-Jon Anik and Kenny Florian open up the FX broadcast and run down the fights that are coming up on the main card tonight.
FIGHT ONE: PAT BARRY VS. CHRISTIAN MORECRAFT (HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Barry stood in the center to start the fight. Morecraft threw a few jabs early. Barry landed a leg kick and Morecraft took him down. Barry tried to scramble and Morecraft grabbed for a choke. He got to a side mount as Barry tried to defend. Barry got him off and got back to his feet nicely. Barry landed a nice jab. Barry landed a hard leg kick that tripped Morecraft up. Barry landed a jab. Morecraft shot in and Barry held him off. Morecraft stayed on him, however, and took him down. He worked for the arm triangle but let it go, but he moved to mount. Barry gave up his back. Barry got out but Morecraft grabbed an armbar. Barry got out and wound up on top and got to his feet. Improvement definitely showing in Barry's ground defense. Barry went high with a kick but it missed. Barry landed a right. Morecraft landed a right. Barry knocked Morecraft down with a huge counter-left, then followed up on the ground with some huge strikes that knocked Morecraft out cold. Huge, huge win for Barry.
WINNER: Barry via KO at 3:38 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***+) That was a fantastic come-from-behind KO in the first round as he was losing the round. Barry has improved his ground game, and it absolutely showed in this one as he had to defend being mounted twice, having Morecraft on his back twice, and had to get out of an armbar. Excellent win for Barry to avoid losing three straight.
-Barry joked and said he's sorry that it took him "nine choke-out experiences" before figuring out how to get out of that stuff, and now he's coming. He said he's all or nothing every time.
FIGHT TWO: MIKE EASTON VS. JARED PAPAZIAN (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Easton came straight ahead and the two engaged in big exchange of dirty boxing in the clinch. Easton drove Papazian to the cage. They traded knees. Papazian turned him around and landed a nice elbow. Easton spun him around again. They continued to jockey for position on the cage. They were finally separated. Easton stalked; Papazian landed a right. They traded kicks. Papazian landed a few strikes. Easton continued to stalk. He landed a nice combination. Easton continued to stalk and they traded strikes. Easton missed a spinning back kick. Papazian landed a few. Easton got in with a combo. They traded strikes. They ended the round as they started it, throwing strikes in the clinch.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. He was pressuring throughout, and got in some nice strikes, but it was a close frame.
ROUND TWO: Papazian scored some nice strikes early as Easton stalked. Easton grazed Papazian with a left hook. Papazian landed on a combo. Easton continued walking Papazian down. Papazian landed a combo, then threw a few more strikes, but not much landed. Easton landed a hard leg kick and nice follow-up right. Papazian grabbed a clinch and pressed Easton on the cage. Easton turned him around, but Papazian turned him back. They were separated again as the crowd booed. Easton swung and missed on a few strikes, though he continued to stalk. Papazian connected on a nice combination. Easton landed a right and clinched. Easton then scored a takedown into half guard. He passed to side control. Papazian turned and got to his feet on the cage. Easton landed a knee. Papazian turned and got separation. Easton stalked again to and they traded shots. Papazian went for a takedown but got reversed and wound up on his back as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. Papazian was scoring on some exchanges, but he was backing up the whole time and got taken down for a 40-second span, where Easton did improve position. Not much to the fight thus far though.
ROUND THREE: They got into a clinch early again, and in the midst of the grappling battle Easton landed a knee low. Papazian was good to go, though, and they continued. Papazian landed a few strikes. Easton clinched and attempted a takedown, but failed. Easton separated with a nice right. Easton stalked and landed a combination. Papazian connected on a few punches. Easton cracked him with a big right but Papazian continued throwing punches of his own. Both exchanged strikes. Neither delivering a ton of power, but both landing a lot of strikes. Easton got in a knee and Papazian drove him back with a clinch. Easton turned him around and they separated. Easton landed a nice left and a right leg kick. Easton landed a right. Papazian landed a strike to the body. Easton dropped Papazian with a right, though he got back up and clinched. They jockeyed for position on the cage. They traded strikes in the center. Easton connected on a nice left. Papazian got in with an uppercut. They traded strikes again with both landing. Papazian tried to grab a takedown as the round ended but failed.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. Papazian had a good effort, but Easton was connecting on the better strikes, and was the aggressor throughout. Not a blowout, though it may register as a 30-27.
WINNER: Easton via majority decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-29)
STAR RATING: (**+) There were some really good exchanges throughout that fight, but neither fighter had the power to really damage the other. Either that, or both have immensely good ability to absorb said punishment. Easton's aggression throughout the fight was the difference, and is likely what ultimately earned him the nod. Really surprised to see a 29-29 card, very rare.
FIGHT THREE: DUANE "BANG" LUDWIG VS. JOSH NEER (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Both fighters took the center and exchanged strikes. Ludwig hurt Neer with a counter, but Neer recovered in the clinch with a body lock. He pressed Ludwig to the cage, but couldn't get him all the way down. They separated. Neer landed a nice combination after they separated. Neer landed the jab. Ludwig connected on a few strikes. Ludwig landed a nice knee to the body. He hurt Neer again. Neer lost his mouthpiece and the action was halted to get it back in. Ludwig connected on a good right to the body. Neer pressed in and landed a few shots. Ludwig continued punishing him with body shots as he clinched. Neer finally completed a takedown. Ludwig made Neer stand, but he dropped into half guard. Ludwig got full guard back. In a scramble, Neer snatched a tight, high guillotine. Ludwig never saw it coming and he went out cold before he could tap out. Big finish for Neer as he was losing that round.
WINNER: Neer via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:04 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) Ludwig was blasting Neer with a lot of body shots early in the round, and was doing well defending on the ground. He left himself open for that finish in the scramble, and Neer had great instincts to lock it up the way he did. Another big win for him coming forward.
-We're treated to a quick preview for the UFC Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit, and then Jon Anik discusses that fight and the new Primetime series (debuting after this card tonight) with UFC President Dana White cageside.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FOUR: MELVIN GUILLARD VS. JIM MILLER (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Miller took the center and pressed Guillard back. Guillard landed a right but Miller came right in. Guillard threw a flying knee but it was blocked. He landed the knee to the body. He rocked Miller with a left, but Miller grabbed a leg and pressed in. Guillard held off the takedown and landed a few strikes. He landed a nice knee on separation. Miller tried to gain his bearings, and blocked another knee to the body. He blocked a high kick from Guillard. Miller shot in and Guillard held it off on the cage. Guillard pressed him off and they separated again. Guillard landed another knee as Miller came in, but this time Miller took him down into half guard. Miller got mount, then Guillard gave up his back and Miller dragged him down and grabbed the rear naked choke, forcing the tap!
WINNER: Miller via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:04 of the first round
STAR RATING: (***) Big rebound for Miller after his loss to Ben Henderson. He took a ton of punishment early on, but he's extremely tough and Guillard wasn't going to put him out with the strikes he was landing. Guillard was in trouble as soon as the fight hit the ground, and good on Miller for locking on the submission to get back on track. It's the type of decisive finish that can get him back into the mix.
-Miller said he's confident he's the most dangerous lightweight in the world, and he's going to go out to prove it.
-Nick Denis' preliminary card win was broadcast next. The whole 22 seconds of it. Just an awesome finish with those elbows.
-Ariel Helwani interviewed Pat Barry backstage before a commercial break, then Josh Neer afterward.
-That's another event in the books. We'll have reaction to tonight's card throughout the weekend, and then we'll turn our attention to next weekend's second UFC card on Fox!
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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