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UFC 94 round by round updates, official results and tonight’s winners
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jan 31, 2009 at 10:10 pm ET
LAS VEGAS - Welcome to MMAjunkie.com’s live coverage of tonight’s "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" event.

Tonight’s pay-per-view show features the long-awaited rematch between UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and lightweight title-holder B.J. Penn. Top light heavyweight contenders Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva also meet in the co-main event.

Live coverage of the preliminary card begins at 7:45 p.m. EST (4:45 p.m. PST), and the main card kicks off at 10 p.m. EST.

You can chat about tonight’s event in our official UFC 94 discussion thread, or meet up with other fight junkies in the MMAjunkie.com MMA Forums.

Also, stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com after the show for full post-event coverage, including UFC bonus winners, gate and attendance information, and other breaking news.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

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MATT ARROYO VS. DAN CRAMER

Round 1 - Arroyo with an early leg kick, but his shot is stuffed by Cramer. The second, though, is successful, and Arroyo is able to pull guard, reverse the position and immediately take mount. Cramer reverses, but Arroyo quickly secures an arm and tries for the armbar. Cramer escapes and works from inside guard. The fighters catch a breather before Arroyo works elbows from below. Cramer’s punches from above are easily deflected. However, Cramer finally gets through a couple elbows and then a big right and blows to the body. Cramer sits up before the blows, but despite telegraphing them, Arroyo can do nothing to stop them. Cramer lands a stiff right, but Arroyo grabs the arm again and works for an armbar. Cramer survives and then batters him with more rights. After standing, Cramer doesn’t allow Arroyo to do the same and then smothers his opponent when Arroyo tries to get to his feet. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Cramer.

Round 2 - After a touch of the gloves, Arroyo misses on a lazy right and is put on his back after a spinning back kick misses widely. Cramer takes the dominant top position as Arroyo works butterfly guard. Cramer stands over his opponent and then rains down some right hands that connect. Arroyo quickly secures full guard and defends against more right hands from Cramer. Back to butterfly guard for Arroyo, who throws elbows from below. They have little on them, and Cramer again lands some rights from above. Cramer again stands over his opponent, and as he awaits his opening, the crowd begins to boo. Cramer returns to his opponent’s guard. Arroyo throws elbows while Cramer patiently looks to connect with big rights. The pace slows as both fighters look to have tired. Referee Steve Mazzagatti halts the action when Arroyo kicks Cramer in the face, and a warning is issued. Back to action, Cramer again stands over Arroyo, and the crowd again grows restless. Little action in the final 30 seconds of the frame. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Cramer.

Round 3 - Arroyo has a major black eye as the left side of his face swells. The fighters trade blows in the center of the cage, and Arroyo finally secures a takedown of his own. Cramer, though, looks for the triangle choke, but without the position, he allows Arroyo to take sidemount and then his back. Arroyo climbs onto his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Cramer won’t tap and breaks free of the choke, but Arroyo still has his back. After throwing some punches from behind, Arroyo again attempts the choke as he locks in a body triangle. Cramer wiggles free and is able to turn free and take top position. Now working from inside his opponent’s guard, Cramer rains down elbows. The pace slows as Cramer works elbows. Mazzagatti steps in and restarts them. Arroyo shoots lazily, and Cramer collapses on top of him and immediately rains down elbows that find their mark. Arroyo looks for the triangle choke, but Cramer pulls back and frees himself. With a sense of desparation, Arroyo looks for a submission, but Cramer closes out the round with a flurry of ground and pound. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Cramer in what should be a clean sweep of a decision. Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

JAKE O’BRIEN VS. CHRISTIAN WELLISCH

Round 1 - Wellisch quickly closes the distances and tries to take O’Brien to the ground, but he’s popped and dropped with a right. Wellisch quickly gets back to his feet, and the fighters trade blows furiously. O’Brien takes Wellisch to the mat and works from inside his opponent’s guard. Pressed against the fence, Weliisch pulls O’Brien toward him. O’Brien, though, backs away and allows Wellisch to get back to his feet. Wellisch misses with a head kick and then lands a soft leg kick. A lazy takedown attempt by Wellisch allows O’Brien to toss him to the mat. He follows and works from inside Wellisch’s guard. O’Brien throws a few short punches to the body. The referee soon break and restarts them. The fighters again throw wildly, and O’Brien connects with a left and then partially connects on a right. Wellisch gets through a blow, but O’Brien shoots and takes him down. O’Brien backs away and lets him up. However, after his next takedown, O’Brien collapses on top of him before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for O’Brien.

Round 2 - After trading more punches to open the round, Wellisch lands a body kick and follows with a leg kick. O’Brien avoids subsequent blows and counters Wellisch with three consecutive jabs. Wellisch lands a nice leg kick. O’Brien works jabs as Wellisch swings and misses wildly. O’Brien lands a nice left- overhand right combination, but Wellisch shakes it off and attempts a takedown. O’Brien, though, dips for the double-leg takedown and slams his opponent to the mat. Wellisch rolls free and quickly gets to his feet and lands a left-right combo. O’Brien counters with an uppercut, but Wellisch continues to push forward. O’Brien counters a low kick-jab combo with an easy takedown and again slams Wellisch to the mat. Wellisch, though, again gets to his feet quickly and land a nice combo of low kicks and punches just as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for O’Brien.

Round 3 - Wellisch goes on the offensive as O’Brien looks to counter. Wellisch chases with some lunging rights and eats a shot that opens his nose and causes a steady flow of blood. O’Brien shoots and scores the takedown, but Wellisch rolls free and easily gets to his feet. The fighters trade jabs and Wellisch again throws wildly and lands with a left. O’Brien patiently awaits to counter and forces the fight to the ground again. Wellisch quickly gets to his feet and throws left-right combinations. O’Brien deflects most of them. Wellisch sneaks through an overhand right. Wellisch swings wildly and just misses with a knee to the head. O’Brien shoots and again gets the takedown, but again, he can’t keep his opponent there. Wellisch, now gushing blood from his nose and mouth, stalks after O’Brien but is again easily taken to the mount. O’Brien stands over him and tries to rain down a blow, but Wellisch easily deflects it and gets to his feet. The fighters battle for ground position as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores a close final round for Wellisch, 10-9. Jake O’Brien def. Christian Wellisch via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

JOHN HOWARD VS. CHRIS WILSON

Round 1 - Howard with an early leg kick before Wilson fakes a takedown attempt. Wilson throws a kick, which is stuffed, and Howard powers through to put his opponent on his back. He quickly returns to his feet, though, and just misses a head kick that would have wrecked Wilson. Howard lands a leg kick, but Wilson counters with two of his own that knock his opponent off balance. Howard throws a punch and clinches, but Wilson gets the underhooks and takes the fight to the ground. Howard immediately breaks free and grazes Wilson a blow as he gets back up. Wilson has a small cut above his nose. Wilson then lands a leg kick that knocks Howard off his feet and takes him to the mat. Wilson had a head lock and Howard patiently thinks his way through it. After rolling to his back, Howard defends body blows from Wilson. Howard breaks free, defends a guillotine, rolls to the mat, and takes top position. The quick exchange earns a round of applause from a near-full arena. After a break in action, referee Herb Dean stands the fighters. Howard lands a body shot and then slams Wilson to the mat as an exciting first round ends. It’s a close one, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Wilson.

Round 2 - The fighters fire leg kicks at the same time, but Howard’s lands thunderously and knocks Wilson off balance. Howard follows with some big punches, ties up his opponent, and sends Wilson to the mat. Wilson quickly escapes, and the fighters again trade in the center of the cage. Wilson lands a nice body shot, but Howard closes the distances, scoops up Wilson and slams him to the mat. Howard gets one leg free and works for side control, but Wilson gets to his feet, the fighters stay clinches, and Wilson scores a trip takedown. Howard quickly escapes, and we’re back standing. After a clinch, Howard lands a right-left combination and then shots to the body. Wilson clinches and looks for knees to the body, but Howard keeps his stances and they seperate. Howard just misses two looping shots, and Wilson uses the opportunity to throws him to the mat. Working from inside guard, Wilson throws elbows to the body and left punches to the head. The pace slows, and the ref issues a warning to pick up the pace. Wilson looks for a leg but gives up his position just as the round ends. It’s another close one, and MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Howard.

Round 3 - As the third round gets started, random "B.J. Penn!" and "GSP!" chants randomly break out. Wilson opens with a knee to the body, but Howard checks it, takes his opponent’s back, locks in a body triangle and looks for the rear-naked choke. Wilson successfully defends, but Howard maintains the dominant position and delivers some blows from behind. After a flurry of the punches, Wilson gives Howard the opening he needs, and he sinks in the rear-naked choke. Wilson rolls just enough to break free and eats some punches. Howard again goes for the rear-naked choke, but he can’t get it under Wilson’s chin. Two minutes into the position, Howard continues fighting with Wilson’s long limbs and then tries to soften him up with punches from behind. Wilson finally escapes and takes top position to avoid the choke threats. Wilson delivers punches from above, but after standing, he’s taken to the mat when Howard secures a leg and trips him. Both fighters look for submissions with the other’s leg, but they give up the positions and return standing. Howard shoots and after a few efforts trips Wilson to the mat. Wilson delivers elbows from below and Howard throws a few wild punches as the round ends. It’s another close round in a close fight, but MMAjunkie.com gives the nod to Howard, 10-9. John Howard def. Chris Wilson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

MANNY GAMBURYAN VS. THIAGO TAVARES

Round 1 - Gamburyan scores the early leg kick, but after a lull in action, Tavares shoots and scores the takedown. Tavares rains down a storm of punches and hammerfists as Gamburyan scrambles to deflect the blows. Tavares continues with the punishment as Gamburyam rolls to his side and secures an arm, looking for a kimura. Gamburyan finally gets the position he needs and jerks the arm behind Tavares. Tavares, though, climbs over and around his opponent to escape and ends up back in his opponent’s guard. Gamburyan connects on some punches from below and then gets to his feet, judo-throwing Tavares across the mat. Tavares sticks to him, though, and the fighters clinch against the fence standing. Tavares lands a left to the head and then scoops up Gamburyan and throws him to the mat. Working from inside guard, Tavares eats some punches from below before pounding his opponent with a series of elbows and punches. Gamburyan gets to his feet before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Tavares.

Round 2 - Gamburyan lunges forward with a left and then connects with a left and a leg kick. Tavares shakes it off and remains in his offensive stance. Gamburyan backs him up with some wild overhand rights, but Tavares then shoots for the takedown. Gamburyan has his back to the fence and tries to shake it off, and then he reverses the position and take the top position. Working from guard, Gamburyan can initially do little as Tavares ties him up.Gamnburyan gets through a few punches before he grabs a look and looks for a submission. He quickly gives it up and returns to Tavares’ guard. After a few shoulder presses, Gamburyan delivers two big right elbows just as referee Josh Rosenthal steps in to restart them standing. Gamburyan strikes first with a low kick, but he’s countered with a combination from Tavares. Tavares just misses with a right cross and he dips to take Gamburyan to the mat. The Armenian puts his back against the fence and tries to defend against the takedown. He’s able to wait out the round in the position. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Gamburyan.

Round 3 - Tavares shoots early and secures a leg, but Gamburyan escapes. After throwing a leg kick, Gamburyan now shoots, but he also has no luck. Tavares uses a right to set up a takedown attempt, but Gamburyan shrugs it off. Tavares connects on a right and then counters with another moments later. Gamburyan jabs as Tavares continues to keep his opponent’s back against the fence. Gamburyan connects on a few kicks, and the fight has new life. Gamburyan connect on an overhand left and a follow-up right, but Tavares continues to be the aggressor and stalk Gamburyan around the perimeter of the cage. Tavares goes high with a head kick, which is deflected, and then he connects on a right and a knee to the face as Gamburyan misses on his takedown attempt. Gamburyan again shoots and puts his opponent up against the cage, but Tavares escapes. With 30 seconds to go, the fighters trade jabs as the round ends unceremoniously. It’s a close round, and MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Tavares. But it’s another tough decision for the judges. Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

JON FITCH VS. AKIHIRO GONO

Round 1 - Gono and his corner "men" enter the cage in drag, complete with silver dresses, jewelry, sunglasses, wigs, sequined gloves and high heels. The two drag-tastic back-up dancers are in the same get-up. The cageside dance routine delights the crowd. Fitch’s Johnny Cash ballad doesn’t have the same effect. We’re underway, and Fitch fires a combination and immediately looks for the takedown. Gono, pinned against the fence, refuses to go down, and he tries to sprawl free. Fitch briefly takes his back before pinning Gono back against the fence while trying to improve his position. Gono escapes and eats a knee in the process, but no harm appears done. Fitch fires a head kick and knees before Gono closes the distance and pushes him into the fence. Fitch does some damage from the Muay Thai clinch before Gono breaks free. Fitch eats a right hand as he shoots in, and after jockeying for position, finally wrestles Gono to the mat. Fitch then takes his opponent’s back and struggles to secure the body triangle. Fitch then attempts the rear-naked choke, but Gono defends well. Fitch peppers him with punches from behind and finally secures his hooks. Gono covers up, but Fitch gets through a series of punches. Gono gets to his feet, but he can’t shake Fitch from his back before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 2 - Fitch lands two leg kicks before Gono closes the distance. Gono pins him against the fence and works punches to the body. The fighters stay clinched before Fitch scores the trip takedown and works from inside guard. Fitch works elbows from above and follows with a series of lefts, and referee Steve Mazzagtatti warns Fitch to get busier. Fitch kicks it up a notch and continues a steady stream of ground and pound. Fitch tries to improve his position, but with Gono shoved against the cage, he can’t take the mount position. However, when Gono tries to escape, Fitch takes his opponent’s back, locks in a body triangle and throws punches from behind. Gono, though, controls his hands and avoids the rear-naked choke. Fitch locks in an armbar just as the round comes to a close, but Gono is saved by the bell. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Fitch.

Round 3 - The camera catch Olympian Satoshi Ishii before the round begins. Fitch strikes early with kicks, clinches and then forces a visibly exhausted Gono the mat. Fitch works to side control and delivers brutal blows from above. When Fitch stands, Gono kicks his way free and gets back to his feet. Fitch works front kicks before Gono attempts a flying knee to the body. Fitch clinches and puts him against the mat. Gono tries to escape by rolling free, but Fitch collapses on top of him and takes his back. Gono rolls free and takes top position while Fitch uses butterfly guard. Gono tries to deliver an elbow, but Fitch doesn’t allow it. The pace slows with a minute to go before Gono delivers an elbow. Fitch gets to his feet and just ducks under a head kick from Gono. With time running out, Gono tries everything from a Superman punch to a head kick, but nothing connects, and Fitch takes him to the mat to let time expire. MMAjunkie.com has it again for Fitch, 10-9. Jon Fitch def. Akihiro Gono via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26).

NATE DIAZ VS. CLAY GUIDA

Round 1 - We’ve got a full house as we get ready for the night’s first televised bout. Both fighters are amp’d to get started, and both swing wildly as we get started. Guida closes the distance, but the fighters quickly separate. Diaz uses his reach advantage to work jabs and a couple nice left-right combinations. Guida counters with a knee that partially connects. Guida follows a leg kick that an overhand right that misses, and Diaz continues a steady stream of jabs. Diaz remains the aggressor, and when Guida shoots for a single-leg takedown, Diaz easily escapes. Diaz shoots, but Guida stuffs it and put his opponent on his back. The crowd cheers for Guida, who takes Diaz’s back as the fighter gets back to his feet. Diaz tries to roll free, but Guida puts him in a full nelson and then lands in side control to rain down punches and elbows. Diaz gets back to his feet, but Guida clings to him to try to salvage the position. When the opportunity rises, Guida picks up and slams Diaz violently to the mat. Diaz tries to get back to his feet, but Guida again takes his back. Standing, Diaz controls his opponent’s hands as the round ends. A great first round is met with booming applause. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Guida.

Round 2 - Diaz works the jab as Guida continues swinging wildly. After a clinch against the fence, Diaz looks for the takedown. Guida defends and attempts the trip takedown, but Diaz easily avoids it. With Diaz’s back against the fence, Guida now looks the takedown. Guida tries on two separate occasions, but Diaz’s stellar balance keeps him upright. Guida finally pulls Diaz’s leg out from under him. Diaz, though, quickly gets back to his feet and then wrestles Guida to the mat. Guida reverses the position during a scramble and tries to take Diaz’s back. Diaz, though, does just enough to stay out of trouble and then uses a judo throw to take Guida to the mat. Guida remains on his back but has to give up the position when Diaz secures an arm and looks for a kimura. However, when Diaz gets to his feet, Guida quickly follows. Diaz again throws him to the mat, and Guida again takes the top position. Diaz nearly secures a triangle choke as the round ends, but Guida escapes. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Guida and his smothering offense.

Round 3 - The fighters furiously trade punches and leg kicks to start the round. Diaz has trouble connecting, which causes Guida to smile. Diaz pushes his opponent into the fence and peppers Guida with punches when he tries to create distance. Diaz connects with a kick and showboats while trying to throw follow-up punches. The crowd boos him. Diaz starts to tee off on Guida, who’s pinned against the fence. Guida quickly closes the distance and puts Diaz against the cage. Guida slows the pace to catch his breath, and Diaz tries to throw Guida to the mat after securing an arm. Guida quickly takes his opponent’s back, but again, he can’t lock in his hooks and instead settles for a single-leg drag takedown. Diaz quickly gets to his feet, but Guida works tirelessly to take it back to the ground. Guida won’t allow any distance between them, and Diaz is forced to battle for position. Guida hops on Diaz’s back, but he slips off and eats a punch as the round ends. It’s a close one, but MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Diaz. Clay Guida def. Nate Diaz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

UFC 94 has just started…

More to come.

WW

Just got back home from the weigh ins for UFC 94.

The first thing that struck me was the amount of media covering this event. I was at UFC 91 when Brock Lesnar beat Randy Couture for the heavyweight title and the number of media members at this show absolutely obliterates what I thought was a pretty good media turn out at 91. Clearly, the message that this is the most anticipated rematch in UFC history and that we only see fights like this a few times in a lifetime was received and accepted by the media.

Equally apparent is the fan interest in this event. Another media member told me that when he came in they were turning people away from the weigh in because there were no seats left. I’ve been to a good number of these events and trust me, that never happened before. The supporters for BJ and GSP seemed pretty even to me as well. When BJ came out there were a lot of boos from the GSP fans. I anticipated that when GSP came out the roof would come off the place but to my surprise it was about the same with GSp getting the treatment from BJ’s fans. Overall, I’d say the crowd was marginally in favor of GSP, but just barely.

As for the athletes, everyone made weight, even if Stephan Bonnar and Clay Guida had to take their socks off to do so. The athlete that most stood out to me was Karo Parysian who looked the worst I have ever seen him. He was very soft and if his appearance is any indication of his conditioning, he’s in for a tough time with Stun Gun Kim who looked as lean as I’ve ever seen him.

GSP looks shredded and ready to go, while BJ looks like he always does when he fights at welterweight…a bit softer than when he fights at 155. But, I think BJ will win this fight. He has the intangible advantage of living to avenge this loss for the last three years and I think he will break GSP and take it. BJ has never lost twice to the same fighter. He is the better striker and better BJJ artist while GSP is the better wrestler with better conditioning and kicks, but that intangible of wanting it more with BJ’s skill set makes me think he will overcome the odds and become the first guy in UFC history to hold belts in two divisions. These are two of my favorite fighters, so I’m amped to see it.

Here we go…

It’s on! The weigh-ins just concluded. Everyone made weight and there are going to be some great fights tomorrow night. The place was jammed packed with fans. I’ve never seen a weigh-in with some many people, it was nuts. We’ll be uploading photos to the site shortly so check back to see them all.

The main event!

GSP and Penn will go toe-to-toe tomorrow night.

Nate Diaz will have a clear reach advantage over Clay tomorrow night.

Check back often for more UFC 94 updates.

All the talk is over and the most anticipated rematch in UFC history is almost here. I can’t wait. Isaac Hinds will be at the event getting the best photos for Bodybuilding.com and I’ll be there to give you all updates as the weekend gets going. We’ll have weigh ins later this afternoon, so check back and I’ll blog again if anything out of the ordinary happens.

We did a full preview of the entire main card and some of the undercard bouts as well on this week’s Pro MMA Radio. I was joined by three fellow MMA insiders, Jesse Holland of MMA Mania, Percy Crawford of FightHype and Jon Anik, the host of ESPN’s MMA Live. ESPN will be on the scene all weekend, as we will for Bodybuilding.com.

Pep

The creator of Gracie Jiu-jitsu died this morning in his sleep in Itaipaiva, Rio de Janeiro.

A very sad day in the world of mixed martial arts.  He will be missed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9lio_Gracie

WW

Who do you like in this weekend’s fight? Below are my picks for the fights. We’ll see how accurate I am. I’ll be at the MGM on Saturday night photographing the event. Look for the shots here on Bodybuilding.com!

St. Pierre  over  Penn - St. Pierre’s conditioning and focus will be too much for Penn.
Machida over Silva - I’m not a fan of Machida’s fighting style but it’s proven to be one that works for him. The battle of the unbeatens here.
Bonnar over Jones - The vet will prevail.
Diaz over Guida - Although I dig Clay. He is one cool cat who attacks like a mad man.
Kim over Parisyan - Parisyan will go out to the stun gun.
Fitch over Gono - Fitch is a proven fighter trying to move his way back up to the big fights.

Check out Dana White’s latest Vlog…

Press Release from UFC

The fastest growing sports organization in the world, the Ultimate Fighting Championship in partnership with New Evolution Fitness Company (NEFC), on Tuesday announced plans to launch a nationwide and global network of UFC gyms.

“UFC Gyms is something we’ve been looking at for a long time, it completely made sense to me when we found the right partner in Mark Mastrov – this is the guy who has created some of the most powerful fitness brands in the world,” said Dana White, UFC President. “UFC gyms are going to shake up the fitness industry the way UFC shook up the sports industry. All the energy and excitement that we have brought to the fight business we are now going to bring to the fitness business. There is going to be something for everybody at all levels – from first timers to world class athletes – we’re going to get people excited and motivated to work out and get in great shape.”

“UFC Gyms” will be the first major brand extension for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the all-time industry leader in the sport of mixed martial arts. In alliance with NEFC owners Mark Mastrov and Jim Rowley, developers of many of the world’s most successful fitness brands, UFC Gyms will give UFC enthusiasts and fitness seekers alike the opportunity to practice the training techniques of famed UFC athletes, such as Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn.

UFC Gyms will provide all-around training, conditioning and health options for men, women and children of all ages.

“I have been a long time fan and admirer of the UFC. An introduction from a friend, Perry Rogers, to Lorenzo Fertitta and Dana White of the UFC, immediately sparked the idea of combining the strength of the UFC with our expertise in the fitness industry," said Mark Mastrov, co-Founder, New Evolution Fitness Company. "The manner in which we approach business, the style in which we run our companies and the passion we share for fitness has made this an easy decision and a natural partnership. The fitness industry needs innovation, it needs something to get excited about and we all agree that UFC Gyms will deliver on that in every way."

For more information about UFC Gyms, please visit UFCgyms.com.

Funny stuff, check back later today for my UFC 94 preview!

Besides possibly the fight of the century between Penn and GSP, UFC 94 looks to have some great fighters line up. Machida vs Thiago Silva should turn out to be an amazing match both are 13 - 0 - 0, and are both the same height and both are amazing fighters. Nate Diaz and Clay Guida could also turn out to be an exciting fight. Not forgetting Karo Parisyan, Stephan Bonner, Jon Fitch also in the line-up. This should turn out to be a good night for UFC fans who have been coming up disappointed in many of the recent fights. If nothing else watching Penn vs GSP should prove to be worth every penny.

Here’s the line up:

GSP vs Penn 170 lbs

Lyoto Machida vs Thiago Silva 205 lbs

Stephan Bonnar vs Jon Jones 205 lbs

Karo Parisyan vs Dong Hyun Kim 170 lbs

Nate Diaz vs Clay Guida  155 lbs

Jon Fitch vs Akihiro Gono 170 lbs

Manny Gamburyan vs Thiago Tavares  155 lbs

Chris Wilson vs John Howard 170 lbs

Jake O’Brien 230 lbs vs Christian Wellisch 237 lbs

Matt Arroyo vs Dan Cramer 170 lbs

Get a live Play by Play right here!

Last weekend the UFC announced that Rampage’s next fight will be with Keith Jardine! This is kind of a shock and has left many MMA fans wondering what the heck is going on. Just because the UFC needed to find a main event, why put this fight together, it does not add up. Not to take anything away from Jardine but he has not yet proven to be Main Event quality, besides his win over the Iceman and Forrest Griffin there isnt much else to brag about for Jardine. He is on and off yes, with some good performances under his belt, but he does not have the following to fill a stadium.

If anything Jardine should be rematching Chuck or Forrest, they both deserve a rematch with The Dean of Mean.

There were many other options that could have filled this Main Event Slot that would have been much more worthy.

On another note the GSP and Penn fight has the ingredients to be one of the best fights in history.

Don’t forget to get all the action Live right here on Saturday the 31st.

We’ll break down this past weekend’s card tonight in the Opening Round on Pro MMA Radio at 6PM PST, 9PM EST. Did Rich Franklin establish himself as a legit 205 pounder? Who should Marcus Davis fight next and what does the loss mean for Chris Lytle? Is Shogun done? Should Coleman retire? Where does Alan Belcher go from here and what happened to Dennis Kang?

We also have the two combatants from this weekend’s Lightweight Title Fight at WEC 38 from San Diego being televised live on the Versus Channel…Champ Jamie Varner vs. challenger Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. Call it the fight before the fight!

UFC 93 turned out to be another spectacular show at the 02 in Dublin, Ireland.

Here in the US, a lot of the normal places around town had the fights on when they were live I noticed.  Im sure the PPV numbers will still be steady though.  Missing a UFC is like missing a meal while on a hardcore diet.  

Here are the flash results:

Dan Henderson def. Rich Franklin via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def. Mark Coleman via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 4:36
Rousimar Palhares def. Jeremy Horn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alan Belcher def. Denis Kang via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 4:36
Marcus Davis def. Chris Lytle via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
John Hathway def. Tom Egan via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:36
Martin Kampmann def. Alexandre Barros via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 3:09
Eric Schafer def. Antonio Mendes via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 3:35
Thomasz Drwal def. Ivan Serati via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 2:02
Dennis Siver def. Nate Mohr via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 3:47

Dan Henderson will not be the coach for the upcoming TUF series.

Jardine vs. Jackson will headline the UFC that coincides with Arnold Classic this year.  For more info on the upcoming Arnold Classic, check out:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009arnold_info.htm

We will be doing live play by play of the Penn/GSP fight that is on the 31st of this month.  I hope you all already got tickets, because it is SOLD OUT already.

WW

Dublin Ireland – Dreams will come true this Saturday night as The Ultimate Fighting Championship conquers Dublin, Ireland’s O2 arena with UFC 93 ‘Franklin vs. Henderson’.

The historic main event will feature two former middleweight champions as Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin and Dan ‘Hollywood’ Henderson will finally lock it up, but as light heavyweights.  The co-main event will see the return of UFC hall of famer Mark Coleman, as he attempts to end a three year grudge with Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.  

The night’s main card will also feature the UFC debut of Denis Kang as he takes on Alan ‘The Talent’ Belcher.  ‘The Irish Hand Grenade’ Marcus Davis will slug it out with Chris ‘Lights Out’ Lytle and Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ Palhares takes on Jeremy Horn.  

Since the UFC’s acquisition of Japan’s PRIDE Fighting Championship we’ve had the pleasure of seeing dream matches that were once figments of our imaginations.  Franklin vs. Henderson is truly a wish coming true.  

Let’s take a trip back to the year 2005.  Here in the states, Rich Franklin had just beaten the late Evan Tanner for the UFC middleweight championship and on the other side of the ‘pond’; Dan Henderson just defeated Murlio Bustamante for the PRIDEFC belt.  Both champions shared equal success within their respective organizations, but the question of who would win a fight between the two always arose.  That four year question will finally be answered this Saturday night!  

Undefeated as a light heavyweight, Rich Franklin (24-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC), is coming off an impressive victory over Matt Hamill at UFC 88.  He was able to stay on his feet during the fight and punished Hamill with his versatile striking.  He faced a strong wrestler in Hamill and Dan Henderson is no different.

The iron-jawed Henderson (23-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) possesses an Olympic caliber wrestling background and has one of the most feared right hands in the ‘biz’.  He was also victorious at UFC 88 with a dismal decision victory over Rousimar Palhares.  At the tender age of 38, ‘Hendo’ is need of a big win within the UFC if he expects to earn another title shot.  The same can be said about Franklin as he isn’t getting any younger and needs to rack up a few more wins in order to earn a title shot; most likely as a light heavyweight.  

Franklin’s stand up is more polished and complete as he mixes it up with punches and kicks.  He has also showed an abundance of composure throughout his career as he has escaped numerous fight ending submissions.  His ground game is also grossly underrated as he relies on his striking to end fights.  Franklin must stay out of the Muay Thai clinch of Henderson’s and away from his wild haymakers.  I don’t see Henderson taking this fight to the ground as he has shown weaknesses to jiu-jitsu with nearly half of his losses coming way of submission.  

If Franklin is able to dodge the right hand of Henderson, he should out work him for the decision victory.  

The winner of this fight will coach opposite of Michael Bisping on the next ‘Ultimate Fighter’ USA vs. UK.  

In a rematch to their controversial 2006 Pride 31 match, UFC hall-of-famer Mark Coleman returns the octagon to settle the score with former Pride star Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.  

At the time Rua was riding an eight-fight win streak with notable wins over the likes of ‘Minotoro’ Nogueira, Ricardo Arona and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.  The victory over Arona set up the bout with Coleman.  The fight didn’t last long as Rua dislocated his elbow ending the fight and earning a TKO victory for ‘The Hammer’.  

The 44-year-old Coleman (15-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has not fought since 2006 where he was submitted by Fedor Emelianenko and is well past his prime.  His strengths are his power and ground and pound.  However his ground game or to say his ground defense has been suspect as fifty percent of his losses have come by submission.  He may be stronger than Rua, but that’s about it.  

The always exciting ‘Shogun’ debuted against Forrest Griffin at UFC 76 back in September of 07.  Rua (16-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) came into that fight as the top ranked light heavyweight, but looked soft and displayed none of the qualities that made him a star in Japan.  He would later reveal that he had a damaged ACL and had successful surgery after the fight.  

If Rua comes into this fight healthy, he shouldn’t have any problems winning this fight.  His stand up is far superior to Coleman’s and if the fight goes to the ground he is a BJJ black belt and should sink in a submission.  Both fighters might have first round jitters, but the second round will be Rua’s as he wins via submission.

Canada’s favorite Korean, Denis Kang makes long awaited UFC debut as he faces Mississippi’s Alan Belcher.  

Kang (31-10-1) has been always considered one of the best fighters not fighting in the UFC.  While in Japan, he was on a tear for four years racking up twenty-one wins with no losses from 2002 to 2006 while in Japan.  However in his last six fights he is 3 and 3 with his latest victory being over Marvin Eastman.  

The American Top-Team fighter is explosive standing up and on the ground as holds a BJJ black belt.  He is a veteran fighter looking to make a name for himself with the U.S. fans.  A decisive victory over Belcher would strengthen his status as a top-ten middleweight.  

The always cocky Belcher is a talented Muay Thai specialist with razor sharp elbows and powerful knees.  He is quietly climbing the middleweight ladder with his latest victory over Ed Herman.  

This fight should be an entertaining stand up war.  The stand up game is a wash, but Kang gets the edge on the ground.  The X factor will be whether Kang can pop his UFC cherry before he gets knocked out by Belcher.  If Kang can shake his nerves; his hand will be raised with a decision victory.  
  

A veteran of over 100 fights, Jeremy Horn is looking to rebound from two straight losses against BJJ ace, Rousimar Palhares.  Palhares last fought Dan Henderson at UFC 88 and came up with the short end of the stick losing a decision.  Both fighters are most comfortable on the ground, but Horn was submitted in his last two fights against Dean Lister and Nate Marquardt respectively.  

This may be the last hurrah for Horn within the UFC and the 100 plus fights have taken their toll on the 33 year-old.  Palhares is simply too strong and too young for the crafty veteran.  Palhares will lock in a rear-naked choke within three minutes.

The first fight of the main card could be the most explosive fight of the night as Marcus Davis and Chris Lytle will slug it out.  

These two welterweights have been in some of the most entertaining fights in recent memory.  Both have promised to keep this fight standing, but plans always change once you catch one in the grill.  

Both fighters have a boxing background, but seem to throw the technical side of boxing out the window.  Lytle has a huge heart and a solid chin, but never seems to have a solid game plan.  Davis usually has a great game plan, but rarely uses it.  If Davis uses his footwork and comes at Lytle from differing angles he should earn a decision victory; giving his countrymen a reason to drink!

Should be one hell of a slobbernocker and maybe ‘fight of the night!’

PRELIMINARY CARD
• Alexandre Barros vs. Martin Kampmann
• Antonio Mendes vs. Eric Schafer
• Thomasz Drwal vs. Ivan Serati
• Tom Egan vs. John Hathaway
• Denis Siver vs. Nate Mohr

With one fight left on his current contract and recently turning down a UFC 95 fight with Joe Stevenson, Huerta has decided to throw his hat in the acting game, good luck!  for the full article go here: http://sherdog.com/news/articles/huerta-passes-on-ufc-contract-15722

We are 1 week away from UFC 93.  The main event will feature two of the best fighters ever to fight in the middleweight division as Rich ‘Ace’ Franklin battles it out with Dan Henderson, but as light heavyweights.  Also in the light heavyweight division, UFC hall of famer Mark ‘The Hammer’ Coleman makes his long awaited return to the octagon against former PRIDE star Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua

Check back later for my UFC 93 Preview and Predictions.

From MMAweekly at the Orange County Courthouse:

In an Orange County court on Thursday, Jackson accepted a plea bargain in a case stemming from his arrest on July 15, 2008, in exchange for a reversal of his plea from not guilty to guilty. The arrest came following Jackson allegedly leading police on a chase that involved hitting other vehicles, running red traffic lights, driving into oncoming traffic, and ended in Newport Beach.

With the acceptance of the plea bargain, Jackson’s sentencing will be deferred to Jan. 7, 2010. If he meets the requirements of the plea bargain, the felony count will be dismissed and he will only be sentenced for the misdemeanor. If he fails to meet the requirements of his plea bargain, he will be charged and sentenced on both counts.

December 27 2008 – Las Vegas was home to the UFC’s “Ultimate 2008” which showcased two titles changing hands and a former champion getting a taste of sweet revenge.

Rashad stays unbeaten; crowned new champ!

The main event featured the undefeated ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans capturing the UFC light heavyweight belt from Forrest Griffin.  Griffin came into the fight a 3 to 1 favorite and he showed why during the first two rounds.  Griffin was able to use his sizable reach advantage to keep Evans at bay with a barrage of jabs and kicks.  When the third round came, it was Rashad’s time to shine.

Griffin came out with the same game plan of leg kicks and jabs, and Rashad was able to catch one of those kicks and quickly took Griffin down.  Griffin was able to pull guard, but Evans landed a huge right hand that stunned the champ.  Smelling blood, Evans pounded the snot out of Forrest earning him the TKO victory 2:46 of the third round.

Life as the champ will be rough for Rashad, with the likes of Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua breathing down your neck, his days as champion might be numbered.  

The winner of the UFC 94 bout between Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva could get the next crack at Rashad or we could be in store for some “black on black crime” as I believe ‘Rampage’ deserves to fight for his title.

Griffin might be in store for a teacher VS student match against Chuck Liddell somewhere down the road.  Liddell was his coach during the first season of TUF.

Frank Mir shocks the world and maybe himself?!?! 

Many experts predicted a Jiu-Jitsu battle between Mir and Minotauro Nogueira for the UFC interim heavyweight championship, but Mir quickly changed that prediction.  

With an ever improving stand up game, Frank Mir’s boxing was more dominant than Mike Tyson in NES Punchout!  Mir was able to land a plethora of stiff punches flooring the mythological Nogueira not once or twice but three times in the very first round.  Respecting Nogueira’s ground game and having so much success with his stand up; Mir continued his utter decimation into the second round.  He was able to land two stiff lefts that once again dropped Nogueira and continued the pain until the fight was stopped 1:54 of round 2, the first stoppage of the storied career of Nogueira.  

This monumental win cements Frank Mir as a top heavyweight once again and earns him another bout with Brock Lesnar to unify the UFC heavyweight title.

Nogueira will be back and was reported that he was battling staff infection coming into this bout.  Hopefully we will see a future bout with Randy Couture!

‘Rampage’ tastes revenge and likes it!

A fight with either Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson or Wanderlei Silva in the mix, there is an 85% chance that somebody is getting knocked the F out.  A fight between the two means the percentage moves up to 99.9%.  

‘Rampage’ didn’t disappoint!  After a feeling out process for a few minutes, Rampage was able to connect with a vicious left hook that put Silva to sleep in the very first round.  

Rampage may have earned himself a shot at newly crowned champion Rashad Evans, but the taste of revenge is still on his palate as he wants another crack at Forrest Griffin.  Rampage should take the title shot first and then fight Forrest sometime down the road in my opinion.

Wanderlei Silva has always been a very aggressive fighter in the past; he came out very flat and looked downright timid and afraid of Jackson during this fight.  A rumored rematch with Chuck Liddell may be on the horizon, but don’t be surprised to find Silva fighting another Silva, Anderson Silva that is; for his middleweight title.  

Old college foes; same results!
C.B. Dollaway was able to fend of a tight guillotine choke from Mike Massenzio and scored a TKO victory over him in round 1.

Battle for Europe
The Frenchman, Cheick Kongo scored a brutal TKO victory over UFC newcomer Mostapha Al-Turk with 20 seconds to go in round 1.  Referee Steve Mazzagatti came under fire for letting the beating continue for so long.  The win moves Kongo one step closer to a heavy weight title fight.  

OFFICIAL RESULTS
• Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin via TKO (punches) — Round 3, 2:46
• Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 1:54
• C.B. Dollaway def. Mike Massenzio via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 3:01
• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei Silva via KO (punch) — Round 1, 3:21
• Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al-Turk via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:37
• Yushin Okami def. Dean Lister via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Antoni Hardonk def. Mike Wessel via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 2:09
• Matt Hamill def. Reese Andy via TKO (strikes) — Round 2, 2:19
• Brad Blackburn def. Ryo Chonan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Patrick Barry def. Dan Evensen via TKO (injury) — Round 1, 2:36