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SPOILER-FREE RECOMMENDATION: If you can afford it, you cannot miss this show. I have nothing more to say.
Alright, folks. I'm a little late on the start here, so I'm skipping past the horrendous gladiator montage (which is one of our columnist's guilty pleasures; I shan't embarrass him by naming him in this space), along with the blah-metal and the hype. We're getting straight into the…
FIRST FIGHT: CHEICK KONGO vs. MUSTAPHA AL-TURK (Heavyweight)
Pick: Kongo, TKO 2
ROUND ONE: Kongo clips Al-Turk early with a jab. They feel each other out for a bit, as Kongo sorts out the distance. He catches a leg kick by Al-Turk and throws him down. He peppers the legs with kicks until Al-Turk scrambles back to his feet. Al-Turk shoots and is thwarted. Knee to the head by Kongo in the clinch. Al-Turk continues to work for the takedown and Kongo does well to stay standing. If Kongo had better awareness, he could probably grab a guillotine right now. But he does what he can and slams some elbows into Al-Turk's dome until he straightens up. They continue in the clinch and Kong catches a knee to the jewels. A break ensues with Kongo showing some excellent facial expressions. The replay shows the reason for the faces. Big knee. The action resumes, and Al-Turk whiffs a slow haymaker. Leg kick by Kongo as Al-Turk shoots again. Kongo defends through Al-Turk's insistence to take him down, and Kongo spins him around in the clinch, delivering a thunderous knee of his own into Al-Turk's groin. So now it's Al-Turk's turn to take a breather. His facial expressions are equally entertaining, though he shows more pain than annoyance, the latter being the case for Kongo. They start back up, and Kong catches him early, then chases him with right and left hands. He knocks Al-Turk to the ground and pounces. He delivers some big time punishment for a solid 30 seconds, opening up Al-Turk in the process, and forcing Steve Mazagatti to stop the fight shortly before the end of the first round.
RESULT: Kongo by TKO at 4:37 of Round 1.
STAR RATING: (**+) Good stuff, and a nice way to open the show. Kongo was brutal in his TKO victory. He looked very good here.
RAMIFICATIONS: Kongo wants to be next in line for a title shot, and he may not be far off that pace. I may not be sold on his chances against either Nog or Lesnar, but I wouldn't count out a guy with strikes like that. Al-Turk was respectable in his UFC debut, but he'll need to be impressive in his next showing or he could be looking at a short stint in the Octagon. Luckily for him, he's a heavyweight, which always buys people more time before being cut.
We're bringing the thunder on the second bout of the night, my friends. It's going straight to Jackson-Silva. I love this fight. Rampage looks so confident going into this fight, and Silva is so pissed about it. Silva knocked Rampage out in violent fashion – twice – and Jackson is completely nonplussed. Add to that the fact that Rampage's last two wins came against the last two guys to beat Silva, and you've got some big intrigue going into this. I love both fighters, so I'm not even sure whom to root for, but this can't help but be a great fight.
SECOND FIGHT: WANDERLEI "THE AXE MURDERER" SILVA vs. QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON (Light Heavyweight)
Pick: Rampage by TKO in Round 3
You can't comment on this fight without commenting on the staredown, and this is a good one. Lavigne didn't let them get close enough, though.
ROUND ONE: Rampage walks Silva down and hits him with a jab. Leg kick by Silva. Left-right combo by rampage. Silva answers in kind. Leg kick by Rampage. "Silva" chant breaks out as Rampage blocks a hook. Jab by Rampage amid a "Rampage" chant. Rampage shoots, is blocked, and eats a knee. Rampage misses a jab and takes a leg kick. Hook by Silva, and another big leg kick. Someone watched the Griffin fight. Leg kick by Silva, and Jackson catches it and lands a jab. Silva can't reach Rampage with a jab, and Rampage lands one of his own. The length could present problems for Silva. They exchange jabs, Silva looks for a combo, and Jackson knocks him cold with a left hook. In one of the more revealing cut-scenes in a while, Chuck Liddell is shown and he is not happy at all. Silva is awake, but has no idea where he is.
RESULT: Jackson by KO at 3:21 of Round 1.
STAR RATING: (***) Unbelievable one-punch knockout by Jackson, and the end befits the feud.
RAMIFICATIONS: How do you deny Jackson a shot at the title after the way his fight with Griffin went, and then adding this on top of that? If legal problems don't get in the way, the next shot has to go to Rampage. Silva, meanwhile, has had his button pushed again. That can't be good for the guy. Being a big fan of Silva, I want to see him fight again. But I don't know if it's good for him, so it presents a quandary.
THIRD FIGHT (Prelim): DAN EVENSEN vs. PAT BARRY (Heavyweight)
Pick: Barry TKO 1 (I've never seen Barry fight, but I know he was in K-1, and watching what Kongo did to Evensen, this one can't last long.)
ROUND ONE: Evensen moves in and is shoved away. He gets close again and Barry shoves him to the ground. Body kick by Barry, and Evensen pushes him against the fence. The strategy here is obviously to stay close, which is ironic as Evensen has a big height advantage. They clinch for a while and are separated. Evensen throws a front kick, and Barry buckles him with a leg kick. Another one by Barry, and Evensen does not like that at all. He clinches and falls backward just to get off the feet. Those leg kicks are nasty. Barry escapes the guard pretty easily and gets up. Left hook by Barry, and a leg kick. Evensen winces and shakes his head as he walks away, telling the ref that it's over. If you're wondering how nasty the kicks are, Barry threw three of them in the fight. It looked like he wrecked Evensen's knee with the last one.
RESULT: Barry by KO at 2:36 of Round 1.
STAR RATING: (**+) Barry looked fantastic in neutralizing a guy that was a lot taller than him and destroying his legs. No one is going to want to fight this guy. This is a scary heavyweight. Not to mention he seems like a nice, likeable guy in the post-fight interview. Nothing but star potential here, folks.
RAMIFICATIONS: Evensen probably won't be back, but Barry has nothing but upside. (See above.)
FOURTH FIGHT: MIKE MASSENZIO vs. CB DOLLAWAY (Middleweight)
Pick: Massenzio sub 2 (I like fights where I go back and forth a couple of times on who's going to win. This is one of them.)
ROUND ONE: They feel each other out, and CB lands a nince body kick. Massenzio charges and CB catches him with knees before he can get a hold for a takedown. Nice left hook by CB. Big left by Massenzio staggers CB, and CB looks for a takedown. Massenzio grabs what looks like a tight guillotine, but Joe Rogan helps us to see that it's actually more of a neck crank (thanks, Joe!) and CB escapes. Messenzio grabs a triangle which is escaped by CB, and CB looks for ground and pound in the guard. CB passes and looks for mount. Massenzio is against the fence, and CB gets him off the cage and into a great mount position. Massenzio spins and gives up his back, and CB flattens him out. He proceeds to pound away on Massenzio's head until the fight is stopped. Massenzio complains that he's not hurt, but when you're getting pounded like that and don't move at all, you have no case for a bad stoppage. So sorry.
RESULT: Dollaway by TKO at 3:01 of Round 1.
STAR RATING: (**) Not a great fight by any means, but some good back and forth while it lasted. The fact that Massenzio thought he could keep going kind of detracts from it, but such is life when you're mounted.
RAMIFICATIONS: I don't think this loss hurts Massenzio a ton, because I see him picking up some more wins on the undercards for some future events. Dollaway continues to rebound from his TUF Finale loss with a nice victory. I'll be interested to see whom he fights next, because he could really start moving up the ladder if he gets a couple more main card wins under his belt.
We see the four title fight participants warming up in the locker room. Frank Mir is working the kicks, and he's already tired, so we'll see if he makes it out to the Octagon.
FIFTH FIGHT (Prelim): MATT "THE HAMMER" HAMILL vs. REESE ANDY (Light Heavyweight)
Pick: Hamill TKO 2
ROUND ONE: Hamill comes out strong and eats a couple of jabs. He looks to get in close and Andy makes him pay with some punches. Hamill catches a leg and throws Andy down, but Andy is able to get back up. Right hook by Hamill, and Andy answers with a knee. Some quick flurries early in the round. Overhand left misses for Hamill, and Andy punishes him with some combinations. Body shot by Andy. Hamill lands a jab, and Andy throws another body punch. Right hand by Andy, and an inside leg kick. They clinch briefly, and Andy lands a jab. Jab by Hamill, and Andy lands a leg kick. More jabs by Andy, and a body shot. Uppercut by Hamill, and a couple of body kicks. Leg kick by Andy. Andy lands a straight right and a leg kick. Hamill wanders in with some punches, but Andy avoids. Body punch by Andy, and they're not throwing big power shots here. Hamill throws a few jabs. Uppercut-left hook by Hamill, and a leg kick by Andy. The round ends there. Goldberg is slurping Hamill in that round, but I don't know who won it. No one did much of anything. I'd probably give it to Andy. Hamill's corner says the f word a lot and tells him to use the right hand. I wonder if talking like that has the same effect on a deaf fighter.
ROUND TWO: They come out quickly here and exchange jabs. Hamill looks for an uppercut, then a jab-uppercut combo. Left hook lands for Hamill. Hamill shrugs off the clinch a couple of times, and Hamill keeps him at a distance with shots. Nice knees from the clinch by Hamill. He seems much more hungry this round, so perhaps the profanity worked. Body shot lands for Hamill, and Andy doesn't like it. Uppercut misses for Andy, and he eats another big body punch. He takes a knee, and Hamill wants to throw a knee but can't. He gets into position to inflict punishment from the top and then proceeds to do so. He is in the midst of landing some vicious left hands to the head of Andy when the fight is called.
RESULT: Hamill by TKO at 2:19 of Round 2.
STAR RATING: (**+) The first round was less than impressive, but Hamill was a different man in the second. I enjoyed the twist of how Andy was the only one throwing body punches in the first, which were completely ineffectual, and then Hamill destroyed Andy's guts in the second with body punches.
RAMIFICATIONS: Hamill looked very good in the second when he decided to go after Andy, and seeing the fighter he was coming out of TUF, he has come a long way with his standup. He's still got a ways to go, but he's an intriguing fighter right now. Completely outclassed by Rich Franklin last time, but still got a lot of potential. Reese Andy has been nothing past lackluster in his two UFC outings, so I don't expect to see him back.
SIXTH FIGHT: FRANK MIR vs. ANTONIO "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRA (Heavyweight Championship)
Pick: Nogueira sub 3
I love that Mir keeps talking about how he's going to submit Nogueira. I would be shocked – shocked – if this fight hits the floor in the first round. Nogueira's standup is too good for Mir to handle, and Mir will gas after a round. After that, it's Nogueira's fight to win however he wants. And he wants the tapout. Don't get me wrong: I think Mir is a very knowledgeable guy and an excellent ground fighter. But he doesn't have the tools to beat Nog.
Mir takes a jog around the Octagon, saying, "See? I have cardio!" amid his jiggling. I mean seriously. How can Mir possibly beat Nog? Never been stopped, and he's fought Fedor twice. Come on.
ROUND ONE: Mir in the southpaw stance, and he looks for a head kick. Leg kick by Mir. Mir lands a nice uppercut and snaps Nog's head back. A few more nice shots by Mir, and he trips Nog for the takedown. I'm already astounded. My astonishment continues as Mir lets him stand. Very nice boxing by Mir early on. Nice uppercut by Mir. Leg kick by Mir as Nog looks for a jab. Head kick misses for Mir, and Nog lands a jab. Jab lands for Mir. Leg kick for Mir. They circle for a bit, and Mir lands an uppercut again. Someone has done his homework about uppercuts. Left hook lands for Mir, and Nog goes down. He follows Nog down and looks to punish, but Nog recovers and Mir lets him up. Nog can't seem to find his rhythm here. Another nice uppercut by Mir. Knee to the body by Mir. Body kick by Mir. Jab misses for Nog, and Mir grins at him. Nice combination by Mir, and Mir continues to dance around. Nog lands a nice combo and Mir smiles at him. Mir lands another nice uppercut and floors Nog as the horn sounds. Huge round for Frank Mir. If Mir can keep his gas, and his mouth is open on the stool, Nog is in a lot of trouble. Not to mention the rest of the heavyweight division. That's probably a 10-8 round.
ROUND TWO: Body kick lands for Mir, and he comes in with a combo. Mir looks for the uppercut but misses. Nice leg kick by Nog. Uppercut lands again for Mir, and Nog is frustrated. Leg kick by Nog, and he dodges a hook. Jab by Nog, and Mir lands a nice hook. Mir floors Nog and pounces with shots. He continues and the fight is stopped. Unbelievable.
RESULT: Mir by TKO
STAR RATING: (****) I say again, unbelievable. Upset of the year. Forget Brown-Faber. This is it. If Frank Mir has cardio, and I still want to see if he can go five rounds, the world is on notice. Wow.
RAMIFICATIONS: I can't even think straight. The way this fight went down, it sets up a huge, enormous, stupendously large fight between Lesnar and Mir. The question will be whether Mir can get up for fighting a guy he already beat. Will he train? Will he have the cardio to get out of the second or third round? Because I know one guy who will be on top of his game for that fight, and that's the current champ.
Seriously? A movie preview after the co-main event? Give me a freaking break.
Pick: Griffin by Decision. (I love this fight. Greg Jackson's camp vs. a guy who's got to be a tough gameplan.)
ROUND ONE: Evans wanders in with some punches, and Griffin battles him back with his own shots. Head kick misses for Griffin. Griffin looks to have the reach advantage. They feel out the distance for a bit. Nice leg kick by Griffin, and Evans checks one. Body kick by Griffin, and Evans almost catches it. "Forrest" chant breaks out. Big leg kick by Evans. He put a nice windup into that one. Nice jab by Griffin. Another gjab by Griffin, and a leg kick. Straight right hand lands for Griffin. They exchange some big shots, and Evans lands a nice body punch. Evans checks a leg kick and throws a nasty one that connects. Leg kick lands for Griffin. Both guys have landed some big shots to the leg. High kick sails by Evans' head. Right hand misses for Griffin. Jab lands for Evans, and he dodges the counter by Griffin. Nice left hook by Evans. Body kick lands for Griffin. Superman punch misses for Griffin, and the round ends. I hate to do it, but I'm calling that one even. 10-10.
ROUND TWO: Head kick misses for Griffin. Another one misses, and Evans slips but gets right back up. Inside leg kick checked by Evans. Evans lands a nice jab, and another. Leg kick lands for Griffin. Jab lands again for Evans, and Griffin lands a nice counter right. Jab lands for Griffin, and Evans lands a jab. They clinch and Griffin lands some shots. They separate and Evans smiles, then gives the sign that Griffin can fellate him. Nice. Leg kick by Griffin. Another leg kick for Griffin, and another lands on the inside. Evans eats a jab, and blocks a head kick. Inside leg kick by Griffin. They're warm now. Evans using nice footwork, but he's eating leg kicks. He feints a punch, and Griffin misses the counter without Evans having thrown a punch. That's how much of a quickness advantage Evans has. Evans tags Griffin with a nice right hand, but continues to eat leg kicks in return. Leg kick lands for Evans. Head kick blocked by Evans. Griffin with a nice right hand. Jab lands for Griffin. Right hand misses for Evans, and he's having problems with the distance. He finds his way inside, though, and lands a nice combination. Leg kick and superman punch land for Griffin to seal round 2 for him as it ends. Great round.
ROUND THREE: Evans feels out the jab, and Griffin lands a nice kick to the body. Another kick to the body by Griffin, and Evans catches it and throws him down. Evans pounces and lands some big shots, but Griffin never stops moving. He gets Evans into the guard and eats a big right hand. Griffin working the guard, and Evans postures up. Griffin looks to pull him back in. Evans looks to pass and gets into side control for a second, landing a big elbow. Griffin regains full guard and works for wrist control. Evans looks to land more shots here as Griffin looks for a triangle. Evans takes advantage of a good angle and nails Griffin with some big shots. He hurts Griffin badly and continues to drop bombs, causing the fight to be stopped. Incredible round for Evans.
RESULT: Evans by TKO at 2:46 of Round 3.
STAR RATING: (****) That's a great fight. Evans has to have won over any doubters with that performance. What a masterful job.
RAMIFICATIONS: Well, we have a new champion in the 205 division, and the last few title fights have shown just how loaded this division is. I can't imagine any challenger other than Rampage to fight Evans at this point, and that will be a heck of a fight. Griffin isn't going anywhere, of course, and he'll likely keep fighting the top of the division. A rematch with Jardine? A showdown with Silva? Liddell, perhaps? (I wouldn't pick that one, but the UFC loves Chuck.) Maybe even the winner of Machida-Silva for a shot at the gold? (I like that one, personally.) Time will tell here, but man is the light heavyweight division ever stacked. Unbelievable.
EIGHTH FIGHT: ANTONI HARDONK vs. MIKE WESSEL (Heavyweight)
Pick: Hardonk TKO 1
ROUND ONE: Wessel looks to brawl early, coming out heavy and fast. I don't know what happened, but Hardonk is down and Wessel is on top. Hardonk does a pretty good job to get Wessel in full guard and get control. He works for an armbar but Wessel escapes. Wessel gets back tto the feet and Hardonk follows. Wessel bullies him into the cage and they clinch. Wessel wants no part of getting distance between Hardonk and himself, and that's how he should feel. Hardonk works the knees from the clinch. Leg kick by Hardonk. Wessel charges and Hardonk grabs the clinch. He lets go and throws a nice standing elbow. Nice leg kick by Hardonk as he eats a shot. Knees from the clinch by Hardonk, and a knee to the leg. More big knees from the clinch by Hardonk, but Wessel never stops working. Two punch combo followed by a leg kick by Hardonk. He grabs the clinch again and keeps throwing the knees. This guy has got a chin. He gets Hardonk to the ground again and works from Hardonk's guard. Hardonk looks for a high guard again as Wessel tries to posture up. Good improvement by Hardonk on the ground since the McCully fight. Hardonk holds him close to neutralize the ground and pound, and he looks for an armbar. Wessel looks for elbows from the guard, and Hardonk almost grabs a triangle. Wessel escapes and gets full mount as the round ends. That is one tough dude. Round one goes to Hardonk, and the replay shows that an accidental headbutt took the fight to the ground initially.
ROUND TWO: Wessel is breathing heavy but somehow still vertical here. Wessel gets the trip takedown early and Hardonk gets the high guard again. Wessel lands a couple of nice shots from the guard. Wessel gets into half guard, but Hardonk sweeps and takes his back, getting the mount. He rains down punches and flattens Wessel out. He looks for more strikes from the back, and the ref warns him about strikes to the back of the head. Hardonk flips him over and has the mount from the front side. He lands some huge elbows as Yves Lavigne stops the fight. That was actually a lot of fun to watch.
RESULT: Hardonk by TKO at 2:09 of Round 2.
STAR RATING: (***) Very enjoyable beatdown on a really tough guy. Wessel was never out of the fight until the very end.
RAMIFICATIONS: Hardonk has really looked impressive since his losses to Justin McCully and Frank Mir. He hasn't necessarily beaten anyone of substance, but again, he's looked great. I'd like to see a fight between him and Cheick Kongo. Wessel is way too tough not to come back to the show again.
All in all, this was a fantastic show. Some really surprising outcomes and some great fights. This was one for the history books.
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