Nick, Your Indie Lover
09-24-2006, 03:08 AM
I found I site that is give PBP so I though I would post it
Welterweight title match: Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn
Main event time. Welterweight champion Matt Hughes is on the way to staking his claim as the greatest 170-pound fighter in UFC history. He's won 18 of his past 19 fights going back to 2000.
His only loss in that time is to Penn.
Penn dominated Hughes in 2004, scoring one of the most memorable upsets in mixed martial arts history with a submission victory. Penn also marches to the beat of his own drummer and promptly left the promotion in a contract dispute after winning the title. Penn returned this year and lost a split decision to Georges St. Pierre in one of the year's hardest-fought battles. St. Pierre was supposed to get the title shot, but had to pull out due to a groin injury, which enabled Penn to step in as his substitute.
Lights go down and Penn (11-3-1) comes out to the octagon to the Gnarls Barkley song Crazy. Lights go down back down, Hank Williams Jr.'s A Country Boy Can Survive starts, and the two-time NCAA All-American wrestler from Eastern Illinois University strolls down to ringside with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his eyes. Huge ovation from the crowd, a sign of respect for one of the game's all-time greats.
Hughes is 32 years old, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. Penn is 27, 5-7 and weighed in at 166.5.
Round 1: Crowd is amped as the combatants circle each other. Hughes grabs BJ's leg, BJ tries to escape, but Hughes runs him back into the fence. Hughes tenaciously clings to Penn's right leg, but Penn won't go down. They continue to cinch each other on the fence. They trade a couple punches and take it back out center octagon. The look of intensity on Hughes' face is something on another level. BJ rocks Hughes with a left, Hughes tries a takedown, but BJ ends up on top. Penn has ridiculous flexibility and has his right leg wrapped around Hughes head. Hughes gets up and kicks Penn away. They trade shots again in center ring. The round is very much still up in the air with under two minutes left. They trade a few jabs. Penn hits Hughes in the eye and referee Big John McCarthy calls timeout. Was that a punch or an eye poke? Or was he pushing Hughes away and accidentally catch him in the eye? The doctor clears Hughes and the fight continues. Hughes cinches up Penn on the restart and pushes him against the fence. Huge "BJ" chant in the crowd. Round ends. I am giving round 1 to Penn, but I have to state here I'm not sure what happened with that punch, don't have the benefit of listening to the announcers and it's hard to tell on the big screen replay.
Round 2: Hughes goes for a single leg, but Penn is so slippery. Finally Hughes gets him down, and, uh-oh, Penn is in Matt Hughes ground-and-pound territory on the ground, and that is not a good place to be. "Hughes" chant starts. Hughes hasn't been able to do much, though. They've been on the ground awhile and Hughes has gotten a couple punches n. Penn tries for a submission from a bizarre position and Hughes escapes it. They're still on the ground. Under two minutes left. Hughes hits a couple elbows, but BJ escapes and Penn has his back. The building is absolutely rocking. Penn tries to sink in a choke, but he hits Hughes with an elbow. Now Penn has a choke sunk in with his legs. 30 seconds left in the round. He's got Hughes scissored and is trying to straighten him out with an arm triangle. Hughes somehow survived that and the round comes to a close. That was five of the greatest minutes in the history of the sport. I have this 2-0 Penn.
Round 3: Hughes with a couple jabs. They're trading punches. Hughes scores a right-left combo. Still stalking at center octagon. Hughes hits a kick to the midsection. Hughes continuing to irritate Penn with punches, he's clearly adjusted his strategy on the fly and now he's doing damage. They hit the ground with Hughes on top near center octagon. Still struggling for position Hughes trying to free up his arms, Penn cinching. Hughes lands a series of rights. Hughes gets impeccable position and starts hitting a massive flurry of rights. Literally about 20 punches. Penn still defending. Hughes raining more punches. Penn tries a knee to the body. More punches … and referee Big John McCarthy finally stops it at 3:53, as Hughes retains his title in a war. Tremendous, tremendous victory for the greatest welterweight fighter in history in what will go down a one of the year's most memorable fights
Middleweights: David Loiseau vs. Mike Swick
On paper this is one of the best matchups UFC has put together this year. Mike "Quick" Swick is clearly in line for a big UFC marketing push, as one of the top fighters out of the Ultimate Fighter system. He's won his past four fights in short order.
David "The Crow" Loiseau, who is from the same Montreal crew as Georges St. Pierre but also trains in SoCal, is a veteran warrior known for his vicious elbows. This is an important juncture in Loiseau's career, as he is coming off a five-round decision loss to Rich Franklin in a middleweight title match at UFC 58.
Round 1: Swick, a Houston native based out of San Jose, is bobbing and weaving, Loiseau staying calm center octagon. Swick goes for a kick a minute in and the Crow catches him. Swick pushes Loiseau up against the fence, but Loiseau reverses. They stay cinched, and the ref orders a restart. Swick comes out swinging, but Loiseau manages to block most of them. Loiseau responds with a couple jabs. Swick hits a spin kick that looked nice but didn't do much damage. Loiseau hits a combo and follows with a kick. This round is still up for grabs with two minutes left. Swick throwing a series of punches, Loiseau blocks them. Swick scores a takedown. He gets Loiseau's back and tries to sink in the Swickotine, but Loiseau scrambles out and back to his feet. Swick dodges a kick. Round 1 goes to Swick for being more aggressive and scoring a takedown, though Loiseau's defense was solid.
Round 2: Swick comes out swinging, Loiseau backs off and Swick makes a "chicken" gesture. Swick attempts a knee, Loiseau dodges back. Loiseau attempts and misses a spin kick. Loiseau is holding position in center octagon, but Swick is more aggressive. There's a lot of stalking, not much action. Crowd starting to boo, can't say I blame them this time. Swick scores a takedown and is landing lefts to the body without much on them. Swick still on top, but unable to do anything with it. Not a stellar round for either. Swick gets it for the takedown, since Loiseau showed nothing.
Round 3: Loiseau's coming out like someone who knows he needs to do something here and he's controlling the octagon. He backs Swick into the fence and goes for a kick, but Swick scores the takedown. They're back up, Loiseau throws a right and misses, then hits a couple elbows. Now Loiseau is coming alive, as he is rocking Swick with punches. Where was this in rounds 1 and 2? Swick cinches Loiseau, but Loiseau takes him down and Swick knows he needs to avoid the elbow. Two big rights by Loiseau. A bunch of them. Loiseau is just going to town, Swick hanging on. Loiseau tries to sink in a guillotine. Swick's up. Loiseau hits a knee. Continues to hit rights up against the fence. One minute left. Restart with 45 seconds left. Swick comes back with a flurry of his own, including a feigning a windup punch. Loiseau goes for a flying knee, but Swick ends up on top at the end of the round. Very good third round, I give it to Loiseau. I have it 29-28 Swick.
All three judges score it 29-28 Swick
Lightweights: Melvin Guillard vs. Gabe Ruediger
Ruediger, a Miletich fighter from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, comes out wearing a Rey Mysterio mask. New Orleans native Guillard, an Ultimate Fighter grad, made his impression at UFC 60 when he floored Rick Davis with one of the most vicious KO punches seen in the octagon in recent years.
Round 1: The explosive Guillard scores a takedown, Ruediger gets back up. Guillard floors Ruediger with a right and takes it right back standing. Another takedown, Guillard hits a couple elbows. Guillard is so explosive. He takes Ruediger down again. Ruediger, who has a welt on the left side of his head, scores a takedown, but Guillard is right back up. Ruediger cinches Guillard along the fence and works in a couple knees. Ruediger tries a trip but ends up on the bottom and Guillard gets back up. Ruediger pops Guillard a couple times and scores a takedown. Ruediger rains down punches, but Guillard is still defending. He's trying to sink in a choke. Guillard is hanging on, and manages to hold out until the end of the round. Very good first round, have to give it to Guillard because of the amount of time he spent in control.
Round 2: Guillard pops Ruediger with a left and throws him to the mat. And that's it … Guillard just absolutely rocked Ruediger with a violent shot to the stomach. Ruediger couldn't defend.
Man, the UFC lightweight division is stacked.
Terrible night for the Miletich camp so far. Will Matt Hughes be able to salvage things in the main event?
Lambert vs. Evans
Actor Rob Schneider was shown on the screen and he took of his shirt and started flexing. Does Lauzon have one more left hook in him?
The crowd is still buzzing over the Lauzon fight. In my pre-fight predictions I said Lauzon "is either a deer in the headlights or knows something the rest of us don't." Guess it was the latter.
This is a big test for both Lambert and Evans. Ultimate Fighter alumni Evans is undefeated, but has often won with a plodding ground style. The versatile Lambert, a Long Beach native, has methodically built his own win streak with less fanfare and is getting his first shot on a main broadcast.
Round 1: Evans is a wrestler and he scores the first takedown of the fight after sinking a knee. Lambert gets up, but eats a series of rights along the way. Evans is controlling the pace so far, and picks up Lambert and scores a big slam. Lambert tries to sink in armbar from the ground but Evans gets out of it. Evans' wrestling is so strong. They're finally up with just under two minutes left. Lambert goes for a takedown but Evans defenses it. Lambert backs Evans along the fence but isn't dong much. Evans nearly sinks in a choke. They hit the ground again. Crowd is quick to boo the ground fighting. Round one easily to Evans. Not sure what some of the fans are booing, that was a good round of action.
Round 2: They're right back on the ground. Lambert gets up but can't shake Evans, as Evans takes him down again near the fence. They're back up, and Evans scores another takedown. Lambert has his guard up and Evans is hitting a series of punches. And that's it. Lambert is done, as the fight is called at 2:22 of the second. Big win for Evans, a solid fighter who just keeps winning and will hopefully now starting getting a little respect.
Lightweights: Joe Lauzon vs. Jens Pulver
The announcing crew referred to the Pond as "sold out." Someone's telling a little fib. I'd peg the attendance around 10,000.
No doubt which fighter is being showcased in this one. Jens "Little Evil" Pulver, a Miletich Fighting Systems fighter, is the only 155-pound champion in UFC history and is making his return to the octagon. Lauzon is an undefeated grappling specialist from E. Bridgewater, MA. In UFC's preview show leading up to the fight this week, the segment on Pulver never even mentioned Lauzon's name.
Lauzon's wearing a t-shirt that reads "Fear no evil." Judging by the crowd reaction, the people haven't forgotten Little Evil.
Round 1: Lauzon goes for a takedown and gets it. He's holding on to Pulver's legs and is taking it to him, hitting a couple punches. Lauzon is really taking it to him. They stand up, Lauzon just misses a punch, just misses a knee.
Wow … Lauzon drops Pulver with a nasty left hand and scores a massive upset. That's it. This is one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. Lauzon just rocked Pulver with a left and it was lights out. 48 seconds is the time.
The crowd is booing Herb Dean for stopping the fight, but there's no question about this decision, Pulver was rocked and was not defending. Lauzon is carried back to the dressing room on his trainers' shoulders.
Heavyweights: Mario Neto vs. Eddie Sanchez
Neto, a Brazilian fighting out of Liverpool, England, is a BJJ and judo black belt and a student of the late Carlson Gracie. Sanchez, a late sub fighting out of Temecula, CA, is 7-0 and making his UFC debut.
Round 1: Fight goes to the ground right away with Sanchez on the bottom. Neto breaks his guard and hits a right, but Sanchez gets the guard back up. Neto flips over and almost sinks a choke, but Sanchez slips out at the last minute and now Neto is in the guard from the bottom. Sanchez gets up two minutes in and takes it back out center octagon. Neto tries a high kick and misses. Neto connects with a right and pushes Sanchez into the fence. Neto hits the ground and a standing Sanchez just misses with a nasty right. Ref Big John McCarthy calls time. Restart in the center. They start trading punches, Sanchez gets the better of it and Neto cinches Sanchez up. They do a little Greco-Roman work along the fence until Big John breaks it up. Sanchez does most of the swinging as the round ends. Giving this to Sanchez, he pushed the pace when he had to, connected with better shots, and held up his guard better when he needed.
Round 2: Sanchez absolutely pops Neto with a devastating overhand right, dropping him by the fence, pounces, and hits five more rights before McCarthy can even step in. That's that. Sanchez, who was a late sub, gets the win at 17 seconds of the second round.
In his post-fight interview, Sanchez claims he'll knock out any heavyweight in the UFC. Neto's back on his feet and leaves the octagon without any help.
Welterweights: Roger Huerta vs. Jason Dent
Dent, another late sub, is a Muay Thai and submission fighter. Huerta, nicknamed "El Matador" is a Los Angeles native with a 16-1-1 record. Huerta was the star of the show with the Latino media at the UFC press conference on Thursday.
Round 1: Huerta's all energy coming from the get-go, backing Dent into the fence and hitting a knee. Dent gets back out to the middle and pops Huerta. Huerta scores a takedown and Dent gets his guard up. Huerta picks up Dent off the ground and drops him hard on his shoulders at the edge of the fence. Huerta hits some body shots that don't appear to do much damage. Huerta gets to his feet, misses a couple punches to a grounded Dent and gets back in the guard. Huerta up again and hits a couple rights and they're back in the guard. Huerta eventually decides to get up and they go out to the idle. Dent hits a right, and blocks an attempted high kick. Dent misses a spin kick and Huerta ends up on top of him. Huerta finishes the round with a couple elbows. Round one easily to Huerta.
Round 2: Huerta floors Dent with a right and Dent goes into the guard. Huerta's just a buzzsaw of energy. Huerta stays atop his opponent and is getting occasional elbows in. They stand up two minutes in. Dent gets a knee but doesn’t do much damage. Huerta is clearly a class ahead of Dent. Huerta mixing up shots to the head and body and has cut Dent open. Dent reverses but can't do much and Huerta ends up back on top. More of the same on the ground until the ref stands them up with a minute left. Huerta with another takedown. Again, Huerta wins the round easily.
Round 3: Dent comes out swinging and does damage with a knee lift, but he again ends up on the ground with Huerta on top. Ref orders the restart a minute and a half in. Give Dent credit for knowing he has to do something this round and trying to make it happen. This is turning into a slugfest, with Dent hitting another knee. Huerta back on top with two minutes left. Dent comes real close to sinking in an armlock. One minute left and Huerta is connecting on several punches from the top. Huerta finishes the fight on top. Much closer round and Dent gets credit for doing what he had to do, but Huerta took it.
Huerta wins 30-27 on all three scorecards and gets a big ovation from the SoCal crowd.
Lightweights: Tyson Griffin vs. David Lee
Griffin, a Sacramento native, is making his UFC debut with as much fanfare as anyone in recent memory. The Santa Rosa, CA resident has created quite a buzz in going 7-0, only getting pushed beyond the first round once. His latest win was a TKO over veteran Duane "Bang" Ludwig. Lee's from London, has a 5-1 record, and has won his past four fights, all by submission.
Round 1: Lee goes for a high knee right away and misses. Tyson takes Lee down, gets Lee's back from underneath, and spends over a minute trying to sink in a submission, but can't get it. Griffin hits several punches from the bottom, sinks in a rear naked choke, and that's that. Griffin in 1:50.
Lightweights: Danny Abbadi vs. Jorge Gurgel
Clash of former Ultimate Fighter contestants here. Abbadi (2-2), an Orlando resident via Amman, Jordan, has dropped down two weight classes from middleweight. Gurgel (12-2), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, is heavily favored. Gurgel's the clear crowd favorite.
Round 1: Lots of circling for the first minute or so. Gurgel hits a kick to the midsection, but Abbadi catches the leg and scores a takedown. Gurgel gets in a bunch of punches from the bottom, but doesn't appear to be doing much damage. Abbadi isn't doing much from the top. Ref Herb Dean orders a restart. Gurgel connects with a combo. Abbadi floors Gurgel with a nasty punch and lets him back up. Gurgel pops Abbadi with a right and they cinch each other along the cage. Abbadi drops Gurgel hard on his shoulders, but again they get back up. Abbadi hits a right, but Gurgel gets in several rights. Both fighters get a big ovation as the action-packed round ends. Close, I'm giving it to Abbadi for pushing the pace.
Round 2: Again the fighters circle each other to start, which continues through the first minute. Gurgel controlling the octagon, Abbadi reacting. Another flurry of rights by Gurgel. Gurgel again rocks Abbadi with a left-right combo but Abbadi shakes it off. Crowd getting impatient two minutes in. Gurgel with a leg kick. Gurgel pushing the pace, Abbadi backpedaling. Crowd jeers. Gurgel rocks Abbadi with a few shots, Abbadi continues to backpedal. Abbadi connects with a few, but Gurgel comes back swinging. Abbadi slips with a minute left and has his guard up on Abbadi. Gurgel rocks Abbadi with several punches to finish the round. Gurgel easily took this round.
Round 3: Another methodical start, Gurgel goes for a takedown and Abbadi defenses it. Gurgel pops Abbadi with a right and misses a left. Gurgel again controlling the octagon, crowd getting restless. Abbadi has been backpedaling for two rounds now and done nothing after his strong first round. Gurgel continues to occasionally pop Abbadi, Abbadi backs off. Abbadi finally gets in a couple punches. Another attempted takedown by Gurgel with no luck. Two minutes left, Abbadi again floors Gurgel but again lets him back up. I understand you don't want to play to a BJJ guy's strength, but you're not going to get a decision by spending the bulk of two rounds backpedaling. Abbadi does damage with a couple punches. They grab each other in a cinch with about 30 seconds left. Gurgel scores a takedown in the waning seconds of the fight. Close round, but have to give it to Gurgel for controlling most of the round, so my scorecard is 29-28 Gurgel.
Split decision, Gurgel, 29-28 by each judge. Cecil Peoples gave the fght to Abbadi.
Welterweight title match: Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn
Main event time. Welterweight champion Matt Hughes is on the way to staking his claim as the greatest 170-pound fighter in UFC history. He's won 18 of his past 19 fights going back to 2000.
His only loss in that time is to Penn.
Penn dominated Hughes in 2004, scoring one of the most memorable upsets in mixed martial arts history with a submission victory. Penn also marches to the beat of his own drummer and promptly left the promotion in a contract dispute after winning the title. Penn returned this year and lost a split decision to Georges St. Pierre in one of the year's hardest-fought battles. St. Pierre was supposed to get the title shot, but had to pull out due to a groin injury, which enabled Penn to step in as his substitute.
Lights go down and Penn (11-3-1) comes out to the octagon to the Gnarls Barkley song Crazy. Lights go down back down, Hank Williams Jr.'s A Country Boy Can Survive starts, and the two-time NCAA All-American wrestler from Eastern Illinois University strolls down to ringside with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his eyes. Huge ovation from the crowd, a sign of respect for one of the game's all-time greats.
Hughes is 32 years old, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. Penn is 27, 5-7 and weighed in at 166.5.
Round 1: Crowd is amped as the combatants circle each other. Hughes grabs BJ's leg, BJ tries to escape, but Hughes runs him back into the fence. Hughes tenaciously clings to Penn's right leg, but Penn won't go down. They continue to cinch each other on the fence. They trade a couple punches and take it back out center octagon. The look of intensity on Hughes' face is something on another level. BJ rocks Hughes with a left, Hughes tries a takedown, but BJ ends up on top. Penn has ridiculous flexibility and has his right leg wrapped around Hughes head. Hughes gets up and kicks Penn away. They trade shots again in center ring. The round is very much still up in the air with under two minutes left. They trade a few jabs. Penn hits Hughes in the eye and referee Big John McCarthy calls timeout. Was that a punch or an eye poke? Or was he pushing Hughes away and accidentally catch him in the eye? The doctor clears Hughes and the fight continues. Hughes cinches up Penn on the restart and pushes him against the fence. Huge "BJ" chant in the crowd. Round ends. I am giving round 1 to Penn, but I have to state here I'm not sure what happened with that punch, don't have the benefit of listening to the announcers and it's hard to tell on the big screen replay.
Round 2: Hughes goes for a single leg, but Penn is so slippery. Finally Hughes gets him down, and, uh-oh, Penn is in Matt Hughes ground-and-pound territory on the ground, and that is not a good place to be. "Hughes" chant starts. Hughes hasn't been able to do much, though. They've been on the ground awhile and Hughes has gotten a couple punches n. Penn tries for a submission from a bizarre position and Hughes escapes it. They're still on the ground. Under two minutes left. Hughes hits a couple elbows, but BJ escapes and Penn has his back. The building is absolutely rocking. Penn tries to sink in a choke, but he hits Hughes with an elbow. Now Penn has a choke sunk in with his legs. 30 seconds left in the round. He's got Hughes scissored and is trying to straighten him out with an arm triangle. Hughes somehow survived that and the round comes to a close. That was five of the greatest minutes in the history of the sport. I have this 2-0 Penn.
Round 3: Hughes with a couple jabs. They're trading punches. Hughes scores a right-left combo. Still stalking at center octagon. Hughes hits a kick to the midsection. Hughes continuing to irritate Penn with punches, he's clearly adjusted his strategy on the fly and now he's doing damage. They hit the ground with Hughes on top near center octagon. Still struggling for position Hughes trying to free up his arms, Penn cinching. Hughes lands a series of rights. Hughes gets impeccable position and starts hitting a massive flurry of rights. Literally about 20 punches. Penn still defending. Hughes raining more punches. Penn tries a knee to the body. More punches … and referee Big John McCarthy finally stops it at 3:53, as Hughes retains his title in a war. Tremendous, tremendous victory for the greatest welterweight fighter in history in what will go down a one of the year's most memorable fights
Middleweights: David Loiseau vs. Mike Swick
On paper this is one of the best matchups UFC has put together this year. Mike "Quick" Swick is clearly in line for a big UFC marketing push, as one of the top fighters out of the Ultimate Fighter system. He's won his past four fights in short order.
David "The Crow" Loiseau, who is from the same Montreal crew as Georges St. Pierre but also trains in SoCal, is a veteran warrior known for his vicious elbows. This is an important juncture in Loiseau's career, as he is coming off a five-round decision loss to Rich Franklin in a middleweight title match at UFC 58.
Round 1: Swick, a Houston native based out of San Jose, is bobbing and weaving, Loiseau staying calm center octagon. Swick goes for a kick a minute in and the Crow catches him. Swick pushes Loiseau up against the fence, but Loiseau reverses. They stay cinched, and the ref orders a restart. Swick comes out swinging, but Loiseau manages to block most of them. Loiseau responds with a couple jabs. Swick hits a spin kick that looked nice but didn't do much damage. Loiseau hits a combo and follows with a kick. This round is still up for grabs with two minutes left. Swick throwing a series of punches, Loiseau blocks them. Swick scores a takedown. He gets Loiseau's back and tries to sink in the Swickotine, but Loiseau scrambles out and back to his feet. Swick dodges a kick. Round 1 goes to Swick for being more aggressive and scoring a takedown, though Loiseau's defense was solid.
Round 2: Swick comes out swinging, Loiseau backs off and Swick makes a "chicken" gesture. Swick attempts a knee, Loiseau dodges back. Loiseau attempts and misses a spin kick. Loiseau is holding position in center octagon, but Swick is more aggressive. There's a lot of stalking, not much action. Crowd starting to boo, can't say I blame them this time. Swick scores a takedown and is landing lefts to the body without much on them. Swick still on top, but unable to do anything with it. Not a stellar round for either. Swick gets it for the takedown, since Loiseau showed nothing.
Round 3: Loiseau's coming out like someone who knows he needs to do something here and he's controlling the octagon. He backs Swick into the fence and goes for a kick, but Swick scores the takedown. They're back up, Loiseau throws a right and misses, then hits a couple elbows. Now Loiseau is coming alive, as he is rocking Swick with punches. Where was this in rounds 1 and 2? Swick cinches Loiseau, but Loiseau takes him down and Swick knows he needs to avoid the elbow. Two big rights by Loiseau. A bunch of them. Loiseau is just going to town, Swick hanging on. Loiseau tries to sink in a guillotine. Swick's up. Loiseau hits a knee. Continues to hit rights up against the fence. One minute left. Restart with 45 seconds left. Swick comes back with a flurry of his own, including a feigning a windup punch. Loiseau goes for a flying knee, but Swick ends up on top at the end of the round. Very good third round, I give it to Loiseau. I have it 29-28 Swick.
All three judges score it 29-28 Swick
Lightweights: Melvin Guillard vs. Gabe Ruediger
Ruediger, a Miletich fighter from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, comes out wearing a Rey Mysterio mask. New Orleans native Guillard, an Ultimate Fighter grad, made his impression at UFC 60 when he floored Rick Davis with one of the most vicious KO punches seen in the octagon in recent years.
Round 1: The explosive Guillard scores a takedown, Ruediger gets back up. Guillard floors Ruediger with a right and takes it right back standing. Another takedown, Guillard hits a couple elbows. Guillard is so explosive. He takes Ruediger down again. Ruediger, who has a welt on the left side of his head, scores a takedown, but Guillard is right back up. Ruediger cinches Guillard along the fence and works in a couple knees. Ruediger tries a trip but ends up on the bottom and Guillard gets back up. Ruediger pops Guillard a couple times and scores a takedown. Ruediger rains down punches, but Guillard is still defending. He's trying to sink in a choke. Guillard is hanging on, and manages to hold out until the end of the round. Very good first round, have to give it to Guillard because of the amount of time he spent in control.
Round 2: Guillard pops Ruediger with a left and throws him to the mat. And that's it … Guillard just absolutely rocked Ruediger with a violent shot to the stomach. Ruediger couldn't defend.
Man, the UFC lightweight division is stacked.
Terrible night for the Miletich camp so far. Will Matt Hughes be able to salvage things in the main event?
Lambert vs. Evans
Actor Rob Schneider was shown on the screen and he took of his shirt and started flexing. Does Lauzon have one more left hook in him?
The crowd is still buzzing over the Lauzon fight. In my pre-fight predictions I said Lauzon "is either a deer in the headlights or knows something the rest of us don't." Guess it was the latter.
This is a big test for both Lambert and Evans. Ultimate Fighter alumni Evans is undefeated, but has often won with a plodding ground style. The versatile Lambert, a Long Beach native, has methodically built his own win streak with less fanfare and is getting his first shot on a main broadcast.
Round 1: Evans is a wrestler and he scores the first takedown of the fight after sinking a knee. Lambert gets up, but eats a series of rights along the way. Evans is controlling the pace so far, and picks up Lambert and scores a big slam. Lambert tries to sink in armbar from the ground but Evans gets out of it. Evans' wrestling is so strong. They're finally up with just under two minutes left. Lambert goes for a takedown but Evans defenses it. Lambert backs Evans along the fence but isn't dong much. Evans nearly sinks in a choke. They hit the ground again. Crowd is quick to boo the ground fighting. Round one easily to Evans. Not sure what some of the fans are booing, that was a good round of action.
Round 2: They're right back on the ground. Lambert gets up but can't shake Evans, as Evans takes him down again near the fence. They're back up, and Evans scores another takedown. Lambert has his guard up and Evans is hitting a series of punches. And that's it. Lambert is done, as the fight is called at 2:22 of the second. Big win for Evans, a solid fighter who just keeps winning and will hopefully now starting getting a little respect.
Lightweights: Joe Lauzon vs. Jens Pulver
The announcing crew referred to the Pond as "sold out." Someone's telling a little fib. I'd peg the attendance around 10,000.
No doubt which fighter is being showcased in this one. Jens "Little Evil" Pulver, a Miletich Fighting Systems fighter, is the only 155-pound champion in UFC history and is making his return to the octagon. Lauzon is an undefeated grappling specialist from E. Bridgewater, MA. In UFC's preview show leading up to the fight this week, the segment on Pulver never even mentioned Lauzon's name.
Lauzon's wearing a t-shirt that reads "Fear no evil." Judging by the crowd reaction, the people haven't forgotten Little Evil.
Round 1: Lauzon goes for a takedown and gets it. He's holding on to Pulver's legs and is taking it to him, hitting a couple punches. Lauzon is really taking it to him. They stand up, Lauzon just misses a punch, just misses a knee.
Wow … Lauzon drops Pulver with a nasty left hand and scores a massive upset. That's it. This is one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport. Lauzon just rocked Pulver with a left and it was lights out. 48 seconds is the time.
The crowd is booing Herb Dean for stopping the fight, but there's no question about this decision, Pulver was rocked and was not defending. Lauzon is carried back to the dressing room on his trainers' shoulders.
Heavyweights: Mario Neto vs. Eddie Sanchez
Neto, a Brazilian fighting out of Liverpool, England, is a BJJ and judo black belt and a student of the late Carlson Gracie. Sanchez, a late sub fighting out of Temecula, CA, is 7-0 and making his UFC debut.
Round 1: Fight goes to the ground right away with Sanchez on the bottom. Neto breaks his guard and hits a right, but Sanchez gets the guard back up. Neto flips over and almost sinks a choke, but Sanchez slips out at the last minute and now Neto is in the guard from the bottom. Sanchez gets up two minutes in and takes it back out center octagon. Neto tries a high kick and misses. Neto connects with a right and pushes Sanchez into the fence. Neto hits the ground and a standing Sanchez just misses with a nasty right. Ref Big John McCarthy calls time. Restart in the center. They start trading punches, Sanchez gets the better of it and Neto cinches Sanchez up. They do a little Greco-Roman work along the fence until Big John breaks it up. Sanchez does most of the swinging as the round ends. Giving this to Sanchez, he pushed the pace when he had to, connected with better shots, and held up his guard better when he needed.
Round 2: Sanchez absolutely pops Neto with a devastating overhand right, dropping him by the fence, pounces, and hits five more rights before McCarthy can even step in. That's that. Sanchez, who was a late sub, gets the win at 17 seconds of the second round.
In his post-fight interview, Sanchez claims he'll knock out any heavyweight in the UFC. Neto's back on his feet and leaves the octagon without any help.
Welterweights: Roger Huerta vs. Jason Dent
Dent, another late sub, is a Muay Thai and submission fighter. Huerta, nicknamed "El Matador" is a Los Angeles native with a 16-1-1 record. Huerta was the star of the show with the Latino media at the UFC press conference on Thursday.
Round 1: Huerta's all energy coming from the get-go, backing Dent into the fence and hitting a knee. Dent gets back out to the middle and pops Huerta. Huerta scores a takedown and Dent gets his guard up. Huerta picks up Dent off the ground and drops him hard on his shoulders at the edge of the fence. Huerta hits some body shots that don't appear to do much damage. Huerta gets to his feet, misses a couple punches to a grounded Dent and gets back in the guard. Huerta up again and hits a couple rights and they're back in the guard. Huerta eventually decides to get up and they go out to the idle. Dent hits a right, and blocks an attempted high kick. Dent misses a spin kick and Huerta ends up on top of him. Huerta finishes the round with a couple elbows. Round one easily to Huerta.
Round 2: Huerta floors Dent with a right and Dent goes into the guard. Huerta's just a buzzsaw of energy. Huerta stays atop his opponent and is getting occasional elbows in. They stand up two minutes in. Dent gets a knee but doesn’t do much damage. Huerta is clearly a class ahead of Dent. Huerta mixing up shots to the head and body and has cut Dent open. Dent reverses but can't do much and Huerta ends up back on top. More of the same on the ground until the ref stands them up with a minute left. Huerta with another takedown. Again, Huerta wins the round easily.
Round 3: Dent comes out swinging and does damage with a knee lift, but he again ends up on the ground with Huerta on top. Ref orders the restart a minute and a half in. Give Dent credit for knowing he has to do something this round and trying to make it happen. This is turning into a slugfest, with Dent hitting another knee. Huerta back on top with two minutes left. Dent comes real close to sinking in an armlock. One minute left and Huerta is connecting on several punches from the top. Huerta finishes the fight on top. Much closer round and Dent gets credit for doing what he had to do, but Huerta took it.
Huerta wins 30-27 on all three scorecards and gets a big ovation from the SoCal crowd.
Lightweights: Tyson Griffin vs. David Lee
Griffin, a Sacramento native, is making his UFC debut with as much fanfare as anyone in recent memory. The Santa Rosa, CA resident has created quite a buzz in going 7-0, only getting pushed beyond the first round once. His latest win was a TKO over veteran Duane "Bang" Ludwig. Lee's from London, has a 5-1 record, and has won his past four fights, all by submission.
Round 1: Lee goes for a high knee right away and misses. Tyson takes Lee down, gets Lee's back from underneath, and spends over a minute trying to sink in a submission, but can't get it. Griffin hits several punches from the bottom, sinks in a rear naked choke, and that's that. Griffin in 1:50.
Lightweights: Danny Abbadi vs. Jorge Gurgel
Clash of former Ultimate Fighter contestants here. Abbadi (2-2), an Orlando resident via Amman, Jordan, has dropped down two weight classes from middleweight. Gurgel (12-2), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, is heavily favored. Gurgel's the clear crowd favorite.
Round 1: Lots of circling for the first minute or so. Gurgel hits a kick to the midsection, but Abbadi catches the leg and scores a takedown. Gurgel gets in a bunch of punches from the bottom, but doesn't appear to be doing much damage. Abbadi isn't doing much from the top. Ref Herb Dean orders a restart. Gurgel connects with a combo. Abbadi floors Gurgel with a nasty punch and lets him back up. Gurgel pops Abbadi with a right and they cinch each other along the cage. Abbadi drops Gurgel hard on his shoulders, but again they get back up. Abbadi hits a right, but Gurgel gets in several rights. Both fighters get a big ovation as the action-packed round ends. Close, I'm giving it to Abbadi for pushing the pace.
Round 2: Again the fighters circle each other to start, which continues through the first minute. Gurgel controlling the octagon, Abbadi reacting. Another flurry of rights by Gurgel. Gurgel again rocks Abbadi with a left-right combo but Abbadi shakes it off. Crowd getting impatient two minutes in. Gurgel with a leg kick. Gurgel pushing the pace, Abbadi backpedaling. Crowd jeers. Gurgel rocks Abbadi with a few shots, Abbadi continues to backpedal. Abbadi connects with a few, but Gurgel comes back swinging. Abbadi slips with a minute left and has his guard up on Abbadi. Gurgel rocks Abbadi with several punches to finish the round. Gurgel easily took this round.
Round 3: Another methodical start, Gurgel goes for a takedown and Abbadi defenses it. Gurgel pops Abbadi with a right and misses a left. Gurgel again controlling the octagon, crowd getting restless. Abbadi has been backpedaling for two rounds now and done nothing after his strong first round. Gurgel continues to occasionally pop Abbadi, Abbadi backs off. Abbadi finally gets in a couple punches. Another attempted takedown by Gurgel with no luck. Two minutes left, Abbadi again floors Gurgel but again lets him back up. I understand you don't want to play to a BJJ guy's strength, but you're not going to get a decision by spending the bulk of two rounds backpedaling. Abbadi does damage with a couple punches. They grab each other in a cinch with about 30 seconds left. Gurgel scores a takedown in the waning seconds of the fight. Close round, but have to give it to Gurgel for controlling most of the round, so my scorecard is 29-28 Gurgel.
Split decision, Gurgel, 29-28 by each judge. Cecil Peoples gave the fght to Abbadi.