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UFC ON FOX 5 RESULTS: Penick's round by round report for Henderson vs. Diaz event
Dec 8, 2012 - 9:45:58 PM UFC ON FOX 5 RESULTS: Penick's round by round report for Henderson vs. Diaz event

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC ON FOX 5: HENDERSON VS. DIAZ
DECEMBER 8, 2012
LIVE FROM SEATTLE, WASH

=====Facebook Prelim Quick Result=====

-Scott Jorgensen def. John Albert via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:59 of the first round

=====FX Prelims=====

-The FX broadcast opens up with Jay Glazer, Kenny Florian, and Brian Stann in studio to set up tonight's event. I like opening up in studio like this. It gives the broadcasts a more "sport" feel than is typical, and it allows a different set up than Mike Goldberg by himself starting things off. After some conversation about the Dennis Siver-Nam Phan fight, it's sent to Goldberg and Joe Rogan at cageside to set up the first fight of the FX broadcast.

FIGHT ONE: DENNIS SIVER VS. NAM PHAN (FEATHERWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Siver landed an inside leg kick, one to the body, then another to the leg. He added in a few punches, and right off the bat his kicking attack was doing damage. He continued to engage as Phan tried to get close to him. Siver landed a hard right and a kick to the body. Siver landed a hard right hand. He again landed the right, then rocked him with a kick. He landed a hard spinning back kick. Siver with another counter right. Picking Phan apart here. He landed another nice combo with kicks and punches. More kicks to the legs, a spinning back kick to the body landed again. More jabs, hooks, kicks, and more continued landing. He hurt Phan again with a left hook. Phan continued absorbing punishment. Siver engaged overtime Phan came near him. Phan landed a left. Siver with another big two punch combo. More punches landing from Siver. Hard body kick landed again. Another spinning back kick. Then he landed a front kick to the face. He tripped Phan up with a single leg. Siver caught a kick and threw a couple punches. He landed a hard body kick, then a nice jab. He shot in, Phan held it off, but ate a huge left. They traded leg kicks. Phan threw a kick. Siver landed another nice left hook. Another spinning back kick landed to the body. Siver got in a couple more strikes before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Siver. He just picked Phan apart with a non-stop attack throughout that round. Nothing was heavy enough to earn a knockdown, but it was a completely one-sided round.

ROUND TWO: Siver went back on the attack again to start the round, throwing a bunch of strikes in succession, and connecting on a lot of them. Phan landed a left, then Siver landed a big left. Phan connected on a right, but got clipped himself. They continued battling. Phan landed straight right. He continued scoring with kicks as well. Siver missed the spinning back kick. Siver missed a few strikes, but pressed Phan back. Siver got in the front kick to the face again. He missed a spinning kick but again landed the front face kick. Spinning kick went high and connected. Siver then shot in and scored a takedown into side control. Phan grabbed a leg for half guard. Siver landed a few elbows from the top. Siver trapped Phan's arm and landed some big punches. Siver continued the assault from the top with some huge elbows and punches. Siver unloaded a series of punches and passed to side control. Phan tried to scramble and escape, but Siver passed to mount. Phan escaped to half guard, but ate a bunch more big strikes from Siver. Siver finished the round on top with a few more strikes.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Siver. Not quite as much offense as in the first round, but no less dominant. Siver's looking as good as he ever has through two rounds, and he's just having his way with Phan right now.

ROUND THREE: Siver landed a few punches and kicks early. Phan connected with a jab in an exchange. Phan missed a couple of big, winding punches. Siver shot in and scored another takedown. Phan tried to get him into guard, but Siver got into half guard. Siver tried to open Phan up for an arm triangle attempt. He gave it up. Phan tried to escape and Siver nearly got into mount. Siver continued working from the top with punches and short elbows. Siver landed another series of strikes and added some big elbows. Siver's assault continued from the top, controlling Phan and landing strikes. Siver landed another huge elbow to the jaw. Siver connected on more elbows, then punches to the head. Siver continued landing punches as Phan tried to grab a leg. Phan managed to get to guard, but the assault from Siver continued with punches to the body and head. Very effective ground and pound throughout the round. Siver landed two more right to the face as the fight ended. Just a complete beatdown through 15 minutes.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Siver. Great, great, great performance from Dennis Siver. He looked fantastic for the entirety of the 15 minute fight, and continued the assault in that final frame.

WINNER: Siver via unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-26)

STAR RATING: (***-) That was as dominant of a performance as you can see in a 15-minute fight. Siver controlled every piece of the fight, completely overwhelmed Phan for its entirety, and beat the hell out of him to boot. Siver at 145 lbs. could be something special, and this was a smart, complete, and dominant performance from him.


FIGHT TWO: MARCUS LEVESSEUR VS. ABEL TRUJILLO (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: LeVesseur landed an early strike, ducked under a a punch and landed a big takedown. He picked Trujillo up and slammed him, but Trujillo popped back to his feet. LeVesseur stayed on him against the cage. Trujillo tried to fight off the takedown attempt with elbows and strikes, and attacked LeVesseur's arm. Trujillo landed a knee to the body. They were separated from the clinch. LeVesseur landed a right as Trujillo got in a hook. LeVesseur shot in again, this time getting his back standing. Trujillo got turned around, landing a couple knees to the body and thighs. The crowd booed the unsuccessful takedowns from LeVesseur. Trujillo landed a hard knee and some hard elbows to the body as LeVesseur stayed on him on the cage. Trujillo started landing hard shots and LeVesseur was hurting. Trujillo grabbed for a kimura, but they were separated again. LeVesseur shot in again and ate a big knee. Trujillo landed some strikes as LeVesseur just held on to the end of the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Trujillo. His takedown defense allowed him to deliver an absolute beating in the last half of that round.

ROUND TWO: LeVesseur landed a nice right to start off the second round. Trujillo caught a kick and tripped LeVesseur up. He went for a guillotine, and LeVesseur tried to escape. He turned around with it, got into a north-south position, but LeVesseur got out and up to his feet. He landed a few big strikes, but then Trujillo dropped him with a huge counter strike. He dropped into LeVesseur's guard as both tried to recover. LeVesseur turned to his knees and Trujillo landed a few strikes from behind him. LeVesseur worked to his feet. Trujillo put his back on the cage and they separated. Trujillo landed a nice punch. LeVesseur went for a single leg, and brought him to the cage, but again Trujillo held off the attempt. Trujillo got loose and landed a few big knees to the body. LeVesseur tried to cover up and Trujillo continued throwing the strikes. LeVessuer just sat there and the ref gave him plenty of time to do something. Trujillo continue the assault to the body and the ref stopped it.

WINNER: Trujillo via TKO at 3:56 of the second round

STAR RATING: (**+) That second round elevated things considerably. The sick headlock, leading to a great striking exchange, and then just a brutal beating from Trujillo, it made for an exciting round and a vicious finish to the fight with those knees to the body.

FIGHT THREE: DARON CRUICKSHANK VS. HENRY MARTINEZ (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Martinez came straight forward, landed a couple punches to the head, and closed the distance with a single leg as Cruickshank connected on a couple body shots. They were separated as it stalemated. Martinez swung wildly, and Cruickshank fired back. Both fighters were missing as much as they landed, and Martinez again closed the distance. Cruickshank landed a couple elbows to the body as Martinez tried to take him down. Martinez finally stopped the attempt and swung wildly, landing a big series of strikes. Cruickshank landed a hard knee, got in a few punches, then missed a high kick. Sloppy but crazy exchange. Cruickshank landed some hard body kicks and went to the head as well. Martinez covered up and tried to survive. He finally fired back with a few strikes, but he was hurt badly there. Cruickshank landed another body kick. Martinez got in with a left. Martinez landed a left. Cruickshank landed a hard spinning heel kick to the leg. Cruickshank landed a vicious head kick at the end of a combination and Martinez looked out on his feet, but he somehow survived. He pressed Cruickhans to the cage and started throwing punches. Cruickshank landed another massive strike, but Martinez stayed standing and throwing to the end of the round. That was some ridiculousness right there.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruickshank. One of the sloppiest brawls in a long time, but man can Henry Martinez take some shots.

ROUND TWO: Martinez came forward immediately, and ate a knee as he closed the distance. Cruickshank got loose and landed another hard strike before backing off. He landed another hard body shot. Martinez landed a hard left. Cruichank again connected with a hard straight right to the jaw. Martinez landed a left.Martinez tried to tee off but missed. Cruickshank landed a hard side kick to the body. After some tentative back and forth, Cruickshank then connected on a vicious head kick that knocked Martinez out. He raised his hands immediately and the fight was over. Right behind the ear. Man.

WINNER: Cruickshank via KO at 2:57 of the second round

STAR RATING: (***) It was sloppy as hell, and it wasn't what I would call a "good fight," but it was extremely entertaining and capped off by just an absolutely massive head kick KO. And given the punishment Martinez took in the first round, to finish him the way he did is extremely impressive.

FIGHT FOUR: RAMSEY NIJEM VS. JOE PROCTOR (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: They started throwing strikes early, and Nijem closed the distance for a takedown. Proctor tried to set up a guillotine choke against the cage. Nijem tried to break loose and ate a knee as Proctor held control of his head.Nijem backed out and threw a few punches. He landed a few hard strikes and got in a series of knees as well. Proctor got out and ate a jab. Nijem landed a jumping front kick to the body that knocked Proctor down. Nijem landed a big series of strikes and took Proctor's back. Nijem rolled him over to get back control and get both hooks in. He rolled over to the mount but Proctor escaped. He got to his feet as Nijem landed a strike. Proctor grabbed a hold of Nijem's neck again. Nijem took him down and got free. He tried to again take Proctor's back, landing a few strikes. Proctor got out and to his feet, but ate a big exchange from Nijem. Nijem got a little overzealous and got clipped by a big two-punch combo. Proctor took advantage and got on top. Proctor landed an elbow. He landed a couple punches from the top. Nijem recovered and turned over. The round ended in a sprawl.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nijem. He got hurt late there, but he won most of the round, and did a lot of damage himself.

ROUND TWO: They went back to work to start the second round, each scoring with some exchanges. Nijem landed a nice left and backed off. Nijem landed another hard left, but got countered by a left. Nijem ducked under a strike and avoided another. Proctor landed a punch but got hit by a hard counter. Nijem landed a nice leg kick. Nijem landed another hard right. He connected on a left, then a right. Another combination landed from Nijem. Nijem landed a body kick. Proctor tried to get close, but Nijem pressed him back and got in a leg kick. Nijem threw two more and Proctor countered again. Nijem shot in and Proctor held off the takedown attempt. Nijem scored the takedown and avoided a sweep. Proctor closed his guard. Nijem stood and tried to drop down. Proctor countered and got into a front choke in the cage. Nijem tried to fight it off and he avoided a mount attempt from Proctor. Nijem grabbed a leg and scored another takedown. Proctor still had a headlock, but he had to let it go. Proctor looked to attack the arm, but Nijem got out and landed a few strikes to end the round on top.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nijem. Closely contested round, but Nijem just simply did more in that frame.

ROUND THREE: They each missed a few strikes early. Proctor landed a couple good strikes. Nijem scored with a couple strikes, but ate a big counter. Nijem shot in, but Proctor tried to roll through for an armbar. He lost the position and Nijem got on top. Nijem continued working from the top with body shots. He got Proctor's back and landed some strikes. Proctor tried to shoot up, then pulled guard with a guillotine that he lost. Nijem continued staying busy from the top. Proctor got to his feet. Nijem landed a knee and shot in again. Proctor rolled through and got an armbar attempt. He lost it and ate a bunch of strikes from Nijem. Nijem continued throwing punches to stay busy, and Proctor worked to a knee against the cage. Proctor got loose and into the sprawl.They both got to their feet and Nijem teed off on Proctor on the cage with kicks, punches and knees. Proctor sent him back with a big strikes. Nijem landed one more before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nijem. Much more active throughout, and overall he was the better fighter for the entire 15 minute fight.

WINNER: Nijem via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

STAR RATING: (**) Average fight. Decent performance from Nijem, but he's got some bad holes in his striking that nearly got him in trouble in this one. Solid action, but nothing more than that.

FIGHT FIVE: MIKE EASTON VS. RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO (BANTAMWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Easton missed an early spinning kick and Assuncao landed a couple strikes. Assuncao landed a hard kick to the body. Easton landed a few punches in a nice short combination. Assuncao landed a counter. Easton got in a solid leg kick. Easton connected on a couple more strikes. Easton landed a body punch but missed the follow up. Assuncao landed a nice counter left. Easton missed a spinning back kick. He covered up as Assuncao threw a couple. Easton kept moving forward. Both missed a few strikes. Easton landed a few more. Assuncao connected on some counters. Easton landed a hard overhand right. He landed a nice jab. Assuncao shot in but Easton held him off really well. Assuncao landed a couple knees. They were separated off the cage as it stalemated. Easton landed a leg kick as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. Very close first round, but Easton was slightly more effective.

ROUND TWO: Both fighters missed kicks early. Assuncao landed a hard leg kick. He got in a body kick. Easton landed a good one of his own. Assuncao barely missed a head kick, and Easton countered with a couple strikes. They traded kicks inside. Easton landed a good counter-right. He got in a nice two-punch combo. They each blocked a few strikes from the other. Assuncao landed a right to the eye and Easton was bothered by it. Not a poke, though. Assuncao landed a leg kick. Easton connected on a couple punches. They each missed a few. Assuncao landed a left. Easton landed a hard leg kick. They swung wildly, but didn't connect. Easton landed a few. Assuncao got in a knee to the groin and action was stalled. Easton continued moving forward, and ate a couple counters as he landed a right. Assuncao connected on a couple. There was some booing in the crowd from the tentativeness in the action. Easton landed a body punch. Assuncao threw a front kick to the face. Easton shot in, but got stuffed immediately. Assuncao went for the front kick again. Assuncao missed a spinning back fist. The round ended to some more boos.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Assuncao. This time he was more effective. Very close fight, but I think it's even into the final frame.

ROUND THREE: Easton landed a couple strikes early, Assuncao came back with a counter. Assuncao continued staying back and popping in with counters. Assuncao landed a hard body kick. Easton landed a body punch. Assuncao landed a couple of strikes. Assuncao continued to keep Easton off balance. Assuncao clinched and grabbed a single leg. Assuncao swung him down, but Easton popped up. Easton connected on a couple, but again ate counter strikes. The crowd booed as they fight got to the clinch. The crowd booed more heavily just as they separated. Easton continued moving forward. Assuncao landed a right. He connected on a jab. Easton stuffed another takedown attempt. The crowd booed again. Assuncao got in a body kick. Easton tried to close the distance, but he continued getting hit with counters as he tried to engage. Easton briefly got Assuncao down in a scramble, but Assuncao got up. Easton moved forward again, blocked a kick. The fight came to a close with a chorus of boos. Both fighters raised their arms.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Assuncao. Could be some weird scoring with a lot of unclear offense, Assuncao backing up and countering, etc. It was close enough to have some weird things happen here.

WINNER: Assuncao via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (*) Dull, dull fight. Very little happened in the cage, as Assuncao was content sitting back and counter-striking, while Easton just couldn't get moving offensively.

FIGHT SIX: JEREMY STEPHENS VS. YVES EDWARDS (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Stephens rushed in with a flying knee that Edwards side-stepped. Stephens landed a couple strikes. He threw an overhand right. Edwards connected on a nice strike and shot in. Stephens had off the takedown attempt and landed a strike to separate. Stephens missed on a few power strikes. He connected on a couple after that. Edwards landed a left hook to the body. They traded strikes and Stephens got the better of it. Edwards landed a counter right to the jaw that dropped him, then delivered a bunch of strikes on the ground and knocked him out with a huge elbow on the ground. That was impressive.

WINNER: Edwards via KO at 1:55 of the first round

STAR RATING: (**+) That was an excellent finish, and highly impressive given the historic durability from Stephens throughout his career. As incredible as it sounds, that's the first time he's ever been stopped by strikes.

-The Scott Jorgensen-John Albert fight gets a replay spot with time left on the FX broadcast.

-Joe Rogan tries to give himself a brain aneurysm with his final hard-sell to get fans to tune in to Fox.

=====Fox Main Card=====

-Curt Menefee opens the Fox broadcast, before getting to an excellent, Ving Rhames-narrated opening video package. Menefee is joined by Randy Couture and Brian Stann once again in studio to break down tonight's main card. Though I really do like the slick production of these pre-shows, I am massively anticipating the top three fights on this card and really just want them to get to them already!

-After the first break, Menefee runs down the "Rules of the Octagon" before sending it to Goldie and Rogan.

-The Fox pre-fight video packages are so much more interesting than the black and white talking heads.

FIGHT SEVEN: MIKE SWICK VS. MATT BROWN (WELTERWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Swick took the outside and pawed in with the jab as Brown held the center of the cage. Brown rushed in and got hit by a counter left. Brown got a nice counter in of his own. Both exchanged punches in a short exchange. Swick landed a couple os strikes. Brown tripped Swick up and scored a takedown. Brown tried to set up for a D'Arce choke. He rolled it through to full guard, and Swick tried to stay patient. Brown didn't have the position in a spot he could finish it, though, and Swick popped out. Brown grabbed a wrist and tried to attack with a triangle choke, but Swick got loose and passed to half guard. Brown then got the triangle choke locked in. Swick tried to defend, and used his legs to relieve the pressure. Interesting pretzel contortion as Brown tried to finish the hold and Swick tried to defend. Swick was able to pop out in what was just a fantastic sequence. He tried to get a guillotine, but got loose and landed a strike on the feet. Brown landed an elbow and a knee. Swick turned him around on the cage.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Brown. He was attacking with more, had the more effective offense.

ROUND TWO: Brown connected with the first strike of the round. Swick countered. Brown came back again with a strike. He pressed in once more and scored a nice elbow strike. They battled in the clinch, each landing a couple knees. Brown landed another nice elbow. Swick finally got free. Brown then knocked Swick down and out with a two-punch combo. Wow.

WINNER: Brown via KO at 2:31 of the second round

STAR RATING: (**+) Swick looked awful throughout this fight, but full credit to Brown for a very good performance and an excellent knockout finish.

-After the fight, Brown thought he was getting a post-fight interview, so things got awkward as Joe Rogan wasn't in the cage and the camera lingered for a few seconds before they went to a UFC 155 promo.

FIGHT EIGHT: B.J. PENN VS. RORY MACDONALD (WELTERWEIGHT)

-The crowd went absolutely nuts for Penn.

ROUND ONE: Penn immediately closed the distance and grabbed a clinch. MacDonald turned him around. MacDonald landed an elbow to separate. Penn again clinched. MacDonald landed a body punch and turned him on the cage. Penn threw a knee. MacDonald separated with a two punch combo. He landed a short uppercut on Penn. He landed a jab and a leg kick, then backed away from a Penn strike. MacDonald continued with the jab, and got in with a hook a short time after. MacDonald landed a leg kick, then faked one low and went high. Penn landed a right. MacDonald again got a kick in to the face. MacDonald blocked a right. MacDonald threw a couple low kicks. Penn threw a few punches but didn't hit flush. They traded jabs. MacDonald tried to go high with the kick again but was blocked. Penn landed a left, closed the distance, and tried to take MacDonald down. Rory popped to his feet and turned Penn around. He landed an elbow on separation. Penn's mouth was bleeding as he circled away. They trade jabs. MacDonald landed a left to the body. They traded jabs again. MacDonald went for a takedown, then gave it up as Penn stuffed it. MacDonald landed a leg kick and kept Penn's back against the cage. MacDonald hurt him with a left elbow and Penn wobbled. MacDonald went high. MacDonald got in a body shot and Penn threw a couple punches. MacDonald landed a great elbow in over the top. He's mixing those in really well, he got in a left elbow on the break and they traded strikes as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 MacDonald. Great first round for the 23-year-old. He's clearly the stronger fighter, and he's showing a more varied, dynamic striking game right now.

ROUND TWO: MacDonald went back on the attack as the crowd chanted for Penn. Penn got in with a strike. MacDonald landed a hard elbow. He popped Penn's head back with a few jabs. He landed a big combination against the cage. He landed a great two-punch combo to the body and the head. MacDonald threw a front kick. A "Rory" chant started from some of the crowd. MacDonald landed a body shot. He landed a nice right. Penn moved in but got hit with a jab. He landed a left. Penn landed a nice right. He connected on another jab as MacDonald moved forward. MacDonald threw a nice elbow. He landed a hard kick to the body. He landed an uppercut to the body and Penn was hurting. MacDonald just measured him and lit him up against the cage as Penn could only stand there. MacDonald continued landing strikes. Penn continued covering up and threw a couple punches back. MacDonald landed another combo. He's just lighting Penn up against the cage. MacDonald landed the elbow to the head again. MacDonald landed another uppercut to the body. Penn moved forward. MacDonald scored a late takedown as Penn was clearly wearing down. MacDonald ended the round on top.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 MacDonald. He's just absolutely in control of this fight right now, and looks as good as he has in his career to date in picking Penn apart.

ROUND THREE: MacDonald landed a few jabs early. Penn tried to rush in and landed a few strikes before grabbing a clinch. Penn tried to get the takedown, but MacDonald held it off. The action stalled in the clinch for a bit. They were separated due to inactivity. Penn landed the first strike back. MacDonald landed a nice body kick. He slipped on a spinning kick, but popped back up and landed a jab. MacDonald continued circling and landing jabs. They clinched briefly and MacDonald separated with another elbow. MacDonald landed a two punch combo. He got in another good body kick. Penn tried to move in again but got held off. MacDonald grabbed a single leg but let it go and landed a strike. MacDonald started showboating a bit. MacDonald landed another body shot. Penn landed a jab. MacDonald grabbed a clinch and pressed Penn back. They got separated again. MacDonald again went back to the body. He connected on a head kick but it wasn't full force. Penn tried to close the distance but got clinched. MacDonald landed a great superman punch with a left hook behind it. MacDonald dropped his hands and then clinched once more. He separated with another elbow. He landed a hard body strike. He landed another jab and a kick. He landed a front kick and a right behind it to close out the fight. Just a masterful performance from Rory MacDonald tonight.

WINNER: MacDonald via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (***) MacDonald may not win a lot of fans over with the showboating and taunting as the fight wore on, but that was a career-best performance against one of the best fighters in the history of the sport. Penn still shouldn't be fighting at welterweight, but MacDonald just picked him apart tonight. The crowd booed him mercilessly after the fight.

-MacDonald called out Carlos Condit for Montreal in March.

FIGHT NINE: MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA VS. ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Gustafsson landed a couple of early leg kicks. He got in with an uppercut. He hurt Shogun with a counter strike after a kick. Shogun rolled through and grabbed for a leg lock. He nearly got something, but Gustafsson got out and to his feet. Shogun stayed on him and landed some knees from behind to the body. Shogun tried to drop for the knee bar again, but Gustafsson got loose. He landed a couple strikes. Gustafsson scored a nice takedown, but backed right out. Shogun came forward and scored a takedown, but ate a strike first. Gustafsson walked up the cage again and got to his feet. Gustafsson tried to get turned around. Shogun landed a left. Gustafsson tripped him, threw a punch and landed a knee to get separation. Gustafsson landed another hard knee. Shogun landed a good leg kick. Gustafsson ducked under a couple strikes. The crowd chanted for Shogun. Gustafsson landed a hard left hook. They traded strikes. Shogun landed a leg kick. Gustafsson grabbed a clinch and pressed Shogun to the cage. He landed a solid knee to the body. He landed another hard knee to the body. Shogun threw some short strikes as he held off the takedown attempt. They traded a few strikes in the clinch. Gustafsson pushed Shogun away as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Gustafsson. Very close round, but Gustafsson looked like he was scoring a bit more effectively with the strikes he was landing.

ROUND TWO: Shogun rushed in with a couple of combinations. Gustafsson came right back. He landed a nice leg kick. Shogun landed with an overhand right. Gustafsson got in an uppercut. Shogun scored with a couple of strikes. Gustafsson tried to walk him down. Shogun missed a couple of strikes. Gustafsson grabbed a clinch against the cage. They battled in the clinch briefly before being separated. Gustafsson came right back with a kick. Shogun got in a body punch. Gustafsson almost had a throw, but Shogun grabbed the cage to steady himself. Shogun grabbed a body lock, tried a takedown, but Gustafsson turned him and got on top. He stood up, dropped a left, then backed away to let Shogun stand. Gustafsson landed a nice right. Shogun landed a right, but Gustafsson took the punch. Gustafsson ducked under another telegraphed punch and scored a takedown into half guard. Shogun snuck out and got a body lock as they stood up. Gustafsson turned him around. He pulled off a nice trip as Shogun was eying the clock. He landed a few strikes and knees as they stood back up. Gustafsson landed a nice uppercut and got in a knee behind it. Shogun swung wildly. Gustafsson got in a kick before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Gustafsson. It was a closer round early, but Gustafsson found a rhythm as the round wore on.

ROUND THREE: They both missed a couple of early strikes. Gustafsson walked forward. Shogun landed a hard right, but ate a counter and a knee. Shogun landed the right. Gustafsson scored a takedown, but Shogun countered. Gustafsson threw him down again and took his back, but Shogun rolled through and got back to his feet. Gustafsson landed a kick to the body. The crowd chanted for Shogun. Gustafsson landed a nice uppercut. Shogun missed a big right. Gustafsson scored another takedown into Shogun's guard. Gustafsson tried to stay busy from the top, and got in a couple of nice elbows. He stood up and threw a couple of kicks, but allowed Shogun back up. Gustafsson landed a nice two-punch combo. He got in a body kick that hurt Shogun. Gustafsson tried to walk him down. He threw him down, then started landing strikes on the cage. He landed a big right then backed off. Shogun was breathing heavily out of his mouth. Gustafsson landed an uppercut. Gustafsson landed some uppercuts to the body in the clinch. They were separated with a minute left. Shogun got an uppercut in. Gustafsson landed a front kick to the face and continued on the attack. Shogun tried to circle out. Shogun landed a left and clinched. The fight came to a close as Gustafsson scored one more trip takedown.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Gustafsson. Shogun just didn't have much left to offer and Gustafsson continued getting comfortable throughout. Good performance and another step towards a title shot for Gustafsson.

WINNER: Gustafsson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

STAR RATING: (**+) The fight went about as expected. Gustafsson's striking attack was varied and unpredictable, he landed knees, kicks, punches, and scored numerous takedowns as well. He was just clearly the better fighter start to finish, and it pushes him another step up the ladder at 205 lbs.

-Brian Stann in the Fox studio shows off his "stand in front of the screen and press the buttons to make a point on video" chops as the main event may not start before the top of the hour.

MAIN EVENT FIGHT TEN: BEN HENDERSON VS. NATE DIAZ (LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)

ROUND ONE: Henderson landed a couple of leg kicks early on, as Diaz tried to walk him down. Henderson overshot a kick and Diaz clinched. Diaz landed a few knees. Henderson turned him around. They continued battling in the clinch, with Diaz landing some knees and punches with his back against the cage. Diaz tried to throw Henderson, but he got stuffed. They traded knees to the body and continued battling in the clinch. Henderson grabbed a body lock and tried to drag Diaz down. The clinch battle continued with Diaz doing more offensively in close. He finally broke off with an elbow. Henderson landed a hard leg kick and scored a takedown. Diaz got to his feet, but Henderson landed a nice throw to put him right back down. He landed some big strikes from the top and Diaz got to his feet. Henderson held a body lock, but they went back to the clinch. They separated again. Henderson landed a hard leg kick and Diaz went down. Diaz went for an ankle, but Henderson landed a couple of punches and got down on top briefly. Diaz worked to his feet. They traded knees in close. Henderson avoided a few punches, then popped Diaz with a two punch combo. Diaz clinched, and drove Henderson to the cage. Henderson got the upper hand in the clinch as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. Slow start, but Henderson scored some nice trips and takedowns, and did some damage with his strikes as well.

ROUND TWO: Henderson landed a hard leg kick early. He missed a punch and they clinched in the center. Henderson pulled off a great trip and landed some punches on the ground. Diaz got to his feet and Henderson landed a head kick before clinching again. Diaz landed a couple of knees and punches as Henderson held him against the cage. Henderson landed a hard short forearm. He got in an elbow as they separated. They traded punches. Henderson circled out. He landed a hard leg kick again. He landed a nice body punch and Diaz clinched again. Henderson threw a few punches to the lead leg of Diaz and nearly took the leg out. Then he went over the top and knocked Diaz down with a left. That was beautiful. He started working his ground and pound as Diaz gave up his back. Diaz worked to his feet again. Diaz tried to score a trip, but Henderson held it off. He popped in with a nice elbow and clinched again. Diaz then scored the toss, but Henderson popped right up and landed a body kick. Henderson landed a punch to the knee again, then got in a leg kick to the lead leg as well. Henderson missed a jab at the end of the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. He's picking up steam here. There have been some slow spots in the fight, but Henderson's turning it on in spurts. Those low punches set up that high left beautifully, and he's up two rounds on the challenger.

ROUND THREE: Henderson again came out with the kick to the lead leg. He landed the punch to the leg, and another kick, backing away from Diaz's counter attack. Henderson landed a hard right as Diaz got close. Henderson scored a takedown as Diaz overcommitted. Diaz attacked a leg, but Henderson landed a few big shots. Diaz got back to his feet, but Henderson took him down again almost immediately. Henderson landed a big punch from the top and dropped down. Diaz threw his legs up, but Henderson continued working smartly from the top. Diaz threw a few kicks to the leg of Henderson, but the Champ dropped to the side landing strikes. Diaz grabbed a leg, and went for a heel hook. Henderson attacked Diaz's leg. Henderson got his leg free, turned around and landed a big shot. Then he took Diaz's back, but lost the position. He turned back over. Diaz again attacked a leg. Henderson was in full on split and they finally stood. Henderson threw the punch to the knee. Diaz dropped his arms to taunt Henderson and Henderson responded with a knock down punch. Wow. He dropped a few more punches down and Diaz again went for the leg. Diaz threw some kicks to the body. Henderson backed away and dropped an elbow to the body. Henderson dropped an axe kick as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. That round was freaking nuts! Henderson scored another knock down right after Diaz dropped his hands, and this fight is absolutely nuts into the Championship rounds.

ROUND FOUR: Henderson landed another kick to the lead leg. Diaz tied up and Henderson pressed him to the cage. He scored another takedown and Diaz gave up his back once more. Diaz worked up to his feet again, but Henderson took him down into side control. Diaz again gave up his back. Diaz worked to his feet again and grabbed for a kimura on Henderson's right arm. That brought the fight to the ground, but Henderson scrambled to top position. He landed a few strikes as Diaz stood again, and then again took him down. Diaz rolled to his back. Henderson landed some big strikes to the body on top, then passed to half guard. He landed a hard elbow. He connected on a few more. Diaz grabbed for a kimura again. Henderson landed a knee to the body. Henderson stayed patient, got loose, and continued his assault from the top. Henderson landed a hard elbow to the face. He landed another hard elbow, and a big punch behind it, as Diaz just couldn't get anything going from his back. Henderson punched Diaz's leg as Diaz tried to goad him to the ground. Henderson landed a punch to the gut. He landed more punches to the legs. Henderson toyed with Diaz a little bit before throwing a kick. Diaz butt scooted and got to his feet. Henderson landed a hard leg kick as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. Diaz has nothing much to offer right now. He's getting out-grappled and out-struck, and Henderson's in complete control into the final round.

ROUND FIVE: Henderson landed the leg punch early on again. They clinched once again, and Henderson landed a few strikes in the clinch. Henderson got Diaz's back standing, then grabbed a single leg, picked him up and dropped him on his head. He tried to take his back but Diaz scrambled out. Henderson started unleashing strikes from the top. Diaz again gave up his back to get to his feet. The showed a graphic for significant strikes with Henderson up 120-17. Diaz tried to attack an arm once more, but Henderson just dragged him to the ground. Henderson had his back standing again. Diaz pulled off a trip, but Henderson again scrambled to his feet and landed strikes again. Diaz once more stood up and Henderson cracked him with a head kick before clinching again. Henderson unleashed a short flurry of strikes with 20 seconds left. Diaz stuck his chin out and dropped his hands. He landed a right. Henderson dropped his hands and stood back as the fight ended. Diaz raised Henderson's hand after in a show of respect.

WINNER: Henderson via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-45, 50-45)

STAR RATING: (***+) Yes, there were some slow portions of the fight, and it reset in the clinch quite often, but there were spurts of absolute brilliance as well. Specifically in the second and third rounds. Henderson setting up the straight left by punching Diaz in the leg was beautiful, and then when Diaz tried to goad him in the third and he dropped him with his next punch it was another fantastic sequence. He was the better fighter from start to finish in that fight.

-Thanks for sticking with us tonight, hop over to BlogTalkRadio.com/MMATorch at the top of the hour for an hour-long post-mortem with MMATorch columnists Rich Hansen and Shawn Ennis!