Ultimate Fighting Championships: Dominance

[JMimic]

November 11th - Ultimate Fight Night - Hollywood, Florida Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. [B]Keith Jardine[/B] Nate Quarry vs. [B]Jason Day[/B] [B]Marcus Aurelio[/B] vs. Gray Maynard Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. [B]Matt Hamill[/B] Rob Emerson vs. [B]Josh Neer[/B] Marcus Davis vs. [B]Dean Lister[/B] CB Dollaway vs. [B]Jeff Joslin[/B] [B]Chris Wilson[/B] vs. Jonathan Goulet [B]Anthony Johnson[/B] vs. Roman Mitichyan Alvin Robinson vs. [B]Matt Wiman[/B] November 28th - UFC 101: Liddell vs. Shogun - Atlanta, Georgia UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: [B]Mauricio Rua [/B]vs. Chuck Liddell (c) [B]Thiago Silva[/B] vs. Forrest Griffin Demian Maia vs. [B]Yushin Okami[/B] [B]Lyoto Machida[/B] vs. Stephan Bonnar [B]Kenny Florian[/B] vs. Mac Danzig Tommy Speer vs. [B]Yoshiyuki Yoshida[/B] Corey Hill vs. [B]Spencer Fisher[/B] [B]Gabriel Gonzaga[/B] vs. Justin McCully Cole Miller vs. [B]Sam Stout[/B] Akihiro Gono vs. [B]Karo Parisyan[/B] [B]Matt Arroyo[/B] vs. Steve Bruno

[Gabriel]

[B]November 11th - Ultimate Fight Night - Hollywood, Florida[/B] [B]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/B] vs. Keith Jardine Nate Quarry vs. [B]Jason Day[/B] Marcus Aurelio vs. [B]Gray Maynard[/B] [B]Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou[/B] vs. Matt Hamill Rob Emerson vs. [B]Josh Neer[/B] [B]Marcus Davis[/B] vs. Dean Lister [B]CB Dollaway[/B] vs. Jeff Joslin Chris Wilson vs. [B]Jonathan Goulet[/B] Anthony Johnson vs. [B]Roman Mitichyan[/B] [B]Alvin Robinson[/B] vs. Matt Wiman [B]November 28th - UFC 101: Liddell vs. Shogun - Atlanta, Georgia[/B] UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: [B]Mauricio Rua[/B] vs. Chuck Liddell (c) Wilson Gouveia vs. [B]Forrest Griffin[/B] Demian Maia vs. [B]Yushin Okami[/B] [B]Lyoto Machida[/B] vs. Stephan Bonnar [B]Kenny Florian[/B] vs. Mac Danzig [B]Tommy Speer[/B] vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida Corey Hill vs. [B]Spencer Fisher[/B] [B]Gabriel Gonzaga[/B] vs. Justin McCully Cole Miller vs. [B]Sam Stout[/B] Akihiro Gono vs. [B]Karo Parisyan[/B] [B]Matt Arroyo[/B] vs. Steve Bruno

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[center][B]Ultimate Fight Night Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Matt Wiman (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Matt Wiman by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Wiman is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Robinson with a jab to the cheek. Robinson uses a nice straight left to return fire. Wiman comes in to work the body, but Robinson saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Wiman onto the floor, falling into guard. Wiman is forced into defending an attempted armbar straight away, although in truth Robinson 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, Robinson does try to pass guard, but Wiman keeps him tightly caught up in the guard. Robinson 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 Wiman covers up nicely. Wiman tries to generate some attacking threat of his own, reaching up and trying to secure a guillotine, but Robinson pops his head out quite easily. Wiman drags him down into a clinch, and they remain that way for a while, with Robinson throwing the occasional punch to the ribs, Wiman throwing them to the back. Robinson breaks free and quickly tries to pass guard, getting as far as half guard. He tries to secure an armbar, but Wiman brings his legs in to defend it. Robinson stands, still holding the arm, and ends up almost sitting on top of a balled-up Wiman. He can't do a great deal from that position, although Wiman will have found it hard to breathe, and the time expires without any more noteworthy strikes hitting. End of round 1. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Robinson. [B]Round 2[/B] An early exchange of punches goes nowhere. Wiman tries to force Robinson up against the cage, but can't. Robinson scores with the first meaningful blow of the round, a solid right hand to the ribs. Wiman steps in, but we don't get to find out his intentions as Robinson clinches up quickly. Wiman tries to shake free, but gets taken down via a trip. Robinson rains down three big punches, Wiman covers up and doesn't take too much damage. Robinson works one leg free, but Wiman has the other tightly wrapped up between his own. Robinson fires off three rapid-fire elbows to the ribs to try and soften Wiman up, but can't get the leg free. This is not a good position for Wiman though, and Robinson is looking dangerous. Robinson pushes down, then brings his free leg forward to drive a knee into the lower back. Wiman can't do a lot to stop that strike. Robinson hits a further knee, and that is enough to allow him to move into side control. Wiman is in huge trouble here. Elbow to the face, only partially blocked. Robinson briefly gets a forearm across the throat of Wiman, but it is knocked away before it can develop into a choke. Wiman tries to scramble out of it, and almost manages to pull guard again, but Robinson maintains side control. Knee to the ribs again. Wiman is taking a lot of punishment from those knee strikes. Robinson switches tactic and tries to grab an arm lock of some kind, Wiman almost got caught by surprise but not quite. The round is almost over, and there is no question that this round has gone to Robinson, it has been utter dominance. Wiman tries to get a knee strike of his own in, but it misses and Robinson responds with a hard elbow to the chest. That'll be the last action of the round. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Robinson. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Wiman puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Robinson defended well. Straight right from Robinson 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, Wiman probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Robinson 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 Wiman. The third round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Wiman. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Alvin Robinson.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Alvin Robinson by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Anthony Johnson (170) vs. Roman Mitichyan (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Anthony Johnson by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Johnson comes out fast and quickly backs Mitichyan up, all the way up against the cage. Johnson 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. Mitichyan throws a low kick, then advances with some jabs, forcing Johnson to back off a little. They meet in the center and exchange strikes, with Johnson looking the crisper striker of the two, although without doing any real damage. Mitichyan shoots in for the takedown, but Johnson sprawls and eventually pushes free. Right hand from Johnson, then two jabs which both find their mark. Mitichyan bats away a third, then comes in hard and fast for a second takedown attempt. Johnson sprawls again, but gets pushed all the way up against the cage. Mitichyan 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. Mitichyan tries for a trip, but Johnson avoids it and works free from the clinch. He returns to the center, clearly wanting a striking battle rather than a grappling match. Mitichyan follows, hands held high, and throws a couple of jabs. Johnson connects with one instead though, and then with a looping right hand that catches Mitichyan above the eye. He felt that, but doesn't go down. Best strike of the round so far. Mitichyan throws a low kick. Johnson comes in to strike again, but this time cannot sprawl quickly enough and gets taken down. Johnson pulls guard. Unfortunately for Mitichyan, 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 Johnson comfortably defends it until the round is over. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Johnson. [B]Round 2[/B] 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. Mitichyan 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. Mitichyan leans in to throw a looping left hand. Johnson avoids it, and it allows him to throw a powerful counter punch that catches Mitichyan right above the ear. Great punch. Johnson moves in and throws a devastating right hand. Mitichyan just about manages to parry it, but it still caught him on the shoulder. Mitichyan throws a right hand counter, but Johnson swats it aside and lands a big left to the chest. Mitichyan clinches up again. So far, Johnson's power is allowing him to control this round, Mitichyan is simply being out-gunned thus far. They end up next to the cage. Mitichyan 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 Mitichyan up against the cage and unloads with three big right hands. One got through and caught Mitichyan above the left eye, the other two hit home across the chest. Mitichyan clinches up again to avoid getting obliterated, and the round ends before they are broken up. End of round 2. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Johnson. [B]Round 3[/B] Johnson doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Mitichyan was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Mitichyan hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Mitichyan looks to be working an angle. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Johnson hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Mitichyan. Johnson is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Johnson is looking the slightly more fit of the two fighters. Time ticks away, and Mitichyan offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The third round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Johnson. Anthony Johnson wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Anthony Johnson by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Chris Wilson (170) vs. Jonathan Goulet (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jonathan Goulet by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Goulet throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Wilson. Kick to the thigh from Wilson, but it lacked power. Wilson throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Goulet easily avoided them. Goulet comes in hard and fast, throwing a scorching right hand, but it's a long way wide and Wilson is able to clinch up. Goulet hits a knee to the ribs, then a second. He goes to the well once too often though, as the third knee gets caught, and Wilson uses it for leverage to complete a takedown, ending up in Goulet's guard. Goulet is trying to turn. Wilson fires off a big punch, and it connects right on the point of the chin. Goulet goes limp, he is out cold from one brutal shot, Wilson manages to get the knock out from the guard position. The referee leaps in and makes sure that Wilson doesn't throw any more bombs. Official time of the knock out is 1:25 of the first.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Chris Wilson by Knockout in the First Round[/B] [B]CB Dollaway (185) vs. Jeff Joslin (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jeff Joslin by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They circle to begin the round. Dollaway throws two short jabs, then a long-range looping right hand. Joslin had to be on his toes to get out of the way, and does. Dollaway 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. Joslin parries it with his gloves, then shoots in and scores with a nice takedown. Dollaway tries to sprawl, but was too late and can only pull guard as he crash-lands to the ground. Joslin tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Dollaway reaches up to try and bring Joslin down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Joslin fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Dollaway is forced to cover up. Joslin switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Dollaway deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Joslin looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Dollaway 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 the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Joslin by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Dollaway starts off by throwing two excellent low kicks to the leading leg of Joslin. Those will accumulate fast and give Joslin some problems moving. Dollaway switches it up and throws a big right hand, missing. Joslin, 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! Dollaway goes down from the first strike that Joslin has thrown since the round began! Joslin doesn't dive in, instead taking his time. Dollaway recovered well from the punch, and remains seated on the floor, ready to defend. Joslin 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 Dollaway is able to pull guard, just, that was close. Joslin throws out a right hand, parried away by Dollaway. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Joslin looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Dollaway 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, Dollaway thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Dollaway reaches up and pulls Joslin down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Joslin 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. Dollaway looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Joslin was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Joslin gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Dollaway fires off two punches from his back, but Joslin defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Joslin stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Dollaway does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Joslin breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Dollaway will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Joslin. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Joslin puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Dollaway defended well. Straight right from Dollaway 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, Joslin probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Dollaway 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 Joslin. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Joslin. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Jeff Joslin.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jeff Joslin by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Marcus Davis (170) vs. Dean Lister (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Dean Lister via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Davis 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 Davis 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 Davis, 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, Davis 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. Davis 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 Davis clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Davis. [B]Round 2[/B] Lister comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Davis stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Davis connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Lister is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Davis seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Davis, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Lister felt that, and backs off. Lister tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Davis gets him to back off with some jabs. Davis has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Lister has been blocked at every turn. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Davis. [B]Round 3[/B] 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 Davis looks to get the better of it, landing with one crisp strike to the face in particular. Lister backs off, a little shaken. Replays show that it landed right on the nose. Davis press the action, forcing Lister 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. Lister clinches up. Davis is displaying a much more accomplished and confident striking game than Lister, the technique and speed with which the punches are being delivered is leaving Lister looking ragged in comparison. The pattern continues once they've been separated, with Davis looking the sharper of the two. He isn't overwhelming Lister by any means, but he is comfortably controlling the pace and tempo of the round, and preventing Lister from stamping any sort of mark on it. End of round 3. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Davis. The judges scores are unanimous, and give a score of 30-27 to Marcus Davis.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Marcus Davis by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rob Emerson (155) vs. Josh Neer (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Josh Neer by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Emerson throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Neer throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Emerson 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. Neer hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Emerson. They struggle all the way back, with Emerson ending up backed up against the cage. Neer hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Emerson stomps downward onto his foot. Emerson manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Neer gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Emerson ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Emerson tries a high kick to start, but Neer saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Neer who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Emerson on the nose. Emerson hits a straight right, enough to stop Neer 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Neer. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Neer puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Emerson defended well. Straight right from Emerson 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, Neer probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Emerson 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 Neer. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Neer. [B]Round 3[/B] Neer clinches with Emerson, and almost instantly is able to get a trip for a takedown, but falls right into guard. He tries to throw a couple of big punches, but completely exposes himself to a triangle. Emerson tightens it up and there doesn't look to be anyway out. Finally Neer taps out. Emerson wins via triangle submission at 0:49 of the third round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rob Emerson via Submission in the Third Round[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Main Card[/B] [B]Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (205) vs. Matt Hamill (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Sokoudjou by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Sokoudjou comes out fast and quickly backs Hamill up, all the way up against the cage. Sokoudjou 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. Hamill throws a low kick, then advances with some jabs, forcing Sokoudjou to back off a little. They meet in the center and exchange strikes, with Sokoudjou looking the crisper striker of the two, although without doing any real damage. Hamill shoots in for the takedown, but Sokoudjou sprawls and eventually pushes free. Right hand from Sokoudjou, then two jabs which both find their mark. Hamill bats away a third, then comes in hard and fast for a second takedown attempt. Sokoudjou sprawls again, but gets pushed all the way up against the cage. Hamill 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. Hamill tries for a trip, but Sokoudjou avoids it and works free from the clinch. He returns to the center, clearly wanting a striking battle rather than a grappling match. Hamill follows, hands held high, and throws a couple of jabs. Sokoudjou connects with one instead though, and then with a looping right hand that catches Hamill above the eye. He felt that, but doesn't go down. Best strike of the round so far. Hamill throws a low kick. Sokoudjou comes in to strike again, but this time cannot sprawl quickly enough and gets taken down. Sokoudjou pulls guard. Unfortunately for Hamill, 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 Sokoudjou comfortably defends it until the round is over. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou. [B]Round 2[/B] A fizzing right hand from Sokoudjou opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Hamill's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Hamill fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Sokoudjou pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Hamill 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. Sokoudjou 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. Hamill had to time that perfectly, and did. Sokoudjou doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Hamill taking his back! Hamill tries to go for a choke, but Sokoudjou bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Hamill from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Sokoudjou scores with two leg kicks, Hamill 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 2nd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Sokoudjou. [B]Round 3[/B] Two jabs from the left hand of Sokoudjou set up a hard waist-high kick, but Hamill steps back to avoid it. Nice attempt though. Sokoudjou moves in closer, bobbing and weaving, and looks to score with a looping right hand, but Hamill 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. Sokoudjou finds himself backed up against the cage briefly, and has to scramble to safety to avoid a flurry of strikes. Hamill is working for position, and is currently looking the more composed of the two. Hamill clinches with Sokoudjou. A quick trip sends Sokoudjou falling backward, pulling guard to take Hamill down with him. Sokoudjou is forced to cover up as Hamill starts hammering away with enormous strikes from the guard, trying to simply power the shots through. Some do cause some damage, landing as Sokoudjou tries unsuccessfully to throw some counters. Hamill transitions to side control without any issues and starts finding the punches down again, this time with more leverage and therefore more power. Sokoudjou 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 Sokoudjou was getting overwhelmed. Hamill wins via TKO at 2:27 of the third round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Matt Hamill by TKO in the Third Round[/B] [B]Marcus Aurelio (155) vs. Gray Maynard (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Marcus Aurelio via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Maynard throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Aurelio's jaw, but it is parried. Aurelio steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Maynard 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, Aurelio put a lot of weight behind it. Maynard hits a nice jab, then clinches. Aurelio hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Maynard hits a low kick to the leg. Aurelio bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Maynard goes down! Good shot from Aurelio! He tries to follow up and pound on Maynard, but Maynard is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Aurelio, sensing that Maynard is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Maynard ends up backed up against the cage. Aurelio gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Maynard, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Aurelio has in his hands is really posing Maynard some problems. The clinch drags on, with Aurelio unable to break free, and the round ends like that. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Aurelio. [B]Round 2[/B] Maynard throws a straight right, batted away by Aurelio. Maynard goes for a second, but gets beaten to the punch as Aurelio scores with a kick that catches Maynard across the outside of the knee. Aurelio throws another one, and this time it lands just above the same knee. Maynard backs off slightly. Aurelio throws a high jab, then head-fakes and comes in with a left hook from low down. Maynard fires back with a crisp right hand that connects to the shoulder rather than the face. Aurelio throws another fizzing low kick, again connecting with the knee. Maynard tried to check it, but couldn't in time. Those strikes are going to add up soon and start reducing his mobility. Aurelio 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. Maynard covers up, throwing occasional straight rights in return. Aurelio backs off, but not before cracking another kick into the thigh region. Time is running down, Maynard 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 scores it 10-9 for Aurelio. [B]Round 3[/B] Aurelio and Maynard circle to start. Maynard throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Aurelio sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Maynard comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Aurelio to slip a nice jab in, catching Maynard just underneath the right eye. Aurelio comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Maynard misses with a right cross, then backs off. Aurelio stalks him, forcing Maynard back up against the cage. Aurelio doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Maynard throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Aurelio pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Maynard covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Aurelio in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Aurelio 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. Maynard comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Aurelio 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 Aurelio's favour. End of round 3. Blurcat.com gives that one to Aurelio by 10-9. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Marcus Aurelio.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Marcus Aurelio by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Jason Day (185) vs. Nate Quarry (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Nate Quarry by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Quarry tries a looping punch from way back, but Day side steps with ease. Jab from Day, gets one back in response. Quarry comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Day shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Day immediately tries to pass guard, but Quarry is not allowing it. Day fires off some punches, but Quarry blocks them before grabbing a butterfly guard to keep Day trapped. They stay like that for a while before Day breaks free, but only back into regular guard. Quarry tries a cheeky guillotine attempt, but Day easily defends it, I don't think Quarry really thought that was going to work. Day tries to get side control, but Quarry defends it. Not the second time though, and Day has the side. Quarry has him tied up pretty well though, and the clock is running down. Day 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Day. [B]Round 2[/B] Quarry doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Day sprawls and keeps him at bay. Quarry pushes harder, but Day has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Quarry on his back. Day gets sucked into his guard though. Day tries to move quickly into side control, but Quarry isn't letting that happen. Quarry reaches up and tries to grab an arm, but takes a right hand to the cheek in response. Day tries to power him way through, raining down four or five hammer fists, but Quarry covered up well. Day pushes a leg down and moves to the side, but Quarry spins out. Day moves with him though and gets his back! No, Quarry scrambled like crazy and manages to turn right back over and pull guard again. That was an exciting sequence though, and the fans enjoyed it. Day won't be pleased that he had both side control and the back, but didn't hold onto either for more than a few seconds. The fight unfortunately enters a lull, as Day punctuates unsuccessful attempts to pass guard with easily defended jabs. The referee eventually gets them back up to their feet due to inactivity. Not much time left in the round though. Quarry will need to do something a bit special to avoid losing the round on points. He tries just that, throwing a big right hand and a high kick, but Day backs off, safe in the knowledge that he has won this round. The time expires. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Day. [B]Round 3[/B] A fizzing right hand from Quarry opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Day's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Day fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Quarry pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Day 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. Quarry 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. Day had to time that perfectly, and did. Quarry doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Day taking his back! Day tries to go for a choke, but Quarry bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Day from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Quarry scores with two leg kicks, Day 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Quarry. Jason Day wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jason Day by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205) vs. Keith Jardine (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Keith Jardine by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Jardine doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Nogueira was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Nogueira hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Jardine looks to be working an angle. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Jardine hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Nogueira. Jardine is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Nogueira throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Jardine easily avoided them. Time ticks away, and Nogueira offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Jardine. [B]Round 2[/B] They meet in the center. Nogueira hits a nice jab, a second misses. Jardine steps in close and hits a brutal body shot, causing Nogueira to back up quickly. That was a really powerful shot. Jardine stalks Nogueira, flicking occasional jabs. It looks like Jardine wants to stand and trade punches with Nogueira. Jardine gets within striking distance and throws a bomb of a right hand, narrowly missing. Nogueira fires off a raking left hook in response, but that is off target too. They meet and exchange punches. Nogueira goes for the body, but gets tagged with a left hand to the side of the head. Nogueira is rattled by it, but doesn't step off, instead throwing a couple of crisp jabs. Jardine throws another big punch, this time thundering it into Nogueira's shoulder. They clinch. So far it looks like Nogueira simply can't live with the power that Jardine has in his hands, you get the sense that if this continues, Nogueira 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. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Jardine by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Nogueira comes out fast, and looks like he is aiming for a quick takedown, but Jardine stops that plan with some looping punches. Solid right hand from Jardine connects, and that's the best moment of the opening minute of the round. Nogueira is mainly defending against punches, it looks like he is trying to work an angle to try for a takedown. Jardine seems to have noticed, as he is purposely positioning against that. Straight left from Jardine, then a low kick, then a wicked body shot. Nogueira felt that, and backs off. Nogueira tries to get in for a clinch, perhaps looking for a takedown from that position, but Jardine gets him to back off with some jabs. Jardine has really been able to stamp his gameplan on this round, Nogueira has been blocked at every turn. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Jardine. Keith Jardine wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Keith Jardine by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Notes:[/B] [LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Matt Hamill vs. Sokoudjou [*]Knockout of the Night: Chris Wilson [*]Submission of the Night: Rob Emerson [/LIST] Keith Jardine put himself back in the title picture with a big win in the Main Event. Chris Wilson, Matt Hamill and Rob Emerson had great performances that earned them all bonuses. Marcus Aurelio is climbing the lightweight ladder. Dean Listers debut at 170 was a loss to Marcus Davis, the weight may have been an issue for Lister. UFC 101 took a slight turn when Wilson Gouveia had to drop out due to a back injury, we'll see him back in around three months.[/center]

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[center][B]UFC 101: Liddell vs. Shogun Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Steve Bruno (170) vs. Matt Arroyo (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Steve Bruno by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] 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 Bruno 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. Bruno 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. Bruno 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 Bruno 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 Bruno 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Bruno. [B]Round 2[/B] Dull first sixty seconds to the round, as neither fighter looks willing to commit much to attack. They're both looking for angles to come in from, but they're constantly countering each other. A crisp jab from Arroyo that almost found its way through the guard is the sole highlight as we reach the minute mark. An exchange of punches goes nowhere, and they fall into a clinch. The referee separates them when nothing happens. Bruno ducks out of the way of a punch, then back steps quickly, just in time to avoid the uppercut that was coming. Better from Arroyo, although no damage has actually been done yet. Arroyo hits a stinging right hand, Bruno felt it too. Arroyo moves in to follow up, but Bruno anticipated it well and scores with a massive kick. Arroyo is stunned, and stumbles to the ground. Bruno is on top of him almost right away, and fires off a series of punches. Arroyo covers up, barely, but a lot of shots are getting through. The referee decides that enough is enough, and pulls Bruno off, it's a TKO victory. Official time of the TKO is 2:37 of the second round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Steve Bruno by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Karo Parisyan (170) vs. Akihiro Gono (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Karo Parisyan via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The round begins with Gono taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Parisyan replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Gono goes for the takedown, but Parisyan sprawls. Gono tries to power through, but Parisyan uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Gono defend this. Parisyan is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Gono isn't allowing it. Gono pulls Parisyan in tight, locking up both his arms. Parisyan 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. Parisyan tries a big right hand, which Gono defends well. He has quite a high guard, Parisyan has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Gono once again drags Parisyan down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Parisyan easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Parisyan trying to pass guard. Gono tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Parisyan, 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. Parisyan scores with a jab, then a second. Gono goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Parisyan enough time to take him down again. Parisyan quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Gono once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Parisyan on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Parisyan. [B]Round 2[/B] 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 Parisyan, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Parisyan 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. Gono covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. For a second it looked like Parisyan was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Low kick from Gono, 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 Parisyan will take the round on points. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Parisyan. [B]Round 3[/B] Gono comes out swinging, using some looping punches to try and catch Parisyan. They're easy to avoid though. The first real exchange of punches happens right in the center, and Parisyan gets the better of it, flashing two quick jabs into the cheek, and a right cross that landed above the eye. Gono tries to hit an uppercut, but Parisyan parries it away with ease. Gono backs off, then comes in again. Parisyan ducks a wild right hand and gets two shots in to the stomach. Gono parries away a third, then tries a left hand to the nose, but Parisyan side-steps it and hits a snap jab to the side of the head. Parisyan forces Gono to back up again. So far Parisyan is looking the far more accomplished striker, he has dictated how each exchange has gone, Gono is being controlled and contained with relative ease. A further exchange of strikes does nothing to change that, as once again Parisyan's hands are superior to Gono's, and he gets in one or two nice punches. Gono clinches up, perhaps buying himself time to rethink, because it doesn't look like he can win a battle of technical striking. They are parted by the referee. Parisyan stalks Gono, who begins using long-range punches to keep the distance between them. That goes on for the remainder of the round, which Parisyan has won on points by a mile. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Parisyan by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Karo Parisyan.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Karo Parisyan by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Cole Miller (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Cole Miller via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Stout stalks Miller, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Stout is down! Miller goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Miller stunned Stout with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Stout tries to push free, but Miller forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Miller reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Stout breaks it by bringing his arms up. Miller steps through in an effort to mount Stout, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Miller throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Stout rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Miller determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Stout uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Miller having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Miller. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Miller puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Stout defended well. Straight right from Stout 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, Miller probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Stout 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 Miller. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Miller. [B]Round 3[/B] Miller hits a right hand, then fakes a take down attempt. Stout got out of the way, he clearly has it in mind to not let Miller shoot in on him. They come together and exchange strikes, neither fighter gets an advantage from it. Stout throws a scorching right hand, but it misses. Miller throws a head kick, and that one doesn't! Stout took it to the side of the head and goes down. It didn't look all that powerful though, and the fact that Stout is able to clear his head pretty swiftly and pull guard on the on-rushing Miller backs that up. Stout tries to push free, but Miller forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Miller reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Stout breaks it by bringing his arms up. Miller steps through in an effort to mount Stout, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Miller throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Stout rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Miller determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Stout uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Miller having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. End of round 3. Blurcat.com gives that one to Miller by 10-9. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Cole Miller.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Cole Miller by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Gabriel Gonzaga (265) vs. Justin McCully (235)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Gabriel Gonzaga by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. McCully 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 Gonzaga scrambles and manages to get up, pushing McCully down to the ground. Gonzaga ends up on top, in guard. Gonzaga doggedly tries to pass guard, but McCully 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 McCully to do anything, but it does inspire Gonzaga to throw a couple of hard punches, albeit ones that are easily parried by the gloves of McCully. Gonzaga manages to work past McCully'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 McCully's tenacious defence frustrating Gonzaga. McCully sucks Gonzaga into a clinch, and even tries a cheeky guillotine. Gonzaga pushes him away though, and nails a beauty of a right hand to the cheek in response. I don't think McCully will be trying that move again for a while. Gonzaga grabs an arm and tries to twist it backward to create some torque. McCully uses his free arm to grab his own wrist, preventing that from happening. The time expires without anything further of note happening. End of round 1. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Gonzaga. [B]Round 2[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. McCully is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Gonzaga blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from McCully is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Gonzaga is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before McCully 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 McCully some problems later on. McCully 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. Gonzaga is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of McCully 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 McCully 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. McCully goes for a trip, but Gonzaga 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 Gonzaga 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Gonzaga. [B]Round 3[/B] Nice fast-paced start from Gonzaga, who gets right in McCully'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 McCully side-stepped. McCully fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Gonzaga steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from McCully. Gonzaga is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Gonzaga sweeps McCully's standing leg and takes them to the ground. McCully quickly pulls guard. Gonzaga tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but McCully is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Gonzaga tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Gonzaga connects, but there was no real power behind it. Gonzaga fakes McCully out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. McCully manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Gonzaga switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but McCully blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Gonzaga looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. McCully is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Gonzaga tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and McCully is safe. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Gonzaga. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Gabriel Gonzaga.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Corey Hill (155) vs. Spencer Fisher (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Spencer Fisher by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Hill is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Fisher blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Hill is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Fisher is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Hill 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 Hill some problems later on. Hill 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. Fisher is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Hill 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 Hill 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. Hill goes for a trip, but Fisher 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 Fisher 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Fisher. [B]Round 2[/B] The fighters come together right in the center. Hill throws out a jab, but Fisher bobs out of the way and uses a right hand to glance a blow off the side of the ribs in response. Fisher works an angle and storms in suddenly with three crisp jabs and a looping overhand punch, Hill covered up quickly but at least one of the jabs hit home. Fisher is making Hill look sluggish in comparison, such is the speed and crispness with which he is delivering strikes. Hill hits a low kick before back-pedalling to avoid a clubbing blow. Fisher narrowly misses a right cross. They meet in the center to exchange a flurry of strikes that gets the crowd on their feet. Fisher got slightly the better of it, he definitely snuck through a right hand that rocked Hill slightly. Hill initiates a clinch, and the action grinds to a halt. Hill looks out of ideas, he is being repeatedly lured into these exchange of strikes, but Fisher is clearly winning them. Hill needs to find some way to deal with them. Not much time left in this round. The referee separates them. Fisher tries a speculative high kick, but Hill saw it coming and was well out of range by the time it came. Hill tries to work an angle, but Fisher is having none of it and fires off a straight right hand to keep him from stepping in. Comfortable round for Fisher, he will probably be disappointed not to have done more damage given his dominance of the striking in this round. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Fisher by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] There's a few minor exchanges of punches to start the round, and Fisher gets the better of them. Neither fighter is throwing any bombs, but Fisher is showing the better technique, and has hit a few nice body shots. They come together again, and Fisher shows quick hands to get in three nice shots. Hill definitely felt them. Neither fighter seems interested in taking this to the ground, they're just circling, throwing a few punches, then regrouping. Hill is struggling to inflict much damage. He may need to switch tactics, as so far Fisher is looking very comfortable. Hill comes in with left, but Fisher saw it coming and slipped in a great right hand counter punch. Hill is getting frustrated. The remainder of the round is no different, as the occasional exchanges of strikes are clearly go the way of Fisher's superior technique. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-8 Fisher. The official scores are: 30-26 (twice), 29-27 for Spencer Fisher.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Spencer Fisher by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Tommy Speer (170) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Tommy Speer by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Tentative start to the round, the fighters are circling. Yoshida throws out a couple of range-finding jabs, but they aren't anything that will trouble Speer. Kick to the thigh from Speer, but it lacked power. Yoshida narrowly misses a right cross. Speer clinches with Yoshida and pushes him back against the cage. Yoshida gets in a knee, but a second attempt gets caught. Speer uses that for leverage, and with only one leg remaining, Yoshida has no base left with which to stop Speer drilling him with a big slam! Yoshida landed hard, but pulled guard, and will be thankful that he landed next to the cage, which can be used to his advantage. Yoshida is trying to turn. Speer fires off a big punch, and it connects right on the point of the chin. Yoshida goes limp, he is out cold from one brutal shot, Speer manages to get the knock out from the guard position. The referee leaps in and makes sure that Speer doesn't throw any more bombs. Official time of the knock out is 1:59 of the first round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Tommy Speer by Knockout in the First Round[/B] [B]UFC 101: Liddell vs. Shogun Main Card[/B] [B]Kenny Florian (155) vs. Mac Danzig (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Kenny Florian via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Florian throws two high punches, then steps in for a hook to the body. Nice combination, but Danzig defended with ease. They clinch up next to the cage, but a short struggle only ends with them separating and coming back in. Danzig gets caught with a solid right hand out of nowhere, and is rocked. Florian follows up with another one, and Danzig looks in trouble all of a sudden. He is backed up against the cage and Florian 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. Florian wins. Official time of the TKO is 1:58 of the first.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Kenny Florian by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Lyoto Machida (205) vs. Stephen Bonnar (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Lyoto Machida by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Bonnar throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Machida throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Bonnar 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. Machida hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Bonnar. They struggle all the way back, with Bonnar ending up backed up against the cage. Machida hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Bonnar stomps downward onto his foot. Bonnar manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Machida gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Bonnar ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Bonnar tries a high kick to start, but Machida saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Machida who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Bonnar on the nose. Bonnar hits a straight right, enough to stop Machida 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 1st round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Machida. [B]Round 2[/B] Machida starts strong, hitting a nice low kick and following in with a shot to the body. Bonnar backs off, but just gets pushed up against the cage. Machida presses the advantage and works a nice hook to the body. Bonnar responds with an attempted sweep, and when that doesn't work, a punch that lands behind the ear. Machida gets in a low kick as he backs off, and the fight returns towards the center. Bonnar 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 Machida. Bonnar looks wobbly, and his hands drop. Machida sees it, and comes in with a solid right hand that drops Bonnar to the mat. Machida follows up with more punches, and the referee has to get in there and stop it, Bonnar 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 2:51 of the second.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Lyoto Machida by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Demian Maia (185) vs. Yushin Okami (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Yushin Okami by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Right hand from Maia was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Okami. Maia follows up by coming in close, but Okami is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Maia advances, right hand looking ready to strike, but Okami isn't giving him the angle that he wants. Okami darts in unexpectedly but misses with a left cross, and takes a hard body shot from Maia. That's enough to put him down, although replays show that he already seemed to be stumbling when it hit, it's hard to say for sure whether he wasn't already on his way down anyway. Either way, Maia follows up, smelling victory. Okami covers up, but Maia is raining down punches from the half mount position. At least two hard shots get through. Maia moves up into side control, briefly looks like he is considering trying to take an arm, then goes back to teeing off on Okami's head with fists. Okami tries to wriggle free, but isn't really getting anywhere because Maia is lying right across his upper body. Maia uses his legs to ensnare Okami's right arm, and then starts firing off more and more punches. With only his left hand to try and block them, Okami is taking more punches than he is blocking. The referee is looking very closely at this, unless Okami does something dramatic pretty soon, I doubt this will go much longer. Maia stops to take a deep breath, then starts firing off another barrage. Okami 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. Official time of the TKO is 1:40 of the first.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Demian Maia by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Forrest Griffin (205) vs. Thiago Silva (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Forrest Griffin by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Griffin doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Silva easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Silva 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. Griffin goes down! It came out of absolutely nowhere, Silva hit a huge punch that Griffin never saw coming. He is dazed, and that gives Silva the chance to follow up. Griffin covers up, but Silva is raining down punches from the half mount position. At least two hard shots get through. Silva moves up into side control, briefly looks like he is considering trying to take an arm, then goes back to teeing off on Griffin's head with fists. Griffin tries to wriggle free, but isn't really getting anywhere because Silva is lying right across his upper body. Silva uses his legs to ensnare Griffin's right arm, and then starts firing off more and more punches. With only his left hand to try and block them, Griffin is taking more punches than he is blocking. The referee is looking very closely at this, unless Griffin does something dramatic pretty soon, I doubt this will go much longer. Silva stops to take a deep breath, then starts firing off another barrage. Griffin 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. The official time of the TKO is 1:40 of round 1.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Thiago Silva by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Chuck Liddell (c) (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Shogun by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Shogun throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Liddell from coming inside. Shogun works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Liddell responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Shogun 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. Liddell circles and throws a series of high jabs, but Shogun blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Shogun fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Liddell covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from Shogun 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. Shogun throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Shogun. [B]Round 2[/B] Shogun starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Liddell on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Shogun to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Liddell, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Shogun, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Liddell is looking a little lost so far, Shogun is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Shogun narrowly misses a right cross. Shogun leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Liddell was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Liddell 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 Liddell is that although Shogun clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Shogun by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] 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 Shogun, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Shogun 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. Liddell covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Shogun is looking the fitter of the two at this stage in the round. Low kick from Liddell, 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 Shogun will take the round on points. The 3rd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Shogun. [B]Round 4[/B] Shogun isn't hanging around, right from the start Liddell is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Liddell circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Shogun 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 Shogun, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Liddell is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Shogun really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Liddell was wide open for a moment there. Shogun hits a high kick, catching Liddell on the shoulder. Jab from Liddell finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Shogun fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Liddell scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Shogun, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. The fourth round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Shogun. [B]Round 5[/B] Liddell 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. Shogun steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Liddell 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 Shogun, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Liddell comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Shogun gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Liddell to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Shogun has controlled this one, Liddell is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Shogun. Mauricio Rua wins, with a score of 50-45 from two judges, 49-46 from the other. Mauricio Rua is the new UFC Light Heavyweight champion.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner and NEW UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Shogun Rua by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 101: Liddell vs. Shogun Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Shogun Rua vs. Chuck Liddell [*]Knockout of the Night: Tommy Speer & Thiago Silva [/LIST] Shogun Rua had an impressive performance to become the UFC Champion. He was looking forward to a rematch against Forrest Griffin, but may end up battling Lyoto Machida in the coming months. Thiago Silva made quick work of former champion Forrest Griffin, and puts himself back toward the top of the rankings. Kenny Florian also made that push with a quick TKO victory of his own. Demian Maia may be in line for a Middleweight title shot soon. UFC 102 is currently in the early stages of being booked. If healthy a Cro Cop vs. Alexander fight is expected to main event. A December Fight Night is also planned.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]December 9th - Ultimate Fight Night - Hollywood, Florida[/B] Alessio Sakara vs. Jorge Santiago Fabricio Werdum vs. Cheick Kongo Jorge Rivera vs. Josh Burkman Shane Carwin vs. Brandon Vera Patrick Cote vs. Chris Lytle Kurt Pellegrino vs. Rich Clementi Matt Grice vs. Alberto Crane Terry Etim vs. Nate Diaz Tim Boetsch vs. Tomasz Drwal Paul Kelly vs. Ricardo Almeida [B]December 26th - Rampage vs. Silva III - Newark, New Jersey[/B] Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk Rich Franklin vs. Martin Kampmann Frank Mir vs. Eddie Sanchez Chris Leben vs. Alan Belcher Din Thomas vs. Jeremy Stephens Kendall Grove vs. Ed Herman Heath Herring vs. Antoni Hardonk George Sotiropoulos vs. Troy Mandaloniz Justin McElfresh vs. Rashad Evans Ryo Chonan vs. Lyman Good [I]Rousimar Palhares has been suspended for 12 months due to failing a random drug test.[/I][/center]

[UFC-KING]

December 9th - Ultimate Fight Night - Hollywood, Florida Alessio Sakara vs. [B]Jorge Santiago[/B] Fabricio Werdum vs. [B]Cheick Kongo[/B] Jorge Rivera vs. [B]Josh Burkman[/B] [B]Shane Carwin[/B] vs. Brandon Vera [B]Patrick Cote[/B] vs. Chris Lytle Kurt Pellegrino vs. [B]Rich Clementi[/B] [B]Matt Grice[/B] vs. Alberto Crane [B]Terry Etim[/B] vs. Nate Diaz [B]Tim Boetsch[/B] vs. Tomasz Drwal Paul Kelly vs. [B]Ricardo Almeida[/B] December 26th - Rampage vs. Silva III - Newark, New Jersey [B]Wanderlei Silva [/B]vs. Quinton Jackson Tyson Griffin vs. [B]Sean Sherk[/B] [B]Rich Franklin[/B] vs. Martin Kampmann [B]Frank Mir[/B] vs. Eddie Sanchez [B]Chris Leben[/B] vs. Alan Belcher [B]Din Thomas[/B] vs. Jeremy Stephens [B]Kendall Grove [/B]vs. Ed Herman [B]Heath Herring[/B] vs. Antoni Hardonk [B]George Sotiropoulos[/B] vs. Troy Mandaloniz Justin McElfresh vs. [B]Rashad Evans[/B] Ryo Chonan vs. [B]Lyman Good[/B]

[D.O.]

December 9th - Ultimate Fight Night - Hollywood, Florida Alessio Sakara vs. [B]Jorge Santiago[/B] [B]Fabricio Werdum[/B] vs. Cheick Kongo Jorge Rivera vs. [B]Josh Burkman[/B] Shane Carwin vs. [B]Brandon Vera[/B] [B]Patrick Cote[/B] vs. Chris Lytle Kurt Pellegrino vs. [B]Rich Clementi[/B] [B]Matt Grice[/B] vs. Alberto Crane Terry Etim vs. [B]Nate Diaz[/B] [B]Tim Boetsch[/B] vs. Tomasz Drwal Paul Kelly vs. [B]Ricardo Almeida[/B] December 26th - Rampage vs. Silva III - Newark, New Jersey Wanderlei Silva vs. [B]Quinton Jackson[/B] Tyson Griffin vs. [B]Sean Sherk[/B] [B]Rich Franklin[/B] vs. Martin Kampmann [B]Frank Mir[/B] vs. Eddie Sanchez [B]Chris Leben[/B] vs. Alan Belcher Din Thomas vs. [B]Jeremy Stephens[/B] [B]Kendall Grove[/B] vs. Ed Herman [B]Heath Herring[/B] vs. Antoni Hardonk [B]George Sotiropoulos[/B] vs. Troy Mandaloniz Justin McElfresh vs. [B]Rashad Evans[/B] Ryo Chonan vs. [B]Lyman Good[/B]

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[center][B]Ultimate Fight Night Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Paul Kelly (185) vs. Ricardo Almeida (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ricardo Almeida by TKO[/I] [QUOTE]Round 1 Kelly is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Almeida with a jab to the cheek. Almeida uses a nice straight left to return fire. Kelly comes in to work the body, but Almeida saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Kelly onto the floor, falling into guard. Kelly is forced into defending an attempted armbar straight away, although in truth Almeida 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, Almeida does try to pass guard, but Kelly keeps him tightly caught up in the guard. Almeida 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 Kelly covers up nicely. Kelly tries to generate some attacking threat of his own, reaching up and trying to secure a guillotine, but Almeida pops his head out quite easily. Kelly drags him down into a clinch, and they remain that way for a while, with Almeida throwing the occasional punch to the ribs, Kelly throwing them to the back. Almeida breaks free and quickly tries to pass guard, getting as far as half guard. He tries to secure an armbar, but Kelly brings his legs in to defend it. Almeida stands, still holding the arm, and ends up almost sitting on top of a balled-up Kelly. He can't do a great deal from that position, although Kelly will have found it hard to breathe, and the time expires without any more noteworthy strikes hitting. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Almeida. Round 2 Nice fast-paced start from Almeida, who gets right in Kelly'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 Kelly side-stepped. Kelly fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Almeida steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Kelly. Almeida is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Almeida sweeps Kelly's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Kelly quickly pulls guard. It takes a minute, but Almeida's persistence allows him to pass guard and get to side control. Kelly needs to try and get out of this quickly. Almeida seems content to simply control the action at the moment, rather than trying to actually end the fight. He fires an occasional punch to the body, but other than that there's very little going on. Kelly isn't being allowed to do much, and has the added problem of having a 185lb man across his chest, making it difficult to breathe properly. Almeida tries to get an armbar on the far arm, but Kelly links his hands together to stop the elbow getting hyper-extended. Almeida drives a back-fist into the face, hitting right below the left eye, but Kelly shifts his weight and manages to get himself into a better defensive position. The time expires with them in that position, with Almeida having controlled the ground game entirely. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Almeida by 10-9. Round 3 Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Almeida puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Kelly defended well. Straight right from Kelly 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, Almeida probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Kelly 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 Almeida. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Almeida. Ricardo Almeida wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] Winner: Ricardo Almeida by Unanimous Decision [B]Tim Boetsch (205) vs. Tomasz Drwal (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Tim Boetsch via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Boetsch hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Drwal to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Boetsch hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Drwal tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Boetsch having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Drwal. Drwal swings for the fences, but Boetsch ducks under and comes in closer, into grappling range. He scoops up Drwal onto his shoulder, and then flattens him with a slam. The crowd pop for it. Boetsch gets side control, but loses it almost immediately as Drwal is able to regain composure and pull guard. Boetsch drops a bomb of a right hand, smashing into the hands of Drwal and forcing them back into his face. Another right hand finds its way through, landing right above the eye, stunning Drwal. With his opponent's wits scrambled, Boetsch moves from the guard into a mount with ease, and starts unloading with rights and lefts. Drwal tries to cover up, but is getting decimated, and the referee is forced to come in and pull Boetsch off, signalling the win. Official time of the TKO is 3:15 of the first.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Tim Boetsch by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Terry Etim (155) vs. Nate Diaz (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Nate Diaz via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Etim is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Diaz with a jab to the cheek. Diaz uses a nice straight left to return fire. Etim comes in to work the body, but Diaz saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Etim onto the floor, falling into guard. Diaz tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Etim is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Diaz tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Diaz connects, but there was no real power behind it. Diaz fakes Etim out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Etim manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Diaz switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Etim blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Diaz looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Etim is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Diaz tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Etim is safe. The round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Diaz by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Etim tries a looping punch from way back, but Diaz side steps with ease. Jab from Diaz, gets one back in response. Etim comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Diaz shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Diaz tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Etim is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Diaz tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Diaz connects, but there was no real power behind it. Diaz fakes Etim out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Etim manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Diaz switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Etim blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Diaz looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Etim is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Diaz tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Etim is safe. End of round 2. Blurcat.com gives that one to Diaz by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Etim and Diaz circle to start. Diaz throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Etim sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Diaz comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Etim to slip a nice jab in, catching Diaz just underneath the right eye. Etim comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Diaz misses with a right cross, then backs off. Etim stalks him, forcing Diaz back up against the cage. Etim doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Diaz throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Etim pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Diaz covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Etim in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Etim 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. Diaz comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Etim 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 Etim's favour. The third round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Etim. Nate Diaz wins the match, getting a score of 29-28 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Alberto Crane (155) vs. Matt Grice (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Matt Grice by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Right hand from Crane was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Grice. Crane follows up by coming in close, but Grice is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. Crane misses with a right hand, and leaves himself open to a left hook. Crane goes down, although replays confirm that it was a stumble, Grice was a few inches away from connecting with that left. Grice tries to quickly mount Crane to capitalise, but doesn't get there in time, Crane is already half way back up. They enagage in a fairly ragged scramble for supremacy and Crane slips out and gets his back! Crane gets one arm in and snakes it around the throat of Grice, squeezing his wind-pipe shut. Grice 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 Crane to get a body-scissors in too. With no alternatives left, Grice taps out. Crane wins via first round rear choke submission at 1:42.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Alberto Crane via Submission in the First Round[/B] [B]Kurt Pellegrino (155) vs. Rich Clementi (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Kurt Pellegrino via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Pellegrino is quickest out, and comes at Clementi with a series of jabs and straight punches. Clementi covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Clementi hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Pellegrino who takes it to the ground. Clementi pulls guard. There's a lull, as Pellegrino tries to pass, and Clementi defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Clementi almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Pellegrino, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The first round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Pellegrino. [B]Round 2[/B] The two fighters touch gloves to start the round, and almost immediately come together in a clinch. There's a struggle for supremacy, but neither seems to be able to gain the advantage. They struggle all the way to the cage, neither seems to have a clear-cut advantage when it comes to wrestling. Things stall, neither fighter seems willing to risk attempting a takedown. The referee waits thirty seconds, then pulls them apart due to the inactivity. Pellegrino makes Clementi 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. Pellegrino throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Clementi lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Pellegrino by surprise, putting him down! Clementi follows up and starts raining down right hands. Pellegrino covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Clementi off, the match is over. Clementi wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 2:57.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rich Clementi by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Main Card[/B] [B]Patrick Cote (185) vs. Chris Lytle (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Chris Lytle via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] 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 Lytle picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Cote throws a wild punch as a counter, but Lytle 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, Lytle is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Cote manages to back Lytle up against the cage. Cote takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Lytle 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, Lytle 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 Lytle on the thigh. Lytle 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. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Lytle. [B]Round 2[/B] 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 Lytle, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Lytle 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. Cote 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 Cote, 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 Lytle will take the round on points. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Lytle. [B]Round 3[/B] Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Cote who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Lytle 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. Lytle suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Cote manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Lytle tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Cote hits a couple of shots to the back. Lytle hits a stomp. Cote lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Lytle the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Lytle is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Cote. He throws some hard downward punches, Cote defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Lytle leaves his arm in for a second too long and Cote reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Lytle gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Cote 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. Cote tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Lytle avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. The 3rd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Lytle. Chris Lytle wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Chris Lytle by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Shane Carwin (265) vs. Brandon Vera (220)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Brandon Vera via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Vera and Carwin circle to start. Carwin throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Vera sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Carwin comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Vera to slip a nice jab in, catching Carwin just underneath the right eye. Vera comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Carwin misses with a right cross, then backs off. Vera stalks him, forcing Carwin back up against the cage. Vera doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Carwin throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Vera pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Carwin covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Vera in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Vera 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. Carwin comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Vera 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 Vera's favour. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Vera by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Vera with a jab. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Big kick from Vera! That was out of nowhere, and hit Carwin on the jaw. I don't think anyone saw that coming, least of all Carwin, and he has been laid out cold with one massively powerful kick. The official time of the knock out is 0:30 of round 2.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Brandon Vera by Knockout in the Second Round[/B] [B]Jorge Rivera (185) vs. Josh Burkman (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Josh Burkman by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Rivera hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Burkman to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Rivera hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Burkman tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Rivera having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Burkman. Burkman throws a stinging jab, landing just above the left eye. Rivera steps in and fires off one of his own, but Burkman bobs out of the way and scores with a pair of solid shots to the body. Rivera turns and swings, just as Burkman also unloads...and it's Burkman who connects first! Rivera's hands drop and he is on rubbery legs. Burkman follows up with a beauty of a right hand, and that drops Rivera. The referee doesn't even wait for Burkman to dive in to finish, he's seen enough, Rivera is clearly on Dream Street. This bout is over! The official time is 4:20.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Josh Burkman by Knockout in the First Round[/B] [B]Fabricio Werdum (233) vs. Cheick Kongo (233)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Fabricio Werdum via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Kongo doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Werdum was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Werdum hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Kongo glances at the referee, not sure why. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Kongo hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Werdum. Kongo is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. A looping left from Kongo, but it's wide of the mark. Time ticks away, and Werdum offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Kongo. [B]Round 2[/B] Werdum starts the round by throwing some low kicks. Kongo checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Werdum 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. Werdum cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch Kongo with a beauty of a right hook. Kongo stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Werdum presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. Kongo clinches. They remain clinched for a while. Kongo scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Werdum in the gut. Werdum uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Werdum gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. Kongo reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Werdum has his left arm straightened out, fortunately Kongo has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Werdum from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Werdum tries to step over and fully apply it, but Kongo breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Werdum steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. Kongo hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Werdum 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 second round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Werdum. [B]Round 3[/B] The round starts. They touch gloves. Werdum throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Kongo to back off. Kongo throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Werdum sees it coming and steps back. Kongo advances and they meet in the center. Werdum ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Kongo 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. Werdum bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Kongo ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Werdum to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Werdum 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. Kongo's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Werdum and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Werdum is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Kongo. Cheick Kongo wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Cheick Kongo by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Alessio Sakara (185) vs. Jorge Santiago (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jorge Santiago by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Sakara throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Santiago throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Sakara 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. Santiago hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Sakara. They struggle all the way back, with Sakara ending up backed up against the cage. Santiago hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Sakara stomps downward onto his foot. Sakara manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Santiago gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Sakara ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Sakara tries a high kick to start, but Santiago saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Santiago who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Sakara on the nose. Sakara hits a straight right, enough to stop Santiago 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 first round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Santiago by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Santiago throws a ragged jab, missing by a mile as Sakara simply ducks under and unloads a vicious hook from below. It catches Santiago square on the jaw, and he goes down! Sakara mounts and starts firing off punches, rapid-fire. The referee waits to see if Santiago can recover, decides that he can't, and pulls Sakara off. The match is over. Sakara wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 0:52.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Alessio Sakara by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Cheick Kongo vs. Fabricio Werdum [*]Knockout of the Night: Brandon Vera [*]Submission of the Night: Alberto Crane's Rear Naked Choke [/LIST] ATT teammates took center stage and Alessio Sakara came out on top. Sakara is setting himself up as a title contender in the Middleweight divsion, as is the victorious Josh Burkman. Brandon Vera came back strong with a KO win, and Cheick Kongo outlasted Werdum in their heavyweight battle. Chris Lytle & Rich Clementi also had significant wins to put themselves on notice. Chuck Liddell took to the center of the Octagon and let the crown know that he would be retiring. He did mention he'd like to take to the Octagon one more time before calling it a career, but it is unknown if he will be healthy and ready to go in ample time.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]Rampage vs. Silva III Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]George Sotiropoulos (170) vs. Troy Mandaloniz (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: George Sotiropoulos via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Rude Boy is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Sotiropoulos with a jab to the cheek. Sotiropoulos uses a nice straight left to return fire. Rude Boy comes in to work the body, but Sotiropoulos saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Rude Boy onto the floor, falling into guard. Sotiropoulos stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Rude Boy's guard with him. Rude Boy reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Sotiropoulos 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. Rude Boy blocks it. Sotiropoulos floats over and gets into side control. Rude Boy scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Sotiropoulos lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Rude Boy up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Rude Boy makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Sotiropoulos can't get either arm isolated properly. Sotiropoulos changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Rude Boy 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 Sotiropoulos can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Sotiropoulos. [B]Round 2[/B] A couple of straight lefts from Rude Boy start the round, but neither got past the gloves of Sotiropoulos. They clinch, with Sotiropoulos looking like he initiated it. They struggle for supremacy. Rude Boy gets taken down, but traps Sotiropoulos in guard. Sotiropoulos tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Rude Boy is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Sotiropoulos tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Sotiropoulos connects, but there was no real power behind it. Sotiropoulos fakes Rude Boy out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Rude Boy manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Sotiropoulos switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Rude Boy blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Sotiropoulos looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Rude Boy is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Sotiropoulos tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Rude Boy is safe. The second round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sotiropoulos. [B]Round 3[/B] Rude Boy throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Sotiropoulos throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Rude Boy 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. Sotiropoulos hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Rude Boy. They struggle all the way back, with Rude Boy ending up backed up against the cage. Sotiropoulos hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Rude Boy stomps downward onto his foot. Rude Boy manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Sotiropoulos gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Rude Boy ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Rude Boy tries a high kick to start, but Sotiropoulos saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Sotiropoulos who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Rude Boy on the nose. Rude Boy hits a straight right, enough to stop Sotiropoulos 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 3. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Sotiropoulos. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for George Sotiropoulos.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: George Sotiropoulos by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Lyman Good (185) vs. Ryo Chonan (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ryo Chonan via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Good 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 Chonan scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Good down to the ground. Chonan ends up on top, in guard. Chonan tries to move quickly into side control, but Good isn't letting that happen. Good reaches up and tries to grab an arm, but takes a right hand to the cheek in response. Chonan tries to power him way through, raining down four or five hammer fists, but Good covered up well. Chonan pushes a leg down and moves to the side, but Good spins out. Chonan moves with him though and gets his back! No, Good scrambled like crazy and manages to turn right back over and pull guard again. That was an exciting sequence though, and the fans enjoyed it. Chonan won't be pleased that he had both side control and the back, but didn't hold onto either for more than a few seconds. The fight unfortunately enters a lull, as Chonan punctuates unsuccessful attempts to pass guard with easily defended jabs. The referee eventually gets them back up to their feet due to inactivity. Not much time left in the round though. Good will need to do something a bit special to avoid losing the round on points. He tries just that, throwing a big right hand and a high kick, but Chonan backs off, safe in the knowledge that he has won this round. The time expires. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Chonan. [B]Round 2[/B] They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Good, providing the first moment of real action. Chonan hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Good 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. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Chonan. [B]Round 3[/B] A couple of straight lefts from Good start the round, but neither got past the gloves of Chonan. They clinch, with Chonan looking like he initiated it. They struggle for supremacy. Good gets taken down, but traps Chonan in guard. Chonan immediately tries to pass guard, but Good is not allowing it. Chonan fires off some punches, but Good blocks them before grabbing a butterfly guard to keep Chonan trapped. They stay like that for a while before Chonan breaks free, but only back into regular guard. Good tries a cheeky guillotine attempt, but Chonan easily defends it, I don't think Good really thought that was going to work. Chonan tries to get side control, but Good defends it. Not the second time though, and Chonan has the side. Good has him tied up pretty well though, and the clock is running down. Chonan gets in a firm couple of elbows to the ribs, but the time expires and the referee gets them to part. The round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Chonan by 10-9. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Ryo Chonan.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Ryo Chonan by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rashad Evans (205) vs. Justin McElfresh (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Rashad Evans by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] McElfresh leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Evans 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. Evans uses a knee to the ribs before backing McElfresh up against the cage. Right hand from McElfresh connects though, that was well timed. Evans breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, McElfresh was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Evans sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. McElfresh fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. The two fighters are circling. McElfresh comes in for a punch, but Evans countered well by coming in fast and low and using a good solid takedown. Evans is in McElfresh's guard. Evans breaks the guard and stands up, leaving McElfresh on his back. McElfresh tries to keep Evans back with some up-kicks, Evans has to be careful not to get caught with them, they have power. Evans fakes a dive, pushes the legs to one side, and gets side control. McElfresh tries to turn into it so that he can pull guard, but Evans isn't allowing it, and traps both arms, creating a crucifix position. Evans starts throwing punches to the face, McElfresh having no arms free to block them. Big shot from Evans, that caught McElfresh on the chin as he momentarily lifted his head while trying to struggle free. McElfresh is out like a light. The referee jumps in, this is over. Official time of the knock out is 3:12 of the first.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rashad Evans by Knockout in the First Round[/B] [B]Heath Herring (265) vs. Antoni Hardonk (265)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Heath Herring by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Good start from Herring, taking Hardonk down almost immediately! Hardonk scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Herring will be disappointed with that. Hardonk comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Herring to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Hardonk felt that one for sure. He stalks Herring, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Herring keeps out of the way. Hardonk tries a kick, but Herring catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Herring gets Hardonk down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Herring throws some punches, then tries to pass. Hardonk doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Herring easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Herring followed by a pass attempt, with Hardonk 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 first round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-8 for Herring. [B]Round 2[/B] Herring makes Hardonk 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. Herring throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Hardonk lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Herring by surprise, putting him down! Hardonk follows up and starts raining down right hands. Herring covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Hardonk off, the match is over. Hardonk wins via second round TKO at 1:28.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Antoni Hardonk by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Ed Herman (185) vs. Kendall Grove (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ed Herman by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Grove tries a looping punch from way back, but Herman side steps with ease. Jab from Herman, gets one back in response. Grove comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Herman shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Herman tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Grove is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Herman tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Herman connects, but there was no real power behind it. Herman fakes Grove out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Grove manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Herman switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Grove blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Herman looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Grove is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Herman tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Grove is safe. The round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Herman. [B]Round 2[/B] Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Grove stalks Herman, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Grove is down! Herman goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Herman stunned Grove with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Herman stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Grove's guard with him. Grove reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Herman 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. Grove blocks it. Herman floats over and gets into side control. Grove scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Herman lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Grove up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Grove makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Herman can't get either arm isolated properly. Herman changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Grove 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 Herman can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. The second round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Herman. [B]Round 3[/B] The round begins with Grove taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Herman replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Grove goes for the takedown, but Herman sprawls. Grove tries to power through, but Herman uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Grove defend this. Herman is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Grove isn't allowing it. Grove pulls Herman in tight, locking up both his arms. Herman 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. Herman tries a big right hand, which Grove defends well. He has quite a high guard, Herman has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Grove once again drags Herman down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Herman easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Herman trying to pass guard. Grove tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Herman, 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. Herman scores with a jab, then a second. Grove goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Herman enough time to take him down again. Herman quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Grove once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Herman on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Herman. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Ed Herman.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Ed Herman by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Din Thomas (155) vs. Jeremy Stephens (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Din Thomas by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Thomas puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Stephens defended well. Straight right from Stephens 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, Thomas probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Stephens 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 Thomas. End of round 1. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Thomas. [B]Round 2[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Stephens is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Thomas blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Stephens is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Thomas is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Stephens 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 Stephens some problems later on. Stephens 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. Thomas is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Stephens 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 Stephens 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. Stephens goes for a trip, but Thomas 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 Thomas 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Thomas. [B]Round 3[/B] Stephens moves in quickly to begin, trapping Thomas against the cage. The advantage doesn't last long though, as Thomas uses his superior wrestling ability to turn the tables and gain the upper hand. Knee to the thigh by Thomas, then a solid punch to the shoulder. Stephens tries to get a punch in, but Thomas uses his grappling to gain a better position and put a stop to that. Stephens squirms free and away from the cage. Stephens hits a solid left, then a right. Thomas felt both of them, and backs off a little. Stephens charges right in to follow up though, and unleashes a powerful right hook, and Thomas took it flush on the chin! Stephens doesn't even bother following up on that, because Thomas was out cold from the instant that that hit. Incredible punch. The official time of the knock out is 2:42 of round 3.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jeremy Stephens by Knockout in the Third Round[/B] [B]Rampage vs. Silva III Main Card[/B] [B]Chris Leben (185) vs. Alan Belcher (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Chris Leben by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Leben leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Belcher 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. Belcher uses a knee to the ribs before backing Leben up against the cage. Right hand from Leben connects though, that was well timed. Belcher breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Leben was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Belcher sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Leben fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Leben throws a combination but gets smothered into a clinch. They back up against the cage. Belcher hits a wicked uppercut, taking Leben completely by surprise, then starts wailing away with lefts and rights. Leben can only cover up against the ferocious attack, but that doesn't stop a couple of big shots landing. More shots rain down, and Leben 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 Belcher to safety either. The referee finally sees enough and covers Leben up. The official time of the TKO is 3:16 of round 1.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Alan Belcher by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Eddie Sanchez (243) vs. Frank Mir (243)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Frank Mir by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Sanchez doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Mir was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Mir hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. About thirty seconds pass without any contact, and the crowd become a little restless. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Sanchez hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Mir. Sanchez is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Both fighters circle. Time ticks away, and Mir offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sanchez. [B]Round 2[/B] Sanchez starts with a high kick, but Mir was well out of range. Mir gets pinned against the cage, and the referee eventually has to separate them. Sanchez steps in and exchanges strikes with Mir, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Mir parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Sanchez 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. Sanchez finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Mir 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 Sanchez blocked them. Sanchez scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Mir square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Mir backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Sanchez's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Sanchez probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. The second round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Sanchez by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Sanchez throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Mir throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Sanchez 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. Mir hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Sanchez. They struggle all the way back, with Sanchez ending up backed up against the cage. Mir hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Sanchez stomps downward onto his foot. Sanchez manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Mir gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Sanchez ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Sanchez tries a high kick to start, but Mir saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Mir who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Sanchez on the nose. Sanchez hits a straight right, enough to stop Mir 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 is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Mir. The official scores are: 29-28 (Eddie Sanchez), 29-28 (Frank Mir), 29-28 (Eddie Sanchez). Eddie Sanchez wins by split decision.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Eddie Sanchez by Split Decision[/B] [B]Martin Kampmann (185) vs. Rich Franklin (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Rich Franklin by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Quick start to the round from Kampmann, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Franklin defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Franklin connects. Kampmann gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Kampmann pushes Franklin back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Franklin blocks it. Franklin suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Kampmann down to the ground, into guard. Franklin tries to move quickly into side control, but Kampmann isn't letting that happen. Kampmann reaches up and tries to grab an arm, but takes a right hand to the cheek in response. Franklin tries to power him way through, raining down four or five hammer fists, but Kampmann covered up well. Franklin pushes a leg down and moves to the side, but Kampmann spins out. Franklin moves with him though and gets his back! No, Kampmann scrambled like crazy and manages to turn right back over and pull guard again. That was an exciting sequence though, and the fans enjoyed it. Franklin won't be pleased that he had both side control and the back, but didn't hold onto either for more than a few seconds. The fight unfortunately enters a lull, as Franklin punctuates unsuccessful attempts to pass guard with easily defended jabs. The referee eventually gets them back up to their feet due to inactivity. Not much time left in the round though. Kampmann will need to do something a bit special to avoid losing the round on points. He tries just that, throwing a big right hand and a high kick, but Franklin backs off, safe in the knowledge that he has won this round. The time expires. End of round 1. Blurcat.com gives that one to Franklin by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Franklin starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Kampmann covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Kampmann backs up to buy some time, but Franklin keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Kampmann scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Franklin catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Kampmann pulls guard. Franklin almost gets caught in a surprise armbar, leaving his arm in for far too long after a punch. Kampmann tries to twist it while wrapping his legs around it, but Franklin pulls free, and it allows him an opportunity to get side control due to Kampmann's legs being out of position. He lies across Kampmann's chest. Kampmann has locked up Franklin's right shoulder well, it's preventing him from doing much. Franklin drives a knee into the ribs, but can't generate much force. Franklin tries to spin around and get into north and south position, but Kampmann blocks it by tenaciously holding onto the right arm. Franklin uses his legs to break Kampmann's arms apart and trap the right one. It's a semi-crucifix position, Kampmann is quite exposed. Fortunately for him then time expires before Franklin can turn it into a better attacking opportunity. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Franklin. [B]Round 3[/B] The round begins, and it is Franklin who starts better, energetically bounding straight into action by throwing a three-punch combination and a scything leg kick. Kampmann defended all four blows well, but is forced to be on the backfoot right from the word go. Franklin works for an angle, coming in from the left hand side with a high right hand. Kampmann ducks under it and nestles a stiff jab in the solar plexus. It doesn't seem to slow Franklin 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 Kampmann. Interesting first minute of action, Franklin is looking particularly sharp. Kampmann tries to turn the momentum by advancing quickly and driving Franklin back against the cage with a series of jabs and hooks, and they end up clinched. Kampmann tries a knee from that position, but it is blocked. Franklin scores with two sharp blows to the ribs, and then they break away from each other. Franklin glances at the referee, not sure why. They square up to each other in the center. Franklin throws a head fake and comes in from low down to hit a rising shot that catches Kampmann on the side of the head. Kampmann got a shot in too though, although it hit the shoulder rather than the head. Time is running down; Franklin 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. Kampmann tries a late surge, coming in hard and fast with a leading left, but Franklin defends it well and scores the only meaningful shot of the exchange with a crisp left hand. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Franklin. Rich Franklin wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rich Franklin by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Sean Sherk (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Sean Sherk by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Sherk and Griffin meet in the center, and both throw looping right hands at the same time. Neither hits home. Sherk throws a couple of nice jabs that cause Griffin to cover up. He throws a sharp right hand in response which narrowly misses. They clinch in the center. Griffin tries to trip Sherk, but it is easily dealt with, and Sherk cheekily does the exact same thing to Griffin, except with more success. Griffin goes crashing to the ground with Sherk on top. Sherk fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Griffin. Sherk tries to pass the guard, but can't, Griffin isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Sherk will start raining down punches. Sherk tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Griffin gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Sherk 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. Sherk fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Griffin fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Griffin, and Sherk is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Griffin has defended the danger well. The round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Sherk by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] An exchange of strikes in the center starts the round, both fighers hit nice jabs amongst the flurry of punches. They end up clinched. Griffin hits a punch to the ribs, and takes one back in return. Sherk pushes forward and the rush causes Griffin to stumble and get taken down, pulling guard as they hit the ground. Griffin has the guard held very high. Sherk throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Griffin throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Sherk throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Griffin right through the canvas, Griffin is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Sherk 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. Griffin moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Sherk stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Griffin to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Sherk having totally controlled the round from the guard. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sherk. [B]Round 3[/B] 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. Griffin goes for the first takedown, but Sherk 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. Sherk storms back in almost immediately and takes Griffin down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Griffin just had a lapse in concentration. Sherk tries to pass the guard but can't, with Griffin employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Griffin is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Sherk makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Griffin 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 Sherk on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sherk. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Sean Sherk.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Sean Sherk by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Quinton Jackson (205) vs. Wanderlei Silva (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Rampage by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Quick start to the round from Wanderlei, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Jackson defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Jackson connects. Wanderlei gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Wanderlei pushes Jackson back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Jackson blocks it. Jackson suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Wanderlei down to the ground, into guard. Wanderlei has the guard held very high. Jackson throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Wanderlei throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Jackson throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Wanderlei right through the canvas, Wanderlei is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Jackson 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. Wanderlei moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Jackson stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Wanderlei to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Jackson having totally controlled the round from the guard. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Jackson. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Wanderlei 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, Wanderlei 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 Wanderlei. The 2nd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Wanderlei. [B]Round 3[/B] Wanderlei is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Jackson with a jab to the cheek. Jackson uses a nice straight left to return fire. Wanderlei comes in to work the body, but Jackson saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Wanderlei onto the floor, falling into guard. Jackson fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Wanderlei. Jackson tries to pass the guard, but can't, Wanderlei 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. Wanderlei 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 Wanderlei fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Wanderlei, and Jackson is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Wanderlei has defended the danger well. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Jackson. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Quinton Jackson.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rampage Jackson by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rampage vs. Silva III Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva [*]Knockout of the Night: Jeremy Stephens & Rashad Evans [/LIST] Rampage, Stephens, and Herman all got their revenge on this night. Rampage picking up an important victory en route to getting another title shot, and Stephens & Herman putting themselves in the discussion of contenders. Antoni Hardonk and Eddie Sanchez surprised everyone in the heavyweight division with their wins. Sanchez squeaked by Mir, while Hardonk got a decisive victory. Alan Belcher and Ryo Chonan keep moving up the ranks in the Middleweight division. Anderson Silva was smiling after Chonan's victory. And Sean Sherk got his win and looks forward to a re-match with BJ Penn in 2010. The UFC signed lightweight Jorge Masvidal signed a lucrative deal to bring his nine fight win streak to the Octagon. No opponent is named for him, although one can expect it to be a contenders bout. Fighter of the Year 2009: Robbie Lawler (5-0)[/QUOTE][/center]

[UFC-KING]

Damn i ****ed Up Big Time

[ACCBiggz]

[center][B]January 16th - UFC 103: Onslaught II - Montreal, Quebec, Canada[/B] [B]UFC Lightweight Championship: [/B]Yves Edwards vs. BJ Penn (c) Matt Hughes vs. Dong Hyun Kim Georges St. Pierre vs. Luke Cummo Roger Gracie vs. Daniel Puder Mike Whitehead vs. Ricardo Arona Joe Lauzon vs. Clay Guida Chris Wilson vs. Mike Swick Tamdan McCrory vs. Paul Taylor Antonio Mendes vs. James Lee Nate Marquardt vs. Kendall Grove Jon Fitch vs. Matt Serra & Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Jake O'Brien will headline next months PPV. Cro Cop is expected back for a March title defense against Houston Alexander barring any further set backs.[/center]

[JMimic]

FC Lightweight Championship: Yves Edwards vs. [B]BJ Penn (c)[/B] [B]Matt Hughes[/B] vs. Dong Hyun Kim [B]Georges St. Pierre[/B] vs. Luke Cummo [B]Roger Gracie[/B] vs. Daniel Puder Mike Whitehead vs. [B]Ricardo Arona[/B] Joe Lauzon vs. [B]Clay Guida[/B] [B]Chris Wilson [/B]vs. Mike Swick [B]Tamdan McCrory[/B] vs. Paul Taylor [B]Antonio Mendes[/B] vs. James Lee [B]Nate Marquardt[/B] vs. Kendall Grove

[D.O.]

UFC Lightweight Championship: Yves Edwards vs. [B]BJ Penn (c)[/B] Matt Hughes vs. [B]Dong Hyun Kim[/B] [B]Georges St. Pierre[/B] vs. Luke Cummo [B]Roger Gracie[/B] vs. Daniel Puder Mike Whitehead vs. [B]Ricardo Arona[/B] [B]Joe Lauzon[/B] vs. Clay Guida [B]Chris Wilson[/B] vs. Mike Swick [B]Tamdan McCrory[/B] vs. Paul Taylor Antonio Mendes vs. [B]James Lee[/B] [B]Nate Marquardt[/B] vs. Kendall Grove

[Davidmarrio]

UFC Lightweight Championship: Yves Edwards vs. [B]BJ Penn (c)[/B] Matt Hughes vs. [B]Dong Hyun Kim[/B] [B]Georges St. Pierre [/B]vs. Luke Cummo [B]Roger Gracie[/B] vs. Daniel Puder [B]Mike Whitehead[/B] vs. Ricardo Arona Joe Lauzon vs. [B]Clay Guida[/B] Chris Wilson vs. [B]Mike Swick[/B] [B]Tamdan McCrory[/B] vs. Paul Taylor [B]Antonio Mendes[/B] vs. James Lee [B]Nate Marquardt[/B] vs. Kendall Grove

[ACCBiggz]

[center][B]UFC 103: Onslaught II Prelim Bouts[/B] [B] Kendall Grove (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Nate Marquardt by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Grove misses with a straight right. Marquardt hits a standing kick, and Grove is rocked, stumbling backwards and falling to the floor. Marquardt leaps into action and fires off a barrage of right hands. The referee dives in and protects Grove, bringing the fight to an end. The kick didn't knock Grove out, but it left him stunned, and that was all that Marquardt needed to finish the job. Marquardt wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 1:31.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Nate Marquardt by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Antonio Mendes (205) vs. James Lee (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: James Lee by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Lee throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Mendes from coming inside. Lee works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Mendes responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Lee 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. Mendes circles and throws a series of high jabs, but Lee blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Lee fakes a high kick, then storms in with a wild looking right hand and a series of body shots. Mendes covers up and rides out the storm, clinching to stop any further blows. It was a nice attack from Lee 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. Lee throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. The 1st round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Lee. [B]Round 2[/B] 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. Lee covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. For a second it looked like Mendes was about to go for a takedown, but nothing came from it. Low kick from Lee, 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 ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Mendes by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Mendes starts fast, firing off several crisp jabs that keep Lee on the back foot. A solid left hits gloves, but it's really just a set-up for Mendes to step in and use an uppercut. Not sure how much of it caught Lee, but certainly enough to to make him grab a clinch to stop any further punishment. Great start to the round from Mendes, it has been total domination so far. The clinch is broken, and the two fighters exchange some long range jabs that are easily avoided. Lee is looking a little lost so far, Mendes is controlling this round by virtue of his crisp accurate punches and higher aggression levels. Mendes is looking the slightly more fit of the two fighters. Mendes leads with the left, then moves in and gets in a wicked right hand that grazes the cheek. Lee was fortunate there, if that had landed properly it would have been over. Lee 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 Lee is that although Mendes clearly won the round, he didn't actually turn that dominance into any sort of real damage. The round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Mendes. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Antonio Mendes.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Antonio Mendes by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Tamden McCrory (170) vs. Paul Taylor (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Paul Taylor by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] McCrory and Taylor circle to start. Taylor throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while McCrory sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Taylor comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows McCrory to slip a nice jab in, catching Taylor just underneath the right eye. McCrory comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Taylor misses with a right cross, then backs off. McCrory stalks him, forcing Taylor back up against the cage. McCrory doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Taylor throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. McCrory pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Taylor covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, McCrory in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. McCrory 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. Taylor comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. McCrory 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 McCrory's favour. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 McCrory. [B]Round 2[/B] McCrory hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Taylor to back up against the cage, where they clinch. McCrory hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Taylor tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with McCrory having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Taylor. McCrory gets a nice single leg, and transitions into a side mount. Taylor blocks an arm bar attempt, but is having trouble keeping the full mount from happening. McCrory scores with a nice elbow, and there is the full mount. Taylor is wide open, and takes two hard punches to the face. McCrory takes the arm. Taylor is fighting it, but it looks like it's only a matter of time. The kimura is applied, and Taylor has no choice but to tap. The official time is 3:53.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Tamden McCrory via Submission in the Second Round[/B] [B]Mike Swick (170) vs. Chris Wilson (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Mike Swick by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They meet in the center. Wilson hits a nice jab, a second misses. Swick steps in close and hits a brutal body shot, causing Wilson to back up quickly. That was a really powerful shot. Swick stalks Wilson, flicking occasional jabs. It looks like Swick wants to stand and trade punches with Wilson. Swick gets within striking distance and throws a bomb of a right hand, narrowly missing. Wilson fires off a raking left hook in response, but that is off target too. They meet and exchange punches. Wilson goes for the body, but gets tagged with a left hand to the side of the head. Wilson is rattled by it, but doesn't step off, instead throwing a couple of crisp jabs. Swick throws another big punch, this time thundering it into Wilson's shoulder. They clinch. So far it looks like Wilson simply can't live with the power that Swick has in his hands, you get the sense that if this continues, Wilson 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. The first round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Swick by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Swick works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Wilson backed up against the cage. Swick gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Wilson, who uses his legs well to defend. Swick pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Wilson gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Swick follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Swick 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. Wilson tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Wilson 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. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Swick. [B]Round 3[/B] The round starts. They touch gloves. Wilson throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Swick to back off. Swick throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Wilson sees it coming and steps back. Swick advances and they meet in the center. Wilson ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Swick 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. Wilson bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Swick ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Wilson to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Wilson 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. Swick's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Wilson and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Wilson is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. The 3rd round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Swick. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-27, the other 29-28, all for Mike Swick.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Mike Swick by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Joe Lauzon (155) vs. Clay Guida (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Joe Lauzon by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] A touch of gloves to start the round, and we're underway. Lauzon lets rip with a vicious straight right almost immediately, but it's easily avoided. Guida sneaks a jab through the guard and catches Lauzon 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 Guida manages to get the better position, pushing Lauzon up against the cage. Right hand to the ribs from Guida. Lauzon 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. Guida tries a knee of his own, but that is the opportunity that Lauzon was waiting for and he sweeps the standing leg to take Guida down to the ground, in side control. Excellent takedown. Guida covers up to defend against a pair of back-hand blows, and even manages to sneak a knee strike in. Lauzon hits a big elbow to the ribs, Guida definitely felt that. Lauzon drives a knee to the near side, then attempts to float-over into a mount. Guida brought his legs in though, and manages to pull guard. Lauzon will be disappointed with that. He tries to get a big punch in, but Guida defends it well and gets a hold of both arms. The fight grinds to a halt, with Lauzon unable to generate any attacks, and Guida unwilling to give up a good defensive position. The referee stands them up. Lauzon 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Lauzon. [B]Round 2[/B] 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. Guida goes for the first takedown, but Lauzon 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. Lauzon storms back in almost immediately and takes Guida down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Guida just had a lapse in concentration. Lauzon tries to pass the guard but can't, with Guida employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Guida is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Lauzon makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Guida 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 Lauzon on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The 2nd round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Lauzon. [B]Round 3[/B] Lauzon hits some tentative punches, then comes in fast and forces Guida to back up against the cage, where they clinch. Lauzon hits a nice body shot, but takes two short punches to the side of the head in return. Guida tries a trip, but it doesn't go anywhere. They separate, with Lauzon having to stay sharp to avoid a scorching right hand from Guida. Lauzon makes Guida 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. Guida lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Lauzon by surprise, putting him down! Guida follows up and starts raining down right hands. Lauzon covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Guida off, the match is over. Guida wins via 3rd round TKO with the official time being 3:42.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Clay Guida by TKO in the Third Round[/B] [B]UFC 103: Onslaught II Main Card[/B] [B]Mike Whitehead (205) vs. Ricardo Arona (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ricardo Arona via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] A couple of straight lefts from Arona start the round, but neither got past the gloves of Whitehead. They clinch, with Whitehead looking like he initiated it. They struggle for supremacy. Arona gets taken down, but traps Whitehead in guard. Whitehead stands into a half-crouching position, dragging Arona's guard with him. Arona reaches up, parries away a couple of strikes, and tries to grab an arm to apply an armbar to. Whitehead 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. Arona blocks it. Whitehead floats over and gets into side control. Arona scrambles to try and get back up, but is too close to the cage, which works against him. Whitehead lays in a couple of punches to the chest to soften Arona up, then tries to move up and isolate one of the arms. Arona makes sure to bring his body around to give him as much protection as possible. It works, as Whitehead can't get either arm isolated properly. Whitehead changes tactics and tries to get into crucifix position. Arona 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 Whitehead can do anything with the position he has achieved, which will frustrate him enormously. End of round 1. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Whitehead. [B]Round 2[/B] 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. Whitehead goes for the first takedown, but Arona 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. Arona storms back in almost immediately and takes Whitehead down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Whitehead just had a lapse in concentration. Arona tries to pass the guard but can't, with Whitehead employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Whitehead is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Arona makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Whitehead 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 Arona on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Arona by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Whitehead hits a nice left hook. Arona felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Whitehead 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. Arona clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Whitehead uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Arona tries to push free, but Whitehead forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Whitehead reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Arona breaks it by bringing his arms up. Whitehead steps through in an effort to mount Arona, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Whitehead throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Arona rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Whitehead determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Arona uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Whitehead having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The 3rd round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Whitehead by 10-9. The three judges all give the match as 29-28 to Mike Whitehead.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Mike Whitehead by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Daniel Puder (235) vs. Roger Gracie (220)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Daniel Puder by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] There's a few minor exchanges of punches to start the round, and Puder gets the better of them. Neither fighter is throwing any bombs, but Puder is showing the better technique, and has hit a few nice body shots. They come together again, and Puder shows quick hands to get in three nice shots. Gracie definitely felt them. Neither fighter seems interested in taking this to the ground, they're just circling, throwing a few punches, then regrouping. Gracie is struggling to inflict much damage. He may need to switch tactics, as so far Puder is looking very comfortable. Gracie comes in with left, but Puder saw it coming and slipped in a great right hand counter punch. Gracie is getting frustrated. The remainder of the round is no different, as the occasional exchanges of strikes are clearly go the way of Puder's superior technique. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Puder. [B]Round 2[/B] Gracie comes out quick and immediately starts pressing Puder back toward the cage. Gracie tries to use the position to his advantage, pinning Puder in to prevent him from moving freely, but the exchange of punches that follows is clearly won by Puder, who catches Gracie with a wicked right cross during the flurry of blows. Gracie tries again, but Puder is looking sharp and parries away any dangerous shot, getting in a few crisp jabs of his own along the way. Gracie finally backs off, realising that this isn't working. Puder is showing superior ability with his hands, they're fast and accurate, Gracie isn't able to cope with them at close quarters, being made to look slow and ragged in comparison. Gracie switches to using raking right hands and looping punches, keeping Puder back, but its effectiveness is limited as Gracie's punches are easily parried away, and Puder can still hit the occasional right hand. The round ends with that being the pattern. Puder has used his better punching technique and hand speed to confound Gracie, and has controlled this round almost entirely. The round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-8 for Puder. [B]Round 3[/B] Puder is quickest out, and comes at Gracie with a series of jabs and straight punches. Gracie covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Gracie hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Puder who takes it to the ground. Gracie pulls guard. There's a lull, as Puder tries to pass, and Gracie defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Gracie almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Puder, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Puder. The official scores are: 30-26 (twice), 29-27 for Daniel Puder.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Daniel Puder by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Georges St. Pierre (170) vs. Luke Cummo (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Georges St. Pierre by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Cummo comes out quick and immediately starts pressing GSP back toward the cage. Cummo tries to use the position to his advantage, pinning GSP in to prevent him from moving freely, but the exchange of punches that follows is clearly won by GSP, who catches Cummo with a wicked right cross during the flurry of blows. Cummo tries again, but GSP 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. GSP 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 GSP back, but its effectiveness is limited as Cummo's punches are easily parried away, and GSP can still hit the occasional right hand. The round ends with that being the pattern. GSP has used his better punching technique and hand speed to confound Cummo, and has controlled this round almost entirely. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to GSP. [B]Round 2[/B] GSP starts off brightly, firing in a couple of right hands and a fizzing kick that catches Cummo across the hip. Cummo tries an immediate response by coming in for a big left hook, but is forced to back up by a lightning-like head kick that flashes across his face. GSP storms in and hits a crisp jab and a snap right hand, then ducks out of the way of a counter punch. Cummo comes forward, and again takes a kick across the hip, then a second one that slaps across the shin of his front foot. GSP's kicks are allowing him to control this round, Cummo has so far had no answer. They meet in the center; GSP comes in from low-down, but misses a right hand. Cummo scores with a right hand to the side of the head, then a stinging right hand to the ribs. GSP shoots off a kick to the ribs, then comes back in from an angle. A faked takedown fools Cummo, and another kick hits home. Cummo clinches up, and must be wondering what on earth he can do to stop these kicks from taking him apart. Time runs down as they engage in a struggle while in the clinch, and the round ends without any further noteworthy action. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 GSP. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. GSP works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Cummo backed up against the cage. GSP gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Cummo, who uses his legs well to defend. GSP pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Cummo gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. GSP follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. GSP 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. Cummo tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Cummo 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 scores it 10-9 for GSP. All three judges give a score of 30-27 to Georges St. Pierre.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Georges St. Pierre by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Matt Hughes (170) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Matt Hughes by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Exchange of strikes to start. Kim suddenly shoots in and gets a takedown, ending up in guard. Hughes keeps the guard high. Kim half-stands and throws a big right hand, narrowly missing the mark. Another punch connects, but Kim leans into it too much and Hughes brings his legs up and closes them around the arm. It's Kim 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 Hughes to sweep him from that position. A scramble for position ends with the situation being completely reversed, with Hughes on top in Kim's guard. Kim has the guard held very high. Hughes throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Kim throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Hughes throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Kim right through the canvas, Kim is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Hughes 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. Kim moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Hughes stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Kim to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Hughes having totally controlled the round from the guard. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Hughes. [B]Round 2[/B] Quick start to the round from Kim, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Hughes defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Hughes connects. Kim gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Kim pushes Hughes back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Hughes blocks it. Hughes suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Kim down to the ground, into guard. Hughes tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Kim reaches up to try and bring Hughes down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Hughes fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Kim is forced to cover up. Hughes switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Kim deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Hughes looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Kim 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 the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Hughes. [B]Round 3[/B] Hughes 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 Kim advancing. A sharp right misses, and Hughes takes the opportunity to pull Kim in to a tight clinch against the cage. Kim tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Kim wants to stand and bang, Hughes wants to keep things at close quarters. Kim tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Hughes, and we're down to the ground. Hughes has side control, but Kim has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Hughes will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Kim tries to squirm into a better position, but Hughes puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Hughes tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Kim defends it. Kim manages to bring a knee up and catch Hughes in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Hughes responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Kim covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Hughes may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Hughes tries to float over into a mount, but Kim uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Hughes enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Hughes is the last action of the round. End of round 3. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Hughes. Matt Hughes wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Matt Hughes by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC Lightweight Championship: Yves Edwards (155) vs. BJ Penn (c) (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: BJ Penn by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] 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 Edwards picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Penn throws a wild punch as a counter, but Edwards 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, Edwards is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Penn manages to back Edwards up against the cage. Penn takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Edwards 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, Edwards 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 Edwards on the thigh. Edwards 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. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Edwards by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start to the round. We're nearly a minute in before Penn throws the first meaningful punch, trying to squeeze a fizzing jab through to Edwards's jaw, but it is parried. Edwards steps in, but has to quickly side-step to avoid a straight right. Penn 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, Edwards put a lot of weight behind it. Penn hits a nice jab, then clinches. Edwards hits a knee, takes a punch to the ribs, then breaks free. Penn hits a low kick to the leg. Edwards bursts forward and scores with a big right hand to the body, then a left hook. Penn goes down! Good shot from Edwards! He tries to follow up and pound on Penn, but Penn is up really quickly and covers up to block the two jabs that come in. Edwards, sensing that Penn is rattled, starts coming forward with more urgency. Penn ends up backed up against the cage. Edwards gets within range, fakes a left, then lunges in with a huge right hand. It is partially parried by Penn, who wisely clinches up tightly to get some time to recover. The power that Edwards has in his hands is really posing Penn some problems. The clinch drags on, with Edwards unable to break free, and the round ends like that. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Edwards. [B]Round 3[/B] Penn 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 Edwards advancing. A sharp right misses, and Penn takes the opportunity to pull Edwards in to a tight clinch against the cage. Edwards tries to break free, but cannot. It looks like we know the strategies for this round already; Edwards wants to stand and bang, Penn wants to keep things at close quarters. Edwards tries for an elbow, but only succeeds in getting turned around so that he is now the one against the cage. Trip from Penn, and we're down to the ground. Penn has side control, but Edwards has landed with his left hand side against the cage, so that side of the body is basically safe for now. Penn will have to try to work the right-hand side, and starts by ramming a knee into the ribs. Edwards tries to squirm into a better position, but Penn puts a stop to that with a stiff elbow to the stomach. Penn tries to work a kimura on the right arm, but Edwards defends it. Edwards manages to bring a knee up and catch Penn in the side, something of a cheeky move given his position. Penn responds with five or six rapid-fire right hands to the face, but Edwards covers up and doesn't take any serious damage at all. Time is ticking away though, and so far Penn may be easily winning the round, but he is not taking full advantage of this great position. Penn tries to float over into a mount, but Edwards uses the cage to push away and manages to unbalance Penn enough to get to a kneeling position, then standing, albeit back into a clinch. A knee from Penn is the last action of the round. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Penn. [B]Round 4[/B] Very, very slow start to the round. Over a minute has gone before the first meaningful strike connects. It's Edwards who hits it, scoring with a shot to the chest. Penn 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. Penn suddenly shoots in and goes for a takedown, but Edwards manages to sprawl long enough to get them all the way back to the cage, which keeps him upright. Penn tries to complete the takedown, but realises that the leverage isn't there and instead stands and clinches. Edwards hits a couple of shots to the back. Penn hits a stomp. Edwards lifts his leg to go for a knee, but that gives Penn the opportunity to lift him and slam him down to the ground. That was a hard slam! Penn is on top, almost sitting on top of a balled-up Edwards. He throws some hard downward punches, Edwards defends most of them, although one hits hard above the eye. Penn leaves his arm in for a second too long and Edwards reaches up and almost gets an armbar. Penn gets free though, although the effort puts him off-balance enough for him to stumble, giving Edwards 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. Edwards tries one last big attack, swinging for the fences with two bombs, but Penn avoids both, adding a nice shot to the stomach after the second dodge. The round ends there. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Penn. [B]Round 5[/B] They meet in the center. Penn hits a nice jab, a second misses. Edwards steps in close and hits a brutal body shot, causing Penn to back up quickly. That was a really powerful shot. Edwards stalks Penn, flicking occasional jabs. It looks like Edwards wants to stand and trade punches with Penn. Edwards gets within striking distance and throws a bomb of a right hand, narrowly missing. Penn fires off a raking left hook in response, but that is off target too. They meet and exchange punches. Penn goes for the body, but gets tagged with a left hand to the side of the head. Penn is rattled by it, but doesn't step off, instead throwing a couple of crisp jabs. Edwards throws another big punch, this time thundering it into Penn's shoulder. They clinch. So far it looks like Penn simply can't live with the power that Edwards has in his hands, you get the sense that if this continues, Penn 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. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Edwards. All three judges give a score of 48-47 to Yves Edwards. Yves Edwards is the new UFC Lightweight champion.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner AND NEW UFC Lightweight Champion: Yves Edwards by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 103: Onslaught II Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: BJ Penn vs. Yves Edwards [*]Knockout of the Night: Nate Marquardt [*]Submission of the Night: Tamden McCrory's Kimura [/LIST] Yves Edwards upsets BJ Penn in similar fashion that Kenny Florian did. A close decision will give BJ a re-match later in the year, but Edwards may have to defend the strap first. Matt Hughes and GSP made strides to get a title shot against Jon Fitch in the future with their performances tonight. Marquardt found the winning way as well. Daniel Puder upset Roger Gracie and Mike Whitehead kept winning. Clay Guida got a come from behind TKO over Joe Lauzon as well. Not the most entertaining card with finishes, but it helps seperate some fighters from the pack at the beginning of 2010.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]February 20th - UFC 104: Serra vs. Fitch - Chicago, Illinois[/B] [B]UFC Welterweight Championship:[/B] Matt Serra vs. Jon Fitch (c) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Jake O'Brien Joe Stevenson vs. Marcus Aurelio Thiago Alves vs. Roan Carneiro Diego Sanchez vs. Sam Stout Drew McFedries vs. Jeff Joslin Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Marcus Davis Manny Gamburyan vs. Spencer Fisher Alberto Crane vs. Cole Miller Rob Emerson vs. Corey Hill Tommy Speer vs. Matt Arroyo An Ultimate Fight Night has been scheduled for March that will include Stephen Bonnar's Heavyweight debut. UFC 105 is set for Columbus, Ohio that will see a returning Anderson Silva defend against Demian Maia.[/center]

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[B]February 20th - UFC 104: Serra vs. Fitch - Chicago, Illinois[/B] UFC Welterweight Championship: Matt Serra vs. [B]Jon Fitch (c)[/B] [B]Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira[/B] vs. Jake O'Brien [B]Joe Stevenson[/B] vs. Marcus Aurelio [B]Thiago Alves[/B] vs. Roan Carneiro [B]Diego Sanchez[/B] vs. Sam Stout [B]Drew McFedries[/B] vs. Jeff Joslin Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. [B]Marcus Davis[/B] Manny Gamburyan vs. [B]Spencer Fisher[/B] Alberto Crane vs. [B]Cole Miller[/B] [B]Rob Emerson [/B]vs. Corey Hill [B]Tommy Speer[/B] vs. Matt Arroyo

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[center][B]UFC 104: Serra vs. Fitch Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Tommy Speer (170) vs. Matt Arroyo (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Tommy Speer by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Arroyo doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Speer sprawls and keeps him at bay. Arroyo pushes harder, but Speer has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Arroyo on his back. Speer gets sucked into his guard though. Arroyo has the guard held very high. Speer throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Arroyo throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Speer throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Arroyo right through the canvas, Arroyo is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Speer 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. Arroyo moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Speer stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Arroyo to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Speer having totally controlled the round from the guard. The 1st round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Speer. [B]Round 2[/B] Nice fast-paced start from Speer, who gets right in Arroyo'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 Arroyo side-stepped. Arroyo fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Speer steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Arroyo. Speer is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Speer sweeps Arroyo's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Arroyo quickly pulls guard. Speer looks to pound out a victory, throwing some big punches. Arroyo's guard prevents him from getting his body behind the shots though, and none of them have enough power to really trouble Arroyo. A couple do get through and hit home though. Arroyo reaches up and smothers Speer into a clinch. He fights free, with some difficulty, and starts punching away again. Arroyo parries the shots away. Unfortunately the round enters a lull, with Speer unable to pass guard and so being content just to throw punches from there, while Arroyo is unwilling to risk letting Speer pass guard. We enter the final thirty seconds of the round before Speer gets a breakthrough, managing to power through the guard and mount Arroyo! Arroyo covers up and tries to buck and roll his hips to desperately try and dislodge Speer. 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 Arroyo is probably relieved when the round ends with him not having taken too much damage. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Speer. [B]Round 3[/B] The round begins with Speer taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Arroyo replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Speer goes for the takedown, but Arroyo sprawls. Speer tries to power through, but Arroyo uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Speer defend this. Arroyo is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Speer isn't allowing it. Speer pulls Arroyo in tight, locking up both his arms. Arroyo 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. Arroyo tries a big right hand, which Speer defends well. He has quite a high guard, Arroyo has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Speer once again drags Arroyo down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Arroyo easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Arroyo trying to pass guard. Speer tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Arroyo, 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. Arroyo scores with a jab, then a second. Speer goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Arroyo enough time to take him down again. Arroyo quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Speer once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Arroyo on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. End of round 3. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Arroyo. The judges scores are unanimous, and [B]give a score of 29-28 to Tommy Speer.[/QUOTE] Winner: Tommy Speer by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rob Emerson (155) vs. Corey Hill (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Corey Hill by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Emerson tries a looping punch from way back, but Hill side steps with ease. Jab from Hill, gets one back in response. Emerson comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Hill shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Hill throws out a right hand, parried away by Emerson. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Hill looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Emerson 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, Emerson thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Emerson reaches up and pulls Hill down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Hill 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. Emerson looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Hill was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Hill gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Emerson fires off two punches from his back, but Hill defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Hill stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Emerson does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Hill breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Emerson will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. End of round 1. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Hill. [B]Round 2[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Emerson is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Hill blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Emerson is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Hill is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Emerson 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 Emerson some problems later on. Emerson 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. Hill is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Emerson 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 Emerson 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. Emerson goes for a trip, but Hill 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 Hill 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Hill by 10-9. [B] Round 3[/B] Emerson is the first to score a meaningful blow, tagging Hill with a jab to the cheek. Hill uses a nice straight left to return fire. Emerson comes in to work the body, but Hill saw it coming and uses a quick takedown to put Emerson onto the floor, falling into guard. Hill tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Emerson reaches up to try and bring Hill down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Hill fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Emerson is forced to cover up. Hill switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Emerson deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Hill looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Emerson 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 the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Hill. The three judges all give the match as 30-27 to Corey Hill.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Corey Hill by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Alberto Crane (155) vs. Cole Miller (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Cole Miller by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] 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. Crane goes for the first takedown, but Miller 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. Miller storms back in almost immediately and takes Crane down, into guard. It's hard to say whether that was just a good takedown or whether Crane just had a lapse in concentration. Miller tries to pass the guard but can't, with Crane employing a rubber guard now. There's a definite stalemate, Crane is defending very well but isn't really offering any attacking threat or really trying to get out of this predicament. Miller makes a big effort to pass, and manages to get to half guard, but Crane 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 Miller on points, the takedown is really the only noteworthy thing that has happened. The 1st round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-8 to Miller. [B]Round 2[/B] Miller is quickest out, and comes at Crane with a series of jabs and straight punches. Crane covered up well, and I don't think anything got through. Crane hits a body shot, but it didn't connect solidly. They get in close, and it's Miller who takes it to the ground. Crane pulls guard. There's a lull, as Miller tries to pass, and Crane defends it. Punches get thrown every so often, but it's really a stalemate at the moment. Crane almost gets a guillotine, but it's blocked and almost leads to a kimura for Miller, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. End of round 2. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Miller. [B]Round 3[/B] Miller works an angle and comes in from the side of Crane, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Crane hits a low kick to back Miller against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Miller fights out and the action returns to the center. Miller steps back, and Crane comes after him , sensing an opening. Miller suddenly puts the brakes on and swings for the fences, driving a right hand to the chin. Crane couldn't get out of the way in time and takes it full force. He goes down like a puppet with his strings cut, he is out cold. Miller goes to follow up to be sure, but the referee cuts him off, calling a halt to the match. Official time of the knock out is 2:47 of the third round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Cole Miller by Knockout in the Third Round[/B] [B]Manny Gamburyan (155) vs. Spencer Fisher (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Manny Gamburyan via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Fisher starts brightly by throwing some looping punches. Defended well by Manny. They circle, throwing tentative jabs. Manny goes for a single leg and puts Fisher on the floor, but he is up very quickly, preventing Manny from getting on top. Fisher definitely seems to want to keep this standing. Manny hits a nice jab, avoids a counter left hook, then comes in low and takes down Fisher again. This time Fisher isn't able to get up, and has to pull guard. Times ticking away though, Manny will have to hurry to finish. He goes for an armbar, but Fisher defends. Manny tries to slip past to get side control, but Fisher just about manages to keep guard. A second attempt works though, and Manny has the side. Two big elbows land, and Fisher seems in trouble. Manny 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Manny by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Fisher doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Manny sprawls and keeps him at bay. Fisher pushes harder, but Manny has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Fisher on his back. Manny gets sucked into his guard though. Manny tries to pass guard, but Fisher doesn't allow it. Fisher throws a couple of punches, but they're parried away. He breaks his guard to bring a leg across and try to kick Manny in the face, but it's a mistake as Manny pushes the leg aside and gets side control. Manny pushes them closer to the cage, near his own corner so that they can give him instructions. Following what they say, Manny throws some heavy blows to the unprotected stomach of Fisher, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Fisher 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 Manny from extending the arm. Manny continues trying to apply an armbar, but Fisher is not allowing it. Eventually Manny turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Fisher fights that off too. The round ends with Manny still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Fisher tenaciously stopping it. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Manny. [B]Round 3[/B] Fisher 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. Manny dealt with them well though, avoiding the first two and parrying the uppercut away. Manny fakes a takedown, causing Fisher to back up, ready to sprawl. Fisher stalks Manny, forcing him back toward the cage. Fisher moves in, looking to throw another big shot, but Manny springs forward and connects with a great punch, crunching his fist into the cheek. Fisher goes down! Manny tries to pounce and pound his way to victory, but Fisher has enough awareness to ensnare Manny in the guard position as he dives in. Fisher tries to push free, but Manny forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Manny reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Fisher breaks it by bringing his arms up. Manny steps through in an effort to mount Fisher, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Manny throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Fisher rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Manny determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Fisher uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Manny having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. End of round 3. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Manny. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Manny Gamburyan.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170) vs. Marcus Davis (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Marcus Davis by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Davis works an angle and comes in from the side of Yoshida, getting two good jabs in before a ragged left misses by quite a margin. Yoshida hits a low kick to back Davis against the cage, then works the body with a series of short punches. Davis fights out and the action returns to the center. They come together, both throwing punches. Davis gets a nice clean shot in, and Yoshida stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Davis 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 2:20.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Marcus Davis by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Drew McFedries (185) vs. Jeff Joslin (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jeff Joslin by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Joslin throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. McFedries throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Joslin 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. McFedries hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Joslin. They struggle all the way back, with Joslin ending up backed up against the cage. McFedries hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Joslin stomps downward onto his foot. Joslin manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. McFedries gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Joslin ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Joslin tries a high kick to start, but McFedries saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's McFedries who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Joslin on the nose. Joslin hits a straight right, enough to stop McFedries 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 first round is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 McFedries. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start, Joslin looks content to sit back and let McFedries commit himself, perhaps looking to capitalise on any mistake. McFedries does indeed commit himself, and it's to throw a big right hand, and it hits hard into the gloves, forcing Joslin to back up against the cage. McFedries steps in and unleashes a second, but this time Joslin was ready and a right hand counter hits McFedries, who is leaning in to his own punch, right on the chin. McFedries goes down, stunned. Joslin 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 McFedries. Joslin fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of McFedries. Joslin tries to pass the guard, but can't, McFedries isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Joslin will start raining down punches. Joslin tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. McFedries gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Joslin 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. Joslin fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but McFedries fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by McFedries, and Joslin is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but McFedries has defended the danger well. The second round is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Joslin. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. McFedries 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 Joslin scrambles and manages to get up, pushing McFedries down to the ground. Joslin ends up on top, in guard. Joslin tries to work free from the guard, but can't. McFedries reaches up to try and bring Joslin down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Joslin fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and McFedries is forced to cover up. Joslin switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, McFedries deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Joslin looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. McFedries 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. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Joslin. The official scores are: 29-28 from all three judges for Jeff Joslin.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jeff Joslin by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 104: Serra vs. Fitch Main Card[/B] [B]Diego Sanchez (170) vs. Sam Stout (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Diego Sanchez by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Stout is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Sanchez blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Stout is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Sanchez is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Stout 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 Stout some problems later on. Stout 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. Sanchez is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Stout 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 Stout 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. Stout goes for a trip, but Sanchez 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 Sanchez 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sanchez. [B]Round 2[/B] Stout and Sanchez circle to start. Sanchez throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Stout sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Sanchez comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Stout to slip a nice jab in, catching Sanchez just underneath the right eye. Stout comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Sanchez misses with a right cross, then backs off. Stout stalks him, forcing Sanchez back up against the cage. Stout doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Sanchez throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Stout pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Sanchez covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Stout in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Stout 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. Sanchez comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Stout 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 Stout's favour. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Stout by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Stout doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Sanchez easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Sanchez 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. Stout swings for the fences, but Sanchez ducks under and comes in closer, into grappling range. He scoops up Stout onto his shoulder, and then flattens him with a slam. The crowd pop for it. Sanchez gets side control, but loses it almost immediately as Stout is able to regain composure and pull guard. Stout struggles to contain Sanchez, who passes to half guard without too much trouble. A few hard shots get thrown, and Stout does well to defend them, deflecting them off his gloves. Sanchez is trying to get his leg free so that he can get into side control. Stout throws a couple of punches from his back, but they do very little damage. Sanchez half-stands, and throws a couple of big punches with a lot of force behind them. One is blocked, but the other hits home just below the left eye. Stout tries to cover up, while Sanchez manages to get his leg free and get into a mount. Stout is in big trouble. He tries to roll his hips and shift Sanchez's weight, but it's not working. Sanchez fires off a couple of punches, then drops an absolute bomb of a right hand, landing flush on the chin! Stout is out, just for a second, but the referee has already pulled Sanchez off. Sharp-eyed refereeing there. This match is over by knock out. The official time is 1:49.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Diego Sanchez by Knockout in the Third Round[/B] [B]Thiago Alves (170) vs. Roan Carneiro (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Thiago Alves by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Alves puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Jucao defended well. Straight right from Jucao 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, Alves probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Jucao 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 Alves. The first round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Alves. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Alves works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Jucao backed up against the cage. Alves gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Jucao, who uses his legs well to defend. Alves pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Jucao gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Alves follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Alves 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. Jucao tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Jucao 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 round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Alves. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start to the round, Jucao is circling while Alves seems content to just throw the occasional looping punch to cause him to back up. Jucao steps in and fires off two jabs, neither connecting, then has to almost throw himself to one side to avoid a devastating looking punch! Alves was clearly looking for the highlight reel K.O. punch, had that connected there is no way that Jucao was getting back up. There's a warning to Jucao, he must now know, if he didn't already, that Alves has knock out intentions tonight. Jucao throws a right hand, then backs up sharply, clearly not loving the idea of getting too close. Alves still looks calm, throwing the occasional jab or two to keep Jucao off balance. Jucao moves in close and hits a left hook to the body. Alves steps back, and suddenly fires off a roundhouse kick. Jucao didn't see it coming, and it lands right behind his ear. Jucao is down, knocked out cold, and the referee is quick to step in and stop Alves from inflicting any more damage. Alves wins via knock out at 3:32 of the third round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Thiago Alves by Knockout in the Third Round[/B] [B]Joe Stevenson (155) vs. Marcus Aurelio (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Marcus Aurelio by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They touch gloves to begin. Stevenson throws out a looping right hand, setting up a mid-level kick. The punch found gloves, the kick found nothing but thin air as Aurelio had stepped back in time. They meet in the center, exchanging a series of blows, and Stevenson gets the better of it, scoring with a crisp jab that causes Aurelio to back up quickly. Sensing a chance, Stevenson follows and forces him up against the cage with some jabs. Aurelio covers up, as two hard strikes find the gloves from Stevenson. A right hand misses, and that is the chance Aurelio needs to quickly get out of trouble and back to the center. Great start to the round from Stevenson. They come together, both throwing punches. Aurelio gets a nice clean shot in, and Stevenson stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. Aurelio 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. Aurelio wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 2:40.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Marcus Aurelio by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (230) vs. Jake O'Brien (260)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to this round, O'Brien is being tentative and Minotauro 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 O'Brien's favour, as he gets a nice jab in, hitting right above the nose, and a solid shot to the body. Minotauro goes in for a takedown but only manages to secure one leg. O'Brien hammers down two shots to the back, but can't really do a lot else. Minotauro tries to push him over onto his back, but O'Brien manages to pull free and back off. Minotauro throws a high left handed jab then goes in for another takedown. Good sprawl from O'Brien, and he backs off. Minotauro doesn't get a chance to go for a third, because O'Brien takes the fight to him with a barrage of lefts and rights, forcing him back against the cage. O'Brien clinches up, only after hitting a hard shot to the stomach though. The clinch seems to go on forever, with Minotauro unable to get a good enough position to try a takedown, and O'Brien tied up too much to really throw any decent strikes. Eventually the time runs out and they head back to their corners. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to O'Brien. [B]Round 2[/B] Minotauro starts the round by throwing some low kicks. O'Brien checks them, then comes in and clearly wants to trade punches. Minotauro 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. Minotauro cleverly head-fakes, allowing him the time and angle that he needed to catch O'Brien with a beauty of a right hook. O'Brien stumbles backward, but doesn't go down. Minotauro presses the advantage by following in with a kick, then a right hand. O'Brien clinches. They remain clinched for a while. O'Brien scores with a nice knee, it appeared to catch Minotauro in the gut. Minotauro uses a single leg trip and takes the fight to the ground. Minotauro gets to side control upon impact, and immediately goes for an armbar. O'Brien reacts quickly, but is in real danger. Minotauro has his left arm straightened out, fortunately O'Brien has managed to roll and get a good position that is stopping Minotauro from getting the leverage needed to apply an armlock. Minotauro tries to step over and fully apply it, but O'Brien breaks free and gets him to back off with a couple of up-kicks. Minotauro steps back and motions for him to stand up. They go back to circling in the center. O'Brien hits a nice right hand, but takes one back too. The time runs down; Minotauro 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. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Minotauro. [B]Round 3[/B] They come together, both throwing punches. O'Brien gets a nice clean shot in, and Minotauro stumbles backwards and falls to the floor. O'Brien 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. Official time of the TKO is 0:20 of the third.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jake O'Brien by TKO in the Third Round[/B] [B]UFC Welterweight Championship: Matt Serra (170) vs. Jon Fitch (c) (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jon Fitch by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Right hand from Serra was thrown with power, but bounced off the gloves of Fitch. Serra follows up by coming in close, but Fitch is ready with a straight right hand that glances off the side of the head. There's a nice exchange of blows, both fighters getting in some good shots. Serra over-reaches on an uppercut and takes a big shot to the jaw, his head snapped back. Temporarily stunned, his hands drop completely, and another vicious blow lands. A third lands square on the nose. The referee gets between them and says it's all over. Serra didn't actually go down, but his hands were down by his sides and he was offering up no defence whatsoever. As Fitch celebrates, Serra looks completely out of it, glassy-eyed as his corner try to help him. Fitch wins via 1st round TKO with the official time being 1:47. Jon Fitch retains the UFC Welterweight title.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner and STILL UFC Welterweight Champion: Jon Fitch[/B] [B]UFC 104: Serra vs. Fitch Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Jake O'Brien vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueiro [*]Knockout of the Night: Diego Sanchez & Thiago Alves [/LIST] Diego and Thiago both pick up huge KO wins that they need. Jeff Joslin looked good again at Middleweight. And Marcus Aurelio picked up a nice victory that could earn him a contenders bout. Jake O'Brien had the biggest win of his career when he TKO'd the former champ. In the weak division he could get a shot soon.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]March 10th - Ultimate Fight Night - Portland, Oregon[/B] Wilson Gouveia vs. Keith Jardine Evan Tanner vs. Alessio Sakara Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Tim Boetsch Roger Huerta vs. Nate Diaz Ben Saunders vs. Anthony Johnson Steve Bruno vs. Akihiro Gono Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellegrino Neil Wain vs. Stephan Bonnar CB Dollaway vs. Jason Day Mac Danzig vs. Jeremy Stephens [B]March 20th - UFC 105: Explosion - Columbus, Ohio[/B] [B]UFC Light Heavyweight Championship:[/B] Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua (c) [B]UFC Middleweight Championship:[/B] Demian Maia vs. Anderson Silva (c) Brock Lesnar vs. Brandon Vera Thiago Tavares vs. Sean Sherk Thales Leites vs. Patrick Cote Gray Maynard vs. Tyson Griffin Heath Herring vs. Frank Mir Nate Quarry vs. Ricardo Almeida Troy Mandaloniz vs. Dean Lister Ryo Chonan vs. Arman Gambaryan[/center]

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[B]March 10th - Ultimate Fight Night - Portland, Oregon[/B] Wilson Gouveia vs. [B]Keith Jardine[/B] Evan Tanner vs. [B]Alessio Sakara[/B] [B]Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou[/B] vs. Tim Boetsch [B]Roger Huerta[/B] vs. Alvin Robinson [B]Ben Saunders[/B] vs. Anthony Johnson Steve Bruno vs. [B]Akihiro Gono[/B] [B]Josh Neer[/B] vs. Kurt Pellegrino Neil Wain vs. [B]Stephan Bonnar[/B] [B]CB Dollaway[/B] vs. Jason Day [B]Mac Danzig[/B] vs. Jeremy Stephens [B]March 20th - UFC 105: Explosion - Columbus, Ohio[/B] UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Lyoto Machida vs. [B]Mauricio Rua (c)[/B] UFC Middleweight Championship: Demian Maia vs. [B]Anderson Silva (c)[/B] Brock Lesnar vs. [B]Brandon Vera[/B] Thiago Tavares vs. [B]Sean Sherk[/B] [B]Thales Leites[/B] vs. Patrick Cote Gray Maynard vs. [B]Tyson Griffin[/B] [B]Heath Herring[/B] vs. Frank Mir Nate Quarry vs. [B]Ricardo Almeida[/B] Troy Mandaloniz vs. [B]Dean Lister[/B] [B]Ryo Chonan[/B] vs. Arman Gambaryan

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[center][B]Ultimate Fight Night Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Mac Danzig (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jeremy Stephens by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Stephens starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Danzig is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Stephens. Danzig tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Danzig, but it only caught Stephens on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Stephens, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Danzig from doing very much. Danzig looks to be working an angle. Right hand from Danzig, 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 1st round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Stephens. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Stephens puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Danzig defended well. Straight right from Danzig 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, Stephens probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Danzig 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 Stephens. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Stephens. [B]Round 3[/B] Stephens doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Danzig was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Danzig hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Danzig narrowly misses a right cross. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Stephens hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Danzig. Stephens is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. An exchange of punches goes nowhere, and they fall into a clinch. The referee separates them when nothing happens. Time ticks away, and Danzig offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. End of round 3. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Stephens. Jeremy Stephens wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jeremy Stephens by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]CB Dollaway (185) vs. Jason Day (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jason Day by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The two fighters circle. A series of looping punches from Dollaway forces Day back up against the cage, and he has to cover up to withstand the three strikes that follow. No real damage caused, but Dollaway is aggressively chasing this match. A hook finds the body and Day clinches. They almost lose their balance as they jockey for position, Day gets in a couple of knees when they regain their footing. Dollaway seems to be trying to break the clinch, it's Day who is holding it tight, perhaps hoping to calm the energetic start that Dollaway had. The referee finally does break them up, after nearly a full minute of inactivity. Dollaway gets in close enough to scoop Day up, and quickly slam him back down into the ground! Big, violent slam takedown from Dollaway. Day has the presence of mind to pull guard when Dollaway tries to follow up though. Dollaway moves from the guard and gets side control. He is trying for the mount, but Day is defending it. There's a small lull as Dollaway continues to try and get the mount. There it is, Day finally couldn't stop it. Dollaway starts firing off punches, and Day has nowhere to go. A big elbow gets through. A right hand lands on the nose of Day. The referee is watching intently, I don't think he's going to let this go much longer unless Day can come up with some answers. Dollaway hits another big elbow. And another. The referee leaps in, it's over! Dollaway wins via TKO at 3:39 of the first round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: CB Dollaway by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Neil Wain (260) vs. Stephen Bonnar (206)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Stephen Bonnar by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The two fighters circle. Wain flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Bonnar easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Wain could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Bonnar 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, Wain is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Wain forces Bonnar back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Bonnar in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Wain does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Bonnar saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Wain turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Wain is up quickly, causing Bonnar, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Wain was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Wain throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Bonnar to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The 1st round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Bonnar. [B]Round 2[/B] 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 Bonnar, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Bonnar 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. Wain covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Wain throws out a few jabs, nothing too dangerous though, Bonnar easily avoided them. Low kick from Wain, 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 Bonnar will take the round on points. The second round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Bonnar. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Wain 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. Wain 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. Wain 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. Wain follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Wain 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. End of round 3. Blurcat.com gives that one to Wain by 10-9. Stephan Bonnar wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Stephen Bonnar by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Kurt Pellegrino (155) vs. Josh Neer (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Kurt Pellegrino via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They circle to begin the round. Neer throws two short jabs, then a long-range looping right hand. Pellegrino had to be on his toes to get out of the way, and does. Neer 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. Pellegrino parries it with his gloves, then shoots in and scores with a nice takedown. Neer tries to sprawl, but was too late and can only pull guard as he crash-lands to the ground. Pellegrino passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Neer has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Pellegrino's left arm. Pellegrino's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Neer covers up to defend them. Pellegrino tries to pin down one of Neer's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Neer uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Pellegrino 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Pellegrino by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Good start from Pellegrino, taking Neer down almost immediately! Neer scrambles though, and gets back to his feet without taking any damage at all. Pellegrino will be disappointed with that. Neer comes in and throws two big right hands, but neither connects, and they put him off balance, allowing Pellegrino to score with a nice right hook to the side of the head, crunching into the top of the ear. Neer felt that one for sure. He stalks Pellegrino, trying to back him up against the cage. It doesn't work though, Pellegrino keeps out of the way. Neer tries a kick, but Pellegrino catches the foot and uses it for a trip. Pellegrino gets Neer down for the second time, and this time is right on top of him in guard position. Pellegrino throws some punches, then tries to pass. Neer doesn't allow it, and tries to grab an armbar in response. Pellegrino easily stops that, and throws some more punches. That becomes the pattern, as the fight falls into a predictable pattern; punches from Pellegrino followed by a pass attempt, with Neer 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Pellegrino. [B]Round 3[/B] Pellegrino hits a nice left hook. Neer felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Pellegrino 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. Neer clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Pellegrino uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Pellegrino tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Neer is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Pellegrino tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Pellegrino connects, but there was no real power behind it. Pellegrino fakes Neer out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Neer manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Pellegrino switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Neer blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Pellegrino looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Neer is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Pellegrino tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Neer is safe. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Pellegrino. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Kurt Pellegrino.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Kurt Pellegrino by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Akihiro Gono (170) vs. Steve Bruno (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Steve Bruno by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Gono doesn't hold back, starting by immediately shooting in for a takedown. Bruno sprawls and keeps him at bay. Gono pushes harder, but Bruno has the much better position and manages to flip him over, putting Gono on his back. Bruno gets sucked into his guard though. Gono has the guard held very high. Bruno throws a big right hand, but almost puts himself right into a triangle as a result, and he is forced to fight free. Gono throws a punch and it lands right above the nose. Bruno throws four massive punches as a response, threatening to try and knock Gono right through the canvas, Gono is forced to simply cover up and try to survive. Bruno 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. Gono moves to butterfly guard and then tries to scramble back up, but Bruno stops that by throwing another set of big punches, forcing Gono to go back to the full guard. The round ends with them still like that, with Bruno having totally controlled the round from the guard. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Bruno by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Gono is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Bruno blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Gono is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Bruno is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Gono 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 Gono some problems later on. Gono 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. Bruno is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Gono 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 Gono 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. Gono goes for a trip, but Bruno 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 Bruno 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Bruno. [B]Round 3[/B] Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Bruno fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Gono fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Bruno to the floor. The momentum causes Gono to almost go completely over the top though, and Bruno is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Bruno throws out a right hand, parried away by Gono. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Bruno looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Gono 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, Gono thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Gono reaches up and pulls Bruno down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Bruno 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. Gono looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Bruno was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Bruno gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Gono fires off two punches from his back, but Bruno defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Bruno stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Gono does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Bruno breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Gono will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Bruno. Steve Bruno wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Steve Bruno by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Ben Saunders (170) vs. Anthony Johnson (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ben Saunders by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Saunders hits a nice left hook. Johnson felt it, and throws a ragged punch in response, missing by a mile. Saunders 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. Johnson clinches up, but gets pushed all the way back to the cage, where Saunders uses a trip to send them both down to the ground. Saunders almost gets caught in a surprise armbar, leaving his arm in for far too long after a punch. Johnson tries to twist it while wrapping his legs around it, but Saunders pulls free, and it allows him an opportunity to get side control due to Johnson's legs being out of position. He lies across Johnson's chest. Johnson has locked up Saunders's right shoulder well, it's preventing him from doing much. Saunders drives a knee into the ribs, but can't generate much force. Saunders tries to spin around and get into north and south position, but Johnson blocks it by tenaciously holding onto the right arm. Saunders uses his legs to break Johnson's arms apart and trap the right one. It's a semi-crucifix position, Johnson is quite exposed. Fortunately for him then time expires before Saunders can turn it into a better attacking opportunity. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Saunders. [B]Round 2[/B] Saunders 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 Saunders 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 Saunders, 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. Saunders really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Johnson was wide open for a moment there. Saunders 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. Saunders 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 Saunders, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. The second round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Saunders. [B]Round 3[/B] Quick start to the round from Johnson, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Saunders defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Saunders connects. Johnson gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Johnson pushes Saunders back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Saunders blocks it. Saunders suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Johnson down to the ground, into guard. Saunders tries to move quickly into side control, but Johnson isn't letting that happen. Johnson reaches up and tries to grab an arm, but takes a right hand to the cheek in response. Saunders tries to power him way through, raining down four or five hammer fists, but Johnson covered up well. Saunders pushes a leg down and moves to the side, but Johnson spins out. Saunders moves with him though and gets his back! No, Johnson scrambled like crazy and manages to turn right back over and pull guard again. That was an exciting sequence though, and the fans enjoyed it. Saunders won't be pleased that he had both side control and the back, but didn't hold onto either for more than a few seconds. The fight unfortunately enters a lull, as Saunders punctuates unsuccessful attempts to pass guard with easily defended jabs. The referee eventually gets them back up to their feet due to inactivity. Not much time left in the round though. Johnson will need to do something a bit special to avoid losing the round on points. He tries just that, throwing a big right hand and a high kick, but Saunders backs off, safe in the knowledge that he has won this round. The time expires. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Saunders. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Ben Saunders.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Ben Saunders by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Main Card[/B] [B]Roger Huerta (155) vs. Nate Diaz (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Nate Diaz via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Diaz 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 Diaz who takes it to the ground. Huerta pulls guard. There's a lull, as Diaz 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 Diaz, but that too goes nowhere. The referee stands them up, but the time is almost over. The first round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Diaz. [B]Round 2[/B] Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Diaz fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Huerta fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Diaz to the floor. The momentum causes Huerta to almost go completely over the top though, and Diaz is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Huerta tries to push free, but Diaz forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Diaz reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Huerta breaks it by bringing his arms up. Diaz steps through in an effort to mount Huerta, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Diaz throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Huerta rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Diaz determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Huerta uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Diaz having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Diaz. [B]Round 3[/B] Nice fast-paced start from Diaz, who gets right in Huerta'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 Huerta side-stepped. Huerta fires back with a left hand, then a right to the body. Diaz steps in, but only into a waist-high kick from Huerta. Diaz is quick though, and manages to catch it around the knee. Using it as leverage, Diaz sweeps Huerta's standing leg and takes them to the ground. Huerta quickly pulls guard. Huerta tries to push free, but Diaz forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Diaz reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Huerta breaks it by bringing his arms up. Diaz steps through in an effort to mount Huerta, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Diaz throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Huerta rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Diaz determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Huerta uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Diaz having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Diaz. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Nate Diaz.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (205) vs. Tim Boetsch (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Sokoudjou by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Boetsch 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 Boetsch is forced back against the cage. Sokoudjou picks his shots and gets a big punch to the body in. Boetsch 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. Boetsch scores with a low kick. Sokoudjou tries to back Boetsch up against the cage wall, but it comes to nothing. Sokoudjou unwinds a right hook that narrowly misses. That will be the last action of the round though. The first round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Sokoudjou. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start to the round. Not much happens before they wind up clinched together, struggling for supremacy. Sokoudjou 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 Boetsch scrambles and manages to get up, pushing Sokoudjou down to the ground. Boetsch ends up on top, in guard. Boetsch almost gets caught in a surprise armbar, leaving his arm in for far too long after a punch. Sokoudjou tries to twist it while wrapping his legs around it, but Boetsch pulls free, and it allows him an opportunity to get side control due to Sokoudjou's legs being out of position. He lies across Sokoudjou's chest. Sokoudjou has locked up Boetsch's right shoulder well, it's preventing him from doing much. Boetsch drives a knee into the ribs, but can't generate much force. Boetsch tries to spin around and get into north and south position, but Sokoudjou blocks it by tenaciously holding onto the right arm. Boetsch uses his legs to break Sokoudjou's arms apart and trap the right one. It's a semi-crucifix position, Sokoudjou is quite exposed. Fortunately for him then time expires before Boetsch can turn it into a better attacking opportunity. End of round 2. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Boetsch. [B]Round 3[/B] Boetsch hits the first punch of the round, scoring with a jab to the cheek. Sokoudjou throws a left hook in response, but it's well wide of the mark. Boetsch steps in and hits a low kick. Sokoudjou ignores it and shoots in for a takedown. Boetsch saw it coming though, and defends it brilliantly, sprawling at first, then pushing Sokoudjou face-down to the ground so that he can take his back. Sokoudjou turtles up. Boetsch hits a couple of hard shots to the body, but can't stop Sokoudjou working his way up and turning over, pulling guard. It takes a minute, but Boetsch's persistence allows him to pass guard and get to side control. Sokoudjou needs to try and get out of this quickly. Boetsch seems content to simply control the action at the moment, rather than trying to actually end the fight. He fires an occasional punch to the body, but other than that there's very little going on. Sokoudjou isn't being allowed to do much, and has the added problem of having a 205lb man across his chest, making it difficult to breathe properly. Boetsch tries to get an armbar on the far arm, but Sokoudjou links his hands together to stop the elbow getting hyper-extended. Boetsch drives a back-fist into the face, hitting right below the left eye, but Sokoudjou shifts his weight and manages to get himself into a better defensive position. The time expires with them in that position, with Boetsch having controlled the ground game entirely. End of round 3. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Boetsch. Tim Boetsch wins, with a score of 29-28 from two judges, 30-27 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Tim Boetsch by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Evan Tanner (185) vs. Alessio Sakara (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Evan Tanner by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Sakara makes Tanner 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. Sakara throws another two punches, both to the body, then steps back to avoid an uppercut. Tanner lets fly with a scorching punch though, and it catches Sakara by surprise, putting him down! Tanner follows up and starts raining down right hands. Sakara covers up as best he can, but it's not enough as the referee pulls Tanner off, the match is over. Tanner wins via TKO at 1:29 of the first round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Evan Tanner by TKO in the First Round[/B] [B]Wilson Gouveia (205) vs. Keith Jardine (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Wilson Gouveia by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Gouveia doesn't waste any time, scoring with a big right hook almost immediately. Jardine was caught sleeping, and that really landed hard, if it had been more accurate it might have been a knock out blow. Jardine hits two sharp body shots in return, but it's clear that he is rattled. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. They get in close and exchange punches, it's not clear who got the better of that. Gouveia hits a good looping punch to the side of the head, that's another one that's rattled Jardine. Gouveia is getting more force behind his punches at the moment, and that's the key difference. Gouveia with a body shot. Time ticks away, and Jardine offers nothing that would make you think that he has any chance of winning this round on points. The first round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Gouveia. [B]Round 2[/B] The round begins, and it is Gouveia who starts better, energetically bounding straight into action by throwing a three-punch combination and a scything leg kick. Jardine defended all four blows well, but is forced to be on the backfoot right from the word go. Gouveia works for an angle, coming in from the left hand side with a high right hand. Jardine ducks under it and nestles a stiff jab in the solar plexus. It doesn't seem to slow Gouveia 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 Jardine. Interesting first minute of action, Gouveia is looking particularly sharp. Jardine tries to turn the momentum by advancing quickly and driving Gouveia back against the cage with a series of jabs and hooks, and they end up clinched. Jardine tries a knee from that position, but it is blocked. Gouveia scores with two sharp blows to the ribs, and then they break away from each other. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. They square up to each other in the center. Gouveia throws a head fake and comes in from low down to hit a rising shot that catches Jardine on the side of the head. Jardine got a shot in too though, although it hit the shoulder rather than the head. Time is running down; Gouveia 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. Jardine tries a late surge, coming in hard and fast with a leading left, but Gouveia defends it well and scores the only meaningful shot of the exchange with a crisp left hand. The second round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Gouveia. [B] Round 3[/B] Gouveia starts off brightly, firing in a couple of right hands and a fizzing kick that catches Jardine across the hip. Jardine tries an immediate response by coming in for a big left hook, but is forced to back up by a lightning-like head kick that flashes across his face. Gouveia storms in and hits a crisp jab and a snap right hand, then ducks out of the way of a counter punch. Jardine comes forward, and again takes a kick across the hip, then a second one that slaps across the shin of his front foot. Gouveia's kicks are allowing him to control this round, Jardine has so far had no answer. They meet in the center; Gouveia comes in from low-down, but misses a right hand. Jardine scores with a right hand to the side of the head, then a stinging right hand to the ribs. Gouveia shoots off a kick to the ribs, then comes back in from an angle. A faked takedown fools Jardine, and another kick hits home. Jardine clinches up, and must be wondering what on earth he can do to stop these kicks from taking him apart. Time runs down as they engage in a struggle while in the clinch, and the round ends without any further noteworthy action. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Gouveia. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Wilson Gouveia.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Wilson Gouveia by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Ultimate Fight Night Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Wilson Gouveia vs. Keith Jardine [*]Knockout of the Night: Evan Tanner & CB Dollaway [/LIST] Wilson Gouveia sets himself up for a future title shot in the division as did Evan Tanner. Riki Fukuda has signed his contract and was at the event.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]UFC 105: Explosion Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Ryo Chonan (185) vs. Arman Gambaryan (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ryo Chonan by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Chonan puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Gambaryan defended well. Straight right from Gambaryan 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, Chonan probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Gambaryan 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 Chonan. The round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Chonan. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Chonan works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Gambaryan backed up against the cage. Chonan gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Gambaryan, who uses his legs well to defend. Chonan pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Gambaryan gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Chonan follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Chonan 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. Gambaryan tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Gambaryan 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 second round is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Chonan. [B]Round 3[/B] 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. Chonan gets a knee to the ribs in, but it wasn't particularly hard. They break. Chonan forces Gambaryan back against the cage and comes in close to try and unload. Gambaryan pushes him away with a shove, palm across the face, and Chonan loses his balance and is dumped onto the ground. Gambaryan leaps into action to follow up. Gambaryan drills Chonan with a right hand, that was an absolutely monster hit, right on the button. Chonan's head snaps back violently. Another two punches hit before the referee can get in there and pull him off. Replays show that Chonan was out cold from the right hand, it's a good job the referee got in there quickly to stop further damage. Gambaryan wins via 3rd round knock out with the official time being 1:35.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Arman Gambaryan by TKO in the Third Round[/B] [B]Troy Mandaloniz (170) vs. Dean Lister (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Dean Lister via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Lister stalks Rude Boy, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Lister is down! Rude Boy goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Rude Boy stunned Lister with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Rude Boy tries to move quickly into side control, but Lister isn't letting that happen. Lister reaches up and tries to grab an arm, but takes a right hand to the cheek in response. Rude Boy tries to power him way through, raining down four or five hammer fists, but Lister covered up well. Rude Boy pushes a leg down and moves to the side, but Lister spins out. Rude Boy moves with him though and gets his back! No, Lister scrambled like crazy and manages to turn right back over and pull guard again. That was an exciting sequence though, and the fans enjoyed it. Rude Boy won't be pleased that he had both side control and the back, but didn't hold onto either for more than a few seconds. The fight unfortunately enters a lull, as Rude Boy punctuates unsuccessful attempts to pass guard with easily defended jabs. The referee eventually gets them back up to their feet due to inactivity. Not much time left in the round though. Lister will need to do something a bit special to avoid losing the round on points. He tries just that, throwing a big right hand and a high kick, but Rude Boy backs off, safe in the knowledge that he has won this round. The time expires. The round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Rude Boy by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Rude Boy and Lister circle to start. Lister throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Rude Boy sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Lister comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Rude Boy to slip a nice jab in, catching Lister just underneath the right eye. Rude Boy comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Lister misses with a right cross, then backs off. Rude Boy stalks him, forcing Lister back up against the cage. Rude Boy doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Lister throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Rude Boy pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Lister covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Rude Boy in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Rude Boy 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. Lister comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Rude Boy 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 Rude Boy's favour. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Rude Boy. [B]Round 3[/B] Rude Boy starts fast, squeezing a jab past the guard and catching Lister above the right eye. Lister swings and misses with a big right hand, which puts him off balance long enough for Rude Boy to floor him with a hard left. Rude Boy 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 Lister was already falling slightly. Rude Boy rains down three big punches, Lister covers up and doesn't take too much damage. Rude Boy works one leg free, but Lister has the other tightly wrapped up between his own. Rude Boy fires off three rapid-fire elbows to the ribs to try and soften Lister up, but can't get the leg free. This is not a good position for Lister though, and Rude Boy is looking dangerous. Rude Boy pushes down, then brings his free leg forward to drive a knee into the lower back. Lister can't do a lot to stop that strike. Rude Boy hits a further knee, and that is enough to allow him to move into side control. Lister is in huge trouble here. Elbow to the face, only partially blocked. Rude Boy briefly gets a forearm across the throat of Lister, but it is knocked away before it can develop into a choke. Lister tries to scramble out of it, and almost manages to pull guard again, but Rude Boy maintains side control. Knee to the ribs again. Lister is taking a lot of punishment from those knee strikes. Rude Boy switches tactic and tries to grab an arm lock of some kind, Lister almost got caught by surprise but not quite. The round is almost over, and there is no question that this round has gone to Rude Boy, it has been utter dominance. Lister tries to get a knee strike of his own in, but it misses and Rude Boy responds with a hard elbow to the chest. That'll be the last action of the round. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Rude Boy. Troy Mandaloniz wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Troy Mandaloniz by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Nate Quarry (185) vs. Ricardo Almeida (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Ricardo Almeida by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Almeida throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Quarry throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Almeida 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. Quarry hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Almeida. They struggle all the way back, with Almeida ending up backed up against the cage. Quarry hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Almeida stomps downward onto his foot. Almeida manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Quarry gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Almeida ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Almeida tries a high kick to start, but Quarry saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Quarry who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Almeida on the nose. Almeida hits a straight right, enough to stop Quarry 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Quarry. [B]Round 2[/B] Quarry doesn't waste any time and throws two jabs to the face, but Almeida easily side-steps both and circles to the left. Almeida 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. Almeida gets caught with a solid right hand out of nowhere, and is rocked. Quarry follows up with another one, and Almeida looks in trouble all of a sudden. He is backed up against the cage and Quarry is unloading. The punches are raining down, Almeida is covering up. The referee has seen enough and stops the fight, clearly feeling that Almeida was unable to defend himself intelligently. Quarry wins. Quarry wins via 2nd round TKO with the official time being 1:18.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Nate Quarry by TKO in the Second Round[/B] [B]Heath Herring (265) vs. Frank Mir (265)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Frank Mir by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Quick start to the round from Herring, he comes storming in with a flurry of jabs. Mir defends it well, parrying them away. Nice straight right from Mir connects. Herring gets in close and hits a pair of nice body shots, then they clinch up. Herring pushes Mir back against the cage and goes for a trip, but Mir blocks it. Mir suddenly pushes forward off the cage and uses the momentum to take Herring down to the ground, into guard. Herring tries to push free, but Mir forces him to go back to guard by raining down some jabs. Mir reaches over and tries to apply some sort of neck vice, but Herring breaks it by bringing his arms up. Mir steps through in an effort to mount Herring, but can only get to half guard as one of his legs gets trapped. Mir throws some strikes, then tries to work an armbar on the closest arm. Herring rolls over and uses his free arm to keep that from happening. That goes on for quite a long time, with Mir determined to try and work the arm free and get an armbar, while Herring uses everything at his disposal to block it. The round ends without Mir having made the breakthrough, although he clearly ran away with the round in terms of points. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Mir. [B]Round 2[/B] Exchange of strikes to start. Herring suddenly shoots in and gets a takedown, ending up in guard. Mir keeps the guard high. Herring half-stands and throws a big right hand, narrowly missing the mark. Another punch connects, but Herring leans into it too much and Mir brings his legs up and closes them around the arm. It's Herring 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 Mir to sweep him from that position. A scramble for position ends with the situation being completely reversed, with Mir on top in Herring's guard. Mir passes guard and gets into side control, but it's an awkward position; Herring has the entire right hand side of his body up against the cage, and both his legs wrapped around Mir's left arm. Mir's attacking options are fairly limited. He uses a couple of back fists to strike away at the face, but Herring covers up to defend them. Mir tries to pin down one of Herring's arms and bring his legs around to trap them fully, but Herring uses his free arm to stop that from happening. The ground battle enters a stalemate, as Mir 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Mir by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Fast start by Herring, who has thrown three crisp jabs in the first twenty seconds, although none of them got past the gloves. Mir circles, drawing a lunge from Herring, allowing him to score with a nice low kick to the front leg. Herring ignores that and darts in for a takedown, but only ends up holding one leg, Mir hopping on the other to remain vertical. Herring tries to push forward to complete the takedown, but Mir 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. Herring has one leg trapped between Mir'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. Mir defends it well, without fully escaping it, Herring 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. Mir suddenly releases the leg and scrambles up, looking to take Herring's back. Herring was ready for it though, and blocks it by pinning a half-standing Mir up against the cage. It's a precarious position for both fighters. Mir throws a couple of short-range punches. Herring gets a leg in and trips Mir, putting him back on the ground, albeit this time in full guard. It was a nice escape attempt from Mir, 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Herring. The official scores are: 29-28 (twice), 30-27 for Frank Mir.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Frank Mir by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Gray Maynard (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Gray Maynard by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Griffin tries a looping punch from way back, but Maynard side steps with ease. Jab from Maynard, gets one back in response. Griffin comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Maynard shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Maynard tries to work free from the guard, but can't. Griffin reaches up to try and bring Maynard down into a clinch, but the attempt gets swatted away. Maynard fires off a couple of punches, leaning forward to get some leverage, and Griffin is forced to cover up. Maynard switches and starts firing off some rapid-fire shots to the chest, Griffin deals with it by pulling the guard tighter and punching upward. Maynard looks like he is happy to sit there and throw punches at his leisure, with no real effort to pass guard. Griffin 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 first round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Maynard. [B]Round 2[/B] Tentative start to the round by both fighters, neither looks willing to commit themselves and make the first mistake. Griffin stalks Maynard, working him back toward the cage. There's an exchange of strikes...and Griffin is down! Maynard goes to finish it, but gets sucked into the guard position. Replays show that Maynard stunned Griffin with a nice straight right to the cheek during the earlier flurry, and that's what dropped him. Maynard throws out a right hand, parried away by Griffin. The guard is quite tight, for the moment at least Maynard looks content to stay there and throw some punches. Griffin 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, Griffin thought it was going for the face. Another punch lands in the same place, and a red mark starts to develop. Griffin reaches up and pulls Maynard down into a clinch, and tries to work an armbar from the bottom. Maynard 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. Griffin looked like he might be considering trying to apply a triangle then, as Maynard was very exposed, but he didn't get a chance due to the ferocity of the punches. Maynard gets back down to kneeling in the guard. Another right hand lands to the ribs. Griffin fires off two punches from his back, but Maynard defends them easily by simply leaning backward out of reach. Maynard stands again, the guard remaining tight around him, and throws another couple of bombs. This time Griffin does try to apply the triangle, and an armbar at the same time, but Maynard breaks free. Time is ticking down, looks like Griffin will survive this ground and pound attack. The round ends without further note. End of round 2. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Maynard. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Maynard works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Griffin backed up against the cage. Maynard gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Griffin, who uses his legs well to defend. Maynard pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Griffin gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Maynard follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Maynard 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. Griffin tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Griffin 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Maynard by 10-9. The judges are split; Gray Maynard gets 30-27 from the first, Tyson Griffin gets 29-28 from the second, the third gives 30-27 to Gray Maynard. Gray Maynard gets the split decision victory.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Gray Maynard by Split Decision[/B] [B]UFC 105: Explosion Main Card[/B] [B]Thales Leites (185) vs. Patrick Cote (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Thales Leites via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] A fizzing right hand from Cote opens the round; it didn't find its intended target of Leites's chin, but it did land hard on the left shoulder instead. Leites fights back with a jab, but takes a hard shot to the body after leaning in too far. Cote pins him to the cage with a quick burst, and unloads with lefts and rights. Leites 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. Cote 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. Leites had to time that perfectly, and did. Cote doesn't pull guard, instead scrambling, ending up onto his knees, with Leites taking his back! Leites tries to go for a choke, but Cote bucks and twists, scrambling back to his feet and backing off. A big right hand and a high kick prevent Leites from following too closely. After that frenetic minute of action, things die down, with the fighters circling. Cote scores with two leg kicks, Leites 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. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Cote. [B]Round 2[/B] Cote leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Leites 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. Leites uses a knee to the ribs before backing Cote up against the cage. Right hand from Cote connects though, that was well timed. Leites breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Cote was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Leites sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Cote 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. Leites is the first to go for it, throwing a three-punch combination. Cote covered up well, taking very little damage. Leites goes to throw a bomb, but gets clipped with a right hand before it can connect. He felt that. Cote steps in and throws a bomb of his own, and it crunches into the side of the cheek of Leites, who goes down! Replays show the shock wave passing through his entire body as that powerful punch connected. What a strike! Cote wins this by a brutally clean knock out. The official time is 3:48.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Patrick Cote by Knock Out in the Second Round[/B] [B]Thiago Tavares (155) vs. Sean Sherk (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Thiago Tavares by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They come together into a clich almost right away. Tavares gets a knee in, but that's about the total sum of the action, and the referee separates them. Sherk moves in, but gets caught with a big kick to the legs that causes him to stumble to the mat. Tavares came in fast to try and capitalise, but Sherk uses the guard well. Tavares tries to pass guard, but Sherk doesn't allow it. Sherk 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 Sherk, then tries to isolate the closest arm. Sherk 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 Sherk is not allowing it. Eventually Tavares turns and tries to get a crucifix position instead. Sherk fights that off too. The round ends with Tavares still doggedly trying to get an armbar submission, and Sherk tenaciously stopping it. The first round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Tavares. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start to the round, they're both circling, looking for an opening. Sherk tries a looping punch from way back, but Tavares side steps with ease. Jab from Tavares, gets one back in response. Sherk comes in, looking for the right hand lead, but Tavares shoots in and uses a double-leg takedown. He winds up in a closed guard. Tavares tries to grab an arm to work a submission, but Sherk is defending it well by using short, sharp strikes to keep him back. Tavares tries to pass the guard, but has no luck. A punch from Tavares connects, but there was no real power behind it. Tavares fakes Sherk out cleverly, and slips to a half mount. Sherk manages to hit a firm elbow, then is forced to defend the full mount attempt. Tavares switches tactics and tries to work a kimura on the other arm, but Sherk blocks it, squirms his leg free, and secures the guard again. Tavares looks frustrated at losing the half mount after having worked so hard to get it in the first place. Sherk is liable to lose the round on points, but he has done a fine job of defending the submissions attempts so far. Tavares tries to secure a leglock, but the guard is tight and Sherk is safe. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Tavares. [B]Round 3[/B] 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. Tavares is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Sherk on the side of the cheek. Tavares 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. Sherk goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Tavares is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Sherk has Tavares against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Tavares reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Sherk, who pulls guard. Tavares starts pounding away and does some damage before Sherk grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Sherk has both of Tavares's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Tavares uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Sherk isn't going to be too bothered by that. Tavares pulls one arm free. Sherk still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Tavares sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Tavares steps through the legs and forces Sherk to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Sherk manages to ensare one leg though, and so Tavares has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Tavares hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Sherk keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Tavares is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Tavares pulls Sherk's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Sherk rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Tavares continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Tavares. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Thiago Tavares.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Thiago Tavares by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Brock Lesnar (265) vs. Brandon Vera (220)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Brandon Vera via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] There's a few minor exchanges of punches to start the round, and Vera gets the better of them. Neither fighter is throwing any bombs, but Vera is showing the better technique, and has hit a few nice body shots. They come together again, and Vera shows quick hands to get in three nice shots. Lesnar definitely felt them. Neither fighter seems interested in taking this to the ground, they're just circling, throwing a few punches, then regrouping. Lesnar is struggling to inflict much damage. He may need to switch tactics, as so far Vera is looking very comfortable. Lesnar comes in with left, but Vera saw it coming and slipped in a great right hand counter punch. Lesnar is getting frustrated. The remainder of the round is no different, as the occasional exchanges of strikes are clearly go the way of Vera's superior technique. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Vera. [B] Round 2[/B] Vera starts tentatively, and scores with a few sharp leg kicks. A straight left connects, and Lesnar is forced backward to avoid an uppercut. Good start from Vera. Lesnar tries to come inside, but eats a kick to the thigh. They clinch briefly, but it goes nowhere. Looping right hand from Lesnar, but it only caught Vera on the shoulder. Another kick connects from Vera, and that sets up a nice combination to the body. The accuracy of his kicks has been excellent so far, and is keeping Lesnar from doing very much. Vera glances at the referee, not sure why. Right hand from Lesnar, 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. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Vera. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start, both fighters are throwing tentative punches without threatening anything more powerful. Vera puts together the first exciting moment, stringing together four punches in quick succession, but Lesnar defended well. Straight right from Lesnar 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, Vera probably getting the slightly better punches in, and then fall into a clinch. That goes nowhere, and the referee separates them. Lesnar 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 Vera. The round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Vera. Brandon Vera wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Brandon Vera by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC Middleweight Championship: Demian Maia (185) vs. Anderson Silva (c) (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Anderson Silva by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The round starts. They touch gloves. Maia throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Silva to back off. Silva throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Maia sees it coming and steps back. Silva advances and they meet in the center. Maia ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Silva 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. Maia bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Silva ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Maia to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Maia 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. Silva's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Maia and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Maia is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. The round is over. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Silva. [B]Round 2[/B] The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Maia starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Silva is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Silva steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Maia throws a vicious right cross, but Silva goes under it and catches Maia with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Silva 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 Maia's counters. Maia is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Silva 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 Maia. Maia finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Silva coming in with a low kick. Silva still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Maia can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Silva having dominated. End of the round. Blurcat.com sees it 10-8 to Silva. [B]Round 3[/B] Maia comes out fast, but gets hit with a counter right hand strike when he throws a left hand which was too high. Silva moves in and hits a nice body shot before they clinch. Maia gets in a short, sharp jab to the side of the head, it looked to hit right on the ear. Silva didn't like that, and scores with two knee strikes and a punch to the cheek. They break apart. Silva swings and hits a nice right hand. Maia 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! Silva 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 Maia's part than anything else. It might not look that way to the judges though. Silva looks more confident after that, and puts together a nice chain of strikes, ending with a scathing low kick that catches Maia on the outside of the calf. He definitely felt that. Time is running out; Silva will probably take this round on the judges' score cards, primarily due to that one dubious knock down. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Silva. [B]Round 4[/B] Maia throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Silva throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Maia 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. Silva hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Maia. They struggle all the way back, with Maia ending up backed up against the cage. Silva hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Maia stomps downward onto his foot. Maia manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Silva gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Maia ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Maia tries a high kick to start, but Silva saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Silva who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Maia on the nose. Maia hits a straight right, enough to stop Silva 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. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. [B]Round 5[/B] Silva starts fast, immediately going on the attack with jabs and straight rights. Maia covers up from the initial burst, then starts throwing some raking rights and lefts. Silva bobs and weaves out of harm's way, countering by flicking off jabs whenever possible, peppering Maia with strikes. None of them are likely to knock Maia down, but they will add up over time. Maia moves in and tries to back Silva up against the cage, but he is too quick, and won't allow himself to get caught. Maia is having a real problem with Silva'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 Silva scores with a sharp left hand to the chest, and is gone before the big right hand of Maia hits. Maia looks frustrated, and switches tactics, no longer looking for the big punches but trying to stop Silva getting in close by using low kicks and long, raking punches. Silva is kept from doing any further damage, but Maia isn't generating any offence either. Silva comes in from an angle, takes a right hand, but scores with a flurry of his own. Maia tries to hit a low kick, but misses. Time is running down, Silva is going to take this round on points, he has been able to dominate it thanks to his superior movement. End of round 5. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Silva. The three judges all give the match as 50-44 to Anderson Silva. Anderson Silva successfully retains the UFC Middleweight title.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner and STILL UFC Middleweight Champion: Anderson Silva by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Lyoto Machida (205) vs. Mauricio Rua (c) (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Shogun Rua by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Machida, providing the first moment of real action. Shogun hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Machida side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Shogun 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 ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Shogun. [B]Round 2[/B] Tentative start, neither fighter is willing to commit yet. Shogun fires off a jab, but it was easily blocked. Machida fakes a kick, then comes in hard and fast with a takedown, sending Shogun to the floor. The momentum causes Machida to almost go completely over the top though, and Shogun is able to flip him to the side and end up on top, in the guard position. Shogun looks to pound out a victory, throwing some big punches. Machida's guard prevents him from getting his body behind the shots though, and none of them have enough power to really trouble Machida. A couple do get through and hit home though. Machida reaches up and smothers Shogun into a clinch. He fights free, with some difficulty, and starts punching away again. Machida parries the shots away. Unfortunately the round enters a lull, with Shogun unable to pass guard and so being content just to throw punches from there, while Machida is unwilling to risk letting Shogun pass guard. We enter the final thirty seconds of the round before Shogun gets a breakthrough, managing to power through the guard and mount Machida! Machida covers up and tries to buck and roll his hips to desperately try and dislodge Shogun. 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 Machida is probably relieved when the round ends with him not having taken too much damage. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Shogun by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Machida comes in quick to start, but none of the flurry of jabs that are thrown actually connect with anything but gloves. Shogun gets in a nice counter punch, bouncing a fist off the cheek. Machida backs off, then starts to circle. Machida 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. Shogun capitalises, throwing a big kick to the head! Machida 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 Shogun remains back, biding his time. Shogun steps in and kicks at the legs, avoiding the up-kick that comes back. He tries to move around to the side, but Machida scoots the same way to keep the defence strong. Shogun finally moves in to throw some punches, but Machida manages to pull guard without taking any serious punishment. The fight falls into a lull as a pattern develops; Shogun punctuating attempts to pass guard with some sharp punches to the body and face, while Machida parries away any big blows and puts all of his effort into making sure Shogun doesn't get a better position. Things heat up as Shogun manages to break the guard and get through into a half mount. Machida hits a nice clean right hand in response. Shogun 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. Machida knows that having the leg trapped is his key to not ending up in huge trouble, and so has it locked up tight. Shogun tries a half-hearted attempt at a kimura, but Machida defends it well. The round ends with Shogun still unable to transition into side control, although he has landed enough shots to have lit up Machida's upper body with red marks, and definitely won the round on points. The 3rd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Shogun. [B]Round 4[/B] Shogun isn't hanging around, right from the start Machida is forced onto the back foot by four hard shots, although none of them get through the gloves. Machida circles, steps in, then unloads a combination of punches, but Shogun 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 Shogun, the timing had to be perfect and it was. Machida is looking a bit frustrated, and uncorks a ragged-looking uppercut that missed by several inches. Shogun really should have taken advantage of that mistake, Machida was wide open for a moment there. Shogun hits a high kick, catching Machida on the shoulder. Jab from Machida finds the mark, but it didn't have much power behind it as he was leaning backward too much. Shogun fires off a couple of straight punches in response, but only finds gloves. They clinch, and the fight enters a lull. Machida scores with a knee from the clinch, it landed around the hip area of Shogun, who responds with a couple of shots to the ribs. The time runs out with them still clinched though. The round ends. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Shogun. [B]Round 5[/B] Machida starts off by throwing two excellent low kicks to the leading leg of Shogun. Those will accumulate fast and give Shogun some problems moving. Machida switches it up and throws a big right hand, missing. Shogun, 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! Machida goes down from the first strike that Shogun has thrown since the round began! Shogun doesn't dive in, instead taking his time. Machida recovered well from the punch, and remains seated on the floor, ready to defend. Shogun 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 Machida is able to pull guard, just, that was close. Shogun fires off a couple of tentative punches, testing out the guard of Machida. Shogun tries to pass the guard, but can't, Machida isn't going to let him get a better position, as he knows that Shogun will start raining down punches. Shogun tries a big right hand, but it's easily defended. Machida gets a punch of his own in, but it didn't connect properly. Shogun 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. Shogun fakes an elbow before trying to pass the guard for a third time, and briefly has side mount, but Machida fought it hard and gets back to guard within seconds. Butterfly guard by Machida, and Shogun is having trouble generating any attacking threat. He'll probably win the round as he has been more aggressive, but Machida has defended the danger well. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Shogun. The official scores are: 50-45 (twice), 49-46 for Mauricio Rua. Mauricio Rua successfully retains the UFC Light Heavyweight title.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner and STILL UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Shogun Rua by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 105: Explosion Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Tyson Griffin vs. Gray Maynard [*]Knockout of the Night: Arman Gambaryan & Patrick Cote [/LIST] Anderson Silva & Shogun retain their titles in dominant decisions. Shogun will look forward to Wilson Gouveia, while Anderson will probably fight Evan Tanner. Ryo Chonan ruined his title chance by losing to Arman Gambaryan, Gray Maynard gets back on the winning track, and Brandon Vera may be coming back up the Heavyweight ranks. Patrick Cote will look to move closer to a title shot soon.[/QUOTE][/center]

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[center][B]April 10th - UFC 106: Rumble in the Rockies - Broomfield, Colorado[/B] [B]UFC Heavyweight Championship:[/B] Houston Alexander vs. Cro Cop (c) Quinton Jackson vs. Mike Whitehead Thiago Silva vs. Matt Hamill Rich Franklin vs. Josh Burkman Dustin Hazelett vs. George Sotiropoulos Martin Kampmann vs. Nate Marquardt Matt Grice vs. Din Thomas Jorge Santiago vs. Lyman Good Chris Lytle vs. Jorge Rivera Rich Clementi vs. Joe Lauzon Alan Belcher vs. Kendall Grove UFC 107 will take place two weeks after overseas in the UK. No main event is thought to be in place, although Forrest Griffin vs. Rogerio Nogueira and Ed Herman vs. Chris Leben are two bouts signed for the event. Jorge Masidval & Riki Fukuda are expected to debut as well. The UFC has re-signed UFC Champ Shogun Rua, Nate Quarry, and Thales Leites, and also signed: Dan Lauzon, Anthony Lapsley, Yoon Young Kim, Hacran Dias, Conor Heun, and Bobby McMasters.[/center]

[Gabriel]

Jorge Masvidal is a good pickup. Hope you don't feed him to the lions though in his first fight. [B]April 10th - UFC 106: Rumble in the Rockies - Broomfield, Colorado[/B] UFC Heavyweight Championship: Houston Alexander vs. [B]Cro Cop (c)[/B] [B]Quinton Jackson[/B] vs. Mike Whitehead [B]Thiago Silva[/B] vs. Matt Hamill Rich Franklin vs. [B]Josh Burkman[/B] Dustin Hazelett vs. [B]George Sotiropoulos[/B] Martin Kampmann vs. [B]Nate Marquardt[/B] Matt Grice vs. [B]Din Thomas[/B] [B]Jorge Santiago[/B] vs. Lyman Good [B]Chris Lytle[/B] vs. Jorge Rivera [B]Rich Clementi[/B] vs. Joe Lauzon [B]Alan Belcher[/B] vs. Kendall Grove

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[center][B]UFC 106: Rumble in the Rockies Prelim Bouts[/B] [B]Alan Belcher (185) vs. Kendall Grove (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Kendall Grove by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Flat start to the round, thirty seconds of circling without any actual contact. The fans begin to get a bit restless. Belcher is the first to try something, stringing together a couple of jabs and a low kick, but Grove blocked the first two and avoided the latter. A lunge from Belcher is meant to set up a punch, but it's clumsy and just leaves him off balance. Grove is quick to react, and gets a great shot to the side of the face in before Belcher 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 Belcher some problems later on. Belcher 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. Grove is staying on it though, and glances three shots off the gloves of Belcher 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 Belcher 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. Belcher goes for a trip, but Grove 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 Grove 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 1. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Grove. [B]Round 2[/B] Belcher leads with the right hand to set up a low kick, Grove 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. Grove uses a knee to the ribs before backing Belcher up against the cage. Right hand from Belcher connects though, that was well timed. Grove breaks the clinch and backs off. That was sloppy on his part, Belcher was basically gifted a free shot. Three quick jabs from Grove sting the gloves, then a crashing hook to the body finds its mark. Good recovery. Belcher fires off a low kick again, but it's well wide. Belcher scores with a quick single leg trip but falls right into guard. He tries to throw a couple of big punches, but completely exposes himself to a triangle. Grove tightens it up and there doesn't look to be anyway out. Finally Belcher taps out. Official time of the triangle submission is 4:40 of the second round.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Kendall Grove via Submission in the Second Round[/B] [B]Rich Clementi (155) vs. Joe Lauzon (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Joe Lauzon via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Lauzon scores the first meaningful blow of the round, hitting a powerful overhand right that thumped past the gloves. Clementi 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 Lauzon moves to a new angle and scores with a series of jabs. Clementi turns and swings a heavy right hand, but Lauzon goes underneath it and hits a wicked kick to the gut. That exchange really showed the difference between the two fighters; Lauzon looks light on his feet and very agile, Clementi looks slow and sluggish by comparison. Clementi will need to find a way to nullify Lauzon's footwork, perhaps by getting in close, as he has been picked apart for the first half of this round. Lauzon darts in again, and gets in a nice flurry. Clementi manages to hit a crisp jab in return, but one of Lauzon'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, Lauzon controlling the round with his superior movement. The first round is over. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Lauzon. [B]Round 2[/B] Clementi goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Lauzon doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Lauzon comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Clementi covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Lauzon is already out of range. Lauzon 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 Clementi is beginning to look frustrated. Lauzon's footwork and general movement is looking good, Clementi is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Lauzon is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Clementi has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Lauzon is too quick. Clementi finally gets in close enough to grapple with Lauzon, clinching up. Clementi scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Lauzon bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Clementi is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Clementi swings for the fences, but Lauzon has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Lauzon. [B]Round 3[/B] 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. Lauzon is the first to land a worthwhile blow, hitting a straight right that catches Clementi on the side of the cheek. Lauzon 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. Clementi goes for a trip and almost gets it, but Lauzon is able to regain his footing at the last moment. Clementi has Lauzon against the cage, and hits three right hands to the side of the ribs. Lauzon reaches down and picks up a leg, using that as leverage to topple Clementi, who pulls guard. Lauzon starts pounding away and does some damage before Clementi grapples and pulls him down into a clinch. Clementi has both of Lauzon's arms tied up, preventing much in the way of attacking action. Lauzon uses some shoulder shrugs to the face, but Clementi isn't going to be too bothered by that. Lauzon pulls one arm free. Clementi still has tight control of the other, and brings his legs up, trying to apply an armbar. Lauzon sees it coming and blocks it easily, getting in a couple of punches for good measure. Lauzon steps through the legs and forces Clementi to release the arm so that he can cover up against a series of strikes. Clementi manages to ensare one leg though, and so Lauzon has to make do with being in half guard instead of getting the full mount that he wanted. Lauzon hits a couple of punches, takes one back, then attempts to get side control. Clementi keeps him at bay. Time is ticking away, if Lauzon is going to use this position to finish the match, it had better be done soon. Lauzon pulls Clementi's left arm to one side and straightens it out, perhaps looking to turn it into an armbar. Clementi rolls over to stop the arm getting trapped. Lauzon continues to work for it though. Time expires though, the round is over. The third round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Lauzon. All three judges give a score of 30-27 in favour of Joe Lauzon.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Joe Lauzon by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Jorge Rivera (185) vs. Chris Lytle (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Chris Lytle by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The two fighters touch gloves as the round begins. Rivera starts brightly, throwing out a series of jabs and raking punches, but Lytle is too light on his feet and avoids all of them. Lytle steps in and hits a lovely overhand right, then a low kick to the outside of the thigh. Rivera throws a vicious right cross, but Lytle goes under it and catches Rivera with a scathing left hand to the gut. The next few minutes follow a very similar pattern; Lytle 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 Rivera's counters. Rivera is being made to look sluggish by comparison, and the amount of punches that Lytle 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 Rivera. Rivera finally hits a meaningful blow, catching Lytle coming in with a low kick. Lytle still gets a crisp jab in though, and is back out of range before Rivera can apply a second strike. The round comes to an end with Lytle having dominated. The round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Lytle by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Lytle and Rivera circle to start. Rivera throws a couple of looping punches, neither hitting, while Lytle sits back, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Rivera comes in closer, looking to unload with a right hand; that misses, and it allows Lytle to slip a nice jab in, catching Rivera just underneath the right eye. Lytle comes in and scores with a straight left, then bounces a right hand off the body. Rivera misses with a right cross, then backs off. Lytle stalks him, forcing Rivera back up against the cage. Lytle doesn't rush in, instead standing back and throwing the occasional punch. Rivera throws a big left hand in response, but it misses by quite a margin. Lytle pounces, hitting lefts and rights. Rivera covers up from the first two punches, then clinches up to prevent any more coming in. They're up against the cage, Lytle in the dominant position. They remain that way as the time ticks down. Lytle 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. Rivera comes in hard and fast, bobbing and weaving, and throws a couple of big shots. Lytle 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 Lytle's favour. End of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Lytle by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Rivera goes to the center, and immediately throws some jabs, looking to engage in a striking battle. Lytle doesn't commit though, instead circling and looking for an angle. Lytle comes in, ducks a right hand, then unleashes a flurry of punches. Rivera covers up at first, then throws a scathing right hand, but Lytle is already out of range. Lytle 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 Rivera is beginning to look frustrated. Lytle's footwork and general movement is looking good, Rivera is being made to look very slow and lumbering in comparison. Furthermore, Lytle is being able to launch multiple short bursts of offense without really being in any danger, Rivera has yet to hit any sort of meaningful punch, simply because Lytle is too quick. Rivera finally gets in close enough to grapple with Lytle, clinching up. Rivera scores a nice body punch, then steps back and goes for a vicious right hand, but Lytle bobs out of the way and hits a right hook of his own. Time is ticking away, and Rivera is well behind in this round, he needs to do something special. Rivera swings for the fences, but Lytle has no problem avoiding it. The round peters out. The round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Lytle by 10-9. Chris Lytle wins, with a score of 30-27 from two judges, 29-28 from the other.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Chris Lytle by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Jorge Santiago (185) vs. Lyman Good (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Jorge Santiago by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Santiago starts the round like a house on fire, hitting three quick jabs and a vicious right hook. Good covered up well, but at least one of the jabs got through and landed above the left eye. Good backs up to buy some time, but Santiago keeps coming and lands a right hand to the body. Good scores with a jab in return, then goes with a kick to the waist. Santiago catches the leg though and quickly rushes forward with a takedown. Good pulls guard. Santiago rains down three big punches, Good covers up and doesn't take too much damage. Santiago works one leg free, but Good has the other tightly wrapped up between his own. Santiago fires off three rapid-fire elbows to the ribs to try and soften Good up, but can't get the leg free. This is not a good position for Good though, and Santiago is looking dangerous. Santiago pushes down, then brings his free leg forward to drive a knee into the lower back. Good can't do a lot to stop that strike. Santiago hits a further knee, and that is enough to allow him to move into side control. Good is in huge trouble here. Elbow to the face, only partially blocked. Santiago briefly gets a forearm across the throat of Good, but it is knocked away before it can develop into a choke. Good tries to scramble out of it, and almost manages to pull guard again, but Santiago maintains side control. Knee to the ribs again. Good is taking a lot of punishment from those knee strikes. Santiago switches tactic and tries to grab an arm lock of some kind, Good almost got caught by surprise but not quite. The round is almost over, and there is no question that this round has gone to Santiago, it has been utter dominance. Good tries to get a knee strike of his own in, but it misses and Santiago responds with a hard elbow to the chest. That'll be the last action of the round. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com scores 10-9 Santiago. [B]Round 2[/B] Good comes out fast, but gets hit with a counter right hand strike when he throws a left hand which was too high. Santiago moves in and hits a nice body shot before they clinch. Good gets in a short, sharp jab to the side of the head, it looked to hit right on the ear. Santiago didn't like that, and scores with two knee strikes and a punch to the cheek. They break apart. Santiago swings and hits a nice right hand. Good 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! Santiago 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 Good's part than anything else. It might not look that way to the judges though. Santiago looks more confident after that, and puts together a nice chain of strikes, ending with a scathing low kick that catches Good on the outside of the calf. He definitely felt that. Time is running out; Santiago will probably take this round on the judges' score cards, primarily due to that one dubious knock down. The 2nd round ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Santiago. [B]Round 3[/B] Santiago starts fast, squeezing a jab past the guard and catching Good above the right eye. Good swings and misses with a big right hand, which puts him off balance long enough for Santiago to floor him with a hard left. Santiago 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 Good was already falling slightly. Good is forced into defending an attempted armbar straight away, although in truth Santiago 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, Santiago does try to pass guard, but Good keeps him tightly caught up in the guard. Santiago 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 Good covers up nicely. Good tries to generate some attacking threat of his own, reaching up and trying to secure a guillotine, but Santiago pops his head out quite easily. Good drags him down into a clinch, and they remain that way for a while, with Santiago throwing the occasional punch to the ribs, Good throwing them to the back. Santiago breaks free and quickly tries to pass guard, getting as far as half guard. He tries to secure an armbar, but Good brings his legs in to defend it. Santiago stands, still holding the arm, and ends up almost sitting on top of a balled-up Good. He can't do a great deal from that position, although Good will have found it hard to breathe, and the time expires without any more noteworthy strikes hitting. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Santiago. The official scores are: 30-27 from all three judges for Jorge Santiago.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Jorge Santiago by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Matt Grice (155) vs. Din Thomas (155)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Din Thomas by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Grice throws a right hand, narrowly missing. Thomas almost seems to be inviting him on to throw punches, he could be trying to lure him into over-committing. Grice throws a jab that connects, albeit without much power, but it causes Thomas to back up quickly, back toward the cage. Grice comes in quickly, throwing looping punches, but gets reckless and Thomas grabs the opportunity by nailing a big right cross! Grice collapses in a heap, his left leg buckling underneath him in at an awkward angle. Thomas has knocked him out cold with a killer punch. The official time of the knock out is 1:41 of round 1.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Din Thomas by Knock Out in the First Round[/B] [B]Martin Kampmann (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Nate Marquardt via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Kampmann throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Marquardt throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Kampmann 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. Marquardt hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Kampmann. They struggle all the way back, with Kampmann ending up backed up against the cage. Marquardt hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Kampmann stomps downward onto his foot. Kampmann manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Marquardt gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Kampmann ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Kampmann tries a high kick to start, but Marquardt saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Marquardt who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Kampmann on the nose. Kampmann hits a straight right, enough to stop Marquardt 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Marquardt by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Slow start to the round, nearly a minute has gone by without anything but a few jabs finding gloves. Kampmann comes in, looking for a grapple it seems, but takes a powerful kick just above the left hip. Marquardt really put some venom into that strike. Kampmann backs off, clearly stung. Marquardt 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. Kampmann ducks and moves out of range, but that was clearly intended to be a match-ender, Marquardt 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 Kampmann is looking to have a hard time countering them. On top of that, the threat of the kicks is keeping Kampmann from getting in too close. Marquardt stalks Kampmann, throwing the occasional high right hand, perhaps range-finding. Kampmann 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. Marquardt hits a knee, but takes one right back. The kicks aren't a danger from this position, that's for sure. Marquardt squirms free, but foolishly lost his concentration for a second and took a hard right hand above the eye in the process. Silly mistake. Kampmann comes in, looking more confident now, and gets in a couple of right hands and a lovely hook to the body. Marquardt tags him with a jab though, and then hits another fearsome kick to the same spot above the left hip. And another! Kampmann backs off, and a huge red mark has appeared in that spot. Marquardt advances and throws another head kick, but it is mostly blocked by the hands of Kampmann. The round is drawing to a close, and those kicks have certainly proved massively effective for Marquardt. The 2nd round ends. Blurcat.com gives that one to Marquardt by 10-9. [B]Round 3[/B] Slow start to the round, there's a lot of circling going on, not much contact though. Marquardt fakes a kick, then darts in to score with a left hand to the shoulder region. Kampmann almost catches Marquardt with a massive left hook. A big arcing kick from Marquardt catches Kampmann on the shoulder, it wasn't far away from landing on the side of the jaw. Kampmann storms in throwing a flurry of blows, but Marquardt dodges out of the way. A jab catches Kampmann on the cheek, then another big kick hits home, this time into the ribs. Marquardt is really using those big kicks well, they're both keeping Kampmann at bay and hurting him. Kampmann tries another attack, first working an angle away from the kicks then coming in with a couple of straight rights. Marquardt defends it well, parrying the punches away and moving to safety before Kampmann can unload with any bombs. Marquardt 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 Marquardt has dominated with kicks. The third round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-8 to Marquardt. The official scores are in; two judges give 30-26, the other 29-27, all for Nate Marquardt.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Nate Marquardt by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 106: Rumble in the Rockies Main Card[/B] [B]Dustin Hazelett (170) vs. George Sotiropoulos (170)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Dustin Hazelett via Submission[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The two fighters circle. Sotiropoulos flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Hazelett easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Sotiropoulos could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Hazelett 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, Sotiropoulos is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Sotiropoulos forces Hazelett back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Hazelett in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Sotiropoulos does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Hazelett saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Sotiropoulos turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Sotiropoulos is up quickly, causing Hazelett, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Sotiropoulos was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Sotiropoulos throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Hazelett to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. The first round is over. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Hazelett. [B]Round 2[/B] Hazelett starts with a high kick, but Sotiropoulos was well out of range. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. Hazelett steps in and exchanges strikes with Sotiropoulos, neither fighter gets a particular advantage from it. Sotiropoulos parries away a nice right hand and gets in a crisp counter punch that catches Hazelett 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. Hazelett finally shows some fire, putting together a combination of two jabs, a cross, and an uppercut. Sotiropoulos 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 Hazelett blocked them. Hazelett scores the best punch of the round so far, coming in fast, ducking under a dangerous right hand, and catching Sotiropoulos square in the face with a lunging overhand right. Sotiropoulos backs off and covers up, clearly having felt that one, and unfortunately Hazelett's attempts to follow up and thwarted as he gets tied up in a clinch near the cage. The time expires, with Hazelett probably having stolen that round thanks to that one big punch. End of the round. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Hazelett. [B]Round 3[/B] The round begins with Sotiropoulos taking the iniative, coming in quickly with a straight right and a leg kick. Hazelett replies with a snap jab and a wild left that misses by a long way. Sotiropoulos goes for the takedown, but Hazelett sprawls. Sotiropoulos tries to power through, but Hazelett uses that against him and turns it into a takedown of his own. They're quite close to the cage, which may help Sotiropoulos defend this. Hazelett is in guard. He throws a couple of half-hearted jabs, then tries to pass, but Sotiropoulos isn't allowing it. Sotiropoulos pulls Hazelett in tight, locking up both his arms. Hazelett 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. Hazelett tries a big right hand, which Sotiropoulos defends well. He has quite a high guard, Hazelett has to be wary not to fall into a triangle when leaning in like that. Sotiropoulos once again drags Hazelett down into a clinch, and this time even tries to work a guillotine, but Hazelett easily deals with it and hands out two solid right hands to the ribs along the way. We're back to Hazelett trying to pass guard. Sotiropoulos tries to throw a big punch and almost hands an armbar to Hazelett, 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. Hazelett scores with a jab, then a second. Sotiropoulos goes for a sweeping kick to the right knee, but it isn't fast enough and gives Hazelett enough time to take him down again. Hazelett quickly goes to pass guard, looking for side control, but Sotiropoulos once again defends it. It looks like a frustrating round will end with them on the ground, and almost certainly has to go to Hazelett on points due to him being the aggressor and getting two takedowns in. End of round 3. Blurcat.com gives that one to Hazelett by 10-9. The official scores are: 30-27 (twice), 29-28 for Dustin Hazelett.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Dustin Hazelett by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Rich Franklin (185) vs. Josh Burkman (185)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Rich Franklin by Decision[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The round begins, and it is Burkman who starts better, energetically bounding straight into action by throwing a three-punch combination and a scything leg kick. Franklin defended all four blows well, but is forced to be on the backfoot right from the word go. Burkman works for an angle, coming in from the left hand side with a high right hand. Franklin ducks under it and nestles a stiff jab in the solar plexus. It doesn't seem to slow Burkman 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 Franklin. Interesting first minute of action, Burkman is looking particularly sharp. Franklin tries to turn the momentum by advancing quickly and driving Burkman back against the cage with a series of jabs and hooks, and they end up clinched. Franklin tries a knee from that position, but it is blocked. Burkman scores with two sharp blows to the ribs, and then they break away from each other. Other than a few half-hearted jabs, there's been a definite lull over the past minute. They square up to each other in the center. Burkman throws a head fake and comes in from low down to hit a rising shot that catches Franklin on the side of the head. Franklin got a shot in too though, although it hit the shoulder rather than the head. Time is running down; Burkman 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. Franklin tries a late surge, coming in hard and fast with a leading left, but Burkman defends it well and scores the only meaningful shot of the exchange with a crisp left hand. The round ends. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Burkman. [B] Round 2[/B] The two fighters circle. Burkman flicks out a couple of jabs, then an unconventinal looping right hand. Franklin easily side-steps it, but trips and falls to the ground! He is up quickly, before Burkman could get in. Replays confirm that it was purely a stumble, the punch was well wide of the mark. Franklin 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, Burkman is a little rattled. They struggle in the clinch, both throwing small punches to the back and ribs. The referee separates them. Burkman forces Franklin back up against the cage, and starts throwing jabs. He looks to be keeping Franklin in position, waiting to unload a big punch. Burkman does, lunging in with a huge right cross, but Franklin saw it coming and goes underneath it, scoring with a right hand to the gut on the way past. Burkman turns and tries to follow up immediately, but gets tagged with a wicked left hook that drops him to one knee. Burkman is up quickly, causing Franklin, who was about to dive in, to back off. Replays show that the punch connected, but Burkman was already going downward to duck the punch, so it wasn't as powerful as first thought. Burkman throws a high kick, but it doesn't do anything but cause Franklin to step back. The time expires without anything further of note happening. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Franklin. [B]Round 3[/B] 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 Franklin, who then has to react quickly to avoid a right hook that was aimed right at the chin. Franklin 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. Burkman covered up well, and gets in a couple of shots of his own before moving out of range again. Burkman looks to be working an angle. Low kick from Burkman, 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 Franklin will take the round on points. End of round 3. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Franklin. All three judges give a score of 29-28 in favour of Rich Franklin.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rich Franklin by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Thiago Silva (205) vs. Matt Hamill (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Thiago Silva by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Hamill throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Silva throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Hamill 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. Silva hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Hamill. They struggle all the way back, with Hamill ending up backed up against the cage. Silva hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Hamill stomps downward onto his foot. Hamill manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Silva gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Hamill ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Hamill tries a high kick to start, but Silva saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Silva who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Hamill on the nose. Hamill hits a straight right, enough to stop Silva 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. Blurcat.com scores it 10-9 for Silva. [B]Round 2[/B] The round starts. They touch gloves. Hamill throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Silva to back off. Silva throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Hamill sees it coming and steps back. Silva advances and they meet in the center. Hamill ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Silva 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. Hamill bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Silva ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Hamill to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Hamill 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. Silva's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Hamill and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Hamill is going to have to do something special to win this round now. He doesn't, as time expires without anything interesting happening. The second round is over. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. [B]Round 3[/B] Touch of gloves starts the round. Silva comes in quickly, and unloads with a beauty of a combination, two jabs, a hook, a body punch and an uppercut. One of the jabs and the body shot definitely got through, the others were blocked. Hamill backs off, only offering a wayward right hand in response. They circle, then Silva once again comes in with an aggressive rush. They exchange blows in a flurry, with Silva bobbing and weaving excellently while throwing out crisp jabs. Hamill got a leg kick in, but his jabs didn't find their mark. Silva is relying on his superior striking skills so far, and it is paying dividends, Hamill is getting picked apart and is looking increasingly unable to to contend with his opponent's better technique. Silva throws a low kick, and that is really the first mistake of the round from him, as it is sloppy and allows Hamill to move in and grab a clinch. Hamill forces Silva back against the cage, and is clearly happy to have gained a position where Silva cannot unload with strikes as effectively. Hamill hits a knee, then gets three or four small punches in to the side of the head. Not much power in them though. Silva sneaks in an elbow, and then attempts to get free, to no avail. Hamill goes for a trip, but Silva pushes free and quickly gets back to the center. Hamill keeps his distance for a few moments to recover his composure, then gets ready to fight again. Silva works an angle, throwing quick jabs all the time, then switches stance and hits a long looping punch that finds gloves. A right hand follows up though, and that does find the mark, causing Hamill to throw a wild haymaker in response. Silva tries to capitalise with a further flurry, and hits a nice left hook, but Hamill soon has them back in a clinch. That goes on for a while, until the clock runs down. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Silva. Thiago Silva wins the match, getting a score of 30-27 from all three judges.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Thiago Silva by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]Quinton Jackson (205) vs. Mike Whitehead (205)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Rampage Jackson by KO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] Slow start; nearly a full minute of circling, occasional fakes, and long-range jabs. Neither fighter is creating much. Jackson works an angle, but takes a low kick to the shin when he advances. They clinch, and end up with Whitehead backed up against the cage. Jackson gets a couple of right hands to the body, but his attempts at knee strikes are deflected by Whitehead, who uses his legs well to defend. Jackson pulls free and takes a step back, then powers in a right hand. Whitehead gets out the way, ducks under a second right hand, and backs up to the center. Jackson follows, and we're back to circling. Uninspiring action so far, they've both been fairly devoid of inspiration. Jackson 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. Whitehead tags him with a flicked jab to the cheek, but it had virtually no power on it. Whitehead 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 round is over. Blurcat.com gives that one to Jackson by 10-9. [B]Round 2[/B] Whitehead throws the first punch of the round, a high searching jab that didn't carry a great deal of threat with it. Jackson throws a one-two combination in return, neither connecting, then steps in and delivers a hard kick to the outside of the thigh. Whitehead 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. Jackson hits a knee to the ribs. A couple of shots to the back from Whitehead. They struggle all the way back, with Whitehead ending up backed up against the cage. Jackson hits another knee, but there wasn't much power behind it. Whitehead stomps downward onto his foot. Whitehead manages to reverse their positions, but that only lasts about thirty seconds before it gets reversed once more. Jackson gets an arm free and tries to throw a big shot to the cheek, Whitehead ducks under it and gets the arm back under control. The referee finally breaks them up, and we're back to where we started. Whitehead tries a high kick to start, but Jackson saw it coming and easily avoids it. They come back together in the center, and it's Jackson who gets the first sustained attack of the round, hitting two hard body shots and a jab that caught Whitehead on the nose. Whitehead hits a straight right, enough to stop Jackson 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 2. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Jackson. [B]Round 3[/B] Jackson moves in quickly to begin, trapping Whitehead against the cage. Looks like a statement of intent, Jackson is going to try and out-wrestle Whitehead. Jackson works for position, and tries to get in a hard shot to the face, Whitehead turned out of it and got free though, no damage done. Jackson comes in again, looking for the grapple, but gets sent back with a succession of three crisp jabs and a speculative high kick. Jackson leads with a right hand, then delivers a brutal uppercut, Whitehead had to step back quickly to avoid getting caught. He winds up back against the cage, and Jackson doesn't relent, moving in fast to unload with a series of jabs. Whitehead got some of his own in, but the upper hand is definitely with Jackson. Vicious right hand! Out of nowhere, it caught Whitehead flush in the face, and he slumps down against the cage. Jackson follows up with more punches, and the referee dives in to break it up. It's all over. Whitehead 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. Jackson wins via third round TKO at 2:47.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Rampage Jackson by TKO in the Third Round[/B] [B]Houston Alexander (206) vs. Mirko Filipovic (c) (225)[/B] [I]Sherdog Prediction: Cro Cop by TKO[/I] [QUOTE][B]Round 1[/B] The fighters touch gloves, then circle. Mirko Cro Cop throws a low kick, but it was without any conviction, it seemed designed more to keep Alexander from coming inside. Mirko Cro Cop works an angle, then comes in with a one-two combination, Alexander responds with a crisp uppercut that wasn't far off from connecting. Mirko Cro Cop 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 Mirko Cro Cop blocked them with ease, using the gloves. Mirko Cro Cop 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 Mirko Cro Cop 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. Mirko Cro Cop throws a leg kick that connects, albeit without too much force, and the round is done. End of round 1. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Mirko Cro Cop. [B]Round 2[/B] They circle to start, both throwing a few tentative jabs. An uppercut misses its mark from Alexander, providing the first moment of real action. Mirko Cro Cop hits a nice combination of body shots to set up a big right hook, but Alexander side-stepped to safety. A few punches get thrown, but there's a lack of real action to talk about. Mirko Cro Cop 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 ends. Blurcat.com sees it 10-9 to Mirko Cro Cop. [B]Round 3[/B] 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 Mirko Cro Cop picks him off with a crisp jab to the cheek. Alexander throws a wild punch as a counter, but Mirko Cro Cop 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, Mirko Cro Cop is happy to avoid them and use quick counter punches instead. They clinch up, and Alexander manages to back Mirko Cro Cop up against the cage. Alexander takes a half step backward and throws a big right hand to the head, but Mirko Cro Cop 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, Mirko Cro Cop 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 Mirko Cro Cop on the thigh. Mirko Cro Cop 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. That's the end of the round. Blurcat.com gives that one to Mirko Cro Cop by 10-9. [B]Round 4[/B] The round starts. They touch gloves. Alexander throws a rapid-fire series of punches, forcing Mirko Cro Cop to back off. Mirko Cro Cop throws a nice kick that thumps into the rib cage. Another kick is thrown, this time aimed at the head, but Alexander sees it coming and steps back. Mirko Cro Cop advances and they meet in the center. Alexander ducks a right hand, scores with a left to the gut. Mirko Cro Cop 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. Alexander bursts forward and goes for a big swing, Mirko Cro Cop ducks under it, hits a right to the chest, then unloads another kick. This one hits the thigh, causing Alexander to noticeably wince. It may have caught the very top of the knee judging from the replays. Alexander 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. Mirko Cro Cop's impressively sharp kicking game is hurting Alexander and allowing him to take firm control of this round. There's not much time left, and Alexander 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. Blurcat.com gives that one to Mirko Cro Cop by 10-9. [B]Round 5[/B] Alexander 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. Mirko Cro Cop steps in and throws some punches, landing a crisp jab to the shoulder. Alexander 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 Mirko Cro Cop, he is basically controlling the tempo and positioning of this fight through intelligent use of sharp, accurate kicks. Alexander comes in fast, faking left then going right, and gets close enough to throw some body blows. Mirko Cro Cop gets in a right hand of his own, then a beauty of a high kick. It lands right on the ear, causing Alexander to back off quickly. If that had had more power, it might well have scored a knock out. The round is almost over. Mirko Cro Cop has controlled this one, Alexander is finding it very difficult to find a way around those kicks. End of the round. Blurcat.com has it down as 10-9 Mirko Cro Cop. All three judges give a score of 50-45 in favour of Mirko Filipovic. Mirko Filipovic successfully retains the UFC Heavyweight title.[/QUOTE] [B]Winner: Cro Cop by Unanimous Decision[/B] [B]UFC 106: Rumble in the Rockies Notes:[/B] [QUOTE][LIST] [*]Fight of the Night: Quinton Jackson vs. Mike Whitehead [*]Knockout of the Night: Din Thomas [*]Submission of the Night: Kendall Grove's Triangle Choke [/LIST] Cro Cop couldn't finish Houston, but dominated the fight. Rampage and Thiago came up big in their fights, and Thiago will earn a title shot against the Shogun/Gouveia winner. Din Thomas and Kendall Grove earned bonuses in an otherwise stale event.[/QUOTE][/center]