loss marks Fedor's second loss in a row and both were by KO. Fedor has looked a shell of what he used to be in PRIDE since coming to the UFC barring the Randy Couture fight.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick Cote (14-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anderson Silva via TKO

Round 1
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Silva works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Cote backed up against the cage. Silva gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Cote, who uses his legs well to defend. Silva pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Cote gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Silva follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Silva hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Cote tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Cote leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Cote is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Silva blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Cote is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Silva is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Cote can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Cote some problems later on. Cote moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Silva is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Cote before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Cote off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Cote goes for a trip, but Silva cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Silva may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva.

Round 3
Not much happening at first. Cote is the first to make a move, coming in with a right hand that narrowly misses. Silva gets in a jab that landed on the left cheek of Cote, and leaves a mark. Quite a slow paced round so far. Cote takes another jab and moves in to retaliate, but it was a set-up and he gets creamed with a high right kick to the side of the head! Cote stumbles but doesn't go down, and has to cover up as Silva comes in with a series of punches to try and finish the job. Cote somehow manages to hold on long enough to get his senses back, and buys some time by clinching. Hard knee from Cote from the clinch, and Silva felt that, he looks a little tired from unloading that barrage. They break, and Cote gets in a nice right hand. Cote looks to be working an angle. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva.

Round 4
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Cote comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Silva really put some venom into that strike. Cote backs off, clearly stung. Silva is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Cote ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Silva was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Cote is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Cote from getting in too close. Silva stalks Cote, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Cote is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Silva hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Silva squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Cote comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Silva tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Cote backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Silva advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Cote. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Silva. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva.

Round 5
Cote throws a straight right, batted away by Silva. Cote goes for a second, but gets beaten to the punch as Silva scores with a kick that catches Cote across the outside of the knee. Silva throws another one, and this time it lands just above the same knee. Cote backs off slightly. Silva throws a high jab, then head-fakes and comes in with a left hook from low down. Cote fires back with a crisp right hand that connects to the shoulder rather than the face. Silva throws another fizzing low kick, again connecting with the knee. Cote tried to check it, but couldn't in time. Those strikes are going to add up soon and start reducing his mobility. Silva throws another kick, this time at chest-height, but it's merely a set-up to allow him to come in fast and start throwing a series of jabs. Cote covers up, throwing occasional straight rights in return. Silva backs off, but not before cracking another kick into the thigh region. Time is running down, Cote has failed to deal with those kicks, and it has definitely cost him this round, and possibly done some damage to his knee. That's the end of the round.

Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Silva. All three judges give a score of 50-45 to Anderson Silva. Anderson Silva is still the UFC Middleweight champion.

Rating: ***
Notes: Cote takes Silva the distance but I think I'm right in saying that he didn't really trouble the champion. Silva will just be hoping to reclaim the #1 spot in the Middleweight rankings and won't mind that he only won by decision just happy he won.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Kenny Florian
Knock Out of the Night: Dong Hyun Kim/Cheick Kongo
Fight of the Night: Spencer Fisher vs. Jeremy Stephens

Injuries
Lyoto Machida suffered a shoulder injury in his fight last night and is expected to be out for just over a month because of it.

Resignings
Lyoto Machida, Demian Maia and Cheick Kongo will all be resigned to new UFC contracts but unfortuantely Kendall Grove will not be resigned and will be let go after his next fight.

Signings
Jim Miller and Shintaro Ishiwatari will be signed to comprete in the UFC Lightweight division. Mark Miller will be signed to compete in the Welterweight division. Martin Desilets and Rob Broughton will be signed to compete in the Heavyweight division.

chris caulfield

06-21-2008, 12:33 PM

OOC: OK so UFC 93 was the last UFC of 2008 in my game so I've decided to do an end of year awards. Here are the catagories.

Card Of The Year
Knock Out Of The Year
Submission Of The Year
Fight Of The Year
Breakthrough Fighter Of The Year
Best Prespect For 2009
Fighter Of The Year

I would apreciate any votes towards the different catgories. You can post your votes in here or you can PM them to me. Also I should get the new rankings up tommorow then I will wait a day or two to let the awards voting come through then I will post an award show followed by then next card, UFC 94.

chris caulfield

06-22-2008, 05:10 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 93

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 93 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. BJ Penn
4. Vitor Ribeiro
5. Sean Sherk
6. Kenny Florian +2
7. Eddie Alvarez -1
8. Thiago Tavares -1
9. Jeremy Stephens - New Entry
10. Rich Clementi -1

Welterweight
1. George St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
4. Matt Hughes
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Dan Hardy +1
7. Jon Fitch -1
8. Thiago Alves
9. Dong Hyun Kim +1
10. Akihiro Gono -1

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva +1
2. Rich Franklin -1
3. Forrest Griffin +1
4. Demian Maia - New Entry
5. Gregard Mousasi
6. Dan Henderson
7. Rousimar Palahales +1
8. Karo Parisyan -1
9. Patrick Cote -6
10. Joey Villasenor

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Lyoto Machida +2
3. Thiago Silva -1
4. Wanderlei Silva -1
5. Wilson Gouveia
6. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Rashad Evans
10. Keith Jardine

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia
3. Cheick Kongo +3
4. Andrei Arlovski -1
5. Sergei Kharitonov
6. Fedor Emelianenko -2
7. Chris Tuchscherer
8. Shane Carwin
9. Pedro Rizzo
10. Aleksander Emelianenko - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta +1
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -1
4. Anderson Silva +2
5. Rich Franklin -1
6. George St. Pierre -1
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Shinya Aoki
9. Cheick Kongo - New Entry
10. BJ Penn -1

Biggest Jump this month: Cheick Kongo: Kongo jumped 3 ranks this month all the way upto #3 in the Heavyweight rankings to make him now eligible for a title shot against Big Nog. He jumped so high after his brutal yet unexpected first round KO of Fedor Emelianenko. That was with no doubt Kongo's biggest win of his life. He is expected to fight Andrei Arlovski next in a #1 contenders bout as it seems certain Sylvia will get the next shot.

Biggest Drop this month: Patrick Cote: Cote dropped a massive six ranks all the way to #9 in the Middleweights rankings this month even though he was the first person since 2004 to take Anderson Silva out of two rounds. He may of took Silva out of his usual two rounds but he didn't look like he was going to trouble him much as Silva rode to a comfortable decision win. Cote is expected to fight either Karo Parisyan or Rousimar Palhales next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Demian Maia: Demian Maia debuted at a very impressive #4 in the Middleweight rankings this month after his close decision win over Joe Doerkson. He is expected to fight Joey Villasenor next.

chris caulfield

06-23-2008, 02:01 AM

OOC: Come on guys I havn't got a single post about the end of year awards. I'll give you till tomorrow and then I will just orget it and post the next card. And I will try the end of year awards next year. Anyway get in your nominations asap please I want this to happen.

UFC-KING

06-23-2008, 09:56 AM

Card Of The Year : UFC 92
Knock Out Of The Year : Cheick Kongo over Fedor Emelianenko
Submission Of The Year : Kenny Florian over Mac Danzig
Fight Of The Year : Mauricio Rua/Chuck Liddell
Breakthrough Fighter Of The Year : Cheick Kongo
Best Prespect For 2009 : Shane Carwin
Fighter Of The Year : Anderson Silva

RennikKain076

06-23-2008, 02:37 PM

Card Of The Year : UFC 92
Knock Out Of The Year : Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria over Fedor Emelianenko
Submission Of The Year : Din Thomas over Joe Lauzon via kimura
Fight Of The Year : Rampage vs Shogun
Breakthrough Fighter Of The Year : Thiago Silva
Best Prespect For 2009 : Thiago Silva
Fighter Of The Year : Rampage Jackson

chris caulfield

06-24-2008, 12:56 PM

OOC: I've decided to forget the end of year awards till next year. I will get next card up in about 10 minutes.

chris caulfield

06-24-2008, 01:04 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Serra III

Today UFC announced UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Serra III. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Matt Serra (11-5)
Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-2)
Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Yushin Okami (21-5)
Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-4)
Frankie Edgar (8-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (17-1)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (6-4)
Gregard Mousasi (22-2-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (23-10)
Matt Arroyo (4-1) vs. Josh Burkman (9-5)
Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-4)
Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) vs. Terry Etim (10-1)
Mark Coleman (15-9) vs. Cain Valesquez (3-0)

petecrimson00

06-24-2008, 01:45 PM

Maincard
UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Matt Serra (11-5)
Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-2)
Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Yushin Okami (21-5)
Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-4)
Frankie Edgar (8-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (17-1)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Artoni Hardonk (6-4)
Gregard Mousasi (22-2-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (23-10)
Matt Arroyo (4-1) vs. Josh Burkman (9-5)
Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-4)
Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) vs. Terry Etim (10-1)
Mark Coleman (15-9) vs. Cain Valesquez (3-0)

deadboy

06-24-2008, 02:00 PM

RennikKain076

06-24-2008, 03:03 PM

UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Matt Serra (11-5)
Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-2)
Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Yushin Okami (21-5)
Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-4)
Frankie Edgar (8-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (17-1)
Undercard
Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Artoni Hardonk (6-4)
Gregard Mousasi (22-2-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (23-10)
Matt Arroyo (4-1) vs. Josh Burkman (9-5)
Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-4)
Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) vs. Terry Etim (10-1)
Mark Coleman (15-9) vs. Cain Valesquez (3-0)

chris caulfield

06-24-2008, 04:04 PM

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UFC 94 Preview

Mark Coleman (15-9) vs. Cain Valesquez (3-0)
Going in to this fight Coleman is a massive 18 years older than Cain. That is a big experiance gap. Cain won't be too worried though as he is still undefeated and has looked impressive in all three of his fights. Coleman will be looking to reclaim the glory days with a big win here.

Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) vs. Terry Etim (10-1)
Schultz makes his UFC debut against the very young Etim who is still just twenty two years old. Schultz is the only person to ever beat Roger Huerta who is currently ranked as the #1 Lightweight so there is quite abit expected of him in this fight. Etim will look to get an eleventh win in this fight and push his way up the Lightweight chart.

Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-4)
Sokoudjou is coming off of two consecutive losses to Matt Hamill and Glover Teixeira while Alexander is coming off of a first round TKO loss to Rashad Evans. Sokoudjou will be looking to show people he is no flop and will be looking for an early stoppage against Alexander. Houston is no scrub though and he is a very dangerous fighter and will looking to ge a win on the board.

Matt Arroyo (4-1) vs. Josh Burkman (9-5)
Arroyo is coming off of a impressive decision win over Ben Saunders at UFC 92 and will be looking to take his record to 5-1 with a win over Burkman here. Burkman won't just roll over though and he will give it his all. Arroyo is still only twenty six years old and another win here could be the push he needs to really kickstart his career.

Gregard Mousasi (22-2-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (23-10)
Mousasi returns for the first time since his decision win over Dean Lister at UFC 88. This will only be Goulet's second fight since he moved up to Middleweight and will be looking to get another win after he won his first Middleweight fight against Ed Herman via Decision. Goulet is just on the edge of the top ten so a win over Mousasi would definately get him in there somewhere. I would say as high as #7. Mousasi is already ranked as the #5 Middleweight so a win over Goulet could put him up as high as #3 if he is lucky.

Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Artoni Hardonk (6-4)
Lesnar is on a three fight win streak. In that streak there are decision wins over Eddie Sanchez and Christian Wellisch but most impressive is his TKO win over Frank Mir. A win for Lesnar here could put him into the top ten Heavyweights if he is lucky. Hardonk will look to make a name for himself as he looks to beat one best known UFC fighters out there.

Frankie Edgar (8-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (17-1)
Alvarez currently 3-0 in the UFC will look to go upto 4-0 after this fight with Edgar. Alvarez has beaten Corey Hill via KO, Cole Miller via TKO and the most impressive yet was his decision win over Joe Stevenson. Edgar will look to win here as he believes he is on the verge of breaking into the top ten Lightweights so he will be going all out against Alvarez. Alvarez is already ranked as the #7 Lightweight so a win here could put him as high as #4 in the Lightweight rankings.

Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-4)
Evans is coming off of a first round TKO over Houston Alexander at UFC 92 while Gouveia is coming off of two straight wins. He has beaten Luis Cane via submission and Keith Jardine via decision. Both fighters are ranked in the top ten Light Heavyweights. Evans is ranked at #9 and could move up to as high as #5 while Gouveia is already ranked at #5 and could move into the top three if he is lucky and then he would be eligible for a title shot against Rampage.

Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Yushin Okami (21-5)
Bisping is on a three fight win streak with wins over Jason MacDonald, Alan Belcher and Evan Tanner while Okami is coming off of an unfortunate Knock Out loss to Alan Belcher way back at UFC 84. Both fighters are on the verge of breaking into the top ten so a win here could push them into them. After that there would be a whole range of new opponents would become available to them.

Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-2)
Two of the top Welterweights go up against each other in this fight. Many believe this will be Koscheck's last challenge before getting a title shot. Koscheck already has 3 straight wins having a decision win over Diego Sanchez and TKO wins over Mike Swick and George Sotiropoulos. Fitch is coming off of a decision win over Akihiro Gono. Both fighters are ranked in the Welterweight rankings. Fitch is ranked at #7 while Koscheck is ranked at #5. A win for Fitch could put him upto #3 while a win for Koscheck could also put him into #3.

UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Matt Serra (11-5)
This will e the rubber fight between these two fighters after Serra won the first fight and then St. Pierre wont the rematch and now it all comes down to the third and probably final fight between the two to see who really is the best between the two. St. Pierre is currently ranked as the #1 Welterweight and the #6 Pound for Pound fighter coming off of a decision win over Jon Fitch and a first round TKO victory ove Thiago Alves. Serra on the other hand is currntly ranked at #2 in the Welterweight rankings and is coming off of a submission win over Marcus Davis and a decision win over Diego Sanchez. This is a highly anticipated match-up as it will tell us who is the best in the Welterweight division.

chris caulfield

06-25-2008, 02:28 PM

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UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Serra III

Undercard

Mark Coleman (15-9) vs. Cain Valesquez (3-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mark Coleman via Decision

Round 1
Coleman starts strongly, hitting two stiff jabs to the gloves, stinging the hands of Velasquez. The third strike is a meaty left hook that narrowly misses. If that had hit, Velasquez may well have been decapitated. Despite leaning backwards, Velasquez throws a mighty kick that explodes across the chest, Coleman staggers back. That was an enormously powerful blow, and Coleman didn't see it coming at all. They circle for a moment, sizing each other up. Velasquez throws a flurry of jabs, but Coleman blocks them easily. A right hand from Coleman lands below the eye, and a straight left glances off the shoulder. Another exchange doesn't see either fighter get an advantage. Coleman throws a heavy left, but Velasquez goes underneath it. Another hard kick from Velasquez, this time smashing into the left thigh. Coleman almost get knocked down. He throws a left hook in retaliation which misses by a mile, and gives Velasquez the chance to hit another big kick, this time to the ribs. The round has been pretty even, with the exception of those kicks by Velasquez which have really made a big difference. As the round comes to an end, it looks like those will make sure that Velasquez wins the round on points. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Velasquez.

Round 2
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Coleman throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Velasquez's jaw, but it is parried. Velasquez steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Coleman moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Velasquez put a lot of weight behind it. Coleman hits a nice jab, then clinches. Velasquez hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Coleman hits a low kick to the leg. Velasquez bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Coleman goes down! Good shot from Velasquez! He tries to follow up and pound on Coleman, but Coleman is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Velasquez, sensing that Coleman is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Coleman ends up backed up against the cage. Velasquez gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Coleman, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Velasquez has in his hands is really posing Coleman some problems. The clinch drags on, with Velasquez unable to break free, and the round ends like that. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Velasquez.

Round 3
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Velasquez is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Coleman on the side of the cheek. Velasquez follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Coleman goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Velasquez is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Coleman has Velasquez against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Velasquez reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Coleman, who pulls guard. Velasquez starts pounding away and does some damage before Coleman grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Coleman has both of Velasquez's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Velasquez uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Coleman isn't going to be too bothered by that. Velasquez pulls one arm free. Coleman still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Velasquez sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Velasquez steps through the legs and forces Coleman to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Coleman manages to ensare one leg though, and so Velasquez has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Velasquez hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Coleman keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Velasquez is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Velasquez pulls Coleman's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Coleman rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Velasquez continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Velasquez. Cain Velasquez wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: *
Notes: Cain is now 2-0 in the UFC and 4-0 overall and Coleman's name will sure look nice in his win column.

Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) vs. Terry Etim (10-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ryan Schultz via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Etim uses a trip to make a takedown, but doesn't go down himself, instead staying back. He pushes the raised legs away and dives in to get side control, but Schultz scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Etim down to the ground. Schultz ends up on top, in guard. Etim has the guard held very high. Schultz throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Etim throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Schultz throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Etim right through the canvas, Etim is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Schultz is controlling the round from this position, although it has to be said that he hasn't yet truly looked like he can stop the match from here. Etim moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Schultz stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Etim to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Schultz having totally controlled the round from the guard. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Schultz.

Round 2
Nice fast-paced start from Schultz, who gets right in Etim's face from the beginning of the round, throwing some crisp jabs and then a vicious uppercut. The two jabs got parried, the uppercut missed as Etim side-stepped. Etim fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Schultz steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Etim. Schultz is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Schultz sweeps Etim's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Etim quickly pulls guard. Schultz fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Etim. Schultz tries to pass the guard, but can't, Etim isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Schultz will start raining down punches. Schultz tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Etim gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Schultz again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Schultz fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Etim fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Etim, and Schultz is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Etim has defended the danger well. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Schultz.

Round 3
Schultz throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Etim throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Schultz steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Etim hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Schultz. They struggle all the way back, with Schultz ending up backed up against the cage. Etim hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Schultz stomps downward onto his foot. Schultz manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Etim gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Schultz ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Schultz tries a high kick to start, but Etim saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Etim who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Schultz on the nose. Schultz hits a straight right, enough to stop Etim from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Etim by 10-9. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 29-28 to Ryan Schultz.

Rating: *
Notes: Schultz wins his UFC debut but Etim sure didn't roll over for him. Etim even stole the last round as he tried to win the fight late on.

Houston Alexander (8-3) vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Houston Alexander via TKO

Round 1
The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Sokoudjou throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Alexander from coming inside. Sokoudjou works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Alexander responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Sokoudjou backs off slightly, maybe a bit relieved not to have taken that one on the chin. Neither fighter appears to be looking for any sort of takedown or grapple, this is all about the striking. Alexander circles and throws a series of high jabs, but Sokoudjou blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Sokoudjou fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Alexander covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from Sokoudjou though, best action of the round. They stay clinched for a while, exchanging occasional punches to the ribs, then are separated by the referee. It looks like this round is going to the judges though, as there's only a few seconds remaining. Sokoudjou throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sokoudjou by 10-9.

Round 2
The two fighters circle. Alexander flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Sokoudjou easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Alexander could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Sokoudjou moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Alexander is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Alexander forces Sokoudjou back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Sokoudjou in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Alexander does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Sokoudjou saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Alexander turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Alexander is up quickly, causing Sokoudjou, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Alexander was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Alexander throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Sokoudjou to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Sokoudjou.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Alexander is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Sokoudjou picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Alexander throws a wild punch as a counter, but Sokoudjou ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Alexander gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Alexander is looking for big punches, Sokoudjou is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Alexander manages to back Sokoudjou up against the cage. Alexander takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Sokoudjou ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Alexander can unload. Alexander may need to think about changing tactics, Sokoudjou is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Alexander fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Sokoudjou on the thigh. Sokoudjou presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Alexander gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Sokoudjou. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

Rating: **
Notes: Sokoudjou will give a sigh of relief after this fight as he this is his first win in 4 fights in the UFC and is now 5-4 overall. He will be hoping this is a sign of things to come.

Matt Arroyo (4-1) vs. Josh Burkman (9-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Josh Burkman via Decision

Round 1
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Arroyo lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Burkman sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Arroyo on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Burkman manages to get the better position, pushing Arroyo up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Burkman. Arroyo hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Burkman tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Arroyo was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Burkman down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Burkman covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Arroyo hits a big elbow to the ribs, Burkman definitely felt that. Arroyo drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Burkman brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Arroyo will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Burkman defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Arroyo unable to generate any attacks, and Burkman unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Arroyo will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Arroyo.

Round 2
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Arroyo gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Burkman looks to be working an angle. Burkman leads with a right hand, then comes in for a quick takedown. Arroyo saw it coming and smartly turns out of the grapple, pushing Burkman to the ground, and ending up taking his back in a great defensive move. Arroyo gets one arm in and snakes it around the throat of Burkman, squeezing his wind-pipe shut. Burkman tries to pull the arm free, but can't, and so rolls over in a last-ditch effort to break free. It is to no avail though, as that allows Arroyo to get a body-scissors in too. With no alternatives left, Burkman taps out.

Arroyo wins via rear choke submission at 1:44 of the second round.

Rating: **
Notes: Arroyo with another win and is now 5-1. He will be happy with how he won the fight. It was a very impressive Choke that anyone could be proud of.

Gregard Mousasi (22-2-1) vs. Jonathan Goulet (23-10)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jonathan Goulet via TKO

Round 1
The two competitors start slowly, circling and looking for an opening. Goulet fakes shooting in for a takedown, but Mousasi didn't buy it for a second. In comes Goulet from an angle to the right, but Mousasi had it covered all the way, and not only easily steps out of the way of the attempted right hand, but manages to score with a solid right hand to the side of the head. Goulet felt that, and is forced to cover up quickly as Mousasi steps in quickly and unloads with a flurry of powerful blows, looking to capitalise on the earlier strike. Goulet is forced back against the cage, but to his credit, he did a good job defending those strikes and didn't seem to take any significant damage. Mousasi doesn't get in too close, realising that it would likely mean getting caught in a clinch, so he stands slightly back instead and throws some low kicks and looping punches. Goulet responds by throwing out some straight jabs, but neither fighter is really doing any damage to their opponent. Mousasi clearly grows tired of the wait, and moves in to hit a body blow. It connects, but Goulet is quick to tie him up in a clinch. That lasts quite a while, until the referee gets in there and breaks them up, telling them to fight. Goulet glances at the referee, not sure why. Mousasi scores with a stiff jab, and bobs and weaves to avoid all three of the rapid-fire punches that come back from Goulet. Nicely done. Goulet, realising that he is losing this round, comes forward with a sense of urgency, throwing right hands to put Mousasi on the back foot. Mousasi handles it well though, refusing to let Goulet get an angle, and using some nice counter punches to the body to further cement the fact that this round is going to him on points. Time expires with Goulet throwing increasingly desperate punches. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Mousasi.

Round 2
Goulet starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Mousasi keeps out of their way. Goulet steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Mousasi moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Goulet doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Mousasi moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Goulet parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Mousasi begins to stalk Goulet, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Goulet hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Goulet clinches up, stopping Mousasi from following up. It looks like Goulet needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Mousasi is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Mousasi clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Goulet is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Mousasi continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Goulet takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Goulet looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Mousasi from throwing bombs. Goulet gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Mousasi will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Mousasi by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Goulet is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Mousasi picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Goulet throws a wild punch as a counter, but Mousasi ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Goulet gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Goulet is looking for big punches, Mousasi is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Goulet manages to back Mousasi up against the cage. Goulet takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Mousasi ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Goulet can unload. Goulet may need to think about changing tactics, Mousasi is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Goulet fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Mousasi on the thigh. Mousasi presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Goulet gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Mousasi. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Gegard Mousasi.

Rating: **
Notes: Mousasi with another win. This time against Goulet in a comfortable decision win. Mousasi should move up the rankings with this win. He will be hoping to move upto #3.

Brock Lesnar (4-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (6-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO

Round 1
Hardonk and Lesnar circle to start. Lesnar throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Hardonk sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Lesnar comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Hardonk to slip a nice jab in, catching Lesnar just underneath the right eye. Hardonk comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Lesnar misses with a right cross, then backs off. Hardonk stalks him, forcing Lesnar back up against the cage. Hardonk doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Lesnar throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Hardonk pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Lesnar covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Hardonk in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Hardonk throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Lesnar comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Hardonk parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Hardonk's favour. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Hardonk.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Lesnar is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Hardonk blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Lesnar is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Hardonk is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Lesnar can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Lesnar some problems later on. Lesnar moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Hardonk is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Lesnar before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Lesnar off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Lesnar goes for a trip, but Hardonk cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Hardonk may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Hardonk.

Round 3
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Hardonk gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. The two fighters are circling. Hardonk comes in for a punch, but Lesnar countered well by coming in fast and low and using a good solid takedown. Lesnar is in Hardonk's guard. Lesnar tries to pass the guard. Hardonk is holding it quite high, which is helping. Lesnar throws a couple of loose punches, then grabs the legs and turns Hardonk over. Hardonk tries to scramble free, but Lesnar is already on top of him and has his back! Lesnar doesn't waste any time, he starts throwing bombs with both left and right fists, slamming them into the side of Hardonk's head. He is trying to cover up, but a lot of shots are getting through. The referee is watching closely. A vicious right hand thunders into the ear of Hardonk, then another to the side of the nose. That's all the referee wants to see, he pulls Lesnar off.

Official time of the TKO is 1:49 of the third.

Rating: ***
Notes: Lesnar with a comeback win here and he is now 5-1 with a four fight win streak. Lesnar could move into the top ten Heavyweights with this win.

Maincard

Frankie Edgar (8-1) vs. Eddie Alvarez (17-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Eddie Alvarez via TKO

Round 1
Edgar hits a low kick, then moves in for a jab. Alvarez saw it coming and unloads with an enormous punch to the jaw. Edgar goes down immediately, he has been knocked clean out by the power of Alvarez.

Official time of the knock out is 0:53 of the first round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Great KO win here for Alvarez. It didn't even take Alvarez a minute to win here so he will be very happy. Edgar won't see it that way though as the KO was pretty brutal. Alvarez should move up the rankings quite abit with such an impressive win.

Rashad Evans (13-1-1) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rashad Evans via Knock Out

Round 1
Evans misses an uppercut and is off balance, which allows Gouveia to get the takedown. Side mount. Gouveia is looking for an armbar, but Evans is defending it well. Evans gets a nice elbow in, that caught Gouveia by surprise. Gouveia fires off several elbows to the ribs, and Evans is left gasping for air. Those were hard, there's a big red patch where they hit. Gouveia takes the left arm, Evans couldn't defend it any longer. The armbar is applied, there's no way out.

Gouveia wins by tap out. The official time is 0:51.

Rating: ***
Notes: Gouveia with another win but this was was extra impressive. Gouveia fought for that armbar for around thirty seconds and was throwing elbows like a mad man till he got it. Evans will be dissapointed with losing so quick and will be looking to get a good win next time out to et him back on track.

Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Yushin Okami (21-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yushin Okami via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round, there's a lot of circling going on, not much contact though. Bisping fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a left hand to the shoulder region. Okami almost catches Bisping with a massive left hook. A big arcing kick from Bisping catches Okami on the shoulder, it wasn't far away from landing on the side of the jaw. Okami storms in throwing a flurry of blows, but Bisping dodges out of the way. A jab catches Okami on the cheek, then another big kick hits home, this time into the ribs. Bisping is really using those big kicks well, they're both keeping Okami at bay and hurting him. Okami tries another attack, first working an angle away from the kicks then coming in with a couple of straight rights. Bisping defends it well, parrying the punches away and moving to safety before Okami can unload with any bombs. Bisping hits another kick, this time to the thigh, setting it up with a couple of raking punches. That's the last significant action of the round, a round that Bisping has dominated with kicks. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Bisping by 10-8.

Round 2
Good start from Okami, taking Bisping down almost immediately! Bisping scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Okami will be disappointed with that. Bisping comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Okami to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Bisping felt that one for sure. He stalks Okami, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Okami keeps out of the way. Bisping tries a kick, but Okami catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Okami gets Bisping down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Okami throws some punches, then tries to pass. Bisping doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Okami easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Okami followed by a pass attempt, with Bisping blocking the pass and throwing the occasional punch in response. The round ends like that, just as the referee was about to stand them back up. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Okami.

Round 3
The two fighters circle. Okami flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Bisping easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Okami could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Bisping moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Okami is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Okami forces Bisping back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Bisping in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Okami does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Bisping saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Okami turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Okami is up quickly, causing Bisping, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Okami was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Okami throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Bisping to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Bisping. All three judges give a score of 29-27 in favour of Michael Bisping.

Rating: **
Notes: This is surely Bispings biggest win since his move to Middleweight. He will be very pleased with his first round performance against Okami where he pretty much dominated him with those big kicks. Bisping should move into the top ten Middleweights with this win.

Jon Fitch (17-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jon Fitch via TKO

Round 1
Fitch throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Koscheck defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Koscheck slips past Fitch's right hand and takes him down, ending up in half guard. Koscheck throws a couple of punches to the chest, but Fitch defends them well. Koscheck tries to work out of the half guard and up to side control, but Fitch is quickly up and over, getting his back! Koscheck turns over sharply though, and locks Fitch up in his guard, putting an end to that brief moment of danger. Fitch works through into half guard. Koscheck throws a couple of punches, but it's hard to generate any power from that position. Fitch hits a big right hand, but almost regrets it as Koscheck grabs his arm and almost uses it to pull off a surprise armbar; no dice though, as Fitch gets free, and manages to get into side control. Koscheck tries to work for another armbar, keeping himself very busy from the bottom. Fitch defends it with relative ease, and then unloads with a vicious right handed strike to the jaw! That was out of nowhere, and Koscheck got nailed. He goes limp immediately, knocked out cold.

Fitch gets the win with a thunderbolt of a punch out of nowhere. Fitch wins via first round knock out at 1:22.

Rating: ***
Notes: Wow! What a punch. And from side mount aswell. Fitch will be very happy with such an impressive win here and the Knock Out is just icing on the cake. Fitch should move up the rankings quite abit with such a big win.

UFC Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Matt Serra (11-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Gerges St. Pierre via Knock Out

Round 1
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Serra throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to St. Pierre's jaw, but it is parried. St. Pierre steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Serra moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, St. Pierre put a lot of weight behind it. Serra hits a nice jab, then clinches. St. Pierre hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Serra hits a low kick to the leg. St. Pierre bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Serra goes down! Good shot from St. Pierre! He tries to follow up and pound on Serra, but Serra is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. St. Pierre, sensing that Serra is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Serra ends up backed up against the cage. St. Pierre gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Serra, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that St. Pierre has in his hands is really posing Serra some problems. The clinch drags on, with St. Pierre unable to break free, and the round ends like that. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to St. Pierre by 10-9.

Round 2
St. Pierre scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Serra shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but St. Pierre moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Serra turns and swings a heavy right hand, but St. Pierre goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; St. Pierre looks light on his feet and very agile, Serra looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Serra will need to find a way to nullify St. Pierre's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. St. Pierre darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Serra manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of St. Pierre's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, St. Pierre controlling the round with his superior movement. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to St. Pierre by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Serra goes for the first takedown, but St. Pierre has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. St. Pierre storms back in almost immediately and takes Serra down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Serra just had a lapse in concentration. St. Pierre tries to pass the guard but can't, with Serra employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Serra is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. St. Pierre makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Serra has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to St. Pierre on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 4
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. St. Pierre lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Serra sneaks a jab through the guard and catches St. Pierre on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Serra manages to get the better position, pushing St. Pierre up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Serra. St. Pierre hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Serra tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that St. Pierre was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Serra down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Serra covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. St. Pierre hits a big elbow to the ribs, Serra definitely felt that. St. Pierre drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Serra brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. St. Pierre will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Serra defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with St. Pierre unable to generate any attacks, and Serra unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. St. Pierre will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. End of round 4.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 5
St. Pierre starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Serra on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for St. Pierre to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Serra, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from St. Pierre, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Serra is looking a little lost so far, St. Pierre is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. St. Pierre tries to back Serra up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. St. Pierre leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Serra was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Serra comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Serra is that although St. Pierre clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of round 5.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to St. Pierre. The official scores are: 50-45 from all three judges for Georges St. Pierre. Georges St. Pierre is still the UFC Welterweight champion.

Rating: ****
Notes: St. Pierre wins the trilogy, but he would of liked to win this fight abit more dominantly. He never looked in trouble of losing though so he won't be complaining.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Wilson Gouveia
Knock Out of the Night: Eddie Alvarez
Fight of the Night: Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra

Injuries
Georges St. Pierre suffered a neck injury last night and will be out for just over a month.

Resignings
Yushin Okami, Houston Alexander, Rashad Evans, Wilson Gouveia, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre, Matt Serra and Eddie Alvarez will all be resigned to new UFC contracts. Unfortunately Antoni Hardonk will not be resigned. Also Mark Coleman has retired so he has been released.

Signings
Jason Tabor, Ville Manninen have been signed to compete in the UFC Lightweight division. Also Nicolas Rodriguez (he is new fighter who was created after Paulo Silva retired) will be cutting a massive amount of weight to compete in the UFC Heavyweight division.

Weight Changes
In massive news Georges St. Pierre will be moving up to the Middlewight division. He will be fighting there permenantly from this point onwards until he decides to do otherwise. He will also have to give up the UFC Welterweight title. It was announced that there would be an eight man tournament to crown the next champion that would span over several events.

deadboy

06-25-2008, 05:31 PM

Wow, can't believe I got 10 out of 11 right!

chris caulfield

06-26-2008, 02:28 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 94

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 94 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. BJ Penn
4. Vitor Ribeiro
5. Eddie Alvarez +2
6. Sean Sherk -1
7. Kenny Florian -1
8. Thiago Tavares
9. Jeremy Stephens
10. Rich Clementi

Welterweight
1. Jon Fitch +6
2. Yoshiyuki Yoshida +1
3. Matt Hughes +1
4. Dan Hardy +2
5. Matt Serra -3
6. Thiago Alves +2
7. Dong Hyun Kim +2
8. Akihiro Gono +2
9 Josh Koscheck -4
10. Roan Caneiro - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Georges St. Pierre - New Entry (Weight Change)
2. Anderson Silva -1
3. Rich Franklin -1
4. Forrest Griffin -1
5. Gregard Mousasi
6. Michael Bisping - New Entry
7. Demian Maia -3
8. Dan Henderson -2
9. Karo Parisyan -1
10. Rousimar Palahales -3

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Wilson Gouveia +3
3. Lyoto Machida -1
4. Thiago Silva -1
5. Wanderlei Silva -1
6. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Keith Jardine +1
10. David Heath - New Entry

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Tim Sylvia
3. Cheick Kongo
4. Andrei Arlovski
5. Sergei Kharitonov
6. Fedor Emelianenko
7. Chris Tuchscherer
8. Shane Carwin
9. Pedro Rizzo
10. Aleksander Emelianenko

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta
3. Georges St. Pierre +3
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -1
5. Anderson Silva -1
6. Rich Franklin -1
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Shinya Aoki
9. BJ Penn +1
10. Cheick Kongo -1

Biggest Jump this month: Jon Fitch: Fitch moved up a massive 6 ranks this month and he now sits atop of the Welterweight division at rank #1. This came after his brutally impresive Knock Out victory over Josh Koscheck. With Georges St. Pierre moving to Middleweight the UFC announced that there would be an eight man tournament to crown the next Welterweight champion. Fitch will be one of the favourites for this tournament but it is still unknown who he will face.

Biggest Drop this month: Josh Koscheck: Koscheck moved down 4 ranks in the Welterweight rankings this month and he now lies at #9. This came after he was KO'ed by the now #1 Welterweight Jon Fitch in only one minute and twenty two seconds. He is expected to compete in the Welterweight tournament despite not being in the top 8 Welterweights.

Most Impressive New Entry: Michael Bisping: Bisping debuted at #6 on the Middleweight rankings this month. He earned his rank after he beat Yushin Okami via decision. He is expected to fight either Karo Parisyan or Dan Henderson next.

chris caulfield

06-26-2008, 02:43 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 95: Penn vs. Huerta

Today UFC announced UFC 95: Penn vs. Huerta. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (13-4-1) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)
Andrei Arlovski (14-5) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (16-3)
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)
Shinya Aoki (17-2) vs. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Nate Marquardt (26-8-2) vs. Rousimar Palhales (8-1)
Undercard
Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6)
Keith Jardine (13-4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-7)
Shane Carwin (11-0) vs. Heath Herring (28-15)
Joe Lauzon (16-5) vs, Kurt Pellegrino (11-3)
Joey Villasenor (24-6) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (10-1)
Chris Wilson (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1)

chris caulfield

06-26-2008, 03:05 AM

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UFC Announces Welterweight Tournament Competitors And First Round Match-Ups

Today the UFC announced the 8 fighters that will compete for the right to be called the UFC Welterweight champion. The eight fighters are #1 ranked Welterweight Jon Fitch, #2 Welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida, #3 Welterweight Matt Hughes, #4 Welterweight Dan Hardy, #5 Welterweight Matt Serra, #6 Welterweight Thiago Alves, #7 Welterweight Dong Hyun Kim and #9 Welterweight Josh Koscheck.

The UFC also announced the first round match-ups. Here they are.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final
Jon Fitch (18-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1)
Thiago Alves (14-4) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6)
Matt Hughes (42-7) vs. Matt Serra (11-6)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-2) vs. Josh Koscheck (13-3)

They also said even if Kim and Hardy lose their fights at UFC 95 then they will still be in the tournament.

chris caulfield

06-26-2008, 04:26 AM

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UFC 95 Preview

Chris Wilson (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1)
Kim is coming off of two straight wins in the UFC. A decision win over Marcus Davis and a brutal KO win over Luke Cummo. Wilson is less fortunate as he is coming off of a decision loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Kim will be looking to get some much needed momentum for the Welterweight Tournament where he will be facing the #1 ranked Welterweight Jon Fitch. Kim is already ranked at #7 in the Welterweight rankings and a win here could put him as high as #4 in the rankings.

Joey Villasenor (24-6) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (10-1)
Villasenor and Jacare will both be making their UFC debuts in this fight. Jacare is coming off of two wins outside the UFC. A split decision win over Pedro Santos and a submission win over Zelg Galesic. Villasenor and Jacare both believe that they are on the edge of the top ten Middleweights so a win here could put either of them into the top ten.

Joe Lauzon (16-5) vs, Kurt Pellegrino (11-3)
Lauzon is coming off of two straight losses to Thiago Tavares and Din Thomas so he will be looking to get a comfortable win here to get back on track. Lauzon believes despite the two straight losses a win here could put him into the top ten Lightweights.

Shane Carwin (11-0) vs. Heath Herring (28-15)
Carwin is on a 3 fight win streak in the UFC with wins over Eddie Sanchez, Christian Wellisch and Brandon Vera so he will be looking to go 4-0 in the UFC with a win over Herring. Herring is coming off of two straight losses to Andrei Arlovski and Aleksander Emelianenko voth by decision. Carwin is already ranked at #8 in the Heavyweight rankings so a win over Herring could put him as high as #5 in the rankings by the end of the night.

Keith Jardine (13-4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-7)
Irvin is on a very dissapointing 3 fight losing streak where he has lost to Antonio Mendes, Tomasz Drwal and most recently Matt Hamill. Jardine is also coming off of a loss as he lost to Wilson Gouveia via decision in his last fight. Jardine is still a ranked Light Heavyweight despite the loss being ranked at #9. If he beats Irvin he could move as high as #6.

Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6)
Hardy like Dong Hyun Kim will be looking for momentum going into the Weltwerweight tournament where Hardy will be fighting Thiago Alves in the Quarter Final. Hironaka is coming off of a TKO loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida while Hardy is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Luke Cummo and Mike Swick.

Nate Marquardt (26-8-2) vs. Rousimar Palhales (8-1)
A battle of the Middleweights as the #10 Middleweight Rousimar Palhales fights a person on the edge of breaking into the top ten Nate Marquardt. Nate is coming off a decision loss to Forrest Griffin while Palhales won his last fight against Jorge Rivea via submission in the third round. A win over Marquardt could push Palhales up the rankings to as high as #6.

Shinya Aoki (17-2) vs. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Aoki is still fighting for that title shot and he is hoping Sean Sherk will be his next victim. Aoki is currently 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Spencer Fisher and Rich Clementi while Sherk is coming off of a KO loss to BJ Penn in his last fight. This is a big fight for the Lightweight division as Aoki is ranked at #2 and Sherk is at #6. A win for Aoki could put him as the #1 Lightweight depending on the result of the nights main event while a win for Sherk could put him at #4 in the Lightweight rankings.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)
Two former PRIDE stars will be going at it in ths Light Heavyweight contest as both will look for the KO win. Both fighters are ranked in the Light Heavyweight division with Shogun at #6 and Wanderlei at #5. A win for Shogun could put him as high as #4 while a win for Wanderlei could easily put him into the top three which would make him eligible for a title shot which would set up Silva vs. Rampage 3.

Andrei Arlovski (14-5) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (16-3)
This is a massive fight in the Heavyweight division as the #4 and #5 ranked fighters go all out for what could be a future title shot. Arlovski is coming off of two straight decision wins over Aleksander Emelianenko and Heath Herring while Kharitonov won his UFC debut over Pedro Rizzo via decision. A win for either could put them into the top three Heavyweigths which would make them eiligible for a title shot agaisnt Big Nog.

UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (13-4-1) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)
Huerta is the #1 Lightweight and he will be challenging the #3 Lightweight for his Lightweight Title. Huerta is coming off of three straight wins over Frankie Edgar, Joe Stevenson and Tyson Griffin. Penn is coming off of a impressive second round Knock Out over Sean Sherk back at UFC 90. Whoever wins this fight is almost certain to fight Shinya Aoki in their next fight. A win for Huerta could put him on the top of the Pound for Pound rankings which he is already ranked at #2 in.

UFC-KING

06-27-2008, 10:11 AM

BJ Penn (13-4-1) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)
Andrei Arlovski (14-5) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (16-3)
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)
Shinya Aoki (17-2) vs. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Nate Marquardt (26-8-2) vs. Rousimar Palhales (8-1)
Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6)
Keith Jardine (13-4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-7)
Shane Carwin (11-0) vs. Heath Herring (28-15)
Joe Lauzon (16-5) vs, Kurt Pellegrino (11-3)
Joey Villasenor (24-6) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (10-1)
Chris Wilson (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1)

chris caulfield

06-27-2008, 12:07 PM

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UFC 95: Penn vs. Huerta

Undercard

Chris Wilson (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dong Hyun Kim via Decision

Round 1
The fighters come together right in the center. Wilson throws out a jab, but Kim bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Kim works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Wilson covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Kim is making Wilson look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Wilson hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Both fighters circle. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Kim got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Wilson slightly. Wilson initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Wilson looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Kim is clearly winning them. Wilson needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Kim tries a speculative high kick, but Wilson saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Wilson tries to work an angle, but Kim is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Kim, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Kim.

Round 2
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Wilson throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Kim's jaw, but it is parried. Kim steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Wilson moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Kim put a lot of weight behind it. Wilson hits a nice jab, then clinches. Kim hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Wilson hits a low kick to the leg. Kim bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Wilson goes down! Good shot from Kim! He tries to follow up and pound on Wilson, but Wilson is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Kim, sensing that Wilson is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Wilson ends up backed up against the cage. Kim gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Wilson, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Kim has in his hands is really posing Wilson some problems. The clinch drags on, with Kim unable to break free, and the round ends like that. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Kim.

Round 3
Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Kim who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Wilson fires back with a couple of jabs, both of which connect with the shoulder rather than the face where they were aimed. The two fighters come together in the center and exchange punches, neither getting the clear advantage. Wilson suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Kim manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Wilson tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Kim hits a couple of shots to the back. Wilson hits a stomp. Kim lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Wilson the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Wilson is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Kim. He throws some hard downward punches, Kim defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Wilson leaves his arm in for a second too long and Kim reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Wilson gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Kim the opportunity to scramble back up. There's a nasty mark above the eye where the earlier punch connected though. They go back to circling each other. There's not much time left. Kim tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Wilson avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Wilson. The official scores are in; two judges give 29-28, the other 30-27, all for Dong Hyun Kim.

Rating: *
Notes: Kim gets some much needed momentum going into the Welterweight tournament where he goes up against Jon Fitch which is rumoured to be the main event or the co-main event of the next Ultimate Fight Night whenever it may be.

Joey Villasenor (24-6) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (10-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza via Submission

Round 1
Jacare starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Villasenor on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Jacare to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Villasenor, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Jacare, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Villasenor is looking a little lost so far, Jacare is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Villasenor throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Jacare easily avoided them. Jacare leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Villasenor was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Villasenor comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Villasenor is that although Jacare clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Jacare.

Round 2
Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Villasenor who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Jacare fires back with a couple of jabs, both of which connect with the shoulder rather than the face where they were aimed. The two fighters come together in the center and exchange punches, neither getting the clear advantage. Jacare suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Villasenor manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Jacare tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Villasenor hits a couple of shots to the back. Jacare hits a stomp. Villasenor lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Jacare the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Jacare is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Villasenor. He throws some hard downward punches, Villasenor defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Jacare leaves his arm in for a second too long and Villasenor reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Jacare gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Villasenor the opportunity to scramble back up. There's a nasty mark above the eye where the earlier punch connected though. They go back to circling each other. There's not much time left. Villasenor tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Jacare avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Jacare by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Villasenor is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Jacare picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Villasenor throws a wild punch as a counter, but Jacare ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Villasenor gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Villasenor is looking for big punches, Jacare is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Villasenor manages to back Jacare up against the cage. Villasenor takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Jacare ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Villasenor can unload. Villasenor may need to think about changing tactics, Jacare is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Villasenor fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Jacare on the thigh. Jacare presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Villasenor gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Jacare. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Ronaldo Souza.

Rating: **
Notes: Jacare wins his UFC debut but Villasenor unfortunately loses his. Many believe Jacare could become a major force in the Middleweight division.

Joe Lauzon (16-5) vs, Kurt Pellegrino (11-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joe Lauzon via Submission

Round 1
Pellegrino throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Lauzon throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Pellegrino steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Lauzon hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Pellegrino. They struggle all the way back, with Pellegrino ending up backed up against the cage. Lauzon hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Pellegrino stomps downward onto his foot. Pellegrino manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Lauzon gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Pellegrino ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Pellegrino tries a high kick to start, but Lauzon saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Lauzon who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Pellegrino on the nose. Pellegrino hits a straight right, enough to stop Lauzon from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Lauzon.

Round 2
Lauzon doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Pellegrino easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Pellegrino throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. Lauzon makes Pellegrino back up against the cage by throwing some looping punches. He comes in closer and hits a right hook to the body, getting a jab to the cheek in return. Lauzon throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Pellegrino lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Lauzon by surprise, putting him down! Pellegrino follows up and starts raining down right hands. Lauzon covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Pellegrino off, the match is over.

Official time of the TKO is 1:34 of the second round.

Rating: **
Notes: Pellegrino will be happy with this upset win but Lauzon has now lost three fights in a row and his job could be in danger.

Shane Carwin (11-0) vs. Heath Herring (28-15)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shane Carwin via Knock Out

Round 1
Carwin scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Herring shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Carwin moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Herring turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Carwin goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Carwin looks light on his feet and very agile, Herring looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Herring will need to find a way to nullify Carwin's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Carwin darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Herring manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Carwin's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Carwin controlling the round with his superior movement. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Carwin by 10-9.

Round 2
Carwin is quickest out, and comes at Herring with a series of jabs and straight punches. Herring covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Herring hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Carwin who takes it to the ground. Herring pulls guard. There's a lull, as Carwin tries to pass, and Herring defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Herring almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Carwin, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Carwin.

Round 3
The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Herring starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Carwin is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Carwin steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Herring throws a vicious right cross, but Carwin goes under it and catches Herring with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Carwin using his excellent movement to 'hit and run', coming in from a variety of angles to score with crisp punches, dodging out of the way of Herring's counters. Herring is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Carwin has landed in comparison to him is becoming huge. None of them have been particularly big punches, certainly nothing likely to end a fight, but the sheer number of them must be hurting Herring. Herring finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Carwin coming in with a low kick. Carwin still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Herring can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Carwin having dominated. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Carwin. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Shane Carwin.

Rating: **
Notes: Carwin with another impressive win this time over Herring. Herring isn't doing too well as of late and really needs a win in his next fight.

Keith Jardine (13-4-1) vs. James Irvin (13-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Keith Jardine via Submission

Round 1
Irvin throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Jardine throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Irvin steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Jardine hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Irvin. They struggle all the way back, with Irvin ending up backed up against the cage. Jardine hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Irvin stomps downward onto his foot. Irvin manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Jardine gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Irvin ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Irvin tries a high kick to start, but Jardine saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Jardine who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Irvin on the nose. Irvin hits a straight right, enough to stop Jardine from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Jardine.

Round 2
Jardine clinches up with Irvin, who was looking ready to unload a right hand. Their grappling doesn't last long though, as Jardine uses a trip to take Irvin down. Irvin pulls guard. Jardine passes guard without too much trouble, and cracks Irvin with a hard punch to the cheek. Irvin tries to scramble into a better position without dropping his guard against another punch, but can't, and Jardine maneuvers so that he has one knee planted on Irvin's chest, keeping him from rolling. Jardine quickly secures the left arm and transitions into a tight arm bar.

Irvin has no way out, he taps. The official time is 0:48.

Rating: ***
Notes: Jardine with the submission win over Irvin less then a minute into the second round. Jardine should move up a few ranks with this impressive win.

Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) vs. Dan Hardy (19-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dan Hardy via TKO

Round 1
Hardy starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Hironaka avoids it without too much trouble. Hardy isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Hironaka getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Hardy finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Hironaka opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Hardy is backed up against the cage, covering up. Hironaka clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Hardy hits a knee strike to the hip. Hironaka slips one leg behind Hardy and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Hardy landed hard, with Hironaka on top. They're in half guard. It's to Hardy's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Hironaka from attacking the left hand side of the body. Hardy is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Hironaka tries to step over to mount, but Hardy keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Hironaka fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Hardy doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Hironaka isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Hardy ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Hironaka can get free. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hironaka.

Round 2
Hironaka is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Hardy advancing. A sharp right misses, and Hironaka takes the opportunity to pull Hardy in to a tight clinch against the cage. Hardy tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Hardy wants to stand and bang, Hironaka wants to keep things at close quarters. Hardy tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Hironaka, and we're down to the ground. Hironaka has side control, but Hardy has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Hironaka will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Hardy tries to squirm into a better position, but Hironaka puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Hironaka tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Hardy defends it. Hardy manages to bring a knee up and catch Hironaka in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Hironaka responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Hardy covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Hironaka may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Hironaka tries to float over into a mount, but Hardy uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Hironaka enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Hironaka is the last action of the round. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hironaka.

Round 3
A crisp jab from Hardy starts the round, it tagged Hironaka on the cheek. Straight right from Hironaka in response, glancing off the side of the head, albeit without much power. Hardy steps in for an attack but is smothered by Hironaka who clinches. Hardy has to react quickly to avoid being tossed to the ground, but can't stop being driven into the cage. Hironaka is virtually man-handling Hardy with his wrestling ability. Up against the cage, Hironaka has the much stronger position. Right hand connects to the side of the body. And another. There isn't a great deal of power on them, but they're forming a big red mark on the body, and Hardy can't really do a lot in response; he can't seem to wrestle Hironaka off, and he can't work into a position to unload any strikes either. Hironaka fires off another two punches, then goes for a trip. Hardy spins out, almost falls, but manages to squirm out and back off quickly to the center. That was close, and Hardy knows it. Hironaka throws a combination but gets smothered into a clinch. They back up against the cage. Hardy hits a wicked uppercut, taking Hironaka completely by surprise, then starts wailing away with lefts and rights. Hironaka can only cover up against the ferocious attack, but that doesn't stop a couple of big shots landing. More shots rain down, and Hironaka is getting obliterated, he can't throw any counter punches as he can't move his hands down without getting hit again, and he can't get past Hardy to safety either.

The referee finally sees enough and covers Hironaka up. The official time is 3:53.

Rating: **
Notes: Great comeback win here for Hardy with him losing the first two rounds to Hironaka but then getting the TKO win in the third. Despite losing the first two rounds people will be impressed by Hardy after such a great TKO stoppage. This will make Hardy alot more confident going into his Welterweight tournament fight against Thiago Alves.

Maincard

Nate Marquardt (26-8-2) vs. Rousimar Palhales (8-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rousimar Palhales via Submission

Round 1
Palhales scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Marquardt shakes it off though, and scores with a nice low kick to the outside of the thigh. He steps in to throw some strikes, but Palhales moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Marquardt turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Palhales goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Palhales looks light on his feet and very agile, Marquardt looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Marquardt will need to find a way to nullify Palhales's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Palhales darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Marquardt manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Palhales's punches caught him above the eye, leaving a mark, so he came off the worse from that exchange. The round ends without any further big strikes happening, Palhales controlling the round with his superior movement. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Palhales.

Round 2
Marquardt tries to work an angle from the start, but is kept back by some sharp kicks, one landing painfully across the outside of the calf. Palhales steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Marquardt lands a jab of his own, but gets hit with a vicious waist-high kick when stepping in to follow up. Good tactics so far from Palhales, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Marquardt comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Palhales gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Marquardt to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Palhales has controlled this one, Marquardt is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Palhales.

Round 3
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Palhales is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Marquardt on the side of the cheek. Palhales follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Marquardt goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Palhales is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Marquardt has Palhales against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Palhales reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Marquardt, who pulls guard. Palhales starts pounding away and does some damage before Marquardt grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Marquardt has both of Palhales's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Palhales uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Marquardt isn't going to be too bothered by that. Palhales pulls one arm free. Marquardt still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Palhales sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Palhales steps through the legs and forces Marquardt to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Marquardt manages to ensare one leg though, and so Palhales has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Palhales hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Marquardt keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Palhales is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Palhales pulls Marquardt's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Marquardt rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Palhales continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Palhales. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Rousimar Palhales.

Rating: **
Notes: Palhales is now 2-0 in the UFC with this impressive decision win over Marquardt. Palhales should move up a few ranks after this win.

Shinya Aoki (17-2) vs. Sean Sherk (33-3-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Sean Sherk via TKO

Round 1
The two fighters circle. Sherk flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Aoki easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Sherk could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Aoki moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Sherk is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Sherk forces Aoki back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Aoki in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Sherk does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Aoki saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Sherk turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Sherk is up quickly, causing Aoki, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Sherk was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Sherk throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Aoki to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Aoki.

Round 2
Fast start by Aoki, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Sherk circles, drawing a lunge from Aoki, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Aoki ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Sherk hopping on the other to remain vertical. Aoki tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Sherk manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Aoki has one leg trapped between Sherk's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Sherk defends it well, without fully escaping it, Aoki can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Sherk suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Aoki's back. Aoki was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Sherk up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Sherk throws a couple of short-range punches. Aoki gets a leg in and trips Sherk, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Sherk, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Aoki.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Sherk is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Aoki picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Sherk throws a wild punch as a counter, but Aoki ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Sherk gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Sherk is looking for big punches, Aoki is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Sherk manages to back Aoki up against the cage. Sherk takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Aoki ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Sherk can unload. Sherk may need to think about changing tactics, Aoki is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Sherk fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Aoki on the thigh. Aoki presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Sherk gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Aoki. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Shinya Aoki.

Rating: ***
Notes: Aoki with his most impressive win since joining the UFC as he beats Sean Sherk via decision. Sherk now has two losses in a row against Penn and Aoki so he will be looking to get an easy win in his next fight.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Wanderlei Silva via Knock Out

Round 1
Rua throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Silva defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Rua scores with a low kick to the outside of the knee, then backs off. Those will take their toll. Silva responds with a right hand that hits gloves, a left hook to the body that stings Rua, then throws a spectacular head kick that connects! Rua was backing off after those two punches and didn't see it coming, he goes sailing backward, his body entirely limp. Silva has knocked Rua out cold with one brutally powerful kick.

Silva wins via knock out at 1:56 of the first round.

Rating: ****
Notes: What a win for Silva and that will surely get KO of the night. Silva will be hoping for a title shot soon after this but he needs to get into the top three in the rankings which is possible after such an impressive win over Shogun.

Andrei Arlovski (14-5) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (16-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO

Round 1
Arlovski isn't hanging around, right from the start Kharitonov is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Kharitonov circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Arlovski weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Arlovski, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Kharitonov is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Arlovski really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Kharitonov was wide open for a moment there. Arlovski hits a high kick, catching Kharitonov on the shoulder. Jab from Kharitonov finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Arlovski fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Kharitonov scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Arlovski, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Arlovski.

Round 2
Arlovski misses with a straight right. Kharitonov hits a standing kick, and Arlovski is rocked, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor. Kharitonov leaps into action and fires off a barrage of right hands. The referee dives in and protects Arlovski, bringing the fight to an end. The kick didn't knock Arlovski out, but it left him stunned, and that was all that Kharitonov needed to finish the job.

Kharitonov wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 1:31.

Rating: ***
Notes: Massive win for Sergei here and this could mean a future title shot.

UFC Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn (13-4-1) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: BJ Penn via Submission

Round 1
Penn is quickest out, and comes at Huerta with a series of jabs and straight punches. Huerta covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Huerta hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Penn who takes it to the ground. Huerta pulls guard. There's a lull, as Penn tries to pass, and Huerta defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Huerta almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Penn, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Penn.

Round 2
Fast start by Penn, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Huerta circles, drawing a lunge from Penn, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Penn ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Huerta hopping on the other to remain vertical. Penn tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Huerta manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Penn has one leg trapped between Huerta's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Huerta defends it well, without fully escaping it, Penn can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Huerta suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Penn's back. Penn was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Huerta up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Huerta throws a couple of short-range punches. Penn gets a leg in and trips Huerta, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Huerta, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Penn.

Round 3
The two fighters circle. Penn flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Huerta easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Penn could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Huerta moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Penn is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Penn forces Huerta back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Huerta in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Penn does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Huerta saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Penn turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Penn is up quickly, causing Huerta, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Penn was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Penn throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Huerta to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Huerta.

Round 4
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Penn is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Huerta picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Penn throws a wild punch as a counter, but Huerta ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Penn gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Penn is looking for big punches, Huerta is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Penn manages to back Huerta up against the cage. Penn takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Huerta ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Penn can unload. Penn may need to think about changing tactics, Huerta is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Penn fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Huerta on the thigh. Huerta presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Penn gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The fourth round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Huerta.

Round 5
The fighters come together right in the center. Penn throws out a jab, but Huerta bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Huerta works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Penn covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Huerta is making Penn look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Penn hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. They both seem to be looking for an opening, and it's creating a stalemate at the moment. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Huerta got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Penn slightly. Penn initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Penn looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Huerta is clearly winning them. Penn needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Huerta tries a speculative high kick, but Penn saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Penn tries to work an angle, but Huerta is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Huerta, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Huerta. Roger Huerta wins, with a score of 48-47 from two judges, 49-46 from the other. Roger Huerta is the new UFC Lightweight champion.

Rating: ***
Notes: Wow! What a comeback from Huerta. He must have real heart to come back against an opponent like BJ Penn after losing the first two rounds but then winning the next three to win the title. Huerta will be very happy with this win and winning the title. Seeing a new champion crowned is a fitting end to a great show which had submissions big Knock Outs and then right at the end a history making comeback that has firmly placed Roger Huerta as the best fighter in the Lightweight division.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Keith Jardine
Knock Out of the Night: Wanderlei Silva
Fight of the Night: BJ Penn vs. Roger Huerta

Resignings
Heath Herring, Dong Hyun Kim and Roger Huerta will all be resigned to new UFC contracts, but unfortunately Chris Wilson won't be resigned and will leave after his next fight or after his contract expires.

Weight Changes
In another massive weight change BJ Penn fresh off losing his Lightweight championship to Roger Huerta has announced his next fight will be at Welterweight and he hopes to fight there for a long time. He didn't rule out a move back to Lightweight or even a move to Middleweight when asked but he said it won't be for a long time before he moves again.

chris caulfield

06-28-2008, 05:18 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 95

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 95 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Vitor Ribeiro +1
4. Eddie Alvarez +1
5. Kenny Florian +2
6. Thiago Tavares +2
7. Jeremy Stephens +2
8. Sean Sherk -2
9. Rich Clementi +1
10. Jim Miller - New Entry

Welterweight
1. Dan Hardy +3
2. Jon Fitch -1
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida -1
4. Matt Hughes -1
5. BJ Penn - New Entry (Weight Change)
6. Dong Hyun Kim +1
7. Matt Serra -2
8. Thiago Alves -2
9. Akihiro Gono -1
9 Josh Koscheck -1

Middleweight
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Rich Franklin
4. Forrest Griffin
5. Gregard Mousasi
6. Rousimar Palhales +4
7. Michael Bisping -1
8. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza - New Entry
9. Demian Maia -2
10. Dan Henderson -2

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Wanderlei Silva +3
3. Wilson Gouveia -1
4. Lyoto Machida -1
5. Thiago Silva -1
6. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira +2
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -2
9. Keith Jardine
10. David Heath

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Sergei Kharitonov +3
3. Tim Sylvia -1
4. Cheick Kongo -1
5. Andrei Arlovski -1
6. Fedor Emelianenko
7. Shane Carwin +1
8. Chris Tuchscherer -1
9. Pedro Rizzo
10. Fabricio Werdum - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta
3. Georges St. Pierre
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
5. Anderson Silva
6. Rich Franklin
7. Shinya Aoki +1
8. Wanderlei Silva - New Entry
9. Sergei Kharitonov - New Entry
10. Tim Sylvia -3

Biggest Jump this month: Rousimar Palhales: Rousimar jumped up a massive 4 spots on the Middleweight rankings this month and he now stands at #6. He earned that right after he beat Nate Marquardt via decision. He is expected to fight someone like Jacare or Michael Bisping next.

Biggest Drop this month: Sean Sherk: Sherk dropped a full two ranks this month and now only lies at #8 in the Lightweight rankings after his tough decision loss to the current #2 Lightweight Shinya Aoki. He is expected to fight Jeremy Stephens or Rich Clementi next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza/Wanderlei Silva (P4P): Jacare debuted on the Middleweight rankings this month at a pretty high #8 considering he has only one fight in the UFC. That fight was against Joey Villasenor and Jacare won it via decision. He is expected to fight someone like Rousimar Palhales or Michael Bisping next. Wanderlei debuted on the P4P rankings this month at #8. He also moved up to #2 in the Light Heavyweight rankings. This all came about when he beat Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua via a brutal first round KO. He is expected to either get a title shot against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson who he has already beat twice or he could fight someone else like Lyoto Machida or Wilson Gouveia.

chris caulfield

06-28-2008, 05:29 AM

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UFC Announces UFC 96: Silva vs. Franklin III

Today UFC announced UFC 96: Silva vs. Franklin III. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (23-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-3)
Thiago Silva (16-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3)
Forrest Griffin (17-5) vs. Alan Belcher (13-6)
Ben Rothwell (29-7) vs. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
Kenny Florian (10-3) vs. Din Thomas (21-8)
Undercard
Diego Sanchez (19-4) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Jorge Gurgel (12-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (6-0)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) vs. David Heath (7-3)
Cung Le (7-0) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-6)
Anthony Johnson (5-1) vs. Steve Bruno (11-3)
Jake O'Brian (10-3) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (0-0)

RennikKain076

06-28-2008, 08:50 AM

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (23-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-3)
Thiago Silva (16-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3)
Forrest Griffin (17-5) vs. Alan Belcher (13-6)
Ben Rothwell (29-7) vs. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
Kenny Florian (10-3) vs. Din Thomas (21-8)
Undercard
Diego Sanchez (19-4) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Jorge Gurgel (12-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (6-0)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) vs. David Heath (7-3)
Cung Le (7-0) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-6)
Anthony Johnson (5-1) vs. Steve Bruno (11-3)
Jake O'Brian (10-3) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (0-0)

UFC-KING

06-28-2008, 10:17 AM

Anderson Silva (23-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-3)
Thiago Silva (16-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3)
Forrest Griffin (17-5) vs. Alan Belcher (13-6)
Ben Rothwell (29-7) vs. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
Kenny Florian (10-3) vs. Din Thomas (21-8)
Diego Sanchez (19-4) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Jorge Gurgel (12-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (6-0)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) vs. David Heath (7-3)
Cung Le (7-0) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-6)
Anthony Johnson (5-1) vs. Steve Bruno (11-3)
Jake O'Brian (10-3) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (0-0)

chris caulfield

06-28-2008, 10:45 AM

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UFC 96 Preview

Jake O'Brian (10-3) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (0-0)
Rodriguez will not only make his UFC debut but also his pro MMA debut. Rodriguez is only 19 years old but was a hot free agent and the UFC were lucky to get him. He is supposed to have fantastic ground and pound skills but also great stand-up and ground skills. Rodriguez had to do alot more than just have good skills to get into the UFC though. He has cut over one hundred pounds to get to 265. Not to mention he is a massive 7 foot 2 inches tall. O'Brian won't be to scared though as he will look to exploit Rodriguez's lack of experiance. O'Brian has lost his last two fights to Chris Tuchscherer and Pedro Rizzo both by decision.

Anthony Johnson (5-1) vs. Steve Bruno (11-3)
Johnson is only 25 and is supposed to be a future star in the Welterweight division so a win here over Bruno would be a step in the right direction. He is coming off of a decision win over fellow up and comer Paul Kelly back at UFC 90.

Cung Le (7-0) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-6)
Cung Le will face his toughest task yet as he goes up against former PRIDE star Ricardo Arona. Cung is 2-0 in the UFC with decision wins over both Marvin Eastman and Rory Singer while Arona has gone the opposite way in the UFC losing his first and only fight so far to Glover Teixeira via a first round TKO. Cung believes a win over someone like Arona could put him into the top ten Middleweights. This will also be Arona's Middleweight debut.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) vs. David Heath (7-3)
The top ten ranked Light Heavyweight David Heath goes against someone who lost three fights in a row but won his last fight against Houston Alexander and is looking to get back on track with another win. Sokoudjou hopes a win over the #10 ranked Light Heavyweight might put him into the top ten instead.

Jorge Gurgel (12-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (6-0)
Evangelista with only his second fight in the UFC goes up against veteran Jorge Gurgel. Evangelista won his UFC debut against Dan Luazon via decision back at UFC 90. Evangelista is only 25 years old while Gurgel is 32 years old so Gurgel will look to put those extra years of experiance to use as he goes up against Evangelista.

Diego Sanchez (19-4) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Snachez and Gono will be dissapointed with not being in the Welterweight Grand Prix but they will just see it as a challenge to get better. They say while the tournament is going on they could string a few wins together and by the time the tournament is over they could be in line for the first title shot against the tournament winner. Sanchez will be hoping for a big win here as he has lost he last two fights against Matt Serra and Josh Koscheck both by decision. Gono is also coming off of a decision loss to Jon Fitch back at UFN 14. Gono is a ranked Welterweight being ranked at #9 so both fighters will be fighting for a spot in the rankings.

Kenny Florian (10-3) vs. Din Thomas (21-8)
Kenny Florian is coming off of three straight wins including a very impressive second round submission win over Mac Danzig which won him submission of the night back at UFC 93. Din however is coming off of a decision loss to Vitor Ribeiro back at UFN 14. Florian is ranked at #5 in the Lightweight rankings and is hoping another win or two could give him a Lightweight title shot against newly crowned champion Roger Huerta.

Ben Rothwell (29-7) vs. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
Lesnar goes up against Ben Rothwell as he looks to lengthen his winning streak to five. One must respect Lesnar for working his way up the card since Avatar took charge of match booking. He was bumped down from co-main eventing with Frank Mir to fightin gon the undercard against Christian Wellisch and Eddie Sanchez. He worked his way up the right way untill he got his big chance to get revenge on Frank Mir at UFN 14. He won that fight via third round TKO and then went on to beat Antoni Hardonk via third round TKO at UFC 94. He now faces Rothwell who he thinks if he beats he will move into the top ten in the Heavyweight rankings. Rothwell will be hoping to stop all that though as he desperately needs a win after losing his last two fights to Pedro Rizzo and Brandon Vera.

Forrest Griffin (17-5) vs. Alan Belcher (13-6)
Becher is coming off of two straight TKO losses to Michael Bisping and Patrick Cote but he still refuses to get easy competition as he goes up against the #4 ranked Middleweight in Forrest Griffin. Griffin has won both his Middleweight fights since moving down from Light Heavyweight beating Kendall Grove and Nate Marquardt both via decision. Another win for Griffin would almost certainly mean he will get the next title shot against the winner of the nights main event as it is said that the UFC want to test St. Pierre at Middleweight against someone like Karo Parisyan or Dan Henderson instead of just throwing him into the lion's den against Anderson Silva (or Rich Franklin by the end of tonight). That situation will give Griffin an extra reason to go all out against Belcher.

Thiago Silva (16-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3)
This is a big fight for the Light Heavyweight division as the #5 and #6 ranked fighters go all out. Both fighters if they win could be right in title contention but would likely have to win another fight aswell. Nogueira won his UFC debut back at UFC 93 when he beat Matt Hamill via Split decision. Thiago is still undefeated and is 16-0 and since Avatar was hired by the UFC he has gone 4-0 with wins over James Lee, James Lambert, Antonio Mendes and Tomasz Drwal.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (23-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-3)
This match-up may suprise many people but Rich Franklin has been begging for this fight ever since his first round TKO win over Dan Henderson. Silva took the fight straight away with no questions. Silva is obviously very confident after already beating Franklin twice both times the fight not getting out of the second round. Franklin however was adamant that he recieve a third chance after being ranked as the #1 Middleweight for many months until Silva regained it. He has won two straight fights since Avatar was hired beating both Chris Leben and Dan Henderson and both via TKO. Silva has also won two fights since Avatar was hired beating Karo Parisyan via a second round KO and then beating Patrick Cote via decision at UFC 93. A win for Silva may put him back on top of the Middleweight rankings after being kocked down to #2 since Georges St. Pierre moved up from Welterweight.

chris caulfield

06-28-2008, 01:37 PM

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UFC 96: Silva vs. Franklin III

Undercard

Jake O'Brian (10-3) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (0-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jake O'Brian via Split Decision

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. O'Brien puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Rodríguez defended well. Straight right from Rodríguez in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, O'Brien probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Rodríguez gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to O'Brien. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for O'Brien.

Round 2
O'Brien throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Rodríguez defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. O'Brien seems to be growing in confidence over the past thirty seconds. He has just come up with four good separate straight rights, although I don't think any of them did too much damage. He moves in for another, but takes a wicked kick from Rodríguez. O'Brien looks wobbly, and his hands drop. Rodríguez sees it, and comes in with a solid right hand that drops O'Brien to the mat. Rodríguez follows up with more punches, and the referee has to get in there and stop it, O'Brien was not defending himself properly. I think it's the kick that did the most damage, it seemed to scramble his brains.

Official time of the TKO is 1:56 of the second.

Rating: **
Notes: Rodriguez with a win in his first ever pro fight. O'Brian isn't exactly the average fighter you fight in your first fight but Rodriguez still won and by a stoppage aswell.

Anthony Johnson (5-1) vs. Steve Bruno (11-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anthony Johnson via TKO

Round 1
Bruno isn't hanging around, right from the start Johnson is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Johnson circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Bruno weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Bruno, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Johnson is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Bruno really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Johnson was wide open for a moment there. Bruno hits a high kick, catching Johnson on the shoulder. Jab from Johnson finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Bruno fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Johnson scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Bruno, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Bruno.

Round 2
Johnson starts fast, coming out almost immediately with a three punch combination. None of them get through, and Bruno manages to squeeze a jab of his own through and score just above the left cheek. They exchange a flurry of blows right in the center, it's difficult to see who got the best of it, and both of them retreat a few steps to recover. Good start to the round, early indications are that this is going to be all about the striking, neither fighter has even hinted at going for a takedown. Bruno uses a low kick to set up a nice right hand, and Johnson is forced back against the cage. Bruno picks his shots and gets a big punch to the body in. Johnson uses a couple of looping punches to make Bruno keep back, but it doesn't last for long, as Bruno bursts forward and hits two big right hands, taking a counter punch to the body though, and they wind up in a clinch. They exchange weak-looking blows from that position, before the referee grows tired of the inactivity and breaks them apart. Johnson scores with a low kick. Bruno looks to be working an angle. Bruno unwinds a right hook that narrowly misses. That will be the last action of the round though. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Bruno.

Round 3
Bruno hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Johnson to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Bruno hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Johnson tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Bruno having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Johnson. Johnson gets a nice single leg, and transitions into a side mount. Bruno blocks an arm bar attempt, but is having trouble keeping the full mount from happening. Johnson scores with a nice elbow, and there is the full mount. Bruno is wide open, and takes two hard punches to the face. Johnson takes the arm. Bruno is fighting it, but it looks like it's only a matter of time. The kimura is applied, and Bruno has no choice but to tap.

The official time of the kimura submission is 3:58 of round 3.

Rating: **
Notes: Very impressive submission here for Johnson which now takes his record to an impressive 6-1. Bruno will be dissapointed with losing in such a fashion after beating Johnson for two straight rounds.

Cung Le (7-0) vs. Ricardo Arona (13-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Cung Le via TKO

Round 1
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Le gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Arona throws a ragged jab, missing by a mile as Le simply ducks under and unloads a vicious hook from below. It catches Arona square on the jaw, and he goes down! Le mounts and starts firing off punches, rapid-fire. The referee waits to see if Arona can recover, decides that he can't, and pulls Le off. The match is over.

Official time of the TKO is 1:35 of the first round.

Rating: **
Notes: Very impressive first round TKO win for Le. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Middleweights with such an impressive win.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-4) vs. David Heath (7-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via Knock Out

Round 1
Heath comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Sokoudjou stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Sokoudjou connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Heath is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Sokoudjou seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Sokoudjou, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Heath felt that, and backs off. Heath tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Sokoudjou gets him to back off with some jabs. Sokoudjou has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Heath has been blocked at every turn. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou.

Round 2
There is some tentative circling to begin with, before they meet in the center for the first action of the round. It's a tight affair, both fighters heavily using the jab, but Sokoudjou looks to get the better of it, landing with one crisp strike to the face in particular. Heath backs off, a little shaken. Replays show that it landed right on the nose. Sokoudjou press the action, forcing Heath back against the cage and upping the tempo with rapid-fire lefts and rights, bobbing and weaving at the same time to keep from getting caught with a counter punch. Heath clinches up. Sokoudjou is displaying a much more accomplished and confident striking game than Heath, the technique and speed with which the punches are being delivered is leaving Heath looking ragged in comparison. The pattern continues once they've been separated, with Sokoudjou looking the sharper of the two. He isn't overwhelming Heath by any means, but he is comfortably controlling the pace and tempo of the round, and preventing Heath from stamping any sort of mark on it. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou.

Round 3
Heath comes out quick and immediately starts pressing Sokoudjou back toward the cage. Heath tries to use the position to his advantage, pinning Sokoudjou in to prevent him from moving freely, but the exchange of punches that follows is clearly won by Sokoudjou, who catches Heath with a wicked right cross during the flurry of blows. Heath tries again, but Sokoudjou is looking sharp and parries away any dangerous shot, getting in a few crisp jabs of his own along the way. Heath finally backs off, realising that this isn't working. Sokoudjou is showing superior ability with his hands, they're fast and accurate, Heath isn't able to cope with them at close quarters, being made to look slow and ragged in comparison. Heath switches to using raking right hands and looping punches, keeping Sokoudjou back, but its effectiveness is limited as Heath's punches are easily parried away, and Sokoudjou can still hit the occasional right hand. The round ends with that being the pattern. Sokoudjou has used his better punching technique and hand speed to confound Heath, and has controlled this round almost entirely. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sokoudjou by 10-9. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

Rating: ***
Notes: Sokoudjou with a second consecutive win here and he will be hoping this is a sign of things to come. I bet he can't wait for his next fight.

Jorge Gurgel (12-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (6-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Billy Evangelista via TKO

Round 1
Gurgel hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Evangelista to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Gurgel hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Evangelista tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Gurgel having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Evangelista. Gurgel swings and misses with a right hand. Evangelista counters with a shot to the chest, connecting solidly. Gurgel backs off, but only finds himself backed up against the cage. Evangelista follows up quickly, snapping off two crisp jabs. They get close, Gurgel goes to clinch but Evangelista hits a wicked uppercut that catches Gurgel flush on the chin. Right on the button! Gurgel drops to the floor, and Evangelista is quick to follow up, smelling potential victory. Evangelista gets side control, and Gurgel has to cover up immediately to deflect two scathing right hands. Evangelista is looking to get a crucifix, which Gurgel is fighting while simultaneously trying to roll his hips to either pull guard to get back up. Neither happens, as Evangelista lets him roll, but cleverly stays with him, taking his back as a result. Gurgel turtles up, but not before taking a brutal punch just below the left ear. The crowd certainly reacted to that shot. Evangelista, clearly sensing it's time to kill this match off, starts throwing bombs from either side, smashing into the side of Gurgel's face. Gurgel tries to cover up, but it's futile; the referee pulls Evangelista off to save Gurgel from any further punishment.

Evangelista wins via TKO at 3:48 of the first round.

Rating: **
Notes: Evangelista with a quick TKO victory over Gurgel that should put him on everyone's mind as to the long term future of the Lightweight division with him still only being 25 years old.

Diego Sanchez (19-4) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-13-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Diego Sanchez via TKO

Round 1
Sanchez starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Gono covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Gono backs up to buy some time, but Sanchez keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Gono scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Sanchez catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Gono pulls guard. The fight falls into a lull as a pattern develops; Sanchez punctuating attempts to pass guard with some sharp punches to the body and face, while Gono parries away any big blows and puts all of his effort into making sure Sanchez doesn't get a better position. Things heat up as Sanchez manages to break the guard and get through into a half mount. Gono hits a nice clean right hand in response. Sanchez throws a couple of hard punches to the stomach. He has one leg trapped, and is trying to pull that free so that he can move further up the body and really start pounding away. Gono knows that having the leg trapped is his key to not ending up in huge trouble, and so has it locked up tight. Sanchez tries a half-hearted attempt at a kimura, but Gono defends it well. The round ends with Sanchez still unable to transition into side control, although he has landed enough shots to have lit up Gono's upper body with red marks, and definitely won the round on points. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Sanchez.

Round 2
Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Gono stalks Sanchez, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Gono is down! Sanchez goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Sanchez stunned Gono with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Sanchez fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Gono. Sanchez tries to pass the guard, but can't, Gono isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Sanchez will start raining down punches. Sanchez tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Gono gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Sanchez again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Sanchez fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Gono fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Gono, and Sanchez is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Gono has defended the danger well. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sanchez.

Round 3
Fast start by Sanchez, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Gono circles, drawing a lunge from Sanchez, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Sanchez ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Gono hopping on the other to remain vertical. Sanchez tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Gono manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Sanchez has one leg trapped between Gono's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Gono defends it well, without fully escaping it, Sanchez can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Gono suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Sanchez's back. Sanchez was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Gono up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Gono throws a couple of short-range punches. Sanchez gets a leg in and trips Gono, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Gono, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sanchez. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Diego Sanchez.

Rating: **
Notes: Sanchez with a good decision win over Gono that should put him back into the top ten Welterweights.

Maincard

Kenny Florian (10-3) vs. Din Thomas (21-8)
Sherdog's Prediction: Kenny Florian via Submission

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Florian, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Florian puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Thomas covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Florian with a body shot. Low kick from Thomas, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Florian will take the round on points. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Florian by 10-9.

Round 2
The two fighters circle. Thomas flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Florian easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Thomas could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Florian moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Thomas is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Thomas forces Florian back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Florian in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Thomas does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Florian saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Thomas turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Thomas is up quickly, causing Florian, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Thomas was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Thomas throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Florian to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Florian by 10-9.

Round 3
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Thomas lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Florian sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Thomas on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Florian manages to get the better position, pushing Thomas up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Florian. Thomas hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Florian tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Thomas was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Florian down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Florian covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Thomas hits a big elbow to the ribs, Florian definitely felt that. Thomas drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Florian brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Thomas will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Florian defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Thomas unable to generate any attacks, and Florian unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Thomas will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Thomas. All three judges give a score of 29-28 to Kenny Florian.

Rating: **
Notes: Florian with yet another win. This one wasn't as impressive but it was a win none the less and he will be hoping it puts him into the top three Lightweights.

Ben Rothwell (29-7) vs. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Brock Lesnar via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Rothwell throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Lesnar. Kick to the thigh from Lesnar, but it lacked power. For a second it looked like Rothwell was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. The two fighters come together in the center. Lesnar leads with a left, but Rothwell easily avoids it and comes in close to throw some body shots. It all gets a bit scrappy, but it ends with Rothwell falling to the ground. Replays show that Lesnar did catch him with a jab, but it clearly did very little damage, Rothwell had already stumbled while taking a step backward. Regardless of how it happened though, Rothwell is down, and Lesnar is quick to rush in to capitalise. Rothwell covers up, but Lesnar is raining down punches from the half mount position. At least two hard shots get through. Lesnar moves up into side control, briefly looks like he is considering trying to take an arm, then goes back to teeing off on Rothwell's head with fists. Rothwell tries to wriggle free, but isn't really getting anywhere because Lesnar is lying right across his upper body. Lesnar uses his legs to ensnare Rothwell's right arm, and then starts firing off more and more punches. With only his left hand to try and block them, Rothwell is taking more punches than he is blocking. The referee is looking very closely at this, unless Rothwell does something dramatic pretty soon, I doubt this will go much longer. Lesnar stops to take a deep breath, then starts firing off another barrage. Rothwell takes at least three hard shots to the face during the attack, and that's enough for the referee, he calls an end to the match.

Lesnar wins via first round TKO at 1:26.

Rating: ***
Notes: Lesnar brings his streak upto five wins in a row now and this has to be the most dominant win so far though. It was a very impressive TKO stoppage and it didn't even take him 2 minutes. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Heavweights with this win.

Forrest Griffin (17-5) vs. Alan Belcher (13-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Forrest Griffin via Knock Out

Round 1
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Belcher is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Griffin picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Belcher throws a wild punch as a counter, but Griffin ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Belcher gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Belcher is looking for big punches, Griffin is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Belcher manages to back Griffin up against the cage. Belcher takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Griffin ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Belcher can unload. Belcher may need to think about changing tactics, Griffin is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Belcher fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Griffin on the thigh. Griffin presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Belcher gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Griffin.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Belcher puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Griffin defended well. Straight right from Griffin in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Belcher probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Griffin gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Belcher. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Belcher.

Round 3
Griffin starts with a high kick, but Belcher was well out of range. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Griffin steps in and exchanges strikes with Belcher, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Belcher parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Griffin on the shoulder. The round has been a little flat so far, neither of them is really forcing the issue. They enter into a clinch, which doesn't help matters, and that seems to last for an eternity before the referee separates them and tells them to get on with it. Griffin finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Belcher did well to defend it, bobbing and weaving out of the way and using his gloves to parry away anything that was too close. He uses a low kick to the thigh as a response, then steps in and unloads with two fine punches, although Griffin blocked them. Griffin scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Belcher square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Belcher backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Griffin's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Griffin probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Griffin. Forrest Griffin wins the match, getting a score of 29-28 from all three judges.

Rating: ***
Notes: Griffin wins and is now 3-0 in the Middleweight division. He will surely fight the winner of the main event next.

Thiago Silva (16-0) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Silva via TKO

Round 1
A fizzing right hand from Silva opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Nogueira's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Nogueira fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Silva pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Nogueira looks for a moment like he may be about to get overwhelmed, especially after a right hand appears to hit flush on the chin, but he recovers well and works his way back to the center. Silva is looking the more confident of the two by far. He smells blood, and comes in looking for a big right hand, only to walk right into a takedown. Nogueira had to time that perfectly, and did. Silva doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Nogueira taking his back! Nogueira tries to go for a choke, but Silva bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Nogueira from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Silva scores with two leg kicks, Nogueira hits a tasty right hand to the body, but otherwise nothing much happens for the next couple of exchanges. Indeed, the clock runs down and the round ends without further noteworthy events. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Silva by 10-9.

Round 2
Silva starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Nogueira on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Silva to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Nogueira, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Silva, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Nogueira is looking a little lost so far, Silva is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Silva leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Nogueira was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Nogueira comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Nogueira is that although Silva clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Silva.

Round 3
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Nogueira throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Silva's jaw, but it is parried. Silva steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Nogueira moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Silva put a lot of weight behind it. Nogueira hits a nice jab, then clinches. Silva hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Nogueira hits a low kick to the leg. Silva bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Nogueira goes down! Good shot from Silva! He tries to follow up and pound on Nogueira, but Nogueira is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Silva, sensing that Nogueira is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Nogueira ends up backed up against the cage. Silva gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Nogueira, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Silva has in his hands is really posing Nogueira some problems. The clinch drags on, with Silva unable to break free, and the round ends like that. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Thiago Silva.

Rating: ***
Notes: Silva with a straight forward decision win over Lil Nog. Silva after another win could be next in line for a title shot.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (23-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anderson Silva via TKO

Round 1
Silva leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Franklin deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Franklin uses a knee to the ribs before backing Silva up against the cage. Right hand from Silva connects though, that was well timed. Franklin breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Silva was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Franklin sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Silva fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. They are circling, then come in close. Both fighters are tentatively looking for the chance to strike. Franklin is the first to go for it, throwing a three-punch combination. Silva covered up well, taking very little damage. Franklin goes to throw a bomb, but gets clipped with a right hand before it can connect. He felt that. Silva steps in and throws a bomb of his own, and it crunches into the side of the cheek of Franklin, who goes down! Replays show the shock wave passing through his entire body as that powerful punch connected. What a strike! Silva wins this by a brutally clean knock out.

Official time of the knock out is 4:41 of the first. Anderson Silva retains the UFC Middleweight title.

Rating: *****
Notes: That was a brutal Knock Out win for Silva. Franklin loses for a third straight time against Silva and one must wonder what is left for him in the Middleweight division.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Anthony Johnson
Knock Out of the Night: Anderson Silva
Fight of the Night: Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin

Resignings
Rich Franklin, Cung Le and Diego Sanchez will all be resigned to new UFC contracts. After a freak string of circumstances Brock Lesnar has left the UFC but the UFC are doing all they can to resign him.

Signings
Nick Diaz has been signed to compete in the UFC Lightweight division. Randy Shearer (ramdomly created after Thomas Denny retired) will be signed to compete into the UFC Welterweight division. Nobutatsu Suzuki and Siyar Bahadurzada will both be signed to compete in the UFC Middleweight division. And last but not least Roger Hollett has been signed to compete in the UFC Light Heavyweight division.

Weight Changes
Rich Franklin after being destroyed for a third straight time by Anderson Silva has decided to move up to the Light Heavyweight Division.

chris caulfield

06-28-2008, 04:15 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 97: Sylvia vs. Nogueira

Today UFC announced UFC 97: Sylvia vs. Nogueira. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Heavyweight Championship: Tim Sylvia (25-4) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-4-1)
Chuck Liddell (22-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (15-1)
Pedro Rizzo (18-8) vs. Shane Carwin (12-0)
Stephan Bonnar (12-6) vs. Gregard Mousasi (23-2-1)
Vitor Ribeiro (20-2) vs. Josh Thomson (15-3)
Undercard
Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) vs. Matt Arroyo (5-1)
Matt Hamill (5-2) vs. Tim Boetsch (8-1)
Thiago Tavares (14-1) vs. Mark Bocek (5-2)
Chris Tuchscherer (13-0) vs. Martin Desilets (8-1)
Paul Kelly (7-2) vs. Ben Saunders (5-2-2)
Terry Martin (16-4) vs. Aaron Meisner (3-0)

OOC: sorry no rankings after UFC 96 as I accidently forgot to write rankings down before advancing to the pre-show screen and now I can't go back.

chris caulfield

06-29-2008, 06:28 AM

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UFC 97 Preview

Terry Martin (16-4) vs. Aaron Meisner (3-0)
Meisnar is coming off of a decision win over Dean Lister in his UFC debut and he will hope to remain undefeated. Martin is no push over though as he has much more MMA experiance than Meisner despite being the same age at 29. Meisner before entering MMA though was one of the top Muay Thai fighters in North America.

Paul Kelly (7-2) vs. Ben Saunders (5-2-2)
Both fighters go into this fight desperately needing a win. Both fighters have lost their last two fights in a row. Kelly has ost to Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Anthony Johnson while Saunders has lost to Karo Parisyan and Matt Arroyo. Both fighters had never lost before these losses came so they will both be going all out to try and get back on track.

Chris Tuchscherer (13-0) vs. Martin Desilets (8-1)
Tuchscherer is 2-0 in the UFC with decision wins over Jake O'Brian and Mark Coleman. This time he will be going up against a UFC newcomer in Martin Desilets. Desilets is being thrown right into the deep end against the #8 ranked Heavyweight. Desilets is coming off of a TKO win over Ryuta Noji in Pancrase so he has quite abit of momentum himself. Tuchscherer is on a thirteen fight win streak so he will hope to make that 14 and boost himself up the rankings in the process.

Thiago Tavares (14-1) vs. Mark Bocek (5-2)
Tavares is a big prospect for the UFC Lightweight division at only 24 years of age and he is already ranked as the #6 in the Lightweight division. Tavares is coming off of an impressive decision win over Joe Lauzon back at UFC 91. Tavares will look to build on that with another win over Bocek and he hopes after a few more wins he will earn a title shot. Nothing is certain in the Lightweight division with so many challengers for Huerta's title. There is Aoki, Ribeiro, Florian and Alvarez all ahead of Tavares at the moment so he will have to work hard for his shot.

Matt Hamill (5-2) vs. Tim Boetsch (8-1)
Hamill after some impressive wins over James Irvin and Sokoudjou recently lost via split decision to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Boetsch is coming of of a win in his last bout as he beat Jason Lambert via decision. Both fighters are on the edge of the top ten in the Light Heavyweight division so a win here for either could put them into the rankings.

Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) vs. Matt Arroyo (5-1)
Both fighters will enter the fight with a 5-1 record but only one will walk out with a 6-1 record. Arroyo is coming off of two straight wins over Ben Saunders and Josh Burkman. Arroyo after another win or two could break into the top ten Welterweights which could mean big things for him after the tournament is over.

Vitor Ribeiro (20-2) vs. Josh Thomson (15-3)
Ribeiro is already ranked at #3 in the Lightweight rankings so this match-up seems to suggest that Shinya Aoki will get the first shot at the belt since Huerta won it. Ribeiro won his UFC debut at UFN 14 with a decision win over Din Thomas. Thomson is also coming off of a win after he beat Marcus Aurelio via a second round TKO at UFC 92. A win for Thomson could push him into the top ten Lightweights while a win for Ribeiro could put him at #2 in the rankings.

Stephan Bonnar (12-6) vs. Gregard Mousasi (23-2-1)
Mousasi is 2-0 in the UFC with decision wins over both Dean Lister and Jonathan Goulet. This time he will be going up against someone who just recently won his first Middleweight fight since moving down from the Light Heavyweight deivision in Stephan Bonnar. Bonnar's win came when he beat Kendall Grove via a second round TKO. Mousasi is a big step up for Bonnar as he is ranked at #5 in the Middleweight rankings so it will be a good test for Bonnar. Mousasi could move into the top three Middleweights with a win over Bonnar which means he can't be to far away from a title shot.

Pedro Rizzo (18-8) vs. Shane Carwin (12-0)
Carwin is 4-0 in the UFC with wins over Eddie Sanchez, Christian Wellisch, Brandon Vera and most recently Heath Herring. Rizzo is coming off of his first loss since returning to the UFC as he lost via decision to Sergei Kharitonov back at UFC 90. Both fighters are ranked in the top ten Heavyweights with Rizzo at #9 and Carwin at #7. A win for either could put them as high as #5.

Chuck Liddell (22-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (15-1)
This is a big fight for the Light Heavyweight division as it very well could decide who gets the next title shot. Liddell's last two fights have both ended in brutal first round Knock Out's. The first was a loss to Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua but he came back from that and beat Glover Teixeira at UFC 92. Machida is looking for a rematch against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and a win over Liddell could very well give him that as it would mark his third win in a row with the previous two wins comings over Randy Couture and Tomasz Drwal both via decision.

UFC Heavyweight Championship: Tim Sylvia (25-4) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-4-1)
Big Nog will defend his Heavyweight title for the first time in 9 months. Sylvia earned his title shot by defeating Fabricio Werdum via TKO back at UFC 89. Nog's only other defence was a first round Knock Out win over the then #1 Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Sylvia is currently the #3 ranked Heavyweight behing only Sergei Kharitonov and the man he faces tonight Bog Nog. The winners of this fight will durely fight either Cheick Kongo or Sergei Kharitonov next.

chris caulfield

06-29-2008, 09:26 AM

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UFC 97: Sylvia vs. Nogueira

Undercard

Terry Martin (16-4) vs. Aaron Meisner (3-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Terry Martin via Submission

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Meisner, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Meisner puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Martin covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Meisner gets pinned against the cage, and the referee eventually has to separate them. Low kick from Martin, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Meisner will take the round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Meisner.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Martin comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Meisner really put some venom into that strike. Martin backs off, clearly stung. Meisner is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Martin ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Meisner was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Martin is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Martin from getting in too close. Meisner stalks Martin, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Martin is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Meisner hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Meisner squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Martin comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Meisner tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Martin backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Meisner advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Martin. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Meisner. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Meisner by 10-9.

Round 3
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Martin is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Meisner blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Martin is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Meisner is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Martin can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Martin some problems later on. Martin moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Meisner is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Martin before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Martin off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Martin goes for a trip, but Meisner cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Meisner may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Meisner by 10-9. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Aaron Meisner.

Rating: **
Notes: Meisner with a comfortable straight forward decision win.

Paul Kelly (7-2) vs. Ben Saunders (5-2-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Paul Kelly via TKO

Round 1
Kelly starts fast, squeezing a jab past the guard and catching Saunders above the right eye. Saunders swings and misses with a big right hand, which puts him off balance long enough for Kelly to floor him with a hard left. Kelly goes to follow up, but gets caught in the guard position. The replay shows that the punch wasn't actually that powerful, it looked worse than it was because Saunders was already falling slightly. Kelly fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Saunders. Kelly tries to pass the guard, but can't, Saunders isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Kelly will start raining down punches. Kelly tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Saunders gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Kelly again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Kelly fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Saunders fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Saunders, and Kelly is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Saunders has defended the danger well. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Kelly.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Kelly puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Saunders defended well. Straight right from Saunders in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Kelly probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Saunders gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Kelly. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Kelly.

Round 3
Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Saunders stalks Kelly, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Saunders is down! Kelly goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Kelly stunned Saunders with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Kelly throws out a right hand, parried away by Saunders. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Kelly looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Saunders isn't offering any sort of attacking threat yet, instead concentrating on keeping the strikes from landing. A big punch is driven into the ribs, Saunders thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Saunders reaches up and pulls Kelly down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Kelly defends it easily, and gets in a sharp jab to the face too. He stands up slightly, leaning forward into the guard, and starts throwing some right hands. One gets through, the others are parried. Saunders looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Kelly was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Kelly gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Saunders fires off two punches from his back, but Kelly defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Kelly stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Saunders does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Kelly breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Saunders will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Kelly by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Paul Kelly.

Rating: **
Notes: Kelly gets back on track and is now 8-2. He is still only 24 years old so he still has plenty of time to improve further aswell.

Chris Tuchscherer (13-0) vs. Martin Desilets (8-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Chris Tuchscherer via TKO

Round 1
Tuchscherer is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Desilets advancing. A sharp right misses, and Tuchscherer takes the opportunity to pull Desilets in to a tight clinch against the cage. Desilets tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Desilets wants to stand and bang, Tuchscherer wants to keep things at close quarters. Desilets tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Tuchscherer, and we're down to the ground. Tuchscherer has side control, but Desilets has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Tuchscherer will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Desilets tries to squirm into a better position, but Tuchscherer puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Tuchscherer tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Desilets defends it. Desilets manages to bring a knee up and catch Tuchscherer in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Tuchscherer responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Desilets covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Tuchscherer may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Tuchscherer tries to float over into a mount, but Desilets uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Tuchscherer enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Tuchscherer is the last action of the round. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Tuchscherer.

Round 2
Desilets starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Tuchscherer. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Tuchscherer goes for a single leg and puts Desilets on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Tuchscherer from getting on top. Desilets definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Tuchscherer hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Desilets again. This time Desilets isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Tuchscherer will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Desilets defends. Tuchscherer tries to slip past to get side control, but Desilets just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Tuchscherer has the side. Two big elbows land, and Desilets seems in trouble. Tuchscherer goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Tuchscherer.

Round 3
The two fighters circle. A series of looping punches from Tuchscherer forces Desilets back up against the cage, and he has to cover up to withstand the three strikes that follow. No real damage caused, but Tuchscherer is aggressively chasing this match. A hook finds the body and Desilets clinches. They almost lose their balance as they jockey for position, Desilets gets in a couple of knees when they regain their footing. Tuchscherer seems to be trying to break the clinch, it's Desilets who is holding it tight, perhaps hoping to calm the energetic start that Tuchscherer had. The referee finally does break them up, after nearly a full minute of inactivity. They clinch. Desilets gets in a nice knee, but a second attempt sees him swept to the ground. Desilets landed hard with Tuchscherer right on top of him, it looks like he got winded. Tuchscherer hits three big punches to the face, and Desilets is rocked. Tuchscherer gets an arm, locks in a kimura, and Desilets has no alternative but to tap out.

Official time of the kimura submission is 3:11 of the third.

Rating: **
Notes: Tuchscherer wrecks Desilets debut and ends it with an impressive submission. Desilets can't be too dissapointed though as his debut was against ranked opposition so maybe a small drop down in competition and then maybe he can get his first UFC win.

Thiago Tavares (14-1) vs. Mark Bocek (5-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Tavares via Submission

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Tavares, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Tavares puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Bocek covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Bocek glances at the referee, not sure why. Low kick from Bocek, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Tavares will take the round on points. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Tavares by 10-9.

Round 2
Tavares starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Bocek on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Tavares to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Bocek, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Tavares, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Bocek is looking a little lost so far, Tavares is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Tavares leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Bocek was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Bocek comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Bocek is that although Tavares clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Tavares by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts with some tentative striking. Both fighters look to be using their strikes merely to keep the opponent off-balance while they work for an angle for a takedown, rather than actually trying to inflict too much damage. Bocek goes for the first takedown, but Tavares has it well-scouted and they merely end up in a clinch. They tussle, ending up all the way back against the cage. Both fighters try trips, but neither gets anything. Finally, the referee steps in and separates them. Tavares storms back in almost immediately and takes Bocek down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Bocek just had a lapse in concentration. Tavares tries to pass the guard but can't, with Bocek employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Bocek is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Tavares makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Bocek has him tied up pretty well all the same. Time is ticking away, what has been a very tame round looks set to end without much in the way of highlights. It'll have to go to Tavares on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Tavares. Thiago Tavares wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Tavares with another win and this time it is a comfortable decision win over Bocek.

Matt Hamill (5-2) vs. Tim Boetsch (8-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO

Round 1
Hamill is quickest out, and comes at Boetsch with a series of jabs and straight punches. Boetsch covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Boetsch hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Hamill who takes it to the ground. Boetsch pulls guard. There's a lull, as Hamill tries to pass, and Boetsch defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Boetsch almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Hamill, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Hamill.

Round 2
Boetsch makes Hamill back up against the cage by throwing some looping punches. He comes in closer and hits a right hook to the body, getting a jab to the cheek in return. Boetsch throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Hamill lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Boetsch by surprise, putting him down! Hamill follows up and starts raining down right hands. Boetsch covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Hamill off, the match is over.

Hamill wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 1:18.

Rating: **
Notes: Hamill gets back on track with a TKO that certainly surprised Boetsch as he wasn't prepared for it at all.

Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) vs. Matt Arroyo (5-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Arroyo via TKO

Round 1
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Arroyo is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Koppenhaver blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Arroyo is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Koppenhaver is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Arroyo can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Arroyo some problems later on. Arroyo moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Koppenhaver is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Arroyo before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Arroyo off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Arroyo goes for a trip, but Koppenhaver cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Koppenhaver may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Koppenhaver.

Round 2
Arroyo and Koppenhaver circle to start. Koppenhaver throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Arroyo sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Koppenhaver comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Arroyo to slip a nice jab in, catching Koppenhaver just underneath the right eye. Arroyo comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Koppenhaver misses with a right cross, then backs off. Arroyo stalks him, forcing Koppenhaver back up against the cage. Arroyo doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Koppenhaver throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Arroyo pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Koppenhaver covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Arroyo in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Arroyo throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Koppenhaver comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Arroyo parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Arroyo's favour. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Arroyo by 10-9.

Round 3
Koppenhaver hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Arroyo to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Koppenhaver hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Arroyo tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Koppenhaver having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Arroyo. Koppenhaver tries to back Arroyo up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. Koppenhaver leads with a right hand, then comes in for a quick takedown. Arroyo saw it coming and smartly turns out of the grapple, pushing Koppenhaver to the ground, and ending up taking his back in a great defensive move. Koppenhaver turtles up, and takes a few heavy shots to the ribs. Arroyo gets his legs around Koppenhaver and uses them to roll him over. Exposed, Koppenhaver tries to turn so that he is on top, but Arroyo has already rammed one arm around his throat and has a tight choke-hold applied. Koppenhaver is in big trouble, and obviously can't see a way out as he taps out pretty quickly.

The official time of the submission is 4:39.

Rating: **
Notes: Arroyo bounces back from losing the first round by winning the second and then making Koppenhaver tap out in impressive fashion in the third.

Maincard

Vitor Ribeiro (20-2) vs. Josh Thomson (15-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Vitor Ribeiro via Submission

Round 1
Thomson starts fast, unleashing a bomb of a right hand, but Ribeiro avoids it without too much trouble. Thomson isn't disheartened though, swinging two more huge punches, with Ribeiro getting out the way each time, but being forced all over the place. Thomson finally backs off a little, breathing hard. That was quite a frantic start. Ribeiro opts to use that, and comes in to throw some jabs. Thomson is backed up against the cage, covering up. Ribeiro clinches. They struggle, and the fight enters a lull. Thomson hits a knee strike to the hip. Ribeiro slips one leg behind Thomson and uses that as leverage for a big trip. Thomson landed hard, with Ribeiro on top. They're in half guard. It's to Thomson's advantage that they're right next to the cage, that is blocking Ribeiro from attacking the left hand side of the body. Thomson is forced into action to defend a kimura attempt. Ribeiro tries to step over to mount, but Thomson keeps his legs in position and ends up almost rolled into a ball. Ribeiro fires some stiff punches to the back, then one to the face. He reaches through and tries to secure an armbar, but has to be careful as he is in danger of getting picked off with a counter armbar too. Thomson doesn't appear to be trying that though, instead trying to shift his weight so that he can get back up. Ribeiro isn't allowing it though, and gets a couple more punches in before settling back into half guard. Thomson ties him up in a snug clinch. The action halts, and time expires before Ribeiro can get free. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Ribeiro.

Round 2
Ribeiro starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Thomson checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Ribeiro doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Ribeiro cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Thomson with a beauty of a right hook. Thomson stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Ribeiro presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Thomson clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Thomson scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Ribeiro in the gut. Ribeiro uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Ribeiro gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Thomson reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Ribeiro has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Thomson has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Ribeiro from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Ribeiro tries to step over and fully apply it, but Thomson breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Ribeiro steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Thomson hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Ribeiro will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Ribeiro.

Round 3
The two fighters circle. A series of looping punches from Ribeiro forces Thomson back up against the cage, and he has to cover up to withstand the three strikes that follow. No real damage caused, but Ribeiro is aggressively chasing this match. A hook finds the body and Thomson clinches. They almost lose their balance as they jockey for position, Thomson gets in a couple of knees when they regain their footing. Ribeiro seems to be trying to break the clinch, it's Thomson who is holding it tight, perhaps hoping to calm the energetic start that Ribeiro had. The referee finally does break them up, after nearly a full minute of inactivity. Ribeiro misses with a right hand, and leaves himself open to a left hook. Ribeiro goes down, although replays confirm that it was a stumble, Thomson was a few inches away from connecting with that left. Thomson tries to quickly mount Ribeiro to capitalise, but is out-maneuvered almost immediately and Ribeiro slips out and gets his back! Ribeiro gets one arm in and snakes it around the throat of Thomson, squeezing his wind-pipe shut. Thomson tries to pull the arm free, but can't, and so rolls over in a last-ditch effort to break free. It is to no avail though, as that allows Ribeiro to get a body-scissors in too. With no alternatives left, Thomson taps out.

Official time of the rear choke submission is 3:42 of the third.

Rating: *
Notes: Ribeiro with an impressive win over Thomson. He won the first two rounds and then finished in the third with the rear choke submission.

Stephan Bonnar (12-6) vs. Gregard Mousasi (23-2-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Stephan Bonnar via TKO

Round 1
Mousasi doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Bonnar was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Bonnar hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Mousasi glances at the referee, not sure why. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Mousasi hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Bonnar. Mousasi is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Mousasi glances at the referee, not sure why. Time ticks away, and Bonnar offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Mousasi.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Bonnar puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Mousasi defended well. Straight right from Mousasi in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Bonnar probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Mousasi gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Bonnar. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Bonnar.

Round 3
Bonnar starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Mousasi keeps out of their way. Bonnar steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Mousasi moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Bonnar doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Mousasi moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Bonnar parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Mousasi begins to stalk Bonnar, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Bonnar hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Bonnar clinches up, stopping Mousasi from following up. It looks like Bonnar needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Mousasi is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Mousasi clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Bonnar is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Mousasi continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Bonnar takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Bonnar looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Mousasi from throwing bombs. Bonnar gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Mousasi will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Mousasi by 10-9. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Gegard Mousasi.

Rating: **
Notes: Mousasi with another win and he is now 3-0 in the UFC. Bonnar put up a good fight but it just wasn't enough this time.

Pedro Rizzo (18-8) vs. Shane Carwin (12-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Shane Carwin via Knock Out

Round 1
They circle each other. Rizzo misses with a low kick, and Carwin darts in to hit a jab before retreating. They come together and exchange punches, both got a few shots in. Carwin is looking much lighter on his feet, and keeps moving in, hitting a few punches, then getting back out of range. Rizzo is trying to catch him coming in, but doesn't have the timing quite right. It happens again. Carwin isn't getting much power on the punches, but he is getting ahead on points. Rizzo tries to get in close, but Carwin is keeping moving, and isn't letting himself get cornered. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Carwin gets a solid punch in, catching Rizzo just above the left eye. Rizzo finally gets a clinch, forcing Carwin up against the cage, but it's too little, too late as the round ends. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Carwin.

Round 2
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Carwin lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Rizzo sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Carwin on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Rizzo manages to get the better position, pushing Carwin up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Rizzo. Carwin hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Rizzo tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Carwin was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Rizzo down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Rizzo covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Carwin hits a big elbow to the ribs, Rizzo definitely felt that. Carwin drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Rizzo brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Carwin will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Rizzo defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Carwin unable to generate any attacks, and Rizzo unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Carwin will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Carwin.

Round 3
Carwin doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Rizzo was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Rizzo hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Rizzo with a body shot. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Carwin hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Rizzo. Carwin is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Rizzo tries to back Carwin up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. Time ticks away, and Rizzo offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Carwin. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Shane Carwin.

Rating: ***
Notes: Carwin hands Rizzo his second loss in a row and earned his fifth straight win in the UFC.

Chuck Liddell (22-6) vs. Lyoto Machida (15-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Lyoto Machida via Split Decision

Round 1
Good start from Machida, taking Liddell down almost immediately! Liddell scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Machida will be disappointed with that. Liddell comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Machida to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Liddell felt that one for sure. He stalks Machida, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Machida keeps out of the way. Liddell tries a kick, but Machida catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Machida gets Liddell down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Machida throws some punches, then tries to pass. Liddell doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Machida easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Machida followed by a pass attempt, with Liddell blocking the pass and throwing the occasional punch in response. The round ends like that, just as the referee was about to stand them back up. The round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Machida by 10-9.

Round 2
Exchange of strikes to start. Liddell suddenly shoots in and gets a takedown, ending up in guard. Machida keeps the guard high. Liddell half-stands and throws a big right hand, narrowly missing the mark. Another punch connects, but Liddell leans into it too much and Machida brings his legs up and closes them around the arm. It's Liddell now on the defensive, trying to get out of the armbar attempt. He gets in close to stop any pressure being applied, but that allows Machida to sweep him from that position. A scramble for position ends with the situation being completely reversed, with Machida on top in Liddell's guard. Machida tries to pass guard, but Liddell doesn't allow it. Liddell throws a couple of punches, but they're parried away. He breaks his guard to bring a leg across and try to kick Machida in the face, but it's a mistake as Machida pushes the leg aside and gets side control. Machida pushes them closer to the cage, near his own corner so that they can give him instructions. Following what they say, Machida throws some heavy blows to the unprotected stomach of Liddell, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Liddell frantically tries to stop that happening, but does indeed give it up. He does manage to roll to the side, giving himself some good leverage and preventing Machida from extending the arm. Machida continues trying to apply an armbar, but Liddell is not allowing it. Eventually Machida turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Liddell fights that off too. The round ends with Machida still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Liddell tenaciously stopping it. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Machida.

Round 3
A couple of straight lefts from Liddell start the round, but neither got past the gloves of Machida. They clinch, with Machida looking like he initiated it. They struggle for supremacy. Liddell gets taken down, but traps Machida in guard. Liddell tries to push free, but Machida forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Machida reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Liddell breaks it by bringing his arms up. Machida steps through in an effort to mount Liddell, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Machida throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Liddell rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Machida determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Liddell uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Machida having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Machida. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Lyoto Machida.

Rating: ***
Notes: Machida grinds out yet another decision as he keeps Liddell at bay.

UFC Heavyweight Championship: Tim Sylvia (25-4) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via Knock Out

Round 1
Nogueira and Sylvia circle to start. Sylvia throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Nogueira sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Sylvia comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Nogueira to slip a nice jab in, catching Sylvia just underneath the right eye. Nogueira comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Sylvia misses with a right cross, then backs off. Nogueira stalks him, forcing Sylvia back up against the cage. Nogueira doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Sylvia throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Nogueira pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Sylvia covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Nogueira in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Nogueira throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Sylvia comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Nogueira parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Nogueira's favour. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Nogueira.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Sylvia is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Nogueira blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Sylvia is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Nogueira is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Sylvia can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Sylvia some problems later on. Sylvia moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Nogueira is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Sylvia before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Sylvia off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Sylvia goes for a trip, but Nogueira cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Nogueira may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Nogueira.

Round 3
Nogueira pushes Sylvia back against the cage, and is able to use that as a set up to taking Sylvia down the mat, landing in side control. Sylvia tries to scramble into a better position, but Nogueira grabs an arm and tries to lock a hold in. Sylvia bucks him over, and manages to wind up on top, but Nogueira still has the arm, and now has his legs wrapped around it. Sylvia hits a flurry of left hands to the back and thighs of Nogueira, who is almost upside down now. It's no good though, as Sylvia cannot get his arm free, and as soon as Nogueira starts to sink the hold in fully, there's no choice but to tap out.

Nogueira wins via third round armbar submission at 41 seconds. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira successfully retains the UFC Heavyweight title.

Rating: ***
Notes: Nog beats Sylvia very comfortably and retains his title for a second time in a row.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Chris Tuchscherer
Knock Out of the Night: Matt Hamill
Fight of the Night: Pedro Rizzo vs. Shane Carwin

Injuries
Stephan Bonnar suffered a groin injury in his fight with Gregard Mousasi and will be out for around a month and a half because of it.

chris caulfield

06-29-2008, 03:05 PM

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New Rankings After UFC 96 & 97

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 96 & UFC 97 events.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Vitor Ribeiro
4. Kenny Florian +1
5. Eddie Alvarez -1
6. Nick Diaz -New Entry (New Signing)
7. Thiago Tavares -1
8. Jeremy Stephens -1
9. Sean Sherk -1
10. Jim Miller

Welterweight
1. Dan Hardy
2. Jon Fitch
3. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
4. Matt Hughes
5. BJ Penn
6. Dong Hyun Kim
7. Matt Serra
8. Thiago Alves
9 Josh Koscheck
10. Anthony Johnson - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva +1
2. Georges St. Pierre -1
3. Siyar Bahadurzada - New Entry (New Signing)
4. Gregard Mousasi +1
5. Forrest Griffin -1
6. Rousimar Palhales
7. Michael Bisping
8. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza
9. Demian Maia
10. Dan Henderson

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Thiago Silva +3
3. Wanderlei Silva -1
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Wilson Gouveia -2
6. Roger Hollett - New Entry (New Signing)
7. Rich Franklin - New Entry (New Signing)
8. Keith Jardine +1
9. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua -1
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira -4

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Sergei Kharitonov
3. Cheick Kongo +1
4. Shane Carwin +3
5. Tim Sylvia -2
6. Andrei Arlovski -1
7. Chris Tuchscherer +1
8. Fedor Emelianenko -2
9. Aleksander Emelianenko - New Entry
10. Fabricio Werdum

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira +2
3. Roger Huerta -1
4. Anderson Silva +1
5. Georges St. Pierre -2
6. Shinya Aoki +1
7. Thiago Silva - New Entry
8. Wanderlei Silva
9. Sergei Kharitonov
10. Vitor Ribeiro - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Thiago Silva/Shane Carwin: Both fighters jumped 3 ranks these past two months. First I'll talk about Thiago Silva. He jumped all the way up to #2 in the Light Heavyweight rankings behind only Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. He also debuted on the P4P list at #7. He earned those rights after he beat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via decision at UFC 96. He is expected to put his undefeated record to the ultimate test by going up against the #1 ranked pound for pound fighter in the world in his next fight as he hopes to get his title shot against Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson. Now onto Carwin. Carwin jumped upto #4 in the Heavyweight rankings this month after he beat Pedro Rizzo via decision at UFC 97. He is expected to fight Tim Sylvia or Andrei Arlovski next.

Biggest Drop this month: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: Lil Nog fropped a massive 4 ranks all the way down to #10 in the Light Heavyweight rankings these past two months. This came after his loss to the now #2 ranked Light Heavyweight Thiago Silva. He is expected to fight either Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua or Rich Franklin next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Siyar Bahadurzada: Siyar was only signed around a month ago but he has debuted at a very impressive #3 in the Middleweight rankings. Many will say he doesn't deserve this but that is because they don't know him. In the last year Siyar has gone 6-0 with wins in promotions like EliteXC, KOTC, IFL,WVR and Shooto. In this run he held the KOTC and Shooto Middleweight title's and defended both. He has now come to the UFC to test his skills against the best. He is expected to be the fighter that they use to test how good Georges St. Pierre performs in the Middleweight division.

chris caulfield

06-29-2008, 04:13 PM

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UFC Announces Ultimate Fight Night 15

Today UFC announced Ultimate Fight Night 15. Here is the card.

Maincard
Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Jon Fitch (18-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-1-1)
Kenny Florian (11-3) vs. Nick Diaz (17-7)
Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Thiago Alves (14-4) vs. Dan Hardy (20-6)
Cheick Kongo (13-4) vs. Rob Broughton (7-4-1)
Weltweweight Tournament Quarter Final: Josh Koscheck (13-3) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-2)
Undercard
Brandon Vera (9-2) vs. Frank Mir (11-5)
Michael Bisping (19-2) vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-0-2)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-3)
Ed Herman (14-6) vs. Thales Leites (13-1)
Joey Villasenor (24-7) vs. CB Dollaway (7-0)

chris caulfield

06-30-2008, 03:29 PM

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Ultimate Fight Night 15 Preview

Joey Villasenor (24-7) vs. CB Dollaway (7-0)
This fight is the perfect example of a young up and coming fighter against an older more experianced fighter. The younger fighter is CB Dollaway who is coming into this fight having won his UFC debut over Rory Singer in his last fight. Villasenor is the older fighter who was less fortunate in his last fight as he lost to Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza.

Ed Herman (14-6) vs. Thales Leites (13-1)
Leites is coming into this fight after defeating Alessio Sakara with an impressive submission win. Herman isn't as fortunate as he is coming off a decision loss to Jonathan Goulet at UFC 89. A win for Leites has the possibility to put him into the top ten Middleweights.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-3)
Sokoudjou has won 2 in a row now beating Houston Alexander and David Heath both via decision. He will be looking to get his third in a row with a win over Antonio Mendes that could very well put him into the top ten Light Heavyweights. Mendes wil hope to stop him in his tracks though and get back on track after he lost his last fight against Thiago Silva via decision.

Michael Bisping (19-2) vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-0-2)
Suzuki makes his UFC debut against the #7 ranked Middleweight fighter. Suzuki won't be that fazed though as he is pretty evenly matched against Bisping with around the same skill level in his stand up and ground game. A win over the #7 ranked Middleweight in your debut could put you on the map immediately and also could get him in the top ten aswell. Bisping is on good form though and will look to get a fifth straight win and hand Suzuki his first ever loss. If Bisping wins here and then gets another few wins he could be in line for a title shot. There would be lots of interest in that fight as Bisping is already one of the most popular fighters in the UFC.

Brandon Vera (9-2) vs. Frank Mir (11-5)
Both fighters will look to get a win that they hope will put them into the top ten Heavyweight rankings. They are both coming off losses. Vera a TKO loss to Shne Carwin at UFC 92. Mir isn't just coming off one loss but two straight losses to Cheick Kongo and Brock Lesnar.

Weltweweight Tournament Quarter Final: Josh Koscheck (13-3) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-2)
This fight is the first of three welterweight tournament fights that will happen. The winner of this fight will fight the winner of the highlight fight of the Quarter final Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes which will happen at a later date. Koscheck was enterd into the tournament despite coming off a Knock Out loss to Jon Fitch so he will just be grateful that he is in the tournament but he will give it his all against Yoshida. Yoshida has been on better form as he has won 3 in a row with wins over Marcus Davis, Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

Cheick Kongo (13-4) vs. Rob Broughton (7-4-1)
Rob Broughton will make his UFC debut against the #3 ranked Heavyweight Cheick Kongo. Many view this as just a warm up fight for Kongo as he waits for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to heal up as either he or Sergei Kharitonov will surely get the next title shot. Broughton won't see it as a Kongo warm up fight though. He will see it as the biggest chance he ever got in his life and will go out all guns blazing to win and hopefully get into the top ten Heavyweight rankings in the process.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Thiago Alves (14-4) vs. Dan Hardy (20-6)
The #1 ranked Weltwerweight in Dan Hardy will go up against the #8 ranked Welterweight in Thiago Alves. Hardy since coming into the UFC has gone 3-0 with a decision win over Luke Cummo in his debut and then he got two straight TKO wins over Mike Swick and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. The winner of this fight will go on to fight the winner of the nights main event fight between Jon Fitch and Dong Hyun Kim. Alves' last fight was way back at UFC 91 where he lost his title shot against Georges St. Pierre.

Kenny Florian (11-3) vs. Nick Diaz (17-7)
This fight can become one out of two things. One is a impressive victory for Nick Diaz and a glorious return to the UFC. The second thing it could become though is Florian defeating Diaz and ruin his UFC comeback and possibly earning himself a title shot in the process. Florian is currently ranked at #4 in the Lightweight rankings and a win over the #6 ranke Diaz could push him above Vitor Ribeiro into the #3 spot which would make him eligible for a title shot.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Jon Fitch (18-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-1-1)
The main event of the evening will see the #2 ranked Welterweight in Jon Fitch going against the #6 ranked Welterweight Dong Hyun Kim in the third and final Welterweight tournament Quarter final of the night. Fitch is coming off two straight wins. A decision win over Akihiro Gono and a brutal first round Knock Out over fellow tournament hopeful Josh Koscheck. Kim is also on a winning streak as he has won his last 3 fights. Two decision wins over Marcus Davis and Chris Wilson and also a brutal first round Knock Out victory over Luke Cummo.

Davidmarrio

06-30-2008, 03:47 PM

Maincard
Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Jon Fitch (18-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-1-1)
Kenny Florian (11-3) vs. Nick Diaz (17-7)
Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Thiago Alves (14-4) vs. Dan Hardy (20-6)
Cheick Kongo (13-4) vs. Rob Broughton (7-4-1)
Weltweweight Tournament Quarter Final: Josh Koscheck (13-3) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-2)

Undercard
Brandon Vera (9-2) vs. Frank Mir (11-5)
Michael Bisping (19-2) vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-0-2)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-3)
Ed Herman (14-6) vs. Thales Leites (13-1)
Joey Villasenor (24-7) vs. CB Dollaway (7-0)

chris caulfield

07-01-2008, 11:43 AM

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Ultimate Fight Night 15

Undercard

Joey Villasenor (24-7) vs. CB Dollaway (7-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Joey Villasenor via Decision

Round 1
The fighters come together right in the center. Villasenor throws out a jab, but Dollaway bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Dollaway works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Villasenor covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Dollaway is making Villasenor look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Villasenor hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Dollaway gets pinned against the cage, and the referee eventually has to separate them. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Dollaway got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Villasenor slightly. Villasenor initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Villasenor looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Dollaway is clearly winning them. Villasenor needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Dollaway tries a speculative high kick, but Villasenor saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Villasenor tries to work an angle, but Dollaway is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Dollaway, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Dollaway.

Round 2
Dollaway starts with a high kick, but Villasenor was well out of range. Both fighters circle. Dollaway steps in and exchanges strikes with Villasenor, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Villasenor parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Dollaway on the shoulder. The round has been a little flat so far, neither of them is really forcing the issue. They enter into a clinch, which doesn't help matters, and that seems to last for an eternity before the referee separates them and tells them to get on with it. Dollaway finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Villasenor did well to defend it, bobbing and weaving out of the way and using his gloves to parry away anything that was too close. He uses a low kick to the thigh as a response, then steps in and unloads with two fine punches, although Dollaway blocked them. Dollaway scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Villasenor square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Villasenor backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Dollaway's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Dollaway probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Dollaway.

Round 3
Villasenor and Dollaway circle to start. Dollaway throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Villasenor sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Dollaway comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Villasenor to slip a nice jab in, catching Dollaway just underneath the right eye. Villasenor comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Dollaway misses with a right cross, then backs off. Villasenor stalks him, forcing Dollaway back up against the cage. Villasenor doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Dollaway throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Villasenor pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Dollaway covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Villasenor in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Villasenor throws the occasional knee, but can't really do much with his arms tied up like that. The referee finally tells them to break, and they return to the center. That clinch ate up a lot of time though. Dollaway comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Villasenor parries them with his gloves and scores with a well-executed counter punch, hitting just above the eye. They come in close again, throwing punches, but wind up clinched again. The time expires with them like that, and that round will definitely go down in Villasenor's favour. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Villasenor. All three judges give a score of 29-28 to CB Dollaway.

Rating: **
Notes: Dollaway going 2-0 in the the UFC and 8-0 alltogether with this decision win.

Ed Herman (14-6) vs. Thales Leites (13-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ed Herman via TKO

Round 1
Quick start to the round from Herman, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Leites defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Leites connects. Herman gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Herman pushes Leites back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Leites blocks it. Leites suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Herman down to the ground, into guard. Leites doggedly tries to pass guard, but Herman keeps him at bay. The referee tells them that he wants to see more in the way of action or he'll stand them up. Not much of an incentive for Herman to do anything, but it does inspire Leites to throw a couple of hard punches, albeit ones that are easily parried by the gloves of Herman. Leites manages to work past Herman's right leg, but gets caught in half guard before he can get the mount that he was looking for. The fight once again slows right down, with Herman's tenacious defence frustrating Leites. Herman sucks Leites into a clinch, and even tries a cheeky guillotine. Leites pushes him away though, and nails a beauty of a right hand to the cheek in response. I don't think Herman will be trying that move again for a while. Leites grabs an arm and tries to twist it backward to create some torque. Herman uses his free arm to grab his own wrist, preventing that from happening. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Leites.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Herman tries a looping punch from way back, but Leites side steps with ease. Jab from Leites, gets one back in response. Herman comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Leites shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Leites tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Herman is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Leites tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Leites connects, but there was no real power behind it. Leites fakes Herman out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Herman manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Leites switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Herman blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Leites looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Herman is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Leites tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Herman is safe. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Leites by 10-9.

Round 3
Herman is quickest out, and comes at Leites with a series of jabs and straight punches. Leites covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Leites hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Herman who takes it to the ground. Leites pulls guard. There's a lull, as Herman tries to pass, and Leites defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Leites almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Herman, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Herman. Thales Leites wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Leites with another win and this one might just get him into the top ten Middleweights.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou via TKO

Round 1
Sokoudjou doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Mendes to come and trade blows. Mendes wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Sokoudjou isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Mendes. They meet near the cage. Mendes hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Sokoudjou stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Sokoudjou believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Mendes is trying to keep moving, to not let Sokoudjou get set to throw a bomb. Sokoudjou is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Mendes is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Sokoudjou throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Mendes returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Sokoudjou has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou.

Round 2
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Mendes complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Sokoudjou throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Mendes fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Sokoudjou steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Mendes's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Sokoudjou follows up by hitting a right hand too. Mendes finds himself backed up against the cage. Sokoudjou advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Mendes can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Sokoudjou steps in and scores with a high head kick. Mendes partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Mendes gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Sokoudjou into a clinch. Knee strike from Sokoudjou. They break. Mendes still looks hurt from that first kick. Sokoudjou gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Mendes hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Sokoudjou has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Sokoudjou.

Round 3
Mendes starts fast, coming out almost immediately with a three punch combination. None of them get through, and Sokoudjou manages to squeeze a jab of his own through and score just above the left cheek. They exchange a flurry of blows right in the center, it's difficult to see who got the best of it, and both of them retreat a few steps to recover. Good start to the round, early indications are that this is going to be all about the striking, neither fighter has even hinted at going for a takedown. Sokoudjou uses a low kick to set up a nice right hand, and Mendes is forced back against the cage. Sokoudjou picks his shots and gets a big punch to the body in. Mendes uses a couple of looping punches to make Sokoudjou keep back, but it doesn't last for long, as Sokoudjou bursts forward and hits two big right hands, taking a counter punch to the body though, and they wind up in a clinch. They exchange weak-looking blows from that position, before the referee grows tired of the inactivity and breaks them apart. Mendes scores with a low kick. Sokoudjou with a body shot. Sokoudjou unwinds a right hook that narrowly misses. That will be the last action of the round though. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Sokoudjou. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.

Rating: **
Notes: Sokoudjou now with three wins on the trot and he has dragged himself back to 3-3 in the UFC after being 0-3 at one point.

Michael Bisping (19-2) vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-0-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Michael Bisping via TKO

Round 1
Suzuki leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Bisping deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Bisping uses a knee to the ribs before backing Suzuki up against the cage. Right hand from Suzuki connects though, that was well timed. Bisping breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Suzuki was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Bisping sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Suzuki fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. They get into a clinch, winding up with Suzuki having his back up against the cage. Bisping hits three big body shots, then a big uppercut that knocks Suzuki silly! He is on rubbery legs. Bisping starts unloading with punches, and Suzuki is reduced to covering up and desperately trying to hang on. The referee has had enough and pulls Bisping away, it'll go down as a TKO.

The official time of the TKO is 4:29.

Rating: ***
Notes: Bisping now has five straight wins and after a few more will be hoping for a Middleweight title shot.

Brandon Vera (9-2) vs. Frank Mir (11-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Frank Mir via Submission

Round 1
Mir works an angle and comes in from the side of Vera, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Vera hits a low kick to back Mir against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Mir fights out and the action returns to the center. They come together, both throwing punches. Vera gets a nice clean shot in, and Mir stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Vera is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Vera wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 2:46.

Rating: ****
Notes: Vera gets back on track and now has an impressive 10-2 record. H ecould get back into the top ten after this win. This is terrible news for Frank Mir though as he now has 3 losses in a row.

Maincard

Weltweweight Tournament Quarter Final: Josh Koscheck (13-3) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (12-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yoshiyuki Yoshida via Decision

Round 1
Koscheck throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Yoshida throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Koscheck steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Yoshida hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Koscheck. They struggle all the way back, with Koscheck ending up backed up against the cage. Yoshida hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Koscheck stomps downward onto his foot. Koscheck manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Yoshida gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Koscheck ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Koscheck tries a high kick to start, but Yoshida saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Yoshida who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Koscheck on the nose. Koscheck hits a straight right, enough to stop Yoshida from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Yoshida.

Round 2
Yoshida starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Koscheck on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Yoshida to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Koscheck, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Yoshida, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Koscheck is looking a little lost so far, Yoshida is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Yoshida looks to be working an angle. Yoshida leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Koscheck was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Koscheck comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Koscheck is that although Yoshida clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Yoshida.

Round 3
Koscheck throws a straight right, batted away by Yoshida. Koscheck goes for a second, but gets beaten to the punch as Yoshida scores with a kick that catches Koscheck across the outside of the knee. Yoshida throws another one, and this time it lands just above the same knee. Koscheck backs off slightly. Yoshida throws a high jab, then head-fakes and comes in with a left hook from low down. Koscheck fires back with a crisp right hand that connects to the shoulder rather than the face. Yoshida throws another fizzing low kick, again connecting with the knee. Koscheck tried to check it, but couldn't in time. Those strikes are going to add up soon and start reducing his mobility. Yoshida throws another kick, this time at chest-height, but it's merely a set-up to allow him to come in fast and start throwing a series of jabs. Koscheck covers up, throwing occasional straight rights in return. Yoshida backs off, but not before cracking another kick into the thigh region. Time is running down, Koscheck has failed to deal with those kicks, and it has definitely cost him this round, and possibly done some damage to his knee. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Yoshida by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Yoshiyuki Yoshida.

Rating: ***
Notes: Yoshida advances into the semi final and will fight either Matt Hughes or Matt Serra next.

Cheick Kongo (13-4) vs. Rob Broughton (7-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Cheick Kongo via Knock Out

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The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Kongo throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Broughton from coming inside. Kongo works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Broughton responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Kongo backs off slightly, maybe a bit relieved not to have taken that one on the chin. Neither fighter appears to be looking for any sort of takedown or grapple, this is all about the striking. Broughton circles and throws a series of high jabs, but Kongo blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Kongo fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Broughton covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from Kongo though, best action of the round. They stay clinched for a while, exchanging occasional punches to the ribs, then are separated by the referee. It looks like this round is going to the judges though, as there's only a few seconds remaining. Kongo throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Kongo.

Round 2
Broughton leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Kongo deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Kongo uses a knee to the ribs before backing Broughton up against the cage. Right hand from Broughton connects though, that was well timed. Kongo breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Broughton was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Kongo sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Broughton fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Broughton hits a solid left, then a right. Kongo felt both of them, and backs off a little. Broughton charges right in to follow up though, and unleashes a powerful right hook, and Kongo took it flush on the chin! Broughton doesn't even bother following up on that, because Kongo was out cold from the instant that that hit.

Incredible punch. The official time is 3:29.

Rating: ***
Notes: What an upset win for Broughton. He comes into the UFC from the small british promotion Cage Rage and he beats the #3 ranked Heavyweight in the UFC. This will certainly be a high point for the Brit. The question now is where or if he will make it onto the rankings himself.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Thiago Alves (14-4) vs. Dan Hardy (20-6)
Sherdog's Prediction: Thiago Alves via TKO

Round 1
Hardy works an angle and comes in from the side of Alves, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Alves hits a low kick to back Hardy against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Hardy fights out and the action returns to the center. Hardy throws an uppercut, Alves easily steps back to avoid it. Hardy follows him but gets blasted with a right hand! Hardy falls to the ground! Alves leaps into action, mounting him and raining down punches. The referee stops the match, seeing that Hardy was getting overwhelmed. Replays show that the punch that originally dropped Hardy was a complete swing for the fences by Alves, he even looks like he has his eyes closed when it was thrown!

The official time of the TKO is 2:20.

Rating: **
Notes: Alves TKO's the #1 ranked Weltweweight to advance to the semi finals of the tournament. Hardy won't be too pleased with how he lost and will surely want a rematch sometime into the future so that is something to look forward to.

Kenny Florian (11-3) vs. Nick Diaz (17-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Kenny Florian via Submission

Round 1
Florian is quickest out, and comes at Diaz with a series of jabs and straight punches. Diaz covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Diaz hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Florian who takes it to the ground. Diaz pulls guard. There's a lull, as Florian tries to pass, and Diaz defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Diaz almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Florian, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian.

Round 2
The two fighters circle. Diaz flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Florian easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Diaz could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Florian moves in, ducks under a big right hand, and gets two crisp jabs in before getting smothered into a clinch. One of those jabs landed hard, Diaz is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Diaz forces Florian back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Florian in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Diaz does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Florian saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Diaz turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Diaz is up quickly, causing Florian, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Diaz was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Diaz throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Florian to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Florian.

Round 3
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Florian, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Florian puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Diaz covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. A looping left from Diaz, but it's wide of the mark. Low kick from Diaz, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Florian will take the round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Florian by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Kenny Florian.

Rating: **
Notes: Florian makes Diaz's comeback an unsucessful one. For now that is. Florian after one more win must certainly be the #1 contender for the Lightweight title.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Jon Fitch (18-3) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-1-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jon Fitch via TKO

Round 1
Kim seems to be growing in confidence over the past thirty seconds. He has just come up with four good separate straight rights, although I don't think any of them did too much damage. He moves in for another, but takes a wicked kick from Fitch. Kim looks wobbly, and his hands drop. Fitch sees it, and comes in with a solid right hand that drops Kim to the mat. Fitch follows up with more punches, and the referee has to get in there and stop it, Kim was not defending himself properly. I think it's the kick that did the most damage, it seemed to scramble his brains.

Fitch wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 1:42.

Rating: ***
Notes: Fitch advances to the semis where he will face, the person who TKO'ed Dan Hardy earlier in the night, Thiago Alves. Fitch will be happy with this win as he looked good and finished it quickly and with Dan Hardy losing he will surely become the #1 Welterweight when the new rankings are released after UFC 98.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Rob Broughton
Fight of the Night: Brandon Vera vs. Frank Mir

Injuries
Josh Koscheck suffered an arm injury during his fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida and will be out for 2 and a half months because of it.

Resignings
Both Michael Bisping and Brandon Vera will be resigned to new UFC contracts.

Brock Lesnar Situation
As we reported last month Brock Lesnar has left the UFC. The full reasons for this we don't know but he has released a press statement that he is taking from 6 months to a year off from the UFC and he has already signed with Pancrase and KOTC and will fight Semmy Schlit for the King Of Pancrase title soon. He did say he would definately return to the UFC at some time though.

chris caulfield

07-01-2008, 12:00 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 98: St. Pierre vs. Bahadurzada

Today UFC announced UFC 98: St. Pierre vs. Bahadurzada. Here is the card.

Maincard
Georges St. Pierre (19-2) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (19-2-1)
Fedor Emelianenko (28-3) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-4-1)
Eddie Alvarez (18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (15-2)
Dan Henderson (22-8) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Rashad Evans (13-2-1) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-3)
Undercard
Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-1)
Yushin Okami (21-6) vs. Chris Leben (18-5)
Diego Sanchez (20-4) vs. Chris Lytle (25-16-5)
Keith Jardine (14-4-1) vs. Roger Hollett (11-1)
Jason Tabor (5-0) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (12-3)
Ibragim Magomedov (18-5-1) vs. Rolles Gracie (3-0)

UFC-KING

07-01-2008, 01:17 PM

Georges St. Pierre (19-2) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (19-2-1)
Fedor Emelianenko (28-3) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-4-1)
Eddie Alvarez (18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (15-2)
Dan Henderson (22-8) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Rashad Evans (13-2-1) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-3)
Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-1)
Yushin Okami (21-6) vs. Chris Leben (18-5)
Diego Sanchez (20-4) vs. Chris Lytle (25-16-5)
Keith Jardine (14-4-1) vs. Roger Hollett (11-1)
Jason Tabor (5-0) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (12-3)
Ibragim Magomedov (18-5-1) vs. Rolles Gracie (3-0)

Davidmarrio

07-01-2008, 01:31 PM

RennikKain076

07-01-2008, 04:01 PM

chris caulfield

07-02-2008, 02:22 PM

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UFC 98 Preview

Ibragim Magomedov (18-5-1) vs. Rolles Gracie (3-0)
Magomedov is making his UFC debut against a man who is currently 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Brad Morris and Gabriel Gozaga. Gracie is supposed to be one of the best Gracie's the Heavyweight division has ever seen and so far he is doing well so a win here would only help that claim.

Jason Tabor (5-0) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (12-3)
Tabor will make his UFC debut against a man coming off a second round TKO win over Joe Lauzon. If Tabor wins he could go straight into the top ten Lightweights. Tabor is naturally a Featherweight but when the UFC gave him that call he had no hesitations about moving up to Lightweight.

Keith Jardine (14-4-1) vs. Roger Hollett (11-1)
Hollett makes his UFC debut as and he comes in with a four fight win streak. He will fight the #8 ranked Light Heavyweight in Keith Jardine who is coming off an impressive second round submission over James Irvin. A win for Jardine could put him as high as #5 but Hollett is already ranked at #6 so a win for him could get him as high as #4.

Diego Sanchez (20-4) vs. Chris Lytle (25-16-5)
Diego is coming off a decision win over Akihiro Gono at UFC 96 while Lytle is coming off TKO loss to Matt Hughes to UFC 89. Neither fighter is currently ranked put a win could put one of them there so there is alot at stake for both fighters here.

Yushin Okami (21-6) vs. Chris Leben (18-5)
Okami and Leben both need wins going into this fight. Both fighters are capable of being top ten Middleweights but both have fallen on hard times. Leben is coming off a TKO loss to Rich Franklin. Okami is coming off two straight losses to Alan Belcher and Michael Bisping. Both fighters are worthey of being top ten Middleweights but now they have to prove it.

Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-1)
Johnson goes into this fight as the #10 ranked Welterweight but with a win over Carneiro he could go up as high as #6. He is coming off two straight wins over Paul Kelly and Steve Bruno.

Rashad Evans (13-2-1) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-3)
Both Evans and Teixeira are coming off losses. Teixeira is coming off a Knock Out loss to Chuck Liddell while Evans is coming off a Submission loss to Wilson Gouveia. Neither fighter is ranked right now but both could easily break into the top ten Light Heavyweights with a win in this fight. Teixeira has been impressive in the UFC so far going 2-1 so far. He won his debut over Arona and then he beat Sokoudjou before losing to Chuck. He hasn't gone to a decision since signings and he will be hoping for the same in this fight.

Dan Henderson (22-8) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Both these fighters have lost to Anderson Silva but they remain in the Middleweight division as they seek a rematch. Karo's last fight was his second round Knock Out loss to Anderson Silva so he will be looking to rebound. Henderson however is on a three fight losing streak with losses to Quinton Jackson, Anderson Silva and most recently Rich Franklin. Henderson is ranked at #10 in the Middleweight rankings but if he loses to Karo he certainly won't be for much longer.

Eddie Alvarez (18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (15-2)
Alvarez is currently 4-0 in the UFC with two KO wins a TKO win and only one decision win. His wins were over Corey Hill, Cole Miller, Joe Stevenson and Frankie Edgar. Stephens is doing well recently aswell winning his last 2 fights over Spencer Fisher and Nate Diaz both via decision. Both fighters are currently ranked in the Lightweight top ten with Alvarez ranked at #5 and Stephens at #8. A win for Stephens could put him into #5 while a win for Alvarez could potentially push him into the top three.

Fedor Emelianenko (28-3) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-4-1)
Fedor came into the UFC touted by many as the best fighter in the world but has since gone 1-2 losing two straight fights both by first round Knock Out to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cheick Kongo. Werdum is also coming off a TKO loss to Tim Sylvia. Both fighters are ranked Heavyweights with Werdum at #10 and Fedor being at #8. A win for Werdum could put him as high as #6 while a win for Fedor could put him as high as #4.

Georges St. Pierre (19-2) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (19-2-1)
The main event of the evening will feature not only Siyar Bahadurzada's UFC debut but also the long awaited Middleweight debut of the former Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. St. Pierre moved up to the Middleweight division after he beat pretty much everyone there was to beat at Welterweight. He is coming off three straight wins over Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Matt Serra. Lots of people will think this will be a walkover for St. Pierre as not many people have heard of Siyar so they won't know much about him. I can tell you for a fact though he deserves his spot in the main event just as much as St. Pierre as he is a former Middleweight champion in multiple promotions and has won his last 6 fights. Both fighters are ranked in the top three in the Middleweight rankings. St. Pierre is ranked at #2 while Siyar is at #3. A win for either could put them at #1 if they win impressively. One thing that is for certain though is that whoever wins here will definately get the next shot at Silva's title.

chris caulfield

07-03-2008, 12:36 PM

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UFC 98: St. Pierre vs. Bahadurzada

Undercard

Ibragim Magomedov (18-5-1) vs. Rolles Gracie (3-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rolles Gracie via Submission

Round 1
Magomedov starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Gracie. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Gracie goes for a single leg and puts Magomedov on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Gracie from getting on top. Magomedov definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Gracie hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Magomedov again. This time Magomedov isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Gracie will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Magomedov defends. Gracie tries to slip past to get side control, but Magomedov just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Gracie has the side. Two big elbows land, and Magomedov seems in trouble. Gracie goes for the kimura, but can't quite get it. The time expires before he can try again, and the referee separates them. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Gracie.

Round 2
Gracie is forced onto the backfoot almost immediately, having to retreat to avoid a series of sharp jabs. He ends up with his back to the cage, with Magomedov advancing. A sharp right misses, and Gracie takes the opportunity to pull Magomedov in to a tight clinch against the cage. Magomedov tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Magomedov wants to stand and bang, Gracie wants to keep things at close quarters. Magomedov tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Gracie, and we're down to the ground. Gracie has side control, but Magomedov has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Gracie will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Magomedov tries to squirm into a better position, but Gracie puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Gracie tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Magomedov defends it. Magomedov manages to bring a knee up and catch Gracie in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Gracie responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Magomedov covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Gracie may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Gracie tries to float over into a mount, but Magomedov uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Gracie enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Gracie is the last action of the round. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Gracie.

Round 3
Gracie misses a right hand and is off balance, allowing Magomedov to come in for a takedown. Gracie pulls guard, and it's a particulary high one, Magomedov has to be careful that he doesn't get careless and end up in a triangle choke. Gracie bats away a couple of punches with his hands. Magomedov tries to pass guard, but leaves an arm in for just a fraction of a second too long, and Gracie is able to clamp his legs around it and pull. That's a tight arm bar, and Magomedov is going to have really trouble getting free. He tries to pull free, but it's no use. Magomedov taps out to the armlock.

Official time of the armbar submission is 0:48 of the third.

Rating: **
Notes: Gracie with a good win here as he worked on Magomedov for two rounds and then he eventually made him tap less than a minute into the third.

Jason Tabor (5-0) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (12-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Jason Tabor via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Pellegrino throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Tabor's jaw, but it is parried. Tabor steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Pellegrino moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Tabor put a lot of weight behind it. Pellegrino hits a nice jab, then clinches. Tabor hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Pellegrino hits a low kick to the leg. Tabor bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Pellegrino goes down! Good shot from Tabor! He tries to follow up and pound on Pellegrino, but Pellegrino is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Tabor, sensing that Pellegrino is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Pellegrino ends up backed up against the cage. Tabor gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Pellegrino, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Tabor has in his hands is really posing Pellegrino some problems. The clinch drags on, with Tabor unable to break free, and the round ends like that. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Tabor.

Round 2
There's a few minor exchanges of punches to start the round, and Tabor gets the better of them. Neither fighter is throwing any bombs, but Tabor is showing the better technique, and has hit a few nice body shots. They come together again, and Tabor shows quick hands to get in three nice shots. Pellegrino definitely felt them. Neither fighter seems interested in taking this to the ground, they're just circling, throwing a few punches, then regrouping. Pellegrino is struggling to inflict much damage. He may need to switch tactics, as so far Tabor is looking very comfortable. Pellegrino comes in with left, but Tabor saw it coming and slipped in a great right hand counter punch. Pellegrino is getting frustrated. The remainder of the round is no different, as the occasional exchanges of strikes are clearly go the way of Tabor's superior technique. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Tabor by 10-9.

Round 3
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Tabor puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Pellegrino defended well. Straight right from Pellegrino in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Tabor probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Pellegrino gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Tabor. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Tabor. Jason Tabor wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: *
Notes: Tabor wins his UFC debut and also his Lightweight division debut and is now 6-0.

Keith Jardine (14-4-1) vs. Roger Hollett (11-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Roger Hollett via Decision

Round 1
Jardine throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Hollett throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Jardine steps back, throwing a right hand as he does to buy himself space. They circle, then move in again to exchange strikes, neither fighter getting a clear advantage. They come together again and the same result. It has become something of a stalemate at the moment. They come together to exchange strikes for the third time, and this time they wind up in a clinch. Hollett hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Jardine. They struggle all the way back, with Jardine ending up backed up against the cage. Hollett hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Jardine stomps downward onto his foot. Jardine manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Hollett gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Jardine ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Jardine tries a high kick to start, but Hollett saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Hollett who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Jardine on the nose. Jardine hits a straight right, enough to stop Hollett from following up any further. The time expires with them standing. Not a great round for either of them or the crowd, it was very scrappy. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hollett.

Round 2
Hollett is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Jardine with a jab to the cheek. Jardine uses a nice straight left to return fire. Hollett comes in to work the body, but Jardine saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Hollett onto the floor, falling into guard. Jardine rains down three big punches, Hollett covers up and doesn't take too much damage. Jardine works one leg free, but Hollett has the other tightly wrapped up between his own. Jardine fires off three rapid-fire elbows to the ribs to try and soften Hollett up, but can't get the leg free. This is not a good position for Hollett though, and Jardine is looking dangerous. Jardine pushes down, then brings his free leg forward to drive a knee into the lower back. Hollett can't do a lot to stop that strike. Jardine hits a further knee, and that is enough to allow him to move into side control. Hollett is in huge trouble here. Elbow to the face, only partially blocked. Jardine briefly gets a forearm across the throat of Hollett, but it is knocked away before it can develop into a choke. Hollett tries to scramble out of it, and almost manages to pull guard again, but Jardine maintains side control. Knee to the ribs again. Hollett is taking a lot of punishment from those knee strikes. Jardine switches tactic and tries to grab an arm lock of some kind, Hollett almost got caught by surprise but not quite. The round is almost over, and there is no question that this round has gone to Jardine, it has been utter dominance. Hollett tries to get a knee strike of his own in, but it misses and Jardine responds with a hard elbow to the chest. That'll be the last action of the round. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 Jardine.

Round 3
Slow start, Jardine looks content to sit back and let Hollett commit himself, perhaps looking to capitalise on any mistake. Hollett does indeed commit himself, and it's to throw a big right hand, and it hits hard into the gloves, forcing Jardine to back up against the cage. Hollett steps in and unleashes a second, but this time Jardine was ready and a right hand counter hits Hollett, who is leaning in to his own punch, right on the chin. Hollett goes down, stunned. Jardine dives in and hits a beauty of a right hand, but gets sucked into the guard before he can do any more damage. Good recovery from Hollett. Jardine immediately tries to pass guard, but Hollett is not allowing it. Jardine fires off some punches, but Hollett blocks them before grabbing a butterfly guard to keep Jardine trapped. They stay like that for a while before Jardine breaks free, but only back into regular guard. Hollett tries a cheeky guillotine attempt, but Jardine easily defends it, I don't think Hollett really thought that was going to work. Jardine tries to get side control, but Hollett defends it. Not the second time though, and Jardine has the side. Hollett has him tied up pretty well though, and the clock is running down. Jardine gets in a firm couple of elbows to the ribs, but the time expires and the referee gets them to part. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Jardine. The three judges all give the match as 29-28 to Keith Jardine.

Rating: **
Notes: Jardine ruins the UFC debut of Hollett even after losing the first round. Hollett must of cracked under the pressure after winning that first round and then just gave away the next two.

Diego Sanchez (20-4) vs. Chris Lytle (25-16-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Diego Sanchez via TKO

Round 1
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Sanchez is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Lytle blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Sanchez is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Lytle is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Sanchez can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Sanchez some problems later on. Sanchez moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Lytle is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Sanchez before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Sanchez off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Sanchez goes for a trip, but Lytle cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Lytle may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Lytle.

Round 2
A couple of straight lefts from Lytle start the round, but neither got past the gloves of Sanchez. They clinch, with Sanchez looking like he initiated it. They struggle for supremacy. Lytle gets taken down, but traps Sanchez in guard. Lytle has the guard held very high. Sanchez throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Lytle throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Sanchez throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Lytle right through the canvas, Lytle is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Sanchez is controlling the round from this position, although it has to be said that he hasn't yet truly looked like he can stop the match from here. Lytle moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Sanchez stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Lytle to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Sanchez having totally controlled the round from the guard. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-8 to Sanchez.

Round 3
Lytle starts off by throwing two excellent low kicks to the leading leg of Sanchez. Those will accumulate fast and give Sanchez some problems moving. Lytle switches it up and throws a big right hand, missing. Sanchez, who has been overwhelmed for the first thirty seconds of this round, steps in and throws a bomb of a right hand...and it connects! Lytle goes down from the first strike that Sanchez has thrown since the round began! Sanchez doesn't dive in, instead taking his time. Lytle recovered well from the punch, and remains seated on the floor, ready to defend. Sanchez throws a pair of kicks to the legs, then gets in closer, looking for a way to get past the guard. Another kick to the legs precedes him trying to swiftly get past the legs, but it is to no avail as Lytle is able to pull guard, just, that was close. Sanchez fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Lytle. Sanchez tries to pass the guard, but can't, Lytle isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Sanchez will start raining down punches. Sanchez tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Lytle gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Sanchez again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Sanchez fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Lytle fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Lytle, and Sanchez is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Lytle has defended the danger well. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sanchez by 10-9. The three judges all give the match as 29-27 to Diego Sanchez.

Rating: **
Notes: Sanchez loses the first round but then dominates the second and then seals the win by winning the third aswell. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Welterweights with this win.

Yushin Okami (21-6) vs. Chris Leben (18-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Yushin Okami via TKO

Round 1
Okami throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Leben defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Okami forces Leben back against the cage, where they clinch up. Okami has the better position, all the leverage is with him. He uses that to lift Leben up onto his shoulder, turns...and hits a running slam that gets the crowd going crazy! Big power takedown from Okami. Leben pulls guard, but he has to be stunned from that. Okami moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Leben is defending it. There's a small lull as Okami continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Leben finally couldn't stop it. Okami starts firing off punches, and Leben has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Leben. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Leben can come up with some answers. Okami hits another big elbow. And another. The referee leaps in, it's over!

The official time of the TKO is 1:31 of round 1.

Rating: **
Notes: Okami gets an impressive but also a much needed win over Leben who will also need a win in his next fight after losing two in a row.

Roan Carneiro (12-6) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Anthony Johnson via TKO

Round 1
Carneiro throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Johnson defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. They clinch. Carneiro hits a knee. Body shot from Johnson. Carneiro goes for a second knee, but gets shoved away. He seems to stumble as he steps backward, and falls to the floor in an awkward moment. Johnson is on him fast, and scores with a big punch that landed sweetly. Johnson has a good position, half-straddling the upper body of Carneiro, and can pick his shots. A hard right thunders into the left cheek of Carneiro, and a left hits the same spot. Carneiro turns his hips, looking to try and shake Johnson loose, but gets turned over completely and gives up his back! Johnson starts punching again, driving fists into the side of Carneiro's face. Carneiro is trapped, and can barely cover up. A few more punches connect, one vicious one to the ear looking particularly nasty, and that's enough for the referee to pull Johnson away.

The official time of the TKO is 1:34 of round 1.

Rating: **
Notes: Johnson wins another fight and this is his third win in a row. He will hope to be boosted up the rankings with this impressive win.

Maincard

Rashad Evans (13-2-1) vs. Glover Teixeira (7-3)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rashad Evans via Knock Out

Round 1
Slow start to this round, Evans is being tentative and Teixeira looks like he is waiting for an angle to appear. The first exchange of strikes doesn't really go anywhere. A second set falls in Evans's favour, as he gets a nice jab in, hitting right above the nose, and a solid shot to the body. Teixeira goes in for a takedown but only manages to secure one leg. Evans hammers down two shots to the back, but can't really do a lot else. Teixeira tries to push him over onto his back, but Evans manages to pull free and back off. Teixeira throws a high left handed jab then goes in for another takedown. Good sprawl from Evans, and he backs off. Teixeira doesn't get a chance to go for a third, because Evans takes the fight to him with a barrage of lefts and rights, forcing him back against the cage. Evans clinches up, only after hitting a hard shot to the stomach though. The clinch seems to go on forever, with Teixeira unable to get a good enough position to try a takedown, and Evans tied up too much to really throw any decent strikes. Eventually the time runs out and they head back to their corners. End of round 1.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Evans.

Round 2
Evans leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Teixeira deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Teixeira uses a knee to the ribs before backing Evans up against the cage. Right hand from Evans connects though, that was well timed. Teixeira breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Evans was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Teixeira sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Evans fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Teixeira hits a wicked right hand, out of nowhere, and Evans goes down! Teixeira dives on top and starts unloading right hands, but Evans scrambles and gets back to his feet. Teixeira quickly follows up, looking to capitalise, but gets tagged with a left cross to the jaw. Evans, still looking a bit wobbly, throws a wild missile-like head kick...and it hits! Teixeira was so focused on pressing the advantage that he wasn't watching for the kick, and that's enough to knock him out cold. Evans wins with a kick out of left field.

Official time of the knock out is 3:44 of the second round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Teixeira still hasn't gone the full three rounds in the UFC and continues to be exciting. He did lose though and he will be dissapointed with that as he was winning the second round but let his guard down and got KO'ed which is something he will have to work on.

Dan Henderson (22-8) vs. Karo Parisyan (19-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Karo Parisyan via Decision

Round 1
The round begins with Parisyan taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Henderson replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Parisyan goes for the takedown, but Henderson sprawls. Parisyan tries to power through, but Henderson uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Parisyan defend this. Henderson is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Parisyan isn't allowing it. Parisyan pulls Henderson in tight, locking up both his arms. Henderson pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Henderson tries a big right hand, which Parisyan defends well. He has quite a high guard, Henderson has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Parisyan once again drags Henderson down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Henderson easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Henderson trying to pass guard. Parisyan tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Henderson, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Henderson scores with a jab, then a second. Parisyan goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Henderson enough time to take him down again. Henderson quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Parisyan once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Henderson on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Henderson.

Round 2
Henderson is quickest out, and comes at Parisyan with a series of jabs and straight punches. Parisyan covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Parisyan hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Henderson who takes it to the ground. Parisyan pulls guard. There's a lull, as Henderson tries to pass, and Parisyan defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Parisyan almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Henderson, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Henderson.

Round 3
Right hand from Henderson was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Parisyan. Henderson follows up by coming in close, but Parisyan is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Parisyan is bobbing and weaving, trying to find an angle of attack. Jabs and an occasional low kick from Henderson are making that hard though. A crisp right hand from Parisyan stings the gloves of Henderson, and he follows up with a kick that crashed into the ribs. That really connected, great strike. Parisyan looks to be growing in confidence, and comes in again, using the right hand lead once more. Henderson was ready though, and fires off a high kick. It connects with the side of the jaw, Parisyan did not see that one coming! He staggers and falls to the floor, totally unbalanced. Henderson is right in there; hammer fist to the side of the head, and another! There's a third. Parisyan is in big trouble. Vicious punch. The referee leaps in, that is all she wrote!

That kick caught Parisyan out, and from there onwards there was only going to be one outcome. Official time of the TKO is 1:52 of the third.

Rating: **
Notes: Henderson with a big win here over another top talent in the Middleweight division.

Eddie Alvarez (18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (15-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Eddie Alvarez via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Stephens throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Alvarez. Kick to the thigh from Alvarez, but it lacked power. Stephens looks to be working an angle. They come together, both throwing punches. Alvarez gets a nice clean shot in, and Stephens stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Alvarez is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

The official time of the TKO is 1:23 of round 1.

Rating: ***
Notes: Alvarez with yet anoter win in the UFC which takes him to 5-0 since he signed. He will be hoping to move into the top three Lightweights with this win.

Fedor Emelianenko (28-3) vs. Fabricio Werdum (10-4-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko via TKO

Round 1
Emelianenko starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Werdum on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Emelianenko to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Werdum, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Emelianenko, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Werdum is looking a little lost so far, Emelianenko is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Werdum looks to be working an angle. Emelianenko leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Werdum was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Werdum comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Werdum is that although Emelianenko clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Emelianenko.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Werdum comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Emelianenko really put some venom into that strike. Werdum backs off, clearly stung. Emelianenko is the one advancing now, using a left hand jab to lead. He steps forward and fires off a big kick, aimed at the head. Werdum ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Emelianenko was going for the knock out. It's pretty clear that he thinks that kicks are going to do the job in this round, and it has to be said that Werdum is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Werdum from getting in too close. Emelianenko stalks Werdum, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Werdum is circling, seeking an opening of some kind. He moves in from the left and is quick enough to get into the clinch without taking any shots. Emelianenko hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Emelianenko squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Werdum comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Emelianenko tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Werdum backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Emelianenko advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Werdum. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Emelianenko. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Emelianenko.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Emelianenko works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Werdum backed up against the cage. Emelianenko gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Werdum, who uses his legs well to defend. Emelianenko pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Werdum gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Emelianenko follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Emelianenko hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Werdum tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Werdum leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Emelianenko. Fedor Emelianenko wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Fedor comes back from losing his last two fights via Knock Out. He is now 2-2 in the UFC and should move up the ranks with this win.

Georges St. Pierre (19-2) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (19-2-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Georges St. Pierre via Decision

Round 1
Bahadurzada clinches. They go down in an awkward moment, not sure what was going on then. Bahadurzada is in the guard of St. Pierre. He moves into a side mount, and St. Pierre didn't do much to stop it. Bahadurzada brings down a hard shot, but it deflects of the forearms of St. Pierre. Bahadurzada looks for a kimura, but St. Pierre shifts his weight and sweeps Bahadurzada. St. Pierre now has a half mount. Bahadurzada tries a sweep of his own, but St. Pierre blocks it, and then gets into a full mount. St. Pierre takes one arm, fights off a big effort by Bahadurzada to block it, and cinches in a armbar. Bahadurzada tries to get free, but is stuck, and is forced to tap out.

The official time of the armbar submission is 0:47 of round 1.

Rating: ***
Notes: St. Pierre wins very impressively in his Middleweight debut. St. Pierre wins via submission in less than a minute and will surely challenge Anderson Silva for the title next.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Rolles Gracie
Knock Out of the Night: Rashad Evans
Fight of the Night: Eddie Alvarez vs. Jeremy Stephens

Injuries
Jeremy Stephens suffered a stomach injury last night during his fight and he is expected to be out for four months.

chris caulfield

07-04-2008, 12:57 PM

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New Rankings After UFN 15 & UFC 98

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFN 15 & UFC 98 events.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Shinya Aoki
3. Vitor Ribeiro
4. Kenny Florian
5. Eddie Alvarez
6. Thiago Tavares +1
7. Jason Tabor - New Entry
8. Nick Diaz -2
9. Sean Sherk
10. Jim Miller

Welterweight
1. Yoshiyuki Yoshida +2
2. Jon Fitch
3. Matt Hughes +1
4. BJ Penn +1
5. Thiago Alves +3
6. Matt Serra +1
7. Anthony Johnson +3
8. Dan Hardy -7
9. Dong Hyun Kim -3
10. Diego Sanchez - New Entry

Middleweight
1. Georges St. Pierre +1
2. Anderson Silva -1
3. Gregard Mousasi +1
4. Michael Bisping +3
5. Forrest Griffin
6. Dan Henderson +4
7. Rousimar Palhales -1
8. Demian Maia +1
9. Thales Leites - New Entry
10. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza -2

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Thiago Silva
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Wilson Gouveia
6. Rich Franklin +1
7. Keith Jardine +1
8. Roger Hollett -2
9. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Sergei Kharitonov
3. Shane Carwin +1
4. Tim Sylvia +1
5. Fedro Emelianenko +3
6. Andrei Arlovski
7. Cheick Kongo -4
8. Chris Tuchscherer -1
9. Aleksander Emelianenko
10. Brandon Vera - New Entry

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Roger Huerta
4. Georges St. Pierre +1
5. Anderson Silva -1
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Thiago Silva
8. Wanderlei Silva
9. Sergei Kharitonov
10. Vitor Ribeiro

Biggest Jump this month: Dan Henderson: Henderson moved up four ranks in the Middlewight top ten all the way upto #6 this month. He earned that spot when he got his first ever win in the UFC after going 3-0 before. He got his first win when he got a third round TKO win over Karo Parisyan at UFC 98. He is expected to fight either Gregard Mousasi or Michael Bisping next.

Biggest Drop this month: Dan Hardy: Hardy dropped a massive seven ranks in the Welterweight rankings as he fell to #8. This came about after he lost to Thiago Alves via a first round TKO. Hardy was extra dissapointed with this loss as it put him out of the Welterweight title tournament. He is expected to fight either Diego Sanchez or the loser of Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra next.

Most Impressive New Entry: Jason Tabor: Tabor made his Lightweight rankings debut at #7. He won his UFC debut recently at UFC 98 as he beat Kurt Pellegrino via decision after he won all three rounds. He is expected to fight either Nick Diaz or Jim Miller next.

chris caulfield

07-04-2008, 01:04 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 99: Aoki vs. Huerta

Today UFC announced UFC 99: Aoki vs. Huerta. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Lightweight Championship: Shinya Aoki (18-2) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1) (c)
Forrest Griffin (18-5) vs. Patrick Cote (14-5)
Andrei Arlovski (14-6) vs. Shane Carwin (13-0)
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-5) vs. Wilson Gouveia (13-4)
Ryan Schultz (21-10-1) vs. Jim Miller (12-1)
Undercard
Mark Miller (8-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-14-7)
Tyson Griffin (12-3) vs. Dennis Silver (11-5)
Ben Rothwell (29-8) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (14-0)
George Sotiropoulos (8-3) vs. Matt Arroyo (6-1)
Matt Hamill (6-2) vs. David Heath (7-4)
Demian Maia (9-0) vs. Jesse Taylor (6-2)

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 06:56 AM

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UFC 99 Preview

Demian Maia (9-0) vs. Jesse Taylor (6-2)
Jesse Taylor makes his UFC debut against the #8 ranked Middleweight Demian Maia. Maia is coming off is currently undefeated at 9-0 and will be hoping for an easy win here to make him 10-0 and to help him up the ranks. If Maia does win he could go as high as #5.

Matt Hamill (6-2) vs. David Heath (7-4)
Hamill is coming off a TKO win over Tim Boetsch while Heath is coming off a decision loss to Sokoudjou. A win for Hamill could put him into the top ten Light Heavyweights which could put against better competition and if he gets a few big wins there he could be in line for a title shot.

George Sotiropoulos (8-3) vs. Matt Arroyo (6-1)
Arroyo has recently put together an impressive winning streak winning his last three fights and the last two via submission. Sotiropoulos wasn't so lucky in his last fight as he lost to Josh Koscheck via TKO back at UFC 88. A win over Sotiropoulos could give Arroyo that little push he needs to break into the top ten Welterweights.

Ben Rothwell (29-8) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (14-0)
Tuchscherer is currently 3-0 in the UFC and will be hoping to go 4-0 after beating an off form Rothwell. Rothwell has gone the opposite way of Tuchscherer by going a very dissapointing 0-3 since joining the UFC. Despite only being twenty seven years old Tuchscherer is already a ranked Heavyweight standing at #8 in the top ten. A win over Rothwell could push him up as high as #5.

Tyson Griffin (12-3) vs. Dennis Silver (11-5)
Tyson griffin has had mixed success recently going 1-2 in his last three fights with his latest fight being a decision loss to the now Lightweight champion Roger Huerta. Griffin still believes he is top ten material and at only twenty five he has alot of time to prove it but right now he has to concentrate on getting to small wins before he can get some big wins.

Mark Miller (8-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-14-7)
This fight will mark the UFC debut of Mark Miller as he fights Akihiro Gono. Miller was recently signed to a UFC contract despite coming off a Knock Out loss in his last fight in the IFL. Gono is also coming off a loss. Two losses actually and both via decision. He lost to Jon Fitch at UFN 14 and to Diego Sanchez at UFC 96. Both fighters will be very hungry for the win so this should be a very exciting fight.

Ryan Schultz (21-10-1) vs. Jim Miller (12-1)
Jim Miller will make his UFC debut at UFC 99 against a man that is quite new to the UFC himself having only one UFC fight and that man is Ryan Schultz. Miller left EliteXC to join the UFC which was a tough decision for him as he was the current EliteXC Lightweight champion having beat KJ Noons via TKO and he earned that shot by defeating Victor Valenzuela with a brutal Knock Out victory. With Miller coming off two straight (T)KO wins he will be hoping for a third but Schultz won't want to let that happen. Schultz is coming off an impressive few wins himself winning his last two fights with the most recent one being his UFC debut win over Terry Etim. Miller is already in the Lightweight rankings at #10 and a win over Schultz could put him as high as #7.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-5) vs. Wilson Gouveia (13-4)
This is a big fight in the Light Heavyweight division with Gouveia being only a win or two away from a title shot. Shogun however has been on down since he lost his title shot against Rampage. He has since lost to Wanderlei Silva via a brutal first round Knock Out. This could be a must win fight for Shogun but Gouevia will be begging he doesn't as this could be the last step he takes before he gets his title shot. He is on a three fight win streak right now with a decision win over Keith Jardine and also two first round submissions over Luis Cane and Rashad Evans. Both fighters are currently ranked with Shogun currently at #9 and Gouveia at #5.

Andrei Arlovski (14-6) vs. Shane Carwin (13-0)
This could be Carwin's final test before his title shot. He won't be getting the next title shot it seems though as it looks as though that prize will go to the currently #2 ranked Heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov. Carwin is currently 5-0 in the UFC with the highlight of his run being his TKO win over Brandon Vera. Arlovski was in title contention not too long ago before he lost via TKO to Sergei Kharitonov back at UFC 95. Both fighters are currently ranked in the top ten Heavyweights with Arlovski being ranked at #6 while Carwin stands at #3.

Forrest Griffin (18-5) vs. Patrick Cote (14-5)
Forrest Griffin has recently dropped down to #5 in the Middleweight rankings having been overtaken by Gregard Mousasi and Michael Bisping. He will look to reclaim what he says is his #3 spot with a win over Patrick Cote. Forrest, Mousasi and Bisping will be the three fighters who will be in top contention for a title shot against the winner of St. Pierre vs. Silva. Who will get the first shot between them though is unknown but Forrest will hope to move to the front of the race with an impressive win over Cote. Forrest is currently 3-0 since moving down to the Middleweight division holding wins over Kendall Grove, Nate Marquardt and most recently Alan Belcher. Cote is coming off a decision loss to Anderson Silva so he is loking to rebound from that loss.

UFC Lightweight Championship: Shinya Aoki (18-2) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)(c)
This is a massive Lightweight match-up that is very important for the division as it could decide where the division is going. Aoki earned his title shot by going 3-0 since joining the UFC with wins over Spencer Fisher, Rich Clementi and most recently and probably the most impressive over Sean Sherk. This will be Huerta's first defence since he won it from BJ Penn in their thrilling fight where Penn won the first two rounds but Huerta came back in a massive way to win the next three rounds and the title. Huerta has gone 4-0 in his last four fights beating Frankie Edgar, Joe Stevnson, Tyson Griffin and ofcourse BJ Penn who has since moved up to Welterweight. If Huerta wins many top fighters have already lost to him so new fighters will need to be built up but if Aoki wins there are alot more fighters he hasn't beat so there will be more competition. Whoever wins this fight will not have an easy road and there next fight will most likely be against either Vitor Rieiro or Kenny Florian.

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 08:11 AM

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UFC 99: Aoki vs. Huerta

Undercard

Demian Maia (9-0) vs. Jesse Taylor (6-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Demian Maia via Submission

Round 1
Two jabs from the left hand of Taylor set up a hard waist-high kick, but Maia steps back to avoid it. Nice attempt though. Taylor moves in closer, bobbing and weaving, and looks to score with a looping right hand, but Maia uses the gloves to parry it away, then counter-strikes with a crisp jab and a kick to the knee. Good opening to the round, both fighters are looking lively. Taylor finds himself backed up against the cage briefly, and has to scramble to safety to avoid a flurry of strikes. Maia is working for position, and is currently looking the more composed of the two. They clinch. Taylor gets in a nice knee, but a second attempt sees him swept to the ground. Taylor landed hard with Maia right on top of him, it looks like he got winded. Maia hits three big punches to the face, and Taylor is rocked. Maia gets an arm, locks in a kimura, and Taylor has no alternative but to tap out.

The official time of the kimura submission is 2:16 of round 1.

Rating: **
Notes: Impressive submission finish here for Maia but a dissapointing debut for Taylor but he will hopefully take it on the chin and learn from his mistakes.

Matt Hamill (6-2) vs. David Heath (7-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hamill via TKO

Round 1
They come together, both throwing punches. Hamill gets a nice clean shot in, and Heath stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Hamill is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Hamill wins via TKO at 0:25 of the first round.

Rating: ***
Notes: Hamill makes it two wins in a row with this TKO win and he did it in less than 30 seconds.

George Sotiropoulos (8-3) vs. Matt Arroyo (6-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: George Sotiropoulos via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Arroyo fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Sotiropoulos fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Arroyo to the floor. The momentum causes Sotiropoulos to almost go completely over the top though, and Arroyo is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Arroyo passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Sotiropoulos has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Arroyo's left arm. Arroyo's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Sotiropoulos covers up to defend them. Arroyo tries to pin down one of Sotiropoulos's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Sotiropoulos uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Arroyo finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Arroyo.

Round 2
Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Sotiropoulos tries a looping punch from way back, but Arroyo side steps with ease. Jab from Arroyo, gets one back in response. Sotiropoulos comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Arroyo shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Arroyo passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Sotiropoulos has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Arroyo's left arm. Arroyo's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Sotiropoulos covers up to defend them. Arroyo tries to pin down one of Sotiropoulos's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Sotiropoulos uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Arroyo finds himself unable to do any real damage other than occasional strikes, which he doesn't have the leverage to get much power behind, with virtually no chance of gaining a submission thanks to his left arm being trapped. The referee eventually stands them up, and the time expires before anything interesting can happen with them standing. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Arroyo by 10-9.

Round 3
Arroyo is quickest out, and comes at Sotiropoulos with a series of jabs and straight punches. Sotiropoulos covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Sotiropoulos hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Arroyo who takes it to the ground. Sotiropoulos pulls guard. There's a lull, as Arroyo tries to pass, and Sotiropoulos defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Sotiropoulos almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Arroyo, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Arroyo. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Matt Arroyo.

Rating: **
Notes: Arroyo makes it 4-0 in his last four fights with this comfortable decision win over Sotiropoulos.

Ben Rothwell (29-8) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (14-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ben Rothwell via TKO

Round 1
Rothwell is quickest out, and comes at Tuchscherer with a series of jabs and straight punches. Tuchscherer covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Tuchscherer hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Rothwell who takes it to the ground. Tuchscherer pulls guard. There's a lull, as Rothwell tries to pass, and Tuchscherer defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Tuchscherer almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Rothwell, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Rothwell.

Round 2
Rothwell doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Tuchscherer easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Tuchscherer throws a head fake, then comes in fast from an angle with a looping punch, but misses and takes a glancing shot to the shoulder from a left hand counter. The two fighters are circling. Tuchscherer comes in for a punch, but Rothwell countered well by coming in fast and low and using a good solid takedown. Rothwell is in Tuchscherer's guard. Tuchscherer is forced to cover up as Rothwell starts hammering away with enormous strikes from the guard, trying to simply power the shots through. Some do cause some damage, landing as Tuchscherer tries unsuccessfully to throw some counters. Rothwell transitions to side control without any issues and starts finding the punches down again, this time with more leverage and therefore more power. Tuchscherer tries to defend them, but a lot of them are getting through. The referee finally has enough and calls an end to the match, feeling that Tuchscherer was getting overwhelmed.

Rothwell wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 1:58.

Rating: **
Notes: Rothwell gets his first win in the octagon and in the process hands Tuchscherer's first loss leaving him still at a very impressive 14-1.

Tyson Griffin (12-3) vs. Dennis Silver (11-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Tyson Griffin via Submission

Round 1
Fast start by Griffin, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Siver circles, drawing a lunge from Griffin, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Griffin ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Siver hopping on the other to remain vertical. Griffin tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Siver manages to pull them all the way back to the cage before ultimately going down. That's a much better position to be in though, he has his corner right there, and can use the cage to effectively cut off any form of attack to the left hand side of his body. Griffin has one leg trapped between Siver's, and is struggling to get it free. He throws a couple of punches, none of them doing much damage, and then tries to work on one of the arms. It might be a kimura that he looking for. Siver defends it well, without fully escaping it, Griffin can't really do a lot with it due to how much he is having to stretch to apply it, due to his leg being trapped. Siver suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Griffin's back. Griffin was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Siver up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Siver throws a couple of short-range punches. Griffin gets a leg in and trips Siver, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Siver, at least he can take heart from the fact that it resulted in a better defensive position. Time is running out, it looks like this round will end with them in this position. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Griffin.

Round 2
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Griffin lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Siver sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Griffin on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Siver manages to get the better position, pushing Griffin up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Siver. Griffin hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Siver tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Griffin was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Siver down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Siver covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Griffin hits a big elbow to the ribs, Siver definitely felt that. Griffin drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Siver brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Griffin will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Siver defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Griffin unable to generate any attacks, and Siver unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Griffin will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Griffin.

Round 3
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Griffin throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Siver. Kick to the thigh from Siver, but it lacked power. Siver looks to be working an angle. Siver tries an ill-advised head kick, but Griffin ducks and comes straight underneath it. Grabbing the leg, he lifts Siver up and then violently plants him into the ground with a slam. Griffin dives in, but gets pulled into guard. Griffin moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Siver is defending it. There's a small lull as Griffin continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Siver finally couldn't stop it. Griffin starts firing off punches, and Siver has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Siver. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Siver can come up with some answers. Griffin hits another big elbow. And another. The referee leaps in, it's over!

Official time of the TKO is 1:18 of the third.

Rating: **
Notes: Griffin in now 2-2 in his last four fights and gets back on track with this confident TKO win over Silver. He could break into the top ten Lightweights if he is lucky.

Mark Miller (8-3) vs. Akihiro Gono (29-14-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Akihiro Gono via TKO

Round 1
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Miller works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Gono backed up against the cage. Miller gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Gono, who uses his legs well to defend. Miller pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Gono gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Miller follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Miller hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Gono tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Gono leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Miller.

Round 2
An exchange of jabs doesn't go anywhere. Gono fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a straight left before backing out fast to avoid a left-right combination from Miller. They clinch, and Miller winds up backed against the cage. A couple of minor blows get exchanged, but it's turned into a bit of a stalemate. Gono tries to push Miller back, but can't. The referee waits a while, then separates them and gets them to resume. Gono misses a right hand and is off balance, allowing Miller to come in for a takedown. Gono pulls guard, and it's a particulary high one, Miller has to be careful that he doesn't get careless and end up in a triangle choke. Gono bats away a couple of punches with his hands. Miller tries to pass guard, but leaves an arm in for just a fraction of a second too long, and Gono is able to clamp his legs around it and pull. That's a tight arm bar, and Miller is going to have really trouble getting free. He tries to pull free, but it's no use. Miller taps out to the armlock.

Official time of the armbar submission is 3:14 of the second.

Rating: **
Notes: Miller loses his UFC debut but he shouldn't be dissapointed as he fought a top ten worthy opponent in Akihiro Gono and he still managed to win the first round and was unlucky to get caught in the armbar that finished it all.

Maincard

Ryan Schultz (21-10-1) vs. Jim Miller (12-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ryan Schultz via TKO

Round 1
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Miller throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Schultz. Kick to the thigh from Schultz, but it lacked power. Miller narrowly misses a right cross. Schultz comes in looking for a kick, but Miller side-steps out of the way and then easily takes him down. Schultz was off-balance from the kick, and had no way of blocking the takedown. Miller moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Schultz is defending it. There's a small lull as Miller continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Schultz finally couldn't stop it. Miller starts firing off punches, and Schultz has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Schultz. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Schultz can come up with some answers. Miller hits another big elbow. And another. The referee leaps in, it's over!

The official time of the TKO is 1:25 of round 1.

Rating: **
Notes: The former EliteXC Lightweight champion wins his UFC debut in a very impressive first round TKO win over Ryan Schultz.

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (17-5) vs. Wilson Gouveia (13-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to this round, Rua is being tentative and Gouveia looks like he is waiting for an angle to appear. The first exchange of strikes doesn't really go anywhere. A second set falls in Rua's favour, as he gets a nice jab in, hitting right above the nose, and a solid shot to the body. Gouveia goes in for a takedown but only manages to secure one leg. Rua hammers down two shots to the back, but can't really do a lot else. Gouveia tries to push him over onto his back, but Rua manages to pull free and back off. Gouveia throws a high left handed jab then goes in for another takedown. Good sprawl from Rua, and he backs off. Gouveia doesn't get a chance to go for a third, because Rua takes the fight to him with a barrage of lefts and rights, forcing him back against the cage. Rua clinches up, only after hitting a hard shot to the stomach though. The clinch seems to go on forever, with Gouveia unable to get a good enough position to try a takedown, and Rua tied up too much to really throw any decent strikes. Eventually the time runs out and they head back to their corners. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Rua.

Round 2
Gouveia comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Rua stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Rua connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Gouveia is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Rua seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Rua, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Gouveia felt that, and backs off. Gouveia tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Rua gets him to back off with some jabs. Rua has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Gouveia has been blocked at every turn. The second round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Rua.

Round 3
An exchange of jabs doesn't go anywhere. Gouveia fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a straight left before backing out fast to avoid a left-right combination from Rua. They clinch, and Rua winds up backed against the cage. A couple of minor blows get exchanged, but it's turned into a bit of a stalemate. Gouveia tries to push Rua back, but can't. The referee waits a while, then separates them and gets them to resume. They come together, both throwing punches. Rua gets a nice clean shot in, and Gouveia stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Rua is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Rua wins via 3rd round TKO with the official time being 3:16.

Rating: ****
Notes: Shogun gets back on track with a good win over Gouveia. Many will say the stoppage was early but in all honesty was Gouveia going to get out and if he did he wasn't going to have enough time to finish Shogun and it would of ended in a boring decision win for Shogun.

Andrei Arlovski (14-6) vs. Shane Carwin (13-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO

Round 1
Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Arlovski throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Carwin's jaw, but it is parried. Carwin steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Arlovski moves in to throw some body punches but gets clipped with a big right hand. It was partially blocked, it would have been a potential knock out if that had hit home on the chin, Carwin put a lot of weight behind it. Arlovski hits a nice jab, then clinches. Carwin hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Arlovski hits a low kick to the leg. Carwin bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Arlovski goes down! Good shot from Carwin! He tries to follow up and pound on Arlovski, but Arlovski is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Carwin, sensing that Arlovski is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Arlovski ends up backed up against the cage. Carwin gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Arlovski, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Carwin has in his hands is really posing Arlovski some problems. The clinch drags on, with Carwin unable to break free, and the round ends like that. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Carwin.

Round 2
Carwin doesn't exactly disguise his intentions for this round, going right to the center and motioning for Arlovski to come and trade blows. Arlovski wisely keeps back for the time being, content to throw long-range jabs. Carwin isn't quite as content though, as he begins to stalk Arlovski. They meet near the cage. Arlovski hits a nice jab, then goes to clinch. Carwin stops that with a powerful right hand to the body, then a fizzing left hook that glances off the side of the head. An attempt at a knock out right hand finds nothing but gloves. It is clear that Carwin believes that he has the power to get a knock out here, his game plan appears to be to look for the one punch finish. Arlovski is trying to keep moving, to not let Carwin get set to throw a bomb. Carwin is controlling this round by virtue of the knock out threat, as Arlovski is being forced to fight somewhat defensively. Carwin throws another big punch, narrowly missing, but does score with a follow up jab, landing just above the right eye. Arlovski returns fire with a pair of jabs, both finding gloves. Time begins to tick away. It hasn't been the most exciting round, but Carwin has controlled it and managed to land the better shots. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Carwin.

Round 3
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Carwin works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Arlovski backed up against the cage. Carwin gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Arlovski, who uses his legs well to defend. Carwin pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Arlovski gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Carwin follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Carwin hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Arlovski tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Arlovski leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Carwin. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Shane Carwin.

Rating: ****
Notes: Carwin wins a comfortable decision winning all three rounds and this just maybe his last step before his title shot.

Forrest Griffin (18-5) vs. Patrick Cote (14-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Forrest Griffin via TKO

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Cote puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Griffin defended well. Straight right from Griffin in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Cote probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Griffin gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Cote. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Cote.

Round 2
Griffin doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Cote was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Cote hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Griffin throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Cote easily avoided them. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Griffin hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Cote. Griffin is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Time ticks away, and Cote offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9.

Round 3
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Cote is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Griffin picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Cote throws a wild punch as a counter, but Griffin ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Cote gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Cote is looking for big punches, Griffin is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Cote manages to back Griffin up against the cage. Cote takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Griffin ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Cote can unload. Cote may need to think about changing tactics, Griffin is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Cote fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Griffin on the thigh. Griffin presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Cote gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Griffin by 10-9. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 29-28 to Forrest Griffin.

Rating: ***
Notes: This was certainly Griffin's toughest fight since droppin down to Middleweight but he came through it with another win despite losing the first round. Now he will just be hoping that he takes that #3 spot back in the rankings.

UFC Lightweight Championship: Shinya Aoki (18-2) vs. Roger Huerta (23-1-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Roger Huerta via Decision

Round 1
Huerta is quickest out, and comes at Aoki with a series of jabs and straight punches. Aoki covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Aoki hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Huerta who takes it to the ground. Aoki pulls guard. There's a lull, as Huerta tries to pass, and Aoki defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Aoki almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Huerta, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Huerta.

Round 2
They come together, both throwing punches. Huerta gets a nice clean shot in, and Aoki stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Huerta is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Huerta wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 0:21. Roger Huerta retains the UFC Lightweight title.

Rating: ****
Notes: Huerta makes his first defence and it's a pretty decisive one as he beat Huerta with a very early second round TKO. Huerta will fight either Vitor Ribeiro or Kenny Florian next.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: Akihiro Gono
Knock Out of the Night: Jim Miller
Fight of the Night: Andrei Arlovski vs. Shane Carwin

Resignings
Ben Rothwell, Shane Carwin and Chris Tuchscherer will all be resigned to new UFC contracts.

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 11:58 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 99

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 99 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Vitor Ribeiro +1
3. Kenny Florian +1
4. Eddie Alvarez +1
5. Shinya Aoki -3
6. Thiago Tavares
7. Jim Miller +3
8. Jason Tabor -1
9. Nick Diaz -1
10. Sean Sherk -1

Welterweight
1. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
2. Jon Fitch
3. Matt Hughes
4. BJ Penn
5. Thiago Alves
6. Matt Serra
7. Anthony Johnson
8. Dan Hardy
9. Dong Hyun Kim
10. Diego Sanchez

Middleweight
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Forrest Griffin +2
4. Gregard Mousasi -1
5. Michael Bisping -1
6. Dan Henderson
7. Rousimar Palhales
8. Demian Maia
9. Thales Leites
10. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Wanderlei Silva +1
3. Thiago Silva -1
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Rich Franklin +1
6. Wilson Gouveia -1
7. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua +2
8. Keith Jardine -1
9. Roger Hollett -1
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Sergei Kharitonov
3. Shane Carwin
4. Tim Sylvia
5. Fedor Emelianenko
6. Cheick Kongo +1
7. Aleksander Emelianenko +2
8. Andrei Arlovski -2
9. Chris Tuchscherer -1
10. Brandon Vera

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta +1
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -1
4. Georges St. Pierre
5. Anderson Silva
6. Wanderlei Silva +2
7. Thiago Silva
8. Vitor Ribeiro +2
9. Sergei Kharitonov
10. Kenny Florian - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Jim Miller: Miller made his UFC debut this month and the former EliteXC Lightweight champion didn't dissapoint as he easily dipatched Ryan Schultz with a first round TKO win. That win has him jump 3 places in the Lightweight ranks all the way upto #7. He is expected to fight either Nick Diaz or Sean Sherk next.

Biggest Drop this month: Shinya Aoki: Aoki dropped three ranks in the Lightweight rankings this month and he now stands at #5. This came after he lost in his title fight to Roger Huerta via a second round TKO. He is expected to fight either Nick Diaz or Din Thomas next.

Most Impressive New Entry: There arn't any impressive new entries this month as all the new entries are in the bottom two of the top ten.

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 12:06 PM

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UFC Announces UFC 100: Jackson vs. Silva

Today UFC announced UFC 100: Jackson vs. Silva. Here is the card.

Maincard
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (32-6) vs. Thiago Silva (17-0)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-4)
Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Matt Serra (11-6) vs. Matt Hughes (42-7)
Brandon Vera (10-2) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-9)
Victor Ribeiro (21-2) vs. Frankie Edgar (8-2)
Undercard
Jorge Rivera (15-7) vs. Cung Le (8-0)
Roan Carneiro (12-7) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-2-1)
Glover Teixeira (7-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-4)
Mark Bocek (5-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (7-0)
Ibragim Magomedov (18-6-1) vs. Daniel Puder (7-0)
Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-1-2) vs. Nate Quarry (10-2)

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 03:36 PM

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UFC 100 Preview

Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-1-2) vs. Nate Quarry (10-2)
Suzuki returns following his TKO loss to Michael Bisping back at UFN 15 in his UFC debut. Suzuki will be looking for a better showing here as he looks to get his first win inside the octagon. Quarry will look to stop him though as he fights for the first time since Avatar was hired. A win for Suzuki could put him into the Middleweight rankings.

Ibragim Magomedov (18-6-1) vs. Daniel Puder (7-0)
Magomedov returns after only just fighting at UFC 98 two months ago in a fight which he lost via submission to Rolles Gracie. This time he will be hoping for a different result. Puder won his UFC debut in his last fight as he beat Brad Morris via decision.

Mark Bocek (5-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (7-0)
Bocek is coming off a decision loss to Thiago Tavares while Evangelista is currently 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Dan Lauzon and Jorge Gurgel. Evangelista believes if he wins here he could move into the top ten Lightweights where he could start to face tougher competition and after a few wins hopefully earn a title shot.

Glover Teixeira (7-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-4)
Both these fighters desperately need wins as both are coming off two straight losses. Mendes has lost to both Thiago Silva and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou both via decision. Both of Teixeira's losses have come via first round Knock Out's and these came when he fought Chuck Liddell and then Rashad Evans. Teixeira is hoping that if he beats Mendes and then gets another win that he could break into the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Roan Carneiro (12-7) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-2-1)
This will be Kim's first fight since being knocked out of the Welterweight tournament by Jon Fitch via a first round TKO. Carneiro is also coming off a loss from his last fight as he lost Anthony Johnson via TKO. Kim is still ranked in the top ten Welterweights despite being knocked out of the tournament. He is currently ranked at #9 but a win could push him up as high as #6.

Jorge Rivera (15-7) vs. Cung Le (8-0)
Cung Le is 3-0 in the UFC so far with wins over Marvin Eastman, Rory Singer and most recently Ricardo Arona. Rivera hasn't been so lucky recently as he lost his last fight to Rousimar Palhales via submission. Cung will be hoping a win over Rivera will put him into the top ten Middleweights.

Vitor Ribeiro (21-2) vs. Frankie Edgar (8-2)
The #2 ranked Lightweight Vitor Ribeiro will go up against twenty seven year old up and comer Frankie Edgar this month. Edgar is coming off two straight losses but the competition doesn't get any easier. Edgar has lost to both Roger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez via (T)KO. Ribeiro is already ranked at #2 in the Lightweight rankings and he doesn't have much hope of getting past Roger Huerta into the #1 spot but a win over Edgar would keep Kenny Florian and Eddie Alvarez at bay. Vitor is currently 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Din Thomas and Josh Thomson.

Brandon Vera (10-2) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-9)
Vera is coming into this fight coming off an impressive TKO win over Frank Mir at UFN 15 and will be looking to make it two wins in a row and hand Rizzo his third loss in a row. Rizzo has lost both of his last two fights via decision to both Shane Carwin and Sergei Kharitonov. Vera is ranked at #10 in the Heavyweight rankings while Rizzo is surely just a win or two away from being in the top ten. A win for Vera could put him as high as #6 in the rankings.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Matt Serra (11-6) vs. Matt Hughes (42-7)
This is the final and probably the most interesting fight in the Quarter Finals. Serra is coming off a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre in a fight that ended the trilogy and was the last fight for St. Pierre in the Welterweight division before moving up into the Middleweight division. Hughes is 1-1 in his last two fights with a dissapointing loss to Jonathan Goulet back at UFC 85 but he did rebound at UFC 89 when he beat Chris Lytle via a second round TKO. Whoever wins here will fight Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the next round for a spot in the final and a chance to win the Welterweight title.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-4)
Rich Franklin in his first fight at Light Heavyweight since moving up from the Middleweight division. He will face Sokoudjou who is currently on a three fight win streak beating Houston Alexander, David Heath and Antonio Mendes. Franklin has only ever lost to two men and he doesn't plan on making that three men. Franklin is coming off a Knock Out loss to Anderson Silva. Franklin is already ranked in the Light Heavyweight rankings being ranked at #5 and a win over Sokoudjou could put him as high as #3 by the end of the night. A win for Sokoudjou would mark his fourth win in a row and would certainly put him into the top ten Light Heavyweights so he will have a lot to gain if he wins.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (32-6) vs. Thiago Silva (17-0)
This is a massive fight to headline a historic event and everyone will be hoping for fireworks in this fight. Thiago earned his shot at the title by being undefeated at 17-0 and getting wins over people like Tomasz Drwal and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Jackson won't be to worried though as he has been a dominant champion so far beating Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Lyoto Machida and most recently Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua. This will be Jackson's fifth defence and many will say it is the easiest one so far. Thiago doesn't think so though as he feels he deserves his shot having been undefeated in seventeen fights and not really being troubled in any of them.

chris caulfield

07-05-2008, 04:50 PM

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UFC 100: Jackson vs. Silva

Undercard

Nobutatsu Suzuki (4-1-2) vs. Nate Quarry (10-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Nate Quarry via Split Decision

Round 1
Suzuki starts fast, immediately going on the attack with jabs and straight rights. Quarry covers up from the initial burst, then starts throwing some raking rights and lefts. Suzuki bobs and weaves out of harm's way, countering by flicking off jabs whenever possible, peppering Quarry with strikes. None of them are likely to knock Quarry down, but they will add up over time. Quarry moves in and tries to back Suzuki up against the cage, but he is too quick, and won't allow himself to get caught. Quarry is having a real problem with Suzuki's movement, which is allowing him to dart in and out almost at will, hitting quick jabs and avoiding any counters. There's another example, as Suzuki scores with a sharp left hand to the chest, and is gone before the big right hand of Quarry hits. Quarry looks frustrated, and switches tactics, no longer looking for the big punches but trying to stop Suzuki getting in close by using low kicks and long, raking punches. Suzuki is kept from doing any further damage, but Quarry isn't generating any offence either. Suzuki comes in from an angle, takes a right hand, but scores with a flurry of his own. Quarry tries to hit a low kick, but misses. Time is running down, Suzuki is going to take this round on points, he has been able to dominate it thanks to his superior movement. The round is over.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Suzuki by 10-9.

Round 2
Quarry goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Suzuki doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Suzuki comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Quarry covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Suzuki is already out of range. Suzuki repeats the trick, working a new angle, darting in, then firing off strikes while keeping out of the way of any counter punches. It happens a third time, and Quarry is beginning to look frustrated. Suzuki's footwork and general movement is looking good, Quarry is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Suzuki is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Quarry has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Suzuki is too quick. Quarry finally gets in close enough to grapple with Suzuki, clinching up. Quarry scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Suzuki bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Quarry is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Quarry swings for the fences, but Suzuki has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. End of the round.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Suzuki.

Round 3
The round begins, and it is Suzuki who starts better, energetically bounding straight into action by throwing a three-punch combination and a scything leg kick. Quarry defended all four blows well, but is forced to be on the backfoot right from the word go. Suzuki works for an angle, coming in from the left hand side with a high right hand. Quarry ducks under it and nestles a stiff jab in the solar plexus. It doesn't seem to slow Suzuki down much though, as he swiftly turns and hits a crisp left to the side of the head, followed almost instantly by a mid-level kick that smacks above the hip of Quarry. Interesting first minute of action, Suzuki is looking particularly sharp. Quarry tries to turn the momentum by advancing quickly and driving Suzuki back against the cage with a series of jabs and hooks, and they end up clinched. Quarry tries a knee from that position, but it is blocked. Suzuki scores with two sharp blows to the ribs, and then they break away from each other. Suzuki is looking the slightly more fit of the two fighters. They square up to each other in the center. Suzuki throws a head fake and comes in from low down to hit a rising shot that catches Quarry on the side of the head. Quarry got a shot in too though, although it hit the shoulder rather than the head. Time is running down; Suzuki has probably done enough to win the round, but it has turned quite scrappy since the clinch against the cage, both will probably be slightly unhappy with that. Quarry tries a late surge, coming in hard and fast with a leading left, but Suzuki defends it well and scores the only meaningful shot of the exchange with a crisp left hand. The round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Suzuki. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Nobutatsu Suzuki.

Rating: *
Notes: Suzuki wins and is now 1-1 in the UFC. This was an impressive win for Suzuki as he beat Quarry via a comfortable decision.

Ibragim Magomedov (18-6-1) vs. Daniel Puder (7-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Daniel Puder via TKO

Round 1
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Magomedov is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Puder picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Magomedov throws a wild punch as a counter, but Puder ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Magomedov gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Magomedov is looking for big punches, Puder is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Magomedov manages to back Puder up against the cage. Magomedov takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Puder ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Magomedov can unload. Magomedov may need to think about changing tactics, Puder is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Magomedov fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Puder on the thigh. Puder presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Magomedov gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Puder.

Round 2
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Puder, providing the first moment of real action. Magomedov hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Puder side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Magomedov is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. The round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Magomedov.

Round 3
Puder starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Magomedov on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Puder to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Magomedov, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Puder, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Magomedov is looking a little lost so far, Puder is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Puder looks to be working an angle. Puder leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Magomedov was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Magomedov comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Magomedov is that although Puder clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The round is over.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Puder. Daniel Puder wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.

Rating: *
Notes: Puder wins and he is now 2-0 in the UFC. Magomedov has been very dissapointing in the UFC so far going 0-2.

Mark Bocek (5-3) vs. Billy Evangelista (7-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Billy Evangelista via TKO

Round 1
Evangelista doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Bocek was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Bocek hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. A looping left from Evangelista, but it's wide of the mark. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Evangelista hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Bocek. Evangelista is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. For a second it looked like Bocek was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Time ticks away, and Bocek offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Evangelista.

Round 2
The round begins with Bocek taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Evangelista replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Bocek goes for the takedown, but Evangelista sprawls. Bocek tries to power through, but Evangelista uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Bocek defend this. Evangelista is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Bocek isn't allowing it. Bocek pulls Evangelista in tight, locking up both his arms. Evangelista pulls free and again tries to pass guard. This has turned into a bit of a stalemate, the referee may be thinking of standing them up if nothing happens soon. Evangelista tries a big right hand, which Bocek defends well. He has quite a high guard, Evangelista has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Bocek once again drags Evangelista down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Evangelista easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Evangelista trying to pass guard. Bocek tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Evangelista, but he realises the danger in time and manages to recover. The referee finally gets them back to their feet due to the lack of progress that has been made. Evangelista scores with a jab, then a second. Bocek goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Evangelista enough time to take him down again. Evangelista quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Bocek once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Evangelista on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Evangelista.

Round 3
Bocek starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Evangelista keeps out of their way. Bocek steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Evangelista moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Bocek doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Evangelista moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Bocek parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Evangelista begins to stalk Bocek, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Bocek hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Bocek clinches up, stopping Evangelista from following up. It looks like Bocek needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Evangelista is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Evangelista clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Bocek is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Evangelista continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Bocek takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Bocek looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Evangelista from throwing bombs. Bocek gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Evangelista will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Evangelista by 10-9. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Billy Evangelista.

Rating: *
Notes: Evangelista is now 3-0 in the UFC and 8-0 overall. He will be hoping to break into the top ten Lightweights with this win.

Glover Teixeira (7-4) vs. Antonio Mendes (15-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Glover Teixeira via TKO

Round 1
Teixeira doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Mendes was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Mendes hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. A looping left from Mendes, but it's wide of the mark. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Teixeira hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Mendes. Teixeira is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. A looping left from Mendes, but it's wide of the mark. Time ticks away, and Mendes offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Teixeira.

Round 2
Teixeira starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Mendes on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Teixeira to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Mendes, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Teixeira, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Mendes is looking a little lost so far, Teixeira is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Mendes looks to be working an angle. Teixeira leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Mendes was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Mendes comes back with a leg kick to set up a one-two combination, but the round is coming to a close and it's going to be too little too late. The one bright spot for Mendes is that although Teixeira clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Teixeira by 10-9.

Round 3
Mendes comes out fast, but gets hit with a counter right hand strike when he throws a left hand which was too high. Teixeira moves in and hits a nice body shot before they clinch. Mendes gets in a short, sharp jab to the side of the head, it looked to hit right on the ear. Teixeira didn't like that, and scores with two knee strikes and a punch to the cheek. They break apart. Teixeira swings and hits a nice right hand. Mendes fires off a series of sharp jabs, all hitting gloves. He throws out a looping left, but gets tagged with a punch to the jaw and stumbles to the ground! Teixeira dives in to finish him off, but he scrambles back up quickly and they end up facing off on their feet again. Replays show that the punch barely connected, it was more of a stumble on Mendes's part than anything else. It might not look that way to the judges though. Teixeira looks more confident after that, and puts together a nice chain of strikes, ending with a scathing low kick that catches Mendes on the outside of the calf. He definitely felt that. Time is running out; Teixeira will probably take this round on the judges' score cards, primarily due to that one dubious knock down. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Teixeira. Glover Teixeira wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Teixeira is back on track and is now 3-2 in the UFC. After another win he could be in the top ten Light Heavyweights.

Roan Carneiro (12-7) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (12-2-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Dong Hyun Kim via TKO

Round 1
Kim hits a solid left, then a right. Carneiro felt both of them, and backs off a little. Kim charges right in to follow up though, and unleashes a powerful right hook, and Carneiro took it flush on the chin! Kim doesn't even bother following up on that, because Carneiro was out cold from the instant that that hit. Incredible punch.

The official time of the knock out is 0:50 of round 1.

Rating: **
Notes: Kim is right back on track after being knocked out of the tournament and what a win to get back on track with. Kim dominated Carneiro in this fight only needing 3 punches to KO him.

Jorge Rivera (15-7) vs. Cung Le (8-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Cung Le via Submission

Round 1
Le isn't hanging around, right from the start Rivera is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Rivera circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Le weaves out of the way and scores with a beauty of a right hand, glancing above the right eye. That was some lovely counter punching from Le, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Rivera is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Le really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Rivera was wide open for a moment there. Le hits a high kick, catching Rivera on the shoulder. Jab from Rivera finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Le fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Rivera scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Le, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Le.

Round 2
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Le, providing the first moment of real action. Rivera hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Le side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Rivera is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Rivera.

Round 3
Rivera works an angle and comes in from the side of Le, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Le hits a low kick to back Rivera against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Rivera fights out and the action returns to the center. They come together, both throwing punches. Le gets a nice clean shot in, and Rivera stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Le is on top of him quickly, and unloads with two more big punches, both connect solidly. The referee jumps in and pulls him away before a third is thrown, this match is over by TKO. Replays show the referee may have been slightly early.

Le wins via 3rd round TKO with the official time being 2:18.

Rating: **
Notes: Le wins and is now 9-0 and after a win or two more he could be in the top ten Middleweights.

Maincard

Vitor Ribeiro (21-2) vs. Frankie Edgar (8-2)
Sherdog's Prediction: Vitor Ribeiro via TKO

Round 1
Ribeiro starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Edgar is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Ribeiro. Edgar tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Edgar, but it only caught Ribeiro on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Ribeiro, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Edgar from doing very much. An exchange of punches goes nowhere, and they fall into a clinch. The referee separates them when nothing happens. Right hand from Edgar, that one definitely registered, but I don't think it had much power behind it. The time ticks away without anything further of interest happening. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Ribeiro.

Round 2
Edgar starts out with a few straight rights, range-finding rather than actually dangerous. Ribeiro keeps out of their way. Edgar steps forward and tries to unload with a looping left, but Ribeiro moves to the side and fires off a powerful right hand of his own, landing above the left eye. Edgar doesn't go down, but definitely felt that shot. Ribeiro moves in closer and fires off two punches to the face and a big hook to the body. Edgar parried the first two, but the third hit home hard. Ribeiro begins to stalk Edgar, who may be slightly winded. They meet again in the center and exchange blows. Edgar hits a high jab but gets caught with another hard punch to the side of the head. Edgar clinches up, stopping Ribeiro from following up. It looks like Edgar needs to change his game plan, standing up and banging with Ribeiro is playing right into his opponent's hands, as Ribeiro clearly has the more powerful strikes in his arsenal, and Edgar is going to get floored sooner or later, judging by this round. The referee parts them from the clinch. Ribeiro continues to look ready to unleash some big punches. Edgar takes a takedown, then comes in much closer, throws a jab, and clinches back up. Edgar looks like he is going to grapple, stopping Ribeiro from throwing bombs. Edgar gets in a few short punches to the ribs. The round ends with them still in the clinch. Ribeiro will take that round on points, having used the threat of a knock out to basically control everything about that round except the clinches. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Ribeiro.

Round 3
Ribeiro is quickest out, and comes at Edgar with a series of jabs and straight punches. Edgar covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Edgar hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Ribeiro who takes it to the ground. Edgar pulls guard. There's a lull, as Ribeiro tries to pass, and Edgar defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Edgar almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Ribeiro, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Ribeiro. Vitor Ribeiro wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.

Rating: **
Notes: Ribeiro with another win and is now 3-0 in the UFC and certainly a title shot must be on the horizon.

Brandon Vera (10-2) vs. Pedro Rizzo (18-9)
Sherdog's Prediction: Brandon Vera via TKO

Round 1
Not much happening at first. Rizzo is the first to make a move, coming in with a right hand that narrowly misses. Vera gets in a jab that landed on the left cheek of Rizzo, and leaves a mark. Quite a slow paced round so far. Rizzo takes another jab and moves in to retaliate, but it was a set-up and he gets creamed with a high right kick to the side of the head! Rizzo stumbles but doesn't go down, and has to cover up as Vera comes in with a series of punches to try and finish the job. Rizzo somehow manages to hold on long enough to get his senses back, and buys some time by clinching. Hard knee from Rizzo from the clinch, and Vera felt that, he looks a little tired from unloading that barrage. They break, and Rizzo gets in a nice right hand. Rizzo looks to be working an angle. End of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Vera by 10-9.

Round 2
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Rizzo complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Vera throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Rizzo fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Vera steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Rizzo's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Vera follows up by hitting a right hand too. Rizzo finds himself backed up against the cage. Vera advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Rizzo can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Vera steps in and scores with a high head kick. Rizzo partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Rizzo gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Vera into a clinch. Knee strike from Vera. They break. Rizzo still looks hurt from that first kick. Vera gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Rizzo hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Vera has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. The 2nd round ends.

Sherdog.com scores 10-9 Vera.

Round 3
Vera comes out fast and quickly backs Rizzo up, all the way up against the cage. Vera throws a series of rights and lefts; none of the strikes to the head got through, but two nice body shots did. He doesn't follow up though, instead keeping a few steps back, clearly not wanting to get tied up in a clinch. Rizzo throws a low kick, then advances with some jabs, forcing Vera to back off a little. They meet in the center and exchange strikes, with Vera looking the crisper striker of the two, although without doing any real damage. Rizzo shoots in for the takedown, but Vera sprawls and eventually pushes free. Right hand from Vera, then two jabs which both find their mark. Rizzo bats away a third, then comes in hard and fast for a second takedown attempt. Vera sprawls again, but gets pushed all the way up against the cage. Rizzo has a leg, but is low down to the ground and doesn't have the leverage to complete the takedown. He works to a better standing position, but has to lose the leg and grab a clinch instead. They both fire off some small punches from there. Rizzo tries for a trip, but Vera avoids it and works free from the clinch. He returns to the center, clearly wanting a striking battle rather than a grappling match. Rizzo follows, hands held high, and throws a couple of jabs. Vera connects with one instead though, and then with a looping right hand that catches Rizzo above the eye. He felt that, but doesn't go down. Best strike of the round so far. Rizzo throws a low kick. Vera comes in to strike again, but this time cannot sprawl quickly enough and gets taken down. Vera pulls guard. Unfortunately for Rizzo, now that he has finally gotten the takedown, there's less than thirty seconds left. He tries to pass guard to get to side control, but Vera comfortably defends it until the round is over. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Vera. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Brandon Vera.

Rating: ***
Notes: Vera gets his second win in a row and this win should boost him up the Heavyweight rankings quite nicely.

Welterweight Tournament Quarter Final: Matt Serra (11-6) vs. Matt Hughes (42-7)
Sherdog's Prediction: Matt Hughes via TKO

Round 1
They start the round with an exchange of strikes, all from fairly long range as they circle and try to work angles. None of the blows did any damage, either missing or being straight into the opponent's gloves. Hughes is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Serra on the side of the cheek. Hughes follows up by backing him up against the cage, throws a couple of big punches, but gets pulled into a clinch without doing any serious damage. Serra goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Hughes is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Serra has Hughes against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Hughes reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Serra, who pulls guard. Hughes starts pounding away and does some damage before Serra grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Serra has both of Hughes's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Hughes uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Serra isn't going to be too bothered by that. Hughes pulls one arm free. Serra still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Hughes sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Hughes steps through the legs and forces Serra to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Serra manages to ensare one leg though, and so Hughes has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Hughes hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Serra keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Hughes is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Hughes pulls Serra's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Serra rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Hughes continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Hughes.

Round 2
Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Serra throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Hughes. Kick to the thigh from Hughes, but it lacked power. Hughes looks to be working an angle. Serra pushes Hughes up against the cage in a clinch. Serra throws a knee, then a couple of short punches to the side of the head. Hughes pushes him away and steps in to score with an uppercut. Serra took it flush on the chin and is rocked! Another right hand drops Serra against the cage, and Hughes follows up by unloading with a barrage of punches. The referee gets in and pulls Hughes away, he wins the match by TKO.

The official time of the TKO is 1:40 of round 2.

Rating: ***
Notes: Hughes with an impressive win and he will fight #1 ranked Welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida next in the tournament semi finals.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) vs. Rich Franklin (25-4)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rich Franklin via Submission

Round 1
Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Sokoudjou works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Franklin backed up against the cage. Sokoudjou gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Franklin, who uses his legs well to defend. Sokoudjou pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Franklin gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Sokoudjou follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Sokoudjou hits a couple of right hands, both hitting gloves, then a left hand to the body that connected. That was the best shot of the round so far. Franklin tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Franklin leans in to a looping left, but it puts him off balance and it's only at the last second that he gets his chin out of the way of a vicious right cross that comes back. If that had hit, we may have had a knock out. Time runs out with them standing, circling again. End of the round.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Sokoudjou.

Round 2
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Sokoudjou puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Franklin defended well. Straight right from Franklin in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Sokoudjou probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Franklin gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Sokoudjou. That's the end of the round.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Sokoudjou by 10-9.

Round 3
Sokoudjou leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Franklin deals with it well. They clinch, but only for a few seconds before it gets broken. Both throw stiff jabs at the same time, neither connects properly. Back to the clinch. It has been a disjointed start to the round, the flow hasn't quite developed properly. Franklin uses a knee to the ribs before backing Sokoudjou up against the cage. Right hand from Sokoudjou connects though, that was well timed. Franklin breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Sokoudjou was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Franklin sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Sokoudjou fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Sokoudjou throws a right hand, narrowly missing. Franklin almost seems to be inviting him on to throw punches, he could be trying to lure him into over-committing. Sokoudjou throws a jab that connects, albeit without much power, but it causes Franklin to back up quickly, back toward the cage. Sokoudjou comes in quickly, throwing looping punches, but gets reckless and Franklin grabs the opportunity by nailing a big right cross! Sokoudjou collapses in a heap, his left leg buckling underneath him in at an awkward angle. Franklin has knocked him out cold with a killer punch.

Official time of the knock out is 4:21 of the third.

Rating: ****
Notes: Franklin wins and ends Sokoudjou's winning streak. Sokoudjou won the first two rounds and was winning the third but he got reckless and that is when Franklin's experiance kicked in and he was able to KO Sokoudjou for the win.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Quinton Jackson (32-6) vs. Thiago Silva (17-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Quinton Jackson via TKO

Round 1
Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Silva puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Jackson defended well. Straight right from Jackson in response, but it caught nothing but gloves. They start circling. The referee tells them to fight, the lack of action so far is worrying. They get in close and exchange body shots, Silva probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Jackson gets a nice kick in just before the time expires, but it's unlikely that is going to stop the judges giving that round to Silva. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva.

Round 2
Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Jackson is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Silva blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Jackson is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Silva is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Jackson can cover up. That landed above the left eye and has left an ugly red mark. No cut, but that will start to swell and could give Jackson some problems later on. Jackson moves in for a right hook, but takes a hard kick to the knee, then is forced to retreat so as not to get caught with the two right hands that follow. Silva is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Jackson before they wind up in a clinch. That punch above the eye, or maybe the mistake that led to it, seems to have completely thrown Jackson off, since that moment he has been comprehensively out-struck and is now in danger of losing this round. They struggle in the clinch, neither fighter managing a great deal more than minor blows. Jackson goes for a trip, but Silva cleverly spins out of it and the two fighters are back to circling. Not a great round for purists, it has all been a bit disjointed, but that one shot from Silva may prove decisive. As the round comes to an end, they wind up back in another clinch, with nothing coming of it. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Silva.

Round 3
Jackson hits the first punch of the round, scoring with a jab to the cheek. Silva throws a left hook in response, but it's well wide of the mark. Jackson steps in and hits a low kick. Silva ignores it and shoots in for a takedown. Jackson saw it coming though, and defends it brilliantly, sprawling at first, then pushing Silva face-down to the ground so that he can take his back. Silva turtles up. Jackson hits a couple of hard shots to the body, but can't stop Silva working his way up and turning over, pulling guard. Jackson tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Silva reaches up to try and bring Jackson down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Jackson fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Silva is forced to cover up. Jackson switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Silva deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Jackson looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Silva occasionally tries to roll his hips to get free, but it may be that he has realised that this round is beyond saving, and is just making sure that he doesn't put himself into a position to be knocked out or submitted by trying to escape. Indeed, time ticks away with nothing breaking the pattern of occasional strikes and defensive positioning. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Jackson.

Round 4
Jackson hits a right hand, then fakes a take down attempt. Silva got out of the way, he clearly has it in mind to not let Jackson shoot in on him. They come together and exchange strikes, neither fighter gets an advantage from it. Silva throws a scorching right hand, but it misses. Jackson throws a head kick, and that one doesn't! Silva took it to the side of the head and goes down. It didn't look all that powerful though, and the fact that Silva is able to clear his head pretty swiftly and pull guard on the on-rushing Jackson backs that up. Jackson fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Silva. Jackson tries to pass the guard, but can't, Silva isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Jackson will start raining down punches. Jackson tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Silva gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Jackson again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Jackson fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Silva fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Silva, and Jackson is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Silva has defended the danger well. The round ends.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Jackson.

Round 5
Jackson throws a low kick early on, although it missed. Silva flicks out a couple of jabs, trying to work an angle. He steps in to throw a body shot but gets caught with a left hook. Silva stumbles backwards, falling on his ass, stunned. Jackson charges in and throws a knock out powered right hand, but Silva parries it and brings his legs around Jackson's waist to pull guard. Jackson tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Silva reaches up to try and bring Jackson down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Jackson fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Silva is forced to cover up. Jackson switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Silva deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Jackson looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Silva occasionally tries to roll his hips to get free, but it may be that he has realised that this round is beyond saving, and is just making sure that he doesn't put himself into a position to be knocked out or submitted by trying to escape. Indeed, time ticks away with nothing breaking the pattern of occasional strikes and defensive positioning. The 5th round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Jackson by 10-9. The official scores are in; two judges give 48-47, the other 49-46, all for Quinton Jackson. Quinton Jackson is still the UFC Light Heavyweight champion.

Rating: ****
Notes: Jackson lost the first two rounds but that is when his big fight experiance kicked in and the nerves must of kicked in for Silva. Jackson can add yet another name to his win list and Thiago was handed his first ever lost. Jackson's next defence will probably be against Wanderlei Silva in what will be their third fight.

Post Show News

Fighter Bonuses
Submission of the Night: N/A
Knock Out of the Night: Dong Hyun Kim
Fight of the Night: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Rich Franklin

Injuries
Frankie Edgar injured his knee last night and will be out for a month and a half.

Resignings
Pedro Rizzo will be signed to a brand new UFC contract.

chris caulfield

07-06-2008, 07:58 AM

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New Rankings After UFC 100

UFC have released the new rankings following their UFC 100 event.

Lightweight
1. Roger Huerta
2. Vitor Ribeiro
3. Kenny Florian
4. Eddie Alvarez
5. Shinya Aoki
6. Thiago Tavares
7. Jim Miller
8. Jason Tabor
9. Nick Diaz
10. Billy Evangelista - New Entry

Welterweight
1. Matt Hughes +2
2. Yoshiyuki Yoshida -1
3. Jon Fitch -1
4. BJ Penn
5. Thiago Alves
6. Anthony Johnson +1
7. Dan Hardy +1
8. Dong Hyun Kim +1
9. Matt Arroyo - New Entry
10. Diego Sanchez

Middleweight
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Anderson Silva
3. Forrest Griffin
4. Gregard Mousasi
5. Michael Bisping
6. Dan Henderson
7. Rousimar Palhales
8. Demian Maia
9. Thales Leites
10. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza

Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Wanderlei Silva
3. Rich Franklin +2
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Thiago Silva -2
6. Wilson Gouveia
7. Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
8. Keith Jardine
9. Roger Hollett
10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Heavyweight
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Sergei Kharitonov
3. Shane Carwin
4. Tim Sylvia
5. Fedor Emelianenko
6. Cheick Kongo
7. Aleksander Emelianenko
8. Andrei Arlovski
9. Brandon Vera +1
10. Chris Tuchscherer -1

P4P
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Roger Huerta
3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
4. Georges St. Pierre
5. Anderson Silva
6. Vitor Ribeiro +2
7. Wanderlei Silva -1
8. Sergei Kharitonov +1
9. Kenny Florian +1
10. Rich Franklin - New Entry

Biggest Jump this month: Matt Hughes/Rich Franklin: Hughes advanced to the Semi Finals of the Welterweight tournament this month as he beat Matt Serra via TKO. That win put him up two ranks in the Welterweight rankings where he is now the #1 ranked Welterweight. He will fight the currently #2 ranked Welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida next in the Semi Finals of the Welterweight tournament and that is expected to happen in around four or five months. Rich Franklin also jumped 2 ranks this month as he climbed upto #3 in the Light Heavyweight rankings. This came when he KO'ed Sokoudjou despite losing the first two rounds. He is expected to fight either Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua or Wilson Gouveia next and if he wins that he will probably get a title shot.

Biggest Drop this month: Thiago Silva: Silva was handed his first ever loss this month at UFC 100. That loss was handed to his by Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson and it came via decision. Silva won the first two rounds but then suddenly he started to drop behind Rampage and he lost the next three rounds. It may of been the nerves or maybe it was his cardio or maybe Rampage just used his big fight experiance to win but it must of been dissapointing for Silva. He is expected to fight either Roger Hollett or Wilson Gouveia next.

Most Impressive New Entry: There arn't any impressive new entries this month as all the new entries are in the bottom two of the top ten.

chris caulfield

07-06-2008, 08:05 AM

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UFC Announces UFN 16: Fitch vs. Alves

Today UFC announced UFN 16: Fitch vs. Alves. Here is the card.

Maincard
Welterweight Tournament Semi Final: Jon Fitch (19-3) vs. Thiago Alves (15-4)
Wanderlei Silva (33-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (14-2-1) II
Fedor Emelianenko (29-3) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (17-3)
Jason Tabor (6-0) vs. Nick Diaz (17-8)
Ed Herman (14-7) vs. Demian Maia (10-0)
Undercard
Chris Leben (18-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (4-0)
Ricardo Almeida (9-3) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (11-1)
Heath Herring (28-16) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (1-0)
Rob Broughton (8-4-1) vs. Brad Morris (8-5)
Ben Saunders (5-3-2) vs. Randy Shearer (0-0)

chris caulfield

07-06-2008, 10:11 AM

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UFN 16 Preview

Ben Saunders (5-3-2) vs. Randy Shearer (0-0)
Randy Shearer will make his UFC debut and his MMA debut against someone who has lost his last three fights in Ben Saunders. Saunders was undefeated before his last three fights but he has lost them all losing to Karo Parisyan, Matt Arroyo and Paul Kelly. If he loses to Shearer then he must be on his way out. Shearer was highly recomended to the UFC by many respected fighters and trainers as they say he has great stand up skills but also good ground skills.

Rob Broughton (8-4-1) vs. Brad Morris (8-5)
Broughton made his debut at the previous UFN against Cheick Kongo. Everyone was expecting Kongo to run through Broughton on his way to a titlle shot but that is no where near what actually happened. Broughton surprised everyone that night when he knocked Kongo out in the second round. Broughton will now make his second appearance in the UFC against much lesser opponent compared to Cheick Kongo in the shape of Brad Morris. Morris is currently 0-2 in the UFC with losses to Daniel Puder and Rolles Gracie. His prospects don't look too good against Broughton. If Broughton wins he could be a surprise entrant into the Heavyweight rankings by the end of the month.

Heath Herring (28-16) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (1-0)
Herring is coming off three straight losses to Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko and then Shane Carwin all via decision. He now steps into the octagon again to face the 19 year old up and comer Rodriguez. Rodriguez will have a massive 10 inch height advantage which he will surely use to his full advantage. Rodriguez made his MMA and UFC debut recently at UFC 96 against Jake O'Brian in a fight which he won via a second round TKO.

Ricardo Almeida (9-3) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (11-1)
Jacare is currently 1-0 in the UFC as he holds a decision win over Joey Villasenor. He is currently ranked at #10 in the Middleweight rankings and will step into the octagon to fight Ricardo Almeida. Almeida is coming off a dissapointing decision loss to Demian Maia all the way back at UFC 86. If Jacare wins he could move up as high as #6 in the Middleweight rankings.

Chris Leben (18-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (4-0)
One fighter comes in to this fight going 0-2 in his last two fights while the other is currently 4-0 and 2-0 in the UFC. Leben has lost his last two fights via TKO losing to Rich Franklin at UFC 85 and to Yushin Okami at UFC 98. Meisner has had much better fortune lately winning his first two UFC fights beating Dean Lister and Terry Martin both of the wins being via decision. This is a big step up in competition for Meisner and it will be interesting to see if he can cope with it.

Ed Herman (14-7) vs. Demian Maia (10-0)
Maia is currently undefeated and is ranked at #8 in the Middleweight rankings. Maia's most recent win was a first round submission win over Jesse Taylor at UFC 99. Herman is coming off a decision loss to Thales Leites back at UFN 15. A win for Maia could push him as high as #6 in the Middleweight rankings.

Jason Tabor (6-0) vs. Nick Diaz (17-8)
Tabor recently made his UFC debut while Diaz recently made his UFC re-debut. Their fortunes were definately not the same. Tabor won his debut against Kurt Pellegrino in a fight he won via decision. Diaz wasn't as lucky in his re-debut in a fight he lost via decision to Kenny Florian. Both fighters are top ten ranked Lightweights. Diaz is currently ranked at #9 while Tabor is at #8. A win for either fighter could put them as high as #6 in the rankings.

Fedor Emelianenko (29-3) vs. Sergei Kharitonov (17-3)
Kharitonov didn't have to take this fight as he was almost definately going to get the next shot at Big Nog's belt. He took the fight anyway though as he wanted to prove that he is truly worthy of the title shot and also that he is the best Heavyweight that Russia has ever produced not Fedor. Fedor recently got back into his winning ways with a decision win over Fabricio Werdum after losing two straight fights via Knock Out. Sergei Kharitonov since coming to the UFC has gone 2-0 with wins over Pedro Rizzo and Andrei Arlovski. Both fighters are ranked Heavyweights with Kharitonov being ranked at #2 and Fedor at #5. A win for Fedor could put him as high as #3 in the Heavyweight rankings while a win for Kharitonov would almost garuntee him the next Heavyweight title shot.

Wanderlei Silva (33-8-1) vs. Rashad Evans (14-2-1) II
This fight is a rematch from a fight that happened at UFC 86 in a fight which Wanderlei Silva won via decision. Wanderlei has only had one fight since against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua in a fight which he won via Knock Out. Rashad has had alot more fights since and has gone 2-1 since that loss with a submission loss to Wilson Gouveia splitting a TKO win over Houston Alexander and a Knock Out win over Glover Teixeira. So both fighters come into the fight with coming off Knock Out wins in their last fight but they fight for different goals. Evans is fighting to get back into the top ten Light Heavyweights while if Wanderlei beats Evans again he will probably get the the next title shot against Rampage. Wanderlei is currently ranked at #2 in the Light Heavyweight rankings.

Welterweight Tournament Semi Final: Jon Fitch (19-3) vs. Thiago Alves (15-4)
These two fighters will fight for the right to face either Matt Hughes or Yoshiyuki Yoshida for the UFC Welterweight Title. Both men won their Quarter Final fights via first round TKO's. Fitch had to get past Dong Hyun Kim while Alves beat Dan Hardy. This is a big fight for both fighters as if they win they have the chance to fight for the championship and to hold UFC gold for the first time.

chris caulfield

07-06-2008, 11:35 AM

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UFN 16: Fitch vs. Alves

Undercard

Ben Saunders (5-3-2) vs. Randy Shearer (0-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Randy Shearer via Decision

Round 1
There is some tentative circling to begin with, before they meet in the center for the first action of the round. It's a tight affair, both fighters heavily using the jab, but Shearer looks to get the better of it, landing with one crisp strike to the face in particular. Saunders backs off, a little shaken. Replays show that it landed right on the nose. Shearer press the action, forcing Saunders back against the cage and upping the tempo with rapid-fire lefts and rights, bobbing and weaving at the same time to keep from getting caught with a counter punch. Saunders clinches up. Shearer is displaying a much more accomplished and confident striking game than Saunders, the technique and speed with which the punches are being delivered is leaving Saunders looking ragged in comparison. The pattern continues once they've been separated, with Shearer looking the sharper of the two. He isn't overwhelming Saunders by any means, but he is comfortably controlling the pace and tempo of the round, and preventing Saunders from stamping any sort of mark on it. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Shearer by 10-9.

Round 2
The round starts. They touch gloves. Saunders throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Shearer to back off. Shearer throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Saunders sees it coming and steps back. Shearer advances and they meet in the center. Saunders ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Shearer throws a one-two combination, neither connecting, but it does allow him to follow up with a stinging kick to the ribs. A big red mark has appeared there. Saunders bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Shearer ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Saunders to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Saunders tries to come in to get a measure of revenge, but is met with some low kicks that make sure that he can't get close enough to throw any bombs. Shearer's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Saunders and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Saunders is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com gives that one to Shearer by 10-9.

Round 3
Good start from Saunders, taking Shearer down almost immediately! Shearer scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Saunders will be disappointed with that. Shearer comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Saunders to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Shearer felt that one for sure. He stalks Saunders, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Saunders keeps out of the way. Shearer tries a kick, but Saunders catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Saunders gets Shearer down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Saunders throws some punches, then tries to pass. Shearer doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Saunders easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Saunders followed by a pass attempt, with Shearer blocking the pass and throwing the occasional punch in response. The round ends like that, just as the referee was about to stand them back up. The 3rd round ends.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Saunders. Randy Shearer wins the match, getting a score of 29-28 from all three judges.

Rating: *
Notes: Shearer wins his MMA and UFC debut all in one go but it was tough and he will be happy to come out with the decision win.

Rob Broughton (8-4-1) vs. Brad Morris (8-5)
Sherdog's Prediction: Rob Broughton via Knock Out

Round 1
The round starts slowly, with both fighters circling, tentatively throwing out the occasional jab. Morris is the first to make a positive move, stepping in to throw a right hand, although he probably wishes that he hadn't, as Broughton picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Morris throws a wild punch as a counter, but Broughton ducks and backs off out of range. They meet again in the center for an exchange of punches. Morris gets a clubbing blow to the side of the head in, but takes a hard shot to the stomach in return. The early pattern seems to be that Morris is looking for big punches, Broughton is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Morris manages to back Broughton up against the cage. Morris takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Broughton ducks under at the last second, scores with a pair of punches to the gut, then darts out of trouble before Morris can unload. Morris may need to think about changing tactics, Broughton is looking far sharper in these striking battles, and is beginning to control the pace and tempo of the round. Morris fakes a right hand, then shoots out a low kick, catching Broughton on the thigh. Broughton presses forward for the first time, getting in close and using a couple of jabs to the body. Morris gets a nice left hook in, glancing off the gloves, and then clinches up. Time ticks away and the round ends just a few seconds after the referee separates them. The 1st round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Broughton.

Round 2
Morris starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Broughton checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Morris doesn't seem too bothered by that, and they enter into the first exchange of punches of the round. Difficult to say who came out on top, neither of them did a great deal of damage, most of the shots hit the opponent's gloves. Morris cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Broughton with a beauty of a right hook. Broughton stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Morris presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Broughton clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Broughton scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Morris in the gut. Morris uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Morris gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Broughton reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Morris has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Broughton has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Morris from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Morris tries to step over and fully apply it, but Broughton breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Morris steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Broughton hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Morris will probably get that round on points, he hit the best punch of the round, and got the only takedown, plus was the one who was working toward a submission. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Morris.

Round 3
Broughton doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Morris was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Morris hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. For a second it looked like Broughton was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Broughton hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Morris. Broughton is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Broughton with a body shot. Time ticks away, and Morris offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The third round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Broughton. All three judges give a score of 29-28 to Rob Broughton.

Rating: *
Notes: Broughton wasn't as impressive as when he fought Kongo and he had a brief worry in the second round but he showed true heart by winning the third round and winning the decision.

Heath Herring (28-16) vs. Nicolas Rodriguez (1-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Heath Herring via Split Decision

Round 1
They come together into a clich almost right away. Rodríguez gets a knee in, but that's about the total sum of the action, and the referee separates them. Herring moves in, but gets caught with a big kick to the legs that causes him to stumble to the mat. Rodríguez came in fast to try and capitalise, but Herring uses the guard well. Rodríguez fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Herring. Rodríguez tries to pass the guard, but can't, Herring isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Rodríguez will start raining down punches. Rodríguez tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Herring gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Rodríguez again tries to get past the guard, but again is foiled. It's turned into a bit of a stalemate, although the referee probably won't stand them up as long as the punches continue to flow. Rodríguez fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Herring fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Herring, and Rodríguez is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Herring has defended the danger well. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Rodríguez.

Round 2
Rodríguez starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Herring covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Herring backs up to buy some time, but Rodríguez keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Herring scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Rodríguez catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Herring pulls guard. Herring has the guard held very high. Rodríguez throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Herring throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Rodríguez throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Herring right through the canvas, Herring is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Rodríguez is controlling the round from this position, although it has to be said that he hasn't yet truly looked like he can stop the match from here. Herring moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Rodríguez stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Herring to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Rodríguez having totally controlled the round from the guard. End of the round.

Sherdog.com sees it 10-9 to Rodríguez.

Round 3
Herring is quickest out, and comes at Rodríguez with a series of jabs and straight punches. Rodríguez covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Rodríguez hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Herring who takes it to the ground. Rodríguez pulls guard. There's a lull, as Herring tries to pass, and Rodríguez defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Rodríguez almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Herring, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Herring. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Nicolás Rodríguez.

Rating: *
Notes: Rodriguez gets his second win in as many fights and not many fighters can say their first two fights were wins over Jake O'Brian and Heath Herring.

Ricardo Almeida (9-3) vs. Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (11-1)
Sherdog's Prediction: Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza via Decision

Round 1
The two fighters meet in the center with an exchange of jabs, but neither gets anything but gloves or air. They go right into a clinch, with only a few seconds of the match gone. Almeida gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. They clinch, although it's an ugly-looking one. Jacare forces his way to the side, still grappling for supremacy, and then manages to get all the way behind. Almeida gave up his back quite easily. Jacare takes Almeida down with a variation on the suplex, but Almeida keeps his wits and makes sure that he is able to pull guard pretty quickly upon landing. Jacare moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Almeida is defending it. There's a small lull as Jacare continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Almeida finally couldn't stop it. Jacare starts firing off punches, and Almeida has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Almeida. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Almeida can come up with some answers. Jacare hits another big elbow. And another. The referee leaps in, it's over!

Jacare wins via first round TKO at 1:07.

Rating: **
Notes: Jacare wins and is now 2-0 in the UFC and this was an impressive win which shows people that he can do more than just submissions as he wins via TKO.

Chris Leben (18-6) vs. Aaron Meisner (4-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Chris Leben via Decision

Round 1
Not the most interesting of starts to the round, it's mainly a lot of circling. The referee apparently gets bored, as he tells them to get on with it and fight. Leben complies, firing off a dangerous right cross, narrowly missing. Meisner throws a couple of stiff jabs, but they only find gloves. Leben fakes left, then comes in from the right, hitting a nice body blow. Meisner steps forward and unleashes a big kick, thundering it into Leben's ribs. He felt that one for sure. Meisner follows up by hitting a right hand too. Leben finds himself backed up against the cage. Meisner advances, and throws a scythe-like kick to the legs. Leben can't get out of the way, and almost gets felled by the impact. Meisner steps in and scores with a high head kick. Leben partially blocked it with his hands, which was probably the only thing stopping it from being a knock out blow. Leben gets a right hand jab out in response, then pulls Meisner into a clinch. Knee strike from Meisner. They break. Leben still looks hurt from that first kick. Meisner gets in close and gives a receipt for that earlier body blow, nailing a right hand to the gut. Leben hits a jab to the cheek in response, then clinches again. Time runs down, the round will end before anything more can happen. Meisner has used those powerful kicks to dominate this round. The first round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Meisner.

Round 2
Not much happening at first. Leben is the first to make a move, coming in with a right hand that narrowly misses. Meisner gets in a jab that landed on the left cheek of Leben, and leaves a mark. Quite a slow paced round so far. Leben takes another jab and moves in to retaliate, but it was a set-up and he gets creamed with a high right kick to the side of the head! Leben stumbles but doesn't go down, and has to cover up as Meisner comes in with a series of punches to try and finish the job. Leben somehow manages to hold on long enough to get his senses back, and buys some time by clinching. Hard knee from Leben from the clinch, and Meisner felt that, he looks a little tired from unloading that barrage. They break, and Leben gets in a nice right hand. Leben throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Meisner easily avoided them. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Meisner.

Round 3
They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Meisner, providing the first moment of real action. Leben hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Meisner side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Leben is being slightly the more aggressive, but neither fighter is really going for it. They come together again and exchange punches, but no big shots get through, and they end up clinched for a while. The referee separates them, but the time is ticking away and this round looks like it's going to the judges. End of round 3.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Leben. The official scores are in; two judges give 29-28, the other 30-27, all for Aaron Meisner.

Rating: **
Notes: Meisner proves that he truly belongs in the UFC with the biggest win of his career.

Maincard

Ed Herman (14-7) vs. Demian Maia (10-0)
Sherdog's Prediction: Demian Maia via Decision

Round 1
Exchange of punches to start, nothing really hit though. They go into a clinch, and the pace disappears as both fighters try and get the advantage. Eventually the referee separates them. Jab from Maia, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Maia puts on a burst of energy and fires off a big sequence of punches, maybe twelve or thirteen in a row, although not many actually connected. Herman covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. Low kick from Herman, almost to the groin, although it didn't look intentional. They come together in a clinch again, and it returns to a stalemate. Not a great round by anyone's standard, but that flurry should mean that Maia will take the round on points. The round is over.

Sherdog.com has it down as 10-9 Maia.

Round 2
A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Herman lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Maia sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Herman on the left cheek, but the follow up right hook only finds gloves. They get close to each other and end up in a clinch, from which Maia manages to get the better position, pushing Herman up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Maia. Herman hits a couple of knees to the side. There's a struggle for supremacy going on, it's difficult to see who is winning it. Maia tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Herman was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Maia down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Maia covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Herman hits a big elbow to the ribs, Maia definitely felt that. Herman drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Maia brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Herman will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Maia defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Herman unable to generate any attacks, and Maia unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Herman will likely be very angry that he didn't make more of that takedown. They exchange half-hearted jabs as the round draws to an end. End of round 2.

Sherdog.com scores it 10-9 for Herman.

Round 3
Maia starts brightly, almost hunting Herman down by stalking him around the ring. Herman throws some jabs, but they don't have the range to hit. Maia hits the first good strike, slicing a nasty-looking kick to the hip area. Herman throws a left hook in response, but it is easily parried. Maia hits another kick, this time to the calf of Herman's front leg. The kicks that Maia has been throwing are looking really good, they're sharp, accurate, and difficult to see coming. Herman will need to figure out a counter, as currently he is being picked apart. Herman moves in quickly and grabs a clinch. They struggle like that for a full minute, exchanging short, sharp blows, but without doing any real damage. The referee gets them to part. Herman tags Maia with a straight left. Maia ducks a second one, hits a jab, then whips out a quick kick that hits perfectly to the inside of the knee of the front leg. The leg buckl