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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief It's that time again! Time for another live pay-per-view event, and tonight we close out UFC's 2008 pay-per-view year with a stacked card featuring two title fights. Check back as the show goes on the air for live coverage updated here throughout the night on MMATorch.com!
-Cue gladiator, cue opening music, it's time for UFC 92!
FIGHT ONE: CHEICK KONGO VS. MOSTAPHA AL TURK (HEAVYWEIGHT)
PRE FIGHT: Kongo says he's going to end the fight in the first round. Al Turk says he can take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.
ROUND ONE: Al Turk lands the first strike and slips up a bit. They start a feeling out process for a short while. Kongo catches a leg kick by Al Turk and drops him with a right hand. Kongo lands a couple of kicks to the legs on Al Turk and Al Turk gets back to his feet. He shoots and gets a clinch on the cage. He struggles and attempts to get Kongo to the ground. Kongo is defending it very well against the cage. Al Turk holds onto the single leg and then eats a bunch of elbows to the head. Kongo moves to the outside and holds Al Turk on the cage, and he lands a couple of knees to the body. Al Turk lands a low blow with a knee and Steve Mazagatti gives Kongo time to recover. Kongo recovers and he looks pissed. Al Turk misses on a big shot. Kongo lands an inside leg kick and Al Turk tries to shoot in again and goes for a single leg on the cage. Kongo fights it off again and gives a payback low blow knee on the cage. They restart again. Kongo chases Al Turk and lands a couple of shots that knocks Al Turk back. Kongo pounces and starts landing a ton of shots, opening Al Turk up and landing a ton of punishment in the ground and pound. Mazagatti should have stopped this ten seconds earlier than he did. Wow. Big show of domination by Kongo.
WINNER: Kongo via tko at 4:37 of the first round.
STAR RATING: (**) Very good tko finish and a great showing of ground and pound by Kongo. Nice one round fight.
RAMIFICATIONS: That's a big win and puts Kongo into the mix for a heavyweight title shot following the completion of the tournament. Al Turk will need to pick up an impressive victory in a follow up fight to stay in the UFC.
FIGHT TWO: QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON VS. WANDERLEI SILVA (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
PRE FIGHT: Jackson says this is going to be the fight of the year. He says all he can think about is killing Wanderlei. Silva says he knows Jackson remembers his knees.
ROUND ONE: Jackson pushes early and they trade a shot. Wanderlei lands a quick combo. They exchange a short shot again. Silva comes in with another combo. Jackson throws a kick and Silva tries a combo. The crowd is largely behind Silva. Rampage lands a jab after eating a body kick. Rampage lands another jab. Rampage shoots and Silva lands a knee. Hard leg kick from Silva. Quick combo from Silva. Another hard leg kick from Silva. Rampage catches a kick from Silva but Wanderlei popped up quickly. Jackson with another jab. He lands another and then comes with a left hook and knocks Wanderlei cold. Holy hell. He landed one more shot that wasn't necessary and two more than may have missed before Yves Lavigne could get to him to stop it.
WINNER: Jackson via ko 3:21 of the first round.
POST FIGHT: Rampage said he had to let everyone know, he's got his Wolf on from the Wolfslair, and now he's right. He says Rampage is back. He thanked his new team. He says it's up to the UFC when he gets another title shot. He says he needs to get his life and his mind back in order.
STAR RATING:(***+) Big fight feel with a big time finish. I was not expecting that, but it was an amazing knockout from Rampage.
RAMIFICATIONS: Well, he had his head on right here. If he gets past his legal issues, Rampage will get right back into the mix at the top of the Light Heavyweight division. Wanderlei has been knocked silly one too many times it seems, and it may be nearing the end of the line for "The Axe Murderer."
PRELIM FIGHT A: PAT BARRY VS. DAN EVENSON
ROUND ONE: Evenson tried to clinch early bit Barry threw him off. Evenson tries to land a kick. Barry throws two straight body kicks that are very hard and Evenson presses him against the cage. Evenson does nothing and they break them up. Straight kick exchange and a hard leg kick from Barry. Another great leg kick and Evenson tries to shoot in but falls to his back. He pulls guard on Barry. Barry pulls himself back to his feet. He throws a nice left and then another leg kick and completely throws out Evenson's leg and Evenson quits. I've never seen anything like that! Barry absolutely popped Evenson's knee with a leg kick.
WINNER: Barry via tko 2:36 of the first round.
POST FIGHT: Barry says this is better than Christmas. He thanks everyone for coming out. He shows a bunch of charisma here, and with some wins over bigger names he could have a good career.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was one of the more unique finishes ever seen in the Octagon. Big debut for Barry, making Evenson quit from leg kicks.
FIGHT THREE: C.B. DOLLAWAY VS. MIKE MASSENZIO (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
PRE FIGHT: Massenzio says he's been waiting for this for five years.
ROUND ONE: Massenzio lands the first jab. Dollaway with a good body kick. Mike comes in and eats a knee to the body and the head from Dollaway. Dollaway lands a couple of shots in a combo. Massenzio hurts C.B. with a shot and gets him to the ground and gets a guillotine on C.B. but Dollaway gets out of it and ends up in Massenzio's guard. Mike goes for a triangle but C.B. gets out of it. C.B. Steps up and lands a shot and passes and gets to the full mount. He throws an elbow. Massenzio gives up his back and Dollaway starts launching shots to the side of Massenzio's head forcing the ref to step in because Mazzenzio couldn't move.
WINNER: Dollaway via tko at 3:01 of the first round.
POST FIGHT: Dollaway said he felt the shot that he took but he just stuck with out.
STAR RATING: (**) Good back and forth from the two. Dollaway looked very good rebounding from getting hurt early.
PRELIM FIGHT B: MATT HAMILL VS. REESE ANDY
ROUND ONE: Andy comes out swinging early. Hamill catches Andy's leg kick and drops him. Andy gets back up. Hamill lands a jab but eats a leg kick. Hamill throws a high kick. They trade shots and Andy gets the better of the exchange. Inside leg kick from Andy. Hamill's cut under the eye. Andy lands some more short shots. Hamill lands a left jab. Another jab from Hamill lands. Hamill with another nice jab. They are doing a lot of feeling out and throwing shots with not much behind it. Hamill unloads another nice jab. Hamill with some more jabs. Hamill with a nice combo. They swing as the round ends.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hamill. Very close, both fighters landed some nice shots and Andy cut Hamill, but Hamill kept busy as the round went on.
ROUND TWO: They exchange early. Andy again lands a couple shots. Hamill chases him around and lands a couple of hard shots again. Andy tries to shoot in and Hamill lands a few shots and then a knee. Hamill lands a great body shot and he's got Andy hurt. He's laying on the punishment and lands another body shot. Andy drops to a knee and Hamill starts landing shot after shot after shot. Hamill continues the onslaught until the ref finally steps in.
WINNER: Hamill via tko at 2:19 of the second round.
POST FIGHT: Hamill said his first round was horrible but he turned it around in the second round. He said he won't disappoint the fans again after his fight with Rich Franklin.
STAR RATING: (**) Great second round from Hamill. Big rebound for Hamill after his loss to Franklin.
-Brock Lesnar comes in to talk to Rogan and Goldberg and says he's not the real champion until he solidifies the Championship. He says he needs a rematch with Frank Mir.
FIGHT FOUR: ANTONIO "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRA VS. FRANK MIR (INTERIM HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT)
PRE FIGHT: Nogueira says Mir can't beat him; Mir says Nogueira is brittle and he'll come out on top. He says he's got nothing to lose in this fight.
ROUND ONE: Mir goes for an early head kick. Mir with an inside leg kick. Mir rocks Nogueira with a nice shot. He comes in with another combo. He lands another shot and gets Nogueira down. He throws a few shots of ground and pound and then just stands back up. Hard body kick from Mir. Big combo from Mir. Inside leg kick from Mir and Nogueira lands a shot finally. Nogueira landed a couple fo jabs. Mir pushes in with a few more. They exchange back and forth a bit, and they've settled it down. Mir tries an uppercut. They exchange again and Mir knocks Nogueira down again. Nogueira recovered and Mir backed off again. Smart moves out of Mir right now. Mir lands a couple of knees in the clinch. They exchange body kicks. Nogueira gets in a combination of his own. Mir lands a shot.Another big shot knocks Nogueira down once more with a shot as the round ends.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Mir. That was an impressive round from Frank Mir. He's going to need to keep his gas tank up throughout to recover, because that's a big start for Mir.
ROUND TWO: Mir starts with a high kick and a combo. Mir is very confident right now. Nogueira lands a shot and Mir comes back with another combo. Nogueira tries a jab and Frank comes back with a combo. Nogueira with an inside leg kick. Mir responds with a couple of kicks of his own. Mir rocks Nogueira again and drops him. He follows it up and lands a few more shots flush to finish Nogueira. Yeah, I just typed that. He ran over and yelled out to Lesnar, "You've got MY belt!"
WINNER: Mir via tko at 1:54 of the second round to win the Interim Heavyweight Title.
POST FIGHT: Mir said he faced such demons, and to come back from that and beat the best heayyweight to step into the UFC is proof that anything can happen. He said he didn't even think he could beat Nogueira. Mir says he doesn't want any of this shit of being a half a champion. He says this time he'll make Lesnar famous with the break he gives him.
STAR RATING: (****+) That was the best performance of Frank Mir's career. I will admit that I wrote him off coming into this fight, and he proved me and everyone wrong. He is now the first fighter to finish off Nogueira, and that's an amazing feat in and of itself.
RAMIFICATIONS: Mark my words - Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar II for the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship may be a bigger drawing pay-per-view fight than Lesnar vs. Couture. The bad blood and trash talking between the two will rival anything that's ever been presented. After this performance from Mir tonight, I cannot wait to see that rematch.
FIGHT FIVE: FORREST GRIFFIN VS. RASHAD EVANS (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT)
PRE FIGHT: Forrest says he likes hitting people. Rashad says he's got the knockouts, and now he's working on the ground game. He says he's going to lay it down. Forrest says he's not really a champion until he defends the belt, and a victory tonight will make it real.
ROUND ONE: The crowd is fimly behind Griffin in this one. Griffin feigns a combo and misses a high kick. They exchange a short combo. Forrest with a nice jab and body kick combo. Hard body kick from Forrest with a shot from Evans at the same time. Nice kick from Forrest. Another body kick from Forrest. Rashad lands a nice leg kick of his own. Forrest lands a jab and Rashad lands a shot to the head. Rashad with a jab, Forrest with a leg kick. Nice combo from Griffin. Another leg kick from Forrest. They trade blows in the center of the cage. Nice body shot from Rashad followed by a good shot from Forrest. Forrest with another leg kick. Rashad's leg is hurt. He's switched stances to get away from the leg kick. Forrest with a flurry. Rashad comes in with a shot and Forrest exchanges. Forrest with a nice combo. Nice body kick from Forrest.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Griffin. The champ used some punishing kicks in that round and Rashad tried to come back with combos. Griffin's doing a good job of landing the kicks and doing damage right now.
ROUND TWO: Rashad slips after Forrest goes for a high kick, but he recovers. Forrest lands a nice jab as Evans came in. Rashad lands a jab of his own. Forrest lands another kick to the leg. Big combo from Forrest with a punch and then a leg kick. Forrest gets Rashad on the cage and lands a ton of knees. Forrest steps back, drops his arms and taunts Griffin and lands a shot. This is picking up. Another leg kick from Griffin. Griffin walked Evans down and landed another leg kick. Inside leg kick from Evans. Two head kicks from Griffin followed by an inside leg kick. Evans lands a shot but eats one of his own. Another inside leg kick. Another leg kick from Griffin with a combo. Rashad lands a low blow kick but Forrest is fine. Another inside leg kick but gets hit with a right from Evans. Rashad gets a leg kick of his own. Forrest with a nice jab. Another combo from Forrest lands. Another combo and Forrest lands another punch as the round closes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Griffin. Another good round for the champ. This fight is picking up, but Forrest again used the kicks to gain the advantage.
ROUND THREE: Griffin with another kick and a combo that just barely misses. Nice body kick from Forrest. Rashad catches a kick and drops Forrest. He throws a ton of punishment with hammer fists and punches but Forrest pulls guard and recovers. Forrest goes for a couple of limbs on Rashad. Rashad gets to the side and lands a couple more shots. Griffin recovers again. Rashad postures up and throws a shot. Rashad postures up again and lands a hard shot that knocks Forrest silly. Rashad follows up with a bunch of left hands that force the ref to step in.
WINNER: Evans via tko at 2:46 of the third round to become Light Heavyweight Champion.
POST FIGHT: Evans says Forrest gave him everything he could handle. Forrest congratulates Rashad, and says he was flailing, not tapping, he didn't know what was going on at that point. Forrest says he didn't remember being hurt, he remembered waking up. God I love Forrest Griffin.
STAR RATING: (****-) Another big fight feel with a big, somewhat shocking finish, and it was another exciting title fight on this great card.
RAMIFICATIONS: I could see them putting Griffin vs. Rampage in a rematch with the winner getting a shot in '09. I don't like Evans, but that was a hell of a victory for the undefeated, new Light Heavyweight Champion.
PRELIM FIGHT C: ANTONI HARDONK VS. MIKE WESSEL
ROUND ONE: Wessel drops Hardonk quick but Hardonk pulls guard. Hardonk grabs an arm as Wessel got up, but he couldn't hold on. He got back up to his feet. They clinch at the cage. Hardonk lands a knee. Wessel throws a knee of his own and Hardonk lands one himself. Hardonk put Wessel on the cage and landed a hard shot. Hardonk with some more knees. More nasty knees from Hardonk as Wessel tries to work. Hardonk continues with knees from the Muy Thai clinch. Hardonk lands a big combo and goes back to the knees. Wessel wrestles Hardonk to the ground and gets into Hardonk's guard. Wessel holds position on top and tries to throw some elbows as Hardonk is looking for something to get himself out of this position. Hardonk tries to get a triangle but Wessel moves it to full mount as the round ends.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Hardonk. Nasty knees from Hardonk there, and he landed a ton of punishment.
ROUND TWO: Wessel takes Hardonk down to start the round and is in Hardonk's guard immediately. Hardonk again goes for a triangle but eats a big right hand from Wessel. Hardonk sweeps and takes Wessel's back. He lands a couple of shots with the hooks in completely. Hardonk spins Wessel and gets the full mount. Hardonk continues throwing shots until Yves Lavigne stepped in to stop it.
WINNER: Hardonk via tko at 2:09 of the second round.
POST FIGHT: Hardonk says he has more than just kicks.
STAR RATING: (**+) It wasn't the prettiest fight, but it was a good showing from Hardonk and a very good back and forth from both guys.
-Goldberg and Rogan ran down the events from the night to finish out the show.
-That's the last of our live coverages for 2008, and what a 2008 it was. Thank you for joining us again tonight, and be sure to take a look at Shawn Ennis's Blow by Blow report on the main page tonight, and we'll have all of the fall out covered here at MMATorch.com in the coming days and weeks, with show reviews and audio reviews and more leading into a packed 2009. Thanks for checking us out again on MMATorch.com!
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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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