The UFC Blog

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Feb 10, 2009 at 2:04 pm ET

Spike TV’s Feb. 7 broadcast of “UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Stephens” peaked with a 1.51 rating and two million viewers during the 15-minute block that featured the night’s main event between Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens, Spike TV today announced.

Overall, the two-hour broadcast scored 1.3 rating and averaged 1.7 million viewers.

It ranked No. 1 in the key Men 18-49 and Men 18-34 demographics among ad-supported cable stations for the time period.

The event took place at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla. Although the UFC had held four previous events in the state of Florida, the organization had never ventured to Tampa before this past weekend’s event, which drew a near-soldout crowd of 7,596.

Overall, the ratings took a slight dip compared to Spike TV’s two most recent UFC broadcasts. A Dec. 13 airing of The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale earned a 1.3 rating and averaged 1.9 million viewers. UFC Fight Night 16, which Spike TV broadcast on Dec. 10, also scored a 1.3 rating with 1.9 million viewers.

UFC Fight Night 17 featured Lauzon’s submission victory over Stephens in the night’s headline bout. Also on the televised main card, heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez easily dispatched Denis Stojnic, Josh Neer submitted Mac Danzig in a “Fight of the Night” lightweight contest, and Anthony Johnson scored a TKO victory over Luigi Fioravanti.

MMAjunkie.com.

By Michael DiSanto, UFC.com

Few expected UFC newcomer Denis Stojnic to conquer heavyweight golden boy Cain Velasquez on Saturday night, partly because he was an unknown commodity in the domestic mixed martial arts community. But he was far more dangerous of an opponent than most realized.

Not only is Stojnic a sambo black belt, he is a member of the fearsome Golden Glory kickboxing team. The latter means that he hones his striking skill with a full stable of murderous strikers, including Alistair Overeem and Semmy Schilt, while the former means that he is well versed in throws and submissions, particularly leg locks.

Of course, Velasquez isn’t fast becoming a heavyweight cult hero for nothing. The hot UFC prospect is a two-time Division I All American wrestler from Arizona State University that is learning his way around the Octagon under the expert tutelage of American Kickboxing Academy trainers Javier Mendez (a former world champion kickboxer) and Dave Camarillo (a renowned Jiu Jitsu black belt and skilled Judoka). But Velasquez has only been training submission defense for a few scant years, so takedowns would be risky against a sambo black belt like Stojnic. Thus, most fight cognoscenti expected the former wrestler to come out and try and outbox the Golden Glory kickboxer.

Velasquez did just that, fighting behind a surprisingly effective left jab, hard right hands and constant head movement. Stojnic was game to exchange on the feet. More than once, he countered Velasquez’s combinations with accurate power punches.

It was at those moments that Team Velasquez had to be holding their collective breath. Nobody really knows whether the athletic heavyweight has a sturdy chin because it had never before been tested inside the Octagon. And few could predict how he would respond to hard shots from a skilled kickboxer.

Velasquez didn’t wilt when Stojnic landed hard shots. He didn’t back up. He fought back like many Mexican warriors who thrilled boxing fans with memorable fights. He temporarily threw caution to the wind, planted his feet and made sure that Stojnic knew that he was not going to be intimidated on the feet or anywhere else. In other words, he lived up to the large tattoo displayed boldly across his upper chest that reads ‘Brown Pride,’ one heck of a statement for a fighter considering the fearless mentality of all the great Latino warriors who have competed in combat sports over the years.

That sort of fighting spirit is what separates Velasquez from many other accomplished amateur wrestlers turned novice mixed martial artists who test their mettle In the Octagon. Mix that spirit with his awe-inspiring work ethic and fans now know why MMA insiders are so high on Velasquez’s future in the heavyweight division.

Velasquez himself was disappointed in his performance because he was unable to stop Stojnic in spectacular fashion. I’m on the other side of that coin. Velasquez’s performance was unbelievably impressive on a number of levels, not the least of which is the hockey stick development of his standup skills. If Velasquez continues working hard to improve his overall skills, then the sky is the limit for this guy.

The big question now is whether the UFC and his management will continue bringing him along slowly for the remainder of 2009 or whether it is time for him to step up against more experienced competition.

NEER CONTINUES TO HUNT DOWN TUF ELITE

Josh Neer calls himself ‘The Dentist.’ A more accurate moniker would be ‘The TUF Hunter.’

The Iowa native has faced TUF alumni in six of his last seven UFC bouts, scoring wins against four of them, including TUF winners Joe Stevenson at Ultimate Fight Night 4 back in 2006 and Mac Danzig last Saturday. And his split decision loss to TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz easily could have gone either way.

The win over Danzig, a fighter considered by many to be an up-and-coming contender in the 155-lb division, puts Neer in the mix for a marquee matchup against one of the big names in the division. Of course, whether he can compete with the lightweight elite remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, Neer is a must-see fighter, a throwback like gladiator cut from the same cloth as former boxing titlist (and universally recognized blood-and-guts champion) Arturo Gatti. His focus seems to sharpen once he starts bleeding. He fires his punches with just a little more malice after he has been hurt. And his guerilla warfare attitude grows with each passing second on the fight clock.

As a result, Neer is never out of a fight until he is either left unconscious on the mat or caught in an inescapable submission hold. And fans love guys like that, boos in Tampa notwithstanding.

Maybe ‘The Dentist’ should forget looking for a fight against a top contender and search out another reality show alumnus so he can keep on his successful run of TUF hunting.

DANZIG STILL TRYING TO FIND HIS WAY IN THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION

Mac Danzig was a household name among hardcore mixed martial arts fans long before he taped his first episode of TUF. He spent years building his individual brand by competing and winning in smaller promotions and corresponding with fans on popular message boards. So, expectations were palpable when the first episode of TUF 6 finally aired in September 19, 2007.

Danzig lived up to the hype by winning the 16-man welterweight tournament, often beating naturally larger men. His waltz through the amorphous TUF brackets and later announcement that he would be dropping to his natural division, 155 lbs, for his UFC career served to heighten the expectations following Danzig.

Yet, his 1-2 record in the UFC lightweight division must have his fans scratching their heads as they wonder what is going on. The answer is that nothing is going on. Danzig is a gritty, well rounded competitor who is cutting his teeth the hard way in the ultra-deep lightweight division.

Losses to Clay Guida and Josh Neer are nothing to be ashamed of. Danzig was a game competitor in both fights, but Guida’s wrestling and Neer’s unyielding toughness proved to be too much for the tactician at this point in his young UFC career. Expect Danzig to continue improving in the face of his recent losses. He didn’t win TUF 6 by accident. Danzig is the real deal, though he needs to step up his game now that he is a UFC regular. I think he’ll do just that for the remainder of 2009.

JOHNSON CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Nobody can deny Anthony Johnson’s talent. The six-foot-two welterweight is a former champion junior college wrestler who uses his wrestling to keep the fight on the feet so that he can showcase his explosive striking skills. Yet, the two question marks hanging over him after five trips to the Octagon are whether he can truly hang with elite-level welters and the depth of his submission game.

Johnson didn’t answer either of those questions on Saturday night, but he did thrill the fans with yet another exciting knockout victory, stopping Luigi Fioravanti with strikes at the 4:39 mark of the opening round. The win might as well be his fourth-consecutive win. The lone loss during his current four-fight stretch was a freak occurrence loss to Kevin Burns back in July. Johnson was clearly winning the entertaining bout until Burns inadvertently poked him in the eye. The referee did not notice the obvious infraction, thus when Johnson was unable to continue, the bout was incorrectly ruled a technical knockout.

Johnson avenged the loss five months later with a savage knockout and followed it up tonight with an even more impressive technical knockout win. Yet, Johnson said afterward that he was dissatisfied with his performance, suggesting that he felt tight during the bout. That is a scary thought because he was extremely impressive against Fioravanti.

What is next for the 24-year-old gladiator remains to be seen, but he is rapidly becoming one of the more promising prospects in the UFC.

IT’S TIME FOR A TRANSFORMATION

Luigi Fioravanti. What a great Italian name. In fact, his forename is the perfect name for a UFC fighter of Italian descent—it means “famous warrior”.

With a somewhat spotty UFC record, Fioravanti may want to consider a physical transformation if he wants to live up to the translation of his forename. The Florida resident looks like
he carries about 10 extra lbs of bad weight on his frame. If he was able to drop that weight and get down under 10% body fat when in fighting shape, then he could either add 10 lbs of muscle and continue competing in the welterweight division as a much stronger combatant or cut to lightweight, where he would be absolutely huge.

DID CLEMENTI BRING TOO MUCH ‘FIGHT’ BACK?

Rich ‘No Love’ Clementi continued his recent struggles, suffering a first-round submission loss to Gleison Tibau via guillotine choke. The loss is Clementi’s second in a row after racking up four consecutive wins inside the Octagon.

In the weeks leading up to the bout, Clementi talked openly about wanting to focus more on fighting once the bell sounded, rather than focusing on game plans and getting too caught up with pre-planned techniques. That didn’t work against the bigger, stronger Tibau.

Clementi is a tough guy, the kind that can hold his own in any back alley situation—there is no doubt about it. His love for combative competition and willingness to fight just about anyone at any time has resulted in Clementi building one of the longest resumes in the UFC lightweight division with more than 50 professional fights. All that experience, plus his years as an instructor have turned him into a refined technician and a cerebral fighter able to breakdown his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and develop a game plan to use his strengths to exploit those weaknesses.

Whether his loss to Tibau can be chalked up to Clementi not spending enough time breaking down film is a question that only the Louisiana resident and his team can answer. Just going out there and fighting works in lesser mixed martial arts leagues. But the UFC is the best of the best. Its combatants are highly trained athletes, many of whom prepare several hours a day for weeks, if not months, on specific ways to defeat their particular opponent. As Clementi tries to refine his approach to preparing for a fight, he would be well served to keep that notion in the back of his head.

Then again, I’m not telling the cagey veteran anything that he doesn’t already know

One week removed from the hype and hoopla that was UFC 94, The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to SPIKE TV Saturday night with an action packed card.

The University of Southern Florida’s Sun Dome hosted the UFC for its first time and no one would go home disappointed.   Headlined by talented lightweights Joe Lauzon and Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens, Ultimate Fight Night 17 was full of exciting fights; top to bottom.

Joe Lauzon continued the Brazilian jiu-jitsu schooling of Hermes Franca (his originally scheduled opponent) to Franca’s protégé Jeremy Stephens.  Lauzon was fluid as he passed Stephens’ guard and was relentless with submission attempts.  

Lauzon weathered some flurries from the heavy-handed Stephens and even survived a sharp elbow that opened his forehead up.  Smelling and tasting his own blood, Lauzon had had enough of Stephens’ ground and pound, and transitioned to side control where he finally found the golden ticket; in form of Stephens’ arm.  He forced Stephens to tap out via arm-bar with seconds left in round two, earning him the victory and “submission of the night” honors.

The victory marks Lauzon’s fifth in the UFC and should place him in the division’s top ten.

Blue chip, heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez continued his dominance with a lop-sided TKO victory over UFC newcomer Denis “The Menace” Stojnic.  

Stojnic proved he possesses a solid chin, but his wild telegraphed haymakers were no match for the precision striking of Velasquez.  The Pac-Ten All American Velasquez worked the head and body of Stojnic for much of round one.  

Round two was no different as Stojnic continued to taste leather.  The beatings were finally stopped by referee Jorge Ortiz at the 2:34 mark of round two.  

Velasquez was humble in victory; I could have finished him a lot better. I didn’t, so I just have to try and relax out here. That’s why I need more ring time,”

Josh “The Dentist” Neer was as relentless in his pursuit to finish Mac Danzig Saturday night as the cops were relentless to capture him New Year’s Eve morning.  

Neer secured a triangle choke at 3:36 of round two, after a back and forth battle between the two outstanding lightweights.  

Danzig was able to land some nice combos, but none were too damaging as Neer showboated much of round one.  Neer was able to ground and pound Danzig in round two and landed some vicious elbows.  Danzig would survive and even reversed the mount, but that would be his demise as Neer sunk in the fight ending choke from his back.  

Neer is now victorious in four of his last five bouts and will more than likely have a court date in his near future.

Rumbling on…
This is exactly what Anthony “Rumble” Johnson did as he continued his assault on the welterweight division.  

Johnson used his reach and size advantage to pick apart the gritty Luigi Fioravanti.  A punishing right hook found its mark on the face of Fioravanti and Johnson continued the punishment forcing the ex-marine to tap at the 4:36 mark of round one.

“I’m happy I got a win, but I could have done so much better,” said Johnson, who improves to 7-2. “I came out sloppy, but I’ll get better.”

Skies the limit for the 24 year old Johnson and with the help of Strikeforce champions Josh “The Punk” Thomson and Cung Le we might have the answer for GSP!

OFFICIAL PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS
Kurt Pellegrino def. Rob Emerson via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2, 3:14
Dan Miller def. Jake Rosholt via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:03
Matt Veach def. Matt Grice via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:34
Gleison Tibau def. Rich Clementi via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 4:35
Nick Catone def. Derek Downey via submission (keylock) — Round 2, 1:15
Matthew Riddle def. Steve Bruno via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

We are ringside here at the UFC Fight Night 17 in Tampa, Florida.  The energy here is incredible as usual…

Once again, the crowd is really what makes seeing a UFC event in person is all about.    

Here comes Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson…

Check out the results from the main event here as they happen:

Anthony Johnson vs. Luigi Fioravanti

Rd. 1

Luigi gets the first of the exchanges in the fight.  Spinning back kick by Anthony, miss. Nice leg kick by Luigi.  Left kick to by Anthony to Luigi’s left side followed by a nice right cross by Luigi.  Good kicks by Luigi.  Raw power coming from Anthony’s kicks.  Luigi needs to stay outside as Anthony has a huge reach advantage.  Straight right from Luigi lands solid on Anthony.  Luigi goes for the take down and Anthony stuffs it.  Luigi catches Anthony in the nuts with a knee, fight is temporarily stopped.   Anthony is alright after about a minute.  You can see the fire in Anthony’s ryes now.  Nice right by Anthony, he could have went in for the knockout but stays back…  Follows through with a right hand and gets Luigi down to the ground and starts hammer fisting Luigi until the ref is forced to stop the fight. Anthony wins via TKO at 4:39.

Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer

Rd. 1

Mac starts off with a left kick to the head but Josh sits back and waits for Mac and punishs him over and over.  Josh showing the crazy hand waiving it around and around…   Reminds me of his brother Nick.  Both fighters tonights strong stand up.  Mac with a leg and right but John takes it.  He wants more… fighters go into clinch.  Mac with the upper cut, no damage to Neer.  Josh trying to tea off but Mac is bobbing and weaving.  Mac has cut Neer.   Nice Knees to Macs body from Clinch.  Josh comes in a Mac catches him with a straight right and rops Josh.  Josh is bleeding now more from his eye.  Mac is in full guard, Neer goes for the neck triangle and transitions to an arm bar but Mac gets out.  Mac stands up but Josh catches him with a right, putting his hands in teh air to try and get the crow going Josh is being very cocky.  Body kick by Neer.  Upper cut by Neer followed with a flurry of nothing too hurtful

Rd. 2

The round starts with a little stand up but Neer quickly gets Danzig to the ground and starts to land some vicious elbows.   Over and over… Josh moves to half guard but Mac moves around.  Josh now has Macs back, this could get over quickly…  Josh on Macs back, but Mac rolls and gets out of ti.  

Mac now has full guard.  Not doing the same punishment as Josh was doing when he was in the same position.  Neer controlling Danzig from the bottom.  Neer’s right eye is starting to bleed some more.  Still controlling from the bottom of the guard.  Josh  pulls Mac into a triangle.  Mac is going to have to tap, it is a nasty hold.  He is not getting out of this…  Great jujitsu by Neer.  Mac Danzig is forced to tap because of the triangle choke at 3:36.

Cain Velasquez vs. Denis Stojnic

Rd 1.

The crowd is out of control here as we get close to our main event! People want to see the heavyweights!

Nice jab by Denis.   Solid right by Cain.    Fighters go into clinch.   Side knee kicks to the left side of Denis body.  Straight right that lands by Cain.  Cain goes for th take down by cant get him.  One good knee followed by another knee by Cain.   Denis is shook up a little from it.   He is backing out.  Cain is the better of the striker and really starting to show with the knees and right crosses.  Denis gets away and waves him to bring it and Cain does.    A flurry of punches but Denis doesn’t seem to be hurt though.   Denis just seems to be waiting for the one big moment for a big punch.     There are much better heavyweights that could have fought in this event against Velasquez.  Nice leg kick by Dennis.  Denis gets caught by a right hand followed by another.  Denis swings for the lights and misses big time.  Cain is chopping Denis leg down like WOAH!   Denis is beat already.  He is tired and hurting from those leg kicks.  Dominate first round by Cain.

Rd. 2

Left cross, right cross and front kick by Cain rocks Denis.  Denis comes back with some crazy, wild punches.  Cain gets half guard, Denis keeps grabbing the fence with his hands and feet over and over.  From half guard, Cain is landing some good elbows.    Denis rolls and Cain gets his back and starts dropping bombs again.  Denis rolls and Cain is in half guard again.   Cain is just dominating him from the stand up to the ground.  Denis is just rolling, taking a hit, rolling and then nothing… The ref calls the fight as Denis is not defending himself nor trying to do anything to punish his opponent.  The ref gave him changes after chance to intelligently defend himself and he does nothing.  Fight is called at 2:34.

Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens

Rd. 1

Live from the USF Sun Dome in Florida, here we go on the main event…

Jeremy starts off with a flurry.  Joe quickly goes to the ground and tries for a submission.  Jeremy has full guard.  Fighters stand up.   Joe tries for a  knee bar but gets denied and stands up and quickly takes Jeremy down with a hard slam.  Joe has full guard.   From full guard Joe goes for an arm bar. Jeremy pops it out nad has full guard on Joe.  Joe is a great defensive fighter, especially from the the bottom guard.   Joe gets to his feet and is quickly slammed by Jeremy.  Joe goes for the guitinne but Jeremy slips out.  

Rd. 2

Jeremy starts with a left kick that barely hits.  ANother left leg kick.  Jeremy is swinging for the fences and leands a few solid ones.  Josh rolls over and Joe gets caught in a traingle but pulls out.  Joe has full guard. He moves to side guard.  From side guard, Joe is dropping elbows to the face and side of the bdoy.  Excellant contrl of the body by Joe.  Jeremy is trying to get out but Joe is holding his legs down and finalyl gets full guard.   Jeremy looks tired.   Joe gets Jeremys back, goes for the reak naked choke.  Joe goes for a triangle and keeps his leg up high and Jeremy switches the positions and gets full guard.  Jeremy lands a few solid elbows from top guard.  Joe is cut and bleeding.  He switches is over and gets side control.  Joe goes for an arm that is left out and stretches is out, Jeremy tries to roll but Joe keeps it sunk in.  Joe tapped once and then rolls over, then the ref finally sees the second tap.  Fight is called at 4:43.

———-

What a great event.  These Fight Nights are huge for the fans to get a chance to see some of the lesser known fighters.

We get ANOTHER FREE FIGHT on Feb 21st, which will also be shown for free on Spike.  The main event will be Joe Stevenson Vs. Diego Sanchez. Lots of great fights on that card. check back on the UFC blog for more details over the next week.

The main event in Tampa, Florida is about to start.   Get a live play-by-play right here on Bodybuilding.com.  

Here is who is fighting tonight:

LUIGIO FIORAVANTI VS. ANTHONY JOHNSON

MAC DANZIG VS. JOSH NEER

DENIS STOJNIC VS. CAIN VELASQUEZ

JOE LAUZON VS. JEREMY STEPHENS

Check out the preliminary results from the fights that were not broad casted below.

Here are the preliminary results so far from UFC Fight Night 17.

STEVE BRUNO VS. MATTHEW RIDDLE

Round 1 - After a touch of gloves, we’re underway. Both fighters miss on leg kicks before Bruno connects on one to set up a nice right. Riddle clinches and delivers knees to the body before eating a forearm to the face. Bruno again works for kicks with little luck before lunging and connecting with a right that earns a smile from Riddle. Riddle again clinches and delivers some knees to the body and thighs. The fighters separate, and Bruno connects on some low kicks. The last one sets up a stiff right that connects flush. Riddle avoids a takedown attempt, and the fighters return to the center of the cage. Riddle works a combination before landing a solid kick to the inner leg. After a wild exchange, Riddle pushes Bruno into the cage and dips for a takedown attempt. Bruno balances on one leg before Riddle forces the fight to the ground with a sweep. Working from half guard, Riddle delivers elbows to the face and side of Bruno’s head and starts doing some damage. Bruno tries to turtle up into Riddle’s body and then gets to his feet, but Riddle punishes him a knee to the body. Bruno closes the distance and is thrown to the mat, and he eats a knee on his way back to his feet. Bruno lands an exchange and forces a double-leg takedown just as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Bruno.

Round 2 - Riddle uses an overhand right to secure the clinch and delivers knees to the body before forcing Bruno the mat. He again frees one leg and delivers elbows from half guard. The position worked well in the first round, and he again has success with elbows. Bruno ties up one of Riddle’s arms and has the youngster looking confused. However, Riddle gets to his knees and rains down a series of elbows to the face and side of Bruno’s head. Bruno shows damage from the flurry but again works to tie up Riddle. After rolling to his knees, Bruno nearly escapes, but Riddle takes his back and forces the fight to the mat. Riddle gives up the position for half guard and continues popping Bruno with elbows and punches. One big blow lands with a thud, and Bruno assures the ref he’s OK. Bruno tries to escape again but eats additional shots after leaving himself exposed. As Bruno gets to his feet, Riddle tags him with a knee to the body and locks in a guillotine. However, he eventually takes Bruno’s back, locks in his hooks and then batters him with punches and hammerfists. With 10 seconds to go, Bruno wants to ride out the round, but Riddle punishes him for it with continued blows. MMAjunkie.com scores a dominant round for Riddle, 10-9.

Round 3 - Riddle looks fresh and light on his feet, but Bruno quickly connects with a right. Riddle closes the distance and forces the fight to the ground. Working from half guard, he pins Bruno against the fence and delivers a steady stream of punches to the face. Bruno tries to escape, but Riddle overpowers him to keep the dominant position. Bruno gets to his feet and looks for the escape, but Riddle takes his back and delivers punches and elbows to both sides of his head once they hit the mat. Bruno simply takes the punishment and stays in the dangerous position with one knee on the mat. At least 50 punches connect as the referee stands nearby watching closely. A series of hammerfists finally force Bruno to cover up, and the referee issues a warning to fight back. Riddle now delivers elbows to the body and more hammerfists to the face. Riddle must be up to approximately 100 blows from this one exchange. Riddle finally forces Bruno to his stomach and tries to flatten him out, but Bruno rolls over to his back and again allows Riddle to free one leg and batter him with a steady stream of shots from half guard. Riddle pours on the abuse in the final minute of the fight and begins putting some extra power behind the blows wanting to finish the fight. Bruno gets to his feet, and Riddle turns it on with punches, kicks and elbows as he’s desperate for the finish. He doesn’t get it, but it should win him the fight. MMAjunkie.com scores a very dominant round for Riddle, 10-8. Matthew Riddle def. Steve Bruno via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

NICK CATONE VS. DEREK DOWNEY

Round 1 - Catone lands an early right, but Downey shoots for the single-leg takedown. Catone sprawls and spends the next half minute fending off the takedown. Downey presses Catone into the fence and delivers a knee to the body and instantly dips and again looks for the takedown. After switching to a single leg, he finally gets it and drags Catone to the mat. Catone, though, quickly reverses the position and puts Downey on his back. From north-south position, Catone works punches to the body, but Downey gets back to his feet, secures a leg and tries to take Catone to the mat. Catone defends well and knocks Downey off balance and puts him on the mat. Catone again works from north-south position and then attempts to take Downey’s back. After a battle for position, Catone secures half guard and delivers a steady stream of elbows that appears to open a cut. From the ground, Catone works for a choke, but Downey gets to his feet. Catone pops him with a couple punches and then pushes forward to put Downey on his back with a bumrush takedown. Catone frees a leg and delivers elbows from half guard as the round comes to a close. As Downey gets back to his feet, he has a protruding half-baseball-sized swelling on the side of his head. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Catone.

Round 2 - Catone quickly clinches and delivers a series of knees to Downey’s body. After clinching, he rushes forward to put Downey on his back. After a few punches, the fight is quickly stopped as Downey grabs his arm with an obvious injury. A replay shows Catone locked in a keylock and forced the tapout, though the fighters’ positioning initially made it difficult to see what happened. Nick Catone def. Derek Downey via submission (keylock) — Round 2, 1:15.

RICH CLEMENTI VS. GLEISON TIBAU

Round 1 - Tibau gets the early takedown and instantly takes Clementi’s back. Clementi gets to his feet and backs out so Tibau loses the positioning. Tibau puts Clementi against the cage as the fighters trade knees to the body. The fighters clinch and hit the mat, but they both scramble to their feet. Clementi goes high with a head kick that misses wide, and Tibau delivers a couple knees to the body and forces Clementi to his back. Tibau instantly frees a leg and works from half guard before trying to take mount. Clementi uses a butterfly guard to defend, but a persistent Tibau eventually takes the dominant position. Clementi tries to buck free and briefly gives up his back, but he rolls back over and secures one of Tibau’s legs. Tibau continues working for better ground position and forces a lull in the action. The crowd becomes restless before Tibau works for the mount. Clementi, though, wraps him in full gaurd and avoids his opponent’s punches from above. After a scramble, though, Tibau gets sidemount, but Clementi gets back to his feet. Tibau clings on from behind and looks to take the fight back down, but Clementi fends it off and dips for single-leg takedown. Tibau slaps on a guillotine choke as he falls to the mat, and it’s deep. Clementi initially refuses to tap, but with no way to escape, he finally relents. Gleison Tibau def. Rich Clementi via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 4:36.

MATT GRICE VS. MATT VEACH

Round 1 - Veach with an early leg kick that connects, and once he tries to clinch, Grice hits him with a couple uppercuts. After a sramble, Veach gets the takedown and works from inside full guard. Veach delivers a steady stream of blows, but Grice works his way to feet while crawling up the cage with his back. Veach throws Grice to the mat and nearly locks in a choke, but Grice again gets back to his feet. The fighters clinch, and Grice connects on an uppercut and a subsequent blow that sends Veach staggering to the mat. Grice pours on the blows as Veach desperately tries to defend. The crowd stands and senses the finish, but Veach miracously holds on and ties up Grice. However, Grice soon then secures mount. Veach reclaims guard, but Grice secures a guillotine when he tries to get back to his feet. Veach escapes, and we’re back standing. Grice throws a glancing right that staggers Veach. But Veach throws a right that connects. The two fighters then stands toe and toe and swing wildly, each connecting with major power shots. Grice’s legs buckle and falls to the mat. Veach follows with a series of punches to earn the come-from-behind TKO victory. Grice is upset about the stoppage and refuses to shake Veach’s hand. While waiting for the decision, he continues to protest to the referee.  Matt Veach def. Matt Grice via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:34.

DAN MILLER VS. JAKE ROSHOLT

Round 1 - Rosholt shoots early and eats a knee in the process. With Rosholt on his back, Miller connects on a few punches from above before he’s forced to the mat when Rosholt grabs a leg. Rosholt releases it and gets back to his feet, but he’s secured with a guillotine choke and is forced to tap instantly.  Dan Miller def. Jake Rosholt via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:03.

ROB EMERSON VS. KURT PELLEGRINO

Round 1 - Emerson works early jabs as Pellegrino stays defensive. Pellegrino comes forward with a left that connects and is then hit with a right. The fighters trade jabs, and Emerson lands a leg kick. Pellegrino connects on a couple rapid-fire lefts before landing a leg kick of his own. Pellegrino lands a nice left-right combination that staggers Emerson while he tries to throw a leg kick. Back to the center of the cage, Emerson lands a nice leg kick and defends against Pellegrino’s next combination attempt. Emerson wisely keeps his distance, but when Pellegrino shoots, Emerson stuffs it, clinches high and sends Pellegrino to his back. Working from guard, Emerson lands punches from above. Pellegrino ties him up and then backs out and gets back to his feet. Emerson pops him with a right. Back to the center of the cage, Pellegrino spins to avoid leg kick. The fighters trade jabs, and Emerson then shoots. Pellegrino fends it off with a sprawl, and on his third attempt, Emerson finally secures the trip takedown. The round ends before he can do anything with the position. MMAjunkie.com has it 10-9 for Emerson.

Round 2 - The fighters again trade jabs to start the round, and Pellegrino lands a nice shot to the body. A left-right combination then lands for "Batman," and follows it with a leg kick. Emerson connects on a left kick, but doesn’t have a ton behind it, and Pellegrino shakes it off. Emerson lands a leg kick, but his second one is countered by Pellegrino’s overhand left. Pellegrino shoots for a single-leg takedown, and Emerson fends it off and then hops over Pellegrino to try to escape. Pellegrino clinches and then slams Emerson to the mat. Working from inside full guard, Pellegrino tries to pass and frees one leg. He follows with some short elbow strikes and then hops into full mount. Emerson rolls over, and Pellegrino locks in a rear-naked choke. Pellegrino secures his hooks and flattens him out, and the tap-out comes just seconds later. Kurt Pellegrino def. Rob Emerson via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 2, 3:14.

with UFN 17 only a day away "J-Lau" is ready to get in the ring for his second main event. To see how Joe feels about the fight.

Check out this article by: Thomas Gerbasi

The main event. It’s every fighter’s dream. For Joe Lauzon, his first UFC main event in April of 2008 was a nightmare.

Not that the lightweight prospect felt that way in the weeks leading up to his UFC Fight Night bout against Kenny Florian. Lauzon did all the interviews, put in a solid training camp, and all signs pointed to a New England turf war for the ages.

Then came fight day, and while there were some concerns among the team about the high altitude in Colorado, Lauzon was not only ready for the fight, but he was so relaxed that he went over to the arena early to watch the other fights on the card.

“Because that card in Colorado was so good, we got there early and watched every single prelim, and it felt like we were sitting there for eight hours,” he laughs.

That was rough, and then as he prepared to walk out to the Octagon, UFC President Dana White came back to wish him luck. But when he asked Lauzon if he was nervous about his first main event, it all kicked in to the Brockton native – “I’M FIGHTING IN THE MAIN EVENT.”

Eight minutes and 28 seconds into a spirited clash with Florian, Lauzon had suffered his first UFC loss and first loss overall in over two years. He has no excuses for the defeat, but with his second main event coming up this weekend against Jeremy Stephens, Lauzon expects no repeat of the pre-fight butterflies. In fact, despite an interim victory over Kyle Bradley, ‘J-Lau’ looks at this fight as one of redemption for the loss to Florian.

“This is definitely a redemption fight,” said Lauzon. “Like 80 percent of the people say ‘I’ve seen you fight on Spike TV,’ and I say ‘did I get beat up?’ Some of them remember that I just got beat up, some of them don’t or they’re just being nice. But a lot of people who do know me saw me getting beat up. So this is definitely a kind of redemption fight. It’s a second chance, a huge second chance.”

A second chance against a second opponent, after original foe Hermes Franca was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a knee injury. In stepped Franca’s training partner Jeremy Stephens, and Lauzon likes the matchup.

“With Hermes, I felt like I was gonna have the more technical striking, because he just kinda wings punches, whereas with Jeremy Stephens, I think he’s heavy handed but definitely more technical than Hermes and he uses everything,” said Lauzon. “Hermes basically whips the overhand right, the left hook and he kicks the leg a lot. Jeremy Stephens uses everything – punches, kicks, knees, elbows. I don’t think he’s got a whole lot of ground though or a whole lot of wrestling. Hermes doesn’t have the best wrestling, but if you take him down, you gotta deal with a black belt in jiu-jitsu.”

Lauzon won’t have those issues with Stephens, who is known for his heavy hands but who also struggled on the mat against Rafael dos Anjos in his last fight. Lauzon makes no secret of the Saturday night gameplan.

“I honestly think because he doesn’t seem to have much wrestling and much ground, maybe I’ll take him down at will, and once it hits the ground, I don’t think he’ll get back up,” he said. “I talked to Cole Miller too; Cole (who was stopped by Stephens in January of 2008) was doing pretty good against him, and he thinks it will be a very good fight for me.”

Those are the kind of fights Lauzon needs to continue to build his rep and his tool box. A case in point was the Bradley fight in September of last year, one that saw him use his striking game more en route to an impressive second round stoppage. It was only one of a handful of Lauzon fights to make it out of the first round.

“I thought Kyle Bradley was a good opponent where I could box with him in the beginning and I could hold my own,” recalls Lauzon, 16-4 as a pro. “And if things got to where I was unhappy, I thought I could take him down relatively easy. So I wanted to get out there and move around a little bit, show I could box, and get a little time in doing that. A lot of my other fights have been pretty quick – the Pulver fight was 48 seconds, the Melendez fight was a little longer, the Reinhardt fight was short, so I wanted to go out there and stand a little bit and see how I felt. I think that definitely helped me out going forward. I threw more punches and dealt with more punches than all my other fights combined on the feet.”

The 24-year old’s progression as a mixed martial artist has been evident, but he’s not letting up in the gym as he seeks more and more knowledge and bigger and bigger fights this year.

“I’m still learning,” said Bridgewater’s Lauzon. “A lot of these other fighters, they come from this ridiculous Olympic or All-American wrestling background and I really don’t have anything like that behind me. So I’m learning stuff every single day, things that probably most high school wrestlers know. (Laughs) But I think 2009 is gonna be a good year for me. The next 10 years are probably gonna be good for me. I still love training every single day. Cardio kinda sucks sometimes, but I love learning and getting better – whether it’s wrestling, boxing, whatever, so I expect every year to be a big year.”

First order of business in 2009 – beat Jeremy Stephens

On Saturday February 7^th the UFC will be hitting the Sun Dome in Tampa for the first time.  The fights will be broadcast nationally on Spike T.V. and start at 9 pm ET.

For more information about this event check out
David Barnet’s UFC Fight Night 17 Preview

Here is the fight card:

Joe Lauzon Vs Jeremy Stephens

Steve Bruno Vs Matt Riddle

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For past events, photos and more check out the Bodybuilding.com
UFC Main Page

Tampa, Florida - The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues to stay busy with yet another night of stellar fights.  A lightweight clash between Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon and Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens will headline the card this Saturday night.

The University of Southern Florida Sundome will serve as host and it will air live on SPIKE TV.  The main card will feature a showdown between lightweights Mac Danzig and Josh Neer.  Heavyweight sensation Cain Velasquez will welcome UFC newcomer Denis Stojnic and Luigi Fioravanti faces Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in welterweight action.  

Joe Lauzon was set to face former number once contender Hermes Franca, but do to a torn ACL; Jeremy Stephens will take his place.  

Stephens (14-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) currently is a training partner of Franca and his reckless abandon style could give Lauzon fits.  Stephens earned “knockout of the night” at UFC 91 with his brutal third round TKO of Rafael dos Anjos.  

Joe Lauzon (17-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is coming off a TKO victory of Kyle Bradley at Fight Night 15.  He’s been victorious seven of his past eight fights, all via stoppage.  Lauzon is a good all around fighter with stellar submission skills and a mean right hand.  

The Ultimate Fighter season six winner Mac Danzig (18-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), will look to rebound from his September unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida.  The five time king of the cage champion will have his hands full Saturday with UFC veteran Josh “The Dentist” Neer.

Josh Neer (24-7-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has been in the news lately for a New Year’s Eve arrest where he led police on a high speed chase.  He last fought against Nate Diaz and found himself on the wrong side of a split-decision.  He’s had mix success while in the UFC going 3-4, a win Saturday should place him near the top ten of UFC lightweights.  

The two-time All American wrestling standout Cain Velasquez looks to remain unbeaten in his young career as faces Denis “The Menace” Stojnic.  

Bosnia and Herzegovina-based Stojnic (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has posted decision victories four out of five times.

The undefeated Velasquez (4-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has shown promise in his first two UFC outings with first round TKO victories over Brad Morris and Jake O’Brien.  His powerful wrestling and vicious ground and pound will be a rude welcoming for Stojnic.  

The ultra powerful and explosive Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will be on display yet again as he faces Luigi Fioravanti.

Fioravanti (14-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has been inconsistent throughout his UFC career, but is coming off a victory against Brodie Farber back in December.  He’s a well rounded fighter with a purple belt in BJJ.  He’ll have a considerable size and reach disadvantage against Johnson.

“Rumble” Johnson (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has quickly become a fan favorite for his aggressive and exciting fighting style.  A training partner of Strikeforce champion Cung Le, Johnson has displayed a wild array of kicks and punches.  His three wins within the UFC have all come by way of knockout and look for number four Saturday night!

PRELIMINARY CARD
• Rob Emerson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
• Dan Miller vs. Jake Rosholt
• Matt Grice vs. Matt Veach
• Rich Clementi vs. Gleison Tibau
• Nick Catone vs.  Derek Downey
• Steve Bruno vs. Matthew Riddle