UFC 101 ***Spoilers***

[Drooke]

Enjoy the fights everyone.

 

 

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JESSE LENNOX VS. DANILLO VILLEFORT

 

Round 1 ? A touch of gloves gets us started. The booing begins just 10 seconds in before Lennox misses with a lunging punch. The second lands. Lennox charges forward, but Villefort side steps him. Villefort with a nice left-right combo followed with a low kick. Villefort connects on a knee to the midsection, but Lennox stuffs it, clinches, but Villefort muscles his way to top position and batters his opponent with punches and kicks from the standing position. Villefort finally dives into half guard and easily moves to sidemount. Lennox, though, quickly escapes to his feet. Lennox clinches and just misses a solid knee to the chin; he just didn't have the reach. He goes back into stalking mode and trips Villefort to the mat. Lennox chooses not to follow. Villefort partially connects on a spinning back kick, but a knee to the belly is blocked again. Villefort closes in and eats the second part of a one-two combo and then whiffs on an overhand left a few seconds later. Villefort lands a low kick that his opponent shakes off. Villefort lands another spinning back kick, but Lennox catches the next kick and shoves his opponent to his back as the first round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com scores a fairly close one 10-9 for Villefort.

 

Round 2 ? Lots of dancing early as both fighters look for an opening. Lennox lunges in with a series of wild punches but connects on a left before Villefort retreats. Lennox does it again, and Villefort dares him to try again. Lennox does and rocks Villefort with a shot. Villefort throws a short back elbow strike as he runs away and is then tagged and tossed to the mat. Lennox allows him to stand as the crowd roars with approval. Lennox lands another shot, and Villefort is now cautious to engage. Villefort misses wildly on a spinning back kick and then gasps for a big breath. Lennox connects again and sends Villefort to the mat with a stiff right to the chin. He follows with a burst of punches before allowing Villefort to stand again. Both fighters show signs of fatigue as they look for home run shots. Each connects on a few jabs as Villefort drops his hands and tries to catch his breath. Lennox, also tiring, catches his. Back to the center of the cage, and Villefort connects on a stiff jab before eating a quick combo that snaps his head back. Villefort lands a nice kick to the leg and then bobs and weaves to avoid his opoonent's attack. Villefort shoots for a takedown as the round expires and is booed when he tosses his opponent to the mat. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Lennox.

 

Round 3 ? The fighters trade blows, and Villefort is staggered when hit with a right. After a restart, Lennox looks for a touch of gloves, and Villefort is booed when he declines. The fighters trade single shots through the first 90 seconds of the round with little landing until Villefort pops his opponent with a knee to the stomach. Lennox whiffs a subsequent uppercut but partially connects on a Superman punch and follow-up shot. Villefort skampers away, which earns the wrath of the crowd. Villefort looks for a hip toss takedown, but Lennox defends and wrestles his way to top position when they hit the mat. While scrambling for position, Villefort locks in an arm-bar. Lennox rolls with it to avoid the torque and ends up on his back. Villefort, from the sitting position, rolls back to extend it, but Lennox rolls free, and the crowd roars with applause. Lennox gets back to his feet, but Villefort is slow to follow, possibly because of a cut over his eye. The ref calls for a timeout, and a doctor quickly (and surprisingly) calls an end to the fight. A replay shows the cut resulted from an accidental head butt while Villefort tried to extend the armbar. Jesse Lennox def. Danillo Villefort via TKO (cut) - Round 3, 3:37

 

(In non-UFC 101 action, weigh-ins have concluded for WEC 42. MMAjunkie.com's John Morgan was on site. Check out his report for the WEC 42 weigh-in results.)

 

GEORGE ROOP VS. GEORGE SOTIROPOULOS

 

Round 1 ? Sotiropoulos with the early takedown, and he immediately moves into sidemount, the north-south position and back to the side position. He looks to flatten Roop to get to the mount position and does on his first attempt. Roops quickly ties up his arms, but Sotiropoulos postures up and delivers some blows. Roop masterfully sweeps the position and gets back to his feet. Sotiropoulos charges in for the takedown, but Roop sprawls his way out of trouble. Sotiropoulos connects on a beatiful one-two combination that briefly wobbles Roop. He quickly comes to, though, eats another punch and then clinches with his opponent against the cage. Sotiropoulos tries to muscle his way to a takedown and eventually scores it via drag/trip. After freeing a leg, Sotiropoulos then moves back into sidemount and delivers some short elbow strikes. He looks for the mount position again and then works for an arm when Roop tries to defend. Sotiropoulos ends up with his opponent's back, locks in a body triangle but struggles to maintain the position. Roop backs out and is briefly free before Sotiropoulos locks him upo with a triangle choke. However, he has neither the position nor time to do anything with it before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores a dominant round 10-9 for Sotiropoulos.

 

Round 2 ? Roop swings and misses early but finally connects on a left cross. Sotiropoulos continues to stalk, though, catches a flying knee and then shoves his opponent away. Roop unloads a flurry of punches and connects before Sotiropoulos takes him back to the mat. Sotiropoulos quickly frees a leg, kneels and delivers a quick barrage of punches. He then smothers Roop to work for better position before unloading more punches. Sotiropoulos meticulously works for better position and continues to poke holes in his opponent's guard and move at will. He eventually snatches an arm and quikcly locks in the fight-ending kimura. George Sotiropoulos def. George Roop via submission (kimura) - Round 2, 1:59

 

(Marc Ratner stopped cageside and said the Lennox victory was ruled a TKO because the cut was determined to be the result of a punch, not a head butt. A replay shows that the determination was wrong, but the TKO stands for now.)

 

DAN CRAMER VS. MATTHEW RIDDLE

 

Round 1 ? Riddle draws a huge reception as he works the crowd while smiling ear to ear. The ladies seem to favor Cramer, though. The fighters trade blocked punches before each lands on a half a combination. The fighters clinch, Riddle dips for a leg, and Cramer tries to defend. Riddle ultimately gives up on the attempt, and we restart. After swinging again, the fighters clinch, and Cramer drags Riddle to the mat and briefly takes his back before the escape. He reclaims Riddle's back while standing, but Riddle again escapes, puts Cramer into the cage and dips for a double-leg takedown. Cramer locks in a guillotine, though, before hitting the mat. He's got it in tight and with a body triangle. A good 20 to 30 seconds passes before Riddle pops his head free and works from full guard. Cramer ties up his opponent for the better part of a minute before Riddle finally uncorks some ground and pound. He then takes Cramer's back but can't lock in his hooks since he's against the fence. Instead, he unloads a quick flurry of punches to Cramer's face before he gets back to his feet. Riddle clings to a leg and wants to take the fight back down, but Cramer muscles his way free. Riddle dips again, but Cramer shows a solid sprawl again and then again when Riddle dips after tagging him with an elbow to the face. MMAjunkie.com scores a thoroughly entertaining first round for Cramer, 10-9, based largely on the submission attempt.

 

Round 2 ? Riddle with an early low kick before ducking a punch and scoring the takedown. Riddle frees a leg and works shots to the midsection and head. Riddle frees another leg to get to sidemount but has little room to maneuver near the cage. Cramer uses the position to work back to his feet, but Riddle takes his back and rains down punches while trying to lock in a body triangle. He flattens out Cramer, but he's high and ready to tumble out of the position. Cramer wisely rolls to his back and gives Riddle top position to avoid giving up his back. Cramer reclaims full guard before Riddle pushes him into the cage and tries to free a leg. He does and again looks to take his opponent's back. Riddle softens him up with punches to the face while trying to wedge himself between the cage and onto Cramer's back. Cramer tries to get back to his feet, but Riddle delivers a barrage of blows, gets in his hooks and works the rear-naked choke. Cramer someone escapes, but Riddle remains on his back though he no longer has the body triangle. He loses the submission opportunity because of it, and the round ends shortly thereafter. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Riddle.

 

Round 3 ? Riddle is dropped with a high kick that's partially blocked, and Cramer pounces on him immediately. Riddle is full awake and pulls his opponent into full guard before snatching an arm and working for an armbar. Cramer wisely collapses onto Riddle's body and then escapes, but Riddle takes the sidemount position and delivers knees to the side. Cramer backs into the cage and secures half guard, but Riddle continues delivering punches from above. He follows by dropping elbows and then shots to the midsection. Riddle continues the assault while pinning Cramer against the fence and opens a cut near Cramer's left eye with an elbow. Blood begins spurting from the wound, and Riddle unloads another series of elbow strikes to the face. He postures up, rains down more blows, and then take his opponent's back when Cramer rolls over. Cramer wisely rolls to his back, and Riddle works from half guard with more shots from the top. Riddle looks for more cuts with slicing elbows. Riddle then mixes in punches to the midsection and elbows to the head to keep his opponent guessing. Cramer briefly gets back to his feet before the round ends and trades a few punches before another entertaining round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Riddle. Matthew Riddle def. Dan Cramer via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27)

 

THALES LEITES VS. ALESSIO SAKARA

 

Round 1 ? Sakara swings wildly and falls to the mat when slipping. Leites awaits for him to reset. Leites shoots, but Sakara avoids easily. After restarting in the center of the cage, Leites chases as Sakara retreats. Sakara partially connects on a left hook that lands more as a slap then a punch, though it echoes through the near-full arena. The pace slows as the fighters stand in the center of the cage. Leites shoots, grabs a leg and trips his way to a takedown, but Sakara muscles his way free and gets back to his feet. Leites engages and swings wildly, but Sakara easily side steps the advances. He then backs away from a combination and resets as the crowd becomes restless as the stalemate. Leites keeps charging forward, and it appears Sakara may be setting him up for a counter one of these times. The fighters trade shots in the center of the cage before Leites shoots and slides across the cage with no luck. The crowd boos the effort. Leites remains calm, blocks a one-two combination and then dances with his opponent as both fighters refuse to engage. Leites feigns a shot as the round ends to an outpouring of boos. MMAjunkie.com scores a lackluster first round 10-9 for Sakara.

 

Round 2 ? A touch of gloves gets us underway. Leites partially lands an overhand right that knocks his opponent off balance, but Sakara avoids the takedown. Leites, though, secures it on the next effort and works to take his opponent's back. Sakara remains against the fence in the kneeling position so Leites can't get his hooks in. Sakara eventually rolls free and gets back to his feet. Sakara unloads a couple combos. Leites blocks, but he's rattled by the sheer force of the punches before he again takes the fight to the mat. Sakara kneels, and Leites briefly locks in a front choke from the north-south position before taking Sakara's back. Sakara sweeps, though, anf hops back to his feet. A punch knocks Leites off balance and he trips to the mat. Sakara backs away and allows him to stand again. The fighters trade punches in the center of the cage before the pace slows and the crowd again grows restless. Leites looks to clinch, but Sakara pushes him away. Sakara looks to tee off, but Leites ducks and shoots and puts Sakara on his back. Leites immediately looks to improve his position and easily takes the mount position with 40 seconds to go. Sakara tries to buck him off, and Leites works to reclaim the dominant position and finally rains down some punches and elbows (with little behind them) before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Leites.

 

Round 3 ? The fighters tentatively paw in the center of the cage before Leites fires off a straight left jab that connects. He follows with a low kick before Sakara partially lands a left as Leites backs away. Leites goes into stalker mode before Sakara circles away and angers the crowd. Leites shoots, Sakara collapses on top of him and then hops free and retreats. Leites again tries to shoot, and Sakara simply shoves him away as he slides on his knees. No action for the next minute, and the crowd becomes quite vocal with its disapproval. Sakara bounces as Leites walks after him, but neither fighter throws anything. The referee briefly stops the action and tells the fighters to engage. Leites throws a kick to the thigh and tries to drag Sakara to the mat. It works, and he takes Sakara's back before he escapes back to his feet and stands over Leites, who's still ont he mat. Sakara backs away, this time truly pissing off the crowd, and we restart. Leites catches a lazy head kick, and Sakara answers with a combo that's mostly blocked as round expires. Cal it a cop out, but neither fighter did anything to win that round, and MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-10. Alessio Sakara def. Thales Leites via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

 

JOHN HOWARD VS. TAMDAN MCCRORY

 

Round 1 ? After a touch of gloves, we're underway. McCrory slips and hits the mat after missing on a head kick, but he quickly hops back up. He finds his range with a series of punches and quickly wraps up Howard and takes him to the mat. Howard rolls his way to the top position and then stands over McCrory, who's still on his back. Howard dives in catiously and works from full guard. McCrory uses his long limbs to tie up his opponent, and Howard has nothing to offer from top position. McCrory gets to his feet and pops his opponent with a knee to the stomach a second later. McCrory throws a combo and then quickly clinches and puts Howard into the fence before sweeping him to the mat. Howard can barely contain McCrory's big frame with his short legs, and McCrory postures up. Howard gets to his feet and McCrory goes airborne to try to pull guard. Howard shoves him to the mat and then hops into full mount to take the top position. McCrory again ties him up while looking for an escape path. Howard finally unloads some punches from above, but the ref soons calls for a restart. Howard snaps off a leg kick and then shoots and puts his opponent on his back. McCrory quickly gets to his feet and puts Howard on his back as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores a close and hard-to-score round 10-9 for McCrory.

 

Round 2 ? Howard lands a low kick and then shoots and quickly scores the double-leg takedown. McCrory secures full guard, and Howard catches a breather while thinking about his next move. Howard stands over his opponent and tries to dive in, but McCrory catches an overhand right with his leg and sends Howard backward long enough to get back to his feet. A relentless Howard, though, again takes McCrory to the mat just seconds later. Howard frees a leg to get to half guard, but McCrory keeps him tied up. McCrory muscles his way free but is caught in a guillotine as he gets back to his feet. McCrory escapes, though, and takes the dominant top position. Working from inside guard, McCrory rains down some punches and frees a leg in the process. He looks to move to mount, but Howard defends and then gets to his feet. McCrory locks in a guillotine and then falls to his back, but Howard pops his head free. McCrory nearly rolls his way free, but Howard wisely assesses the position and works from inside guard. After an escape, we restart, but the fighters simply battle for position before the round ends. It's another hard one to score, but MMAjunkie.com gives the edge to Howard, 10-9.

 

Round 3 ? A touch of gloves gets the final frame started. Both fighters miss with leg kick. McCrory throws a front kick that does little. howard misses wildly with a head kick but then scores the takedown. McCrory secures full guard from his back and goes high with his guard. Howard slams McCrory out of the high guard and then gets to his feet and waits for McCrory to do the same. Howard lands a nice right, a low kick and then a shot to the stomach. McCrory sloppily shoots and then tries to throw his way to a takedown. Howard avoids going airborne and essentially falls on top of his opponent. He then stands over him and dives in with a shot. McCrory remains on his back and knows he needs to do something to win this round. Howard, though, stuffs his attempt to get back to his feet, but McCrory gets the restart from the ref soon after. Howard immediately shoots and scoops up McCrory and takes him airborne with the takedown. Howard frees a leg and looks to pass and secures the side mount position. He looks to go north-south and delivers punches to the midsection. McCrory sweeps and takes the top position with just 30 seconds to go. Howard ties him up to avoid elbow strikes and gets to his feet and wildly exchanges with his opponent before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Howard, but I wouldn't be surprised with any combination of scores on this fight.

John Howard def. Tamdan McCrory via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

 

(Due to time constraints, the UFC will next go to the pay-per-view main card. The Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley fight will now likely take swing-bout status and could take place at any point over the next couple hours.)_________________

 

[Drooke]

JOSH NEER VS. KURT PELLEGRINO

 

Round 1 ? Neer strikes first with a right, but Pellegrino quickly answers with one of his own. Neer goes high with a head kick that Pellegrino only narrowly avoids. Pellegrino, though, dips and sends his opponent airborne with a slick double-leg takedown. Neer pulls him into full guard and pushes down on his opponent's leg to move into half guard. Neer reclaims full guard and blocks his opponent's strike attempts. He then secures an arm and nearly catches Pellegrino with an armbar before the escape. Pellegrino postures up, but Neer again grabs an arm and then time has it tight. Pellegrino spikes Neer on his head and eventually works his way free. Still working from guard, Pellegrino postures up before Neer again grabs an arm and nearly secures a triangle choke. Pellegrino, though, senses it and drops back into full guard before freeing a leg. Neer looks for opportunities from his back, but Pellegrino unloads a quick flurry of punches to the gut. Neer looks to kick his way free, but Pellegrino envelops him, frees a leg and looks for sidemount. Neer pulls him back into half guard, though, and pulls Pellegrino close to avoid any damage. It's a dominant round for Pellegrino since he had Neer on his back, but he was able to do little with the position. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Pellegrino.

 

Round 2 ? A calm Neer delivers a leg kick that knocks Pellegrino off balance and then another. Pellegrino appears to have spent a lot of energy in that first round. Neer eats a couple punches but signals for more. Pellegrino shoots, Neer sprawls, but Pellegrino then connects on a few nice punches to the mug. Pellegrino shoots again. Neer initially sprawls, but Pellegrino stays at it and eventually puts his opponent on his back. Working from full guard, Pellegrino is briefly trapped in a triangle but wisely backs out of it and moves into half guard. Neer pulls him back in before Pellegrino postures up to try to drop elbows. Neer, though, avoids almost all damage from his back. Pellegrino, though, is scoring on the scorecard with the dominant position. Neer again works for the triangle choke. Pellegrino tries to twist free while delivering punches and again avoids the submission. After a scramble for position, Pellegrino takes the mount position and then his opponent's back when Neer tries to buck his way free. Pellegrino locks in his hooks but can't get in the choke. Neer checks the clock and sees he has only 20 seconds to go. Pellegrino works a few punches but can do nothing with his dominant position before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores another dominant round for Pellegrino, 10-9, though Neer remains fresh.

 

Round 3 ? Pellegrino lands a body kick that gets a nod of approval from Neer. He follows with another. Neer answers with one of his own, but the second is stuffed and allows Pellegrino again to take the fight to the ground. Neer tries to escape with a sense of urgency and then grabs an arm when he can't. Pellegrino frees it to avoid an armbar before scrambling for positioning and ending up back in full guard. Pellegrino lands a right to the face and looks for the crucifix position before Neer pulls him back in. Neer controls his opponent's wrist as Pellegrino postures up. Neer continues to avoid damage, but Pellegrino is dominant with his position. Only a small cut on his forehead shows any wear and tear from the fight as 90 seconds remain. Pellegrino frees a leg and finally connects on some punches to the head. Neer is frustrated as we enter the final minute of the fight. Pellegrino secures the mount position, but Neer rolls him off and tries to sink in a guillotine as time rounds out. Pellegrino escapes, looks for the takedown but eats a series of elbows to the head as the fight ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Pellegrino, though again, he does little damage with the dominant position. Kurt Pellegrino def. Josh Neer via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

RICARDO ALMEIDA VS. KENDALL GROVE

 

Round 1 ? A frantic Almeida shoots. Grove clinches and sprawls before delivering some knees to the body. Almeida continues working for the takedown and delivers a knee to the body. Grove tries to muscle his way free. Grove reverses the position, Almeida does the same, and Grove finally breaks free to restart. Grove throws a kick that's checked, and Almeida dips for the takedown and again puts Grove against the cage. Almeida works a single leg, but Grove backs out of it, avoids a trip and just mises a slicing elbow to the face. Almeida finally gets his takedown and works from full guard. He stands and delivers a left to the body while avoiding Grove's upkicks from his long legs. Grove works elbows to the head from below as Almeida smothers him from above. Grove rolls to his knees, and Almeida looks to take his back with 45 seconds to go. Grove secures the wrists, but Almeida then delivers knees to the body. Grove gets to his feet, delivers a knee to the body, but Almeida clings to him and then scores a big double-leg takedown before the first round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Almeida.

 

Round 2 ? Almeida follows a right hand with a shot and takedown that puts Grove on his back within 15 seconds of the start of the round. Grove ties him up with full guard and then grabs an arm-bar when Almeida gets to his feet. Grove torques the position and rolls over his opponent, but Almeida escapes to the delight of the Philadelphia crowd. Back in full guard, Almeida looks for position but can do little as Grove blocks any shots from above. Grove works elbows from below, but they largely miss wide. The pace slows as Almeida catches a breather, but he eventually unloads a flurry of punches and elbows as Grove looks to cover. Almeida frees one leg and looks to move into mount and unloads punches as Grove powers his way back to his feet. Almeida again clinches against the cage and eats an uppercut when Grive creates distance while backing away. Almeida still clings to Grove and gets a takedown before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Almeida.

 

Round 3 ? Grove works with a sense of urgency while throwing punches. Almeida slows him with leg kicks but eats a left. Almeida then connects on a stiff right to the chin, shoots and again puts Grove on his back. Grove gets back to his feet and delivers knees to the body while Almeida clings tight. Grove creates distance and looks to deliver knees from the clinch before Almeida pulls guard. Grove pops him with a few shots and then backs away and waits for Almeida to stand up. Almeida clinches, Grove puts him into the fence, and they break to restart. Almeida, though, shoots and scores another takedown. Almeida does little with the position before Grove goes high with his guard. Almeida tries to punch from full guard, but Grove deflects most of the shots as a stalemate ensues on the mat. The crowd grows restless before Grove gets back to his feet. Almeida just mises an overhand right but shoots and fails on the takedown in the final few seconds MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Almeida, who implemented the perfect game plan. Ricardo Almeida def. Kendall Grove via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 20-27)

 

JOHNNY HENDRICKS VS. AMIR SADOLLAH

 

Round 1 ? Sadollah misses high with a head kick but connects low. He charges forward with a flurry but is dropped by a right hand and shots from the clinch from Hendricks. Sadollah remains on his knees as Hendricks uncorks a storm of punches until referee Dan Miragliotta literally picks him up and tosses him to the side. The crowd boos, but Sadollah was eating shots without defending himself, and the fighters were tucked into a corner where it was tough for the ref to see. Johnny Hendricks def. Amir Sadollah via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 0:29

 

WAHOO!!!!

 

Nice, the Hoosier Riley got on the main card...

 

SHANE NELSON VS. AARON RILEY

 

Round 1 ? The swing bout finds a spot on the main card. Riley grazes Nelson with a left that causes a slip. We quickly restart, and Riley again knocks his opponent off balance with a shot. Nelson goes low with a leg kick. Riley gets the better of a clinch and delivers knees to the body before shoving his opponent into the cage. Nelson returns a knee before pushing free and restarting. Nelson partially connects on an overhand left as the pace slows. Nelson catches a kick and forces Riley to the mat, but he quickly hops back up to his feet. The fighters clinch again against the cage, but Nelson escapes before unloading a combination of punches and kicks that Riley masterfully avoids altogether. Riley clinches to deliver a knee to the body. The fighters trade largely ineffective blows before breaking the clinch and restarting. Riley catches another telegraphed kick and then does the same with an obvious takedown attempt. Nelson lands a right jab and a knee to the body before a stalemate of a clinch closes out an uneventful first round. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Riley.

 

Round 2 ? The fighters trade sloppy punches, kicks and knees that do little but knock the sweat off each other. Riley, though, charges in, pushes his opponent against the fence and lands some nice elbows. Nelson returns one of his own before breaking free of the clinch. The fighters trade punches in the center of the cage with little to show for it. This bout is sucking the energy out of the crowd. Riley lands some elbows while Nelson is against the cage. Nelson lands a couple knees from the clinch. Riley answers with some kicks a knee to the body before taking his opponent to the mat. Riley works from half guard without much to show for it. A few hammerfists are all that connect before Nelson reclaims full guard. The fighters jockey for position on the mat before the ref restarts them standing. Nelson shoots but Riley sprawls and partially connects on a couple head kicks before tossing Nelson to the mat as the second round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Riley.

 

Round 3 ? Lots of sloppy punching as the third round gets underway. Nelson looks for the takedown and can't secure it. The fighters trade more punches before Riley closes the distance. A fight in the crowd has taken the attention away from the cage, and the crowd goes nuts over something that's definitely not happening in the cage. Riley works his top game with punches and elbows. Nelson secures full guard but continues eating shots. The fight in the stands continues taking precedent over the one in the cage. Anyway, Riley closes out the fight with more damage from the top and should take the decision. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Riley.

Aaron Riley def. Shane Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

FORREST GRIFFIN VS. ANDERSON SILVA

 

Round 1 ? Both fighters stay light on their fight while measuring up the other. Griffin misses wide with a head kick. After resetting, he then fakes a low kick. Silva remains ever patient. The fighters paw before Silva catches a low kick, kicks back and tries to throw Griffin to the mat. Griffin remains on his feet and resets. Griffin again goes high and misses with a kick. Silva charges forward with a combination and then knocks Griffin down with a subsequent shot that's partially a knock down and partially a slip. Griffin waves him in for more. Silva connects. Griffin bobs and weaves and then throws a punch, and Silva counters and knocks him down again. He awaits for Griffin to get back up and shakes his hand. Surreal. Silva drops his hands, avoids a one-two and then knocks Griffin down again with a quick and short right to the chin. Silva waits a second before going in for the finish, and the ref halts it. Anderson Silva def. Forrest Griffin via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 3:23.

 

(Forrest Griffin stormed out of the cage immediately after the fight. Security tried to stop him, but he shoved his way free and ran backstage in almost a full sprint.)

 

CHAMP B.J. PENN VS. KENNY FLORIAN

 

Round 1 ? Florian goes high with a head kick that's blocked. Penn closes the distance and shoves Florian into the cage and nearly off his feet. Florian regains his balance and remains clinches against the cage with Penn before breaking free. The fighters trade jabs before a clinch in the center of the cage. Each battles for position. Florian tags Penn with an elbow before Penn pushes Florian away. Florian again misses high with a head kick and Penn charges in with a couple punches before clinching. Florian has his back to the cage as Penn works short punches to the head and body. Florian answers with knees to the body. Penn works knees to the legs, and the clinch remains before Florian shoves his way free. Florian shoots and corrals Penn around the waist and breaks free of the hold when he can do little with it. Florian lands a low kick. Florian fakes a shot, gets Penn off balance and then shoots again. Penn avoids it. Florian shoves him into the cage and then eats an elbow but returns one of his own. The fighters trade shots, and Florian eats a right and part of a flying knee before the round ends. Penn did enough in the final 20 seconds to win the round on the MMAjunkie.com scorecard, 10-9.

 

Round 2 ? Florian lands a nice inside leg kick but whiffs on the second. Penn charges forward, but Florian puts him into the cage, and the fighters battle for position against the fence before breaking apart to reset. The fighters circle and clinch in the center of the cage before breaking apart again. Florian shoots for a double-leg takedown, but Penn masterfully sprawls despite his opponent's good angle. Penn has his back against the cage, but Florian can do little with it and resets. Florian throws a front kic, and when charging in, Penn hits him with a glancing shot to the back of the head. Penn apologizes, and the fighters touch gloves.Florian shoots again, but Penn again fends off the takedown attempt with his back against the cage. Florian lands a couple punches, but Penn returns fire as the crowd gets a jolt of excitement. Florian lands a head kick that connects as a slap to the nose. Penn shows no ill effects. Penn has figured out Florian's low kick, and Florian now knows it. Florian with a nice left from distance and a quick leg kick that partially connects before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores another close round for Florian, 10-9, this time.

 

Round 3 ? Florian goes high with a head kick that Penn deflects just in time. Penn closes the distance and misses on his first two punches and gets the third. Florian clinches and puts Penn against the cage. Penn works knees to the body and legs, though he has little behind them. Florian works for the single-leg takedown relentlessly and then dips for two. Penn again fends it off with his superior balance. Florian sticks on him for another 30 seconds before breaking and getting partially hit with a knee to the body. After the restart, a stalemate ensues while each fighter circles in the center of the cage. Florian dips for a single-leg and again crashes Penn into the fence. Penn breaks away with a punch and then charges in for another than Florian avoids. Florian shoots again for the single leg. Penn again avoids it with his back to the cage, but Florian continues working at it. Penn reverses the position and then tags Florian with a couple quick punches on the break. Back to the center of the cage, and Penn lands a Superman punch with little behind it before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores a very close one for Penn, 10-9.

 

 

Round 4 ? Time to see if Penn's conditioning is as good as he says. Florian shoots early as we enter the championship rounds, but Penn easily avoids it. Florian shoots again and puts Penn against the fence in a familiar spot. Penn throws a short elbow looking for a cut and then unloads a couple quick punches before getting his own takedown. Penn frees a leg and works from half guard while Florian goes to his side with his stomach toward his opponent. Penn drops a couple quick elbows to Florian's head and causes some serious swelling (but no bleeding) around the eye area. Penn nearly takes the mount position, but Florian pulls back in a leg. Penn drops a forearm to the chops and then takes the mount position and drops a couple punches as Florian covers up and rolls over. Penn takes his back, locks in a body triangle and looks for the choke. Florian rolls to his back and then again to his knees and gives up his back again. Penn slips on the rear-naked choke and forces the tapout. B.J. Penn def. Kenny Florian via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 4, 3:54 (to defend lightweight title)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MattM]

Hendricks love to try and get the stand up KO.  Sounds like the fight was stopped slightly early, but it was very one sided at that point.

[Drooke]

Matt,  I loved the quote in Junkie's breakdown.."Sadollah remains on his knees as Hendricks uncorks a storm of punches until referee Dan Miragliotta literally picks him up and tosses him to the side. "

 

 

[MattM]

I can just picture Johny with a sadistic smile the entire time he's laying into Amir.  He has really embraced the striking game (maybe to a fault) and getting a quick win over TUF champ I'm sure is feeding that KO obsession.

 

Good to see Riley getting a hard fought win too.

[Drooke]

I couldn't agree with ya more. Did you catch this article?

 

Newcomer Johny Hendricks views UFC 101 bout with Amir Sadollah as a win-win situation

by John Morgan on Aug 07, 2009 at 9:10 pm ET

So, when Saturday night's "UFC 101: Declaration" main card kicks off, who's dealing with the most pressure?

 

Is it "The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah (1-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), fighting for just the second time in his professional career? Or is it WEC-import Johny Hendricks (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), making his organizational debut in front of a raucous Philadelphia crowd?

 

Former collegiate wrestling champion Hendricks recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that answer is easy.

 

"I look at it as a great opportunity," Hendricks said of the fight. "That's the UFC's pride and joy right there. If I come in here and I lose, hey, I lost to their 'TUF 7' winner. It's supposed to happen. I go in there and I beat him, hey, now they're going to look at me and say, 'Hey, OK. Maybe we should put some time and effort into this guy.'"

 

Though it will be his third fight for Zuffa, having earned a 2-0 record in the WEC before that organization's welterweight division was dissolved, Saturday's contest will be Hendricks' first in the UFC. But it will also be Sadollah's first since his June 2008 'TUF 7' win.

 

"I have no pressure," Hendricks said. "Win or lose, I walk in there and I have a name now. I'm fighting on a great card and with a great opponent. No matter what happens, my name's on the board now."

 

With a lifetime of wrestling behind him, Hendricks will certainly enjoy an advantage in that department. Sadollah supporters point to the "TUF' winner's jiu-jitsu as his opportunity for the win, but Hendricks said he's not concerned.

 

"I've studied all of [sadollah's] tapes," Hendricks said. "I know that his armbars are good, but I'm also working with Marc Laimon at Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu ? one of the best in the game. My armbar is there.

 

"I don't plan on staying in his guard. A lot of wrestlers like to play the guard, and that's where it can get dangerous. If you fight somebody like Amir, you've got to pass his guard. That's with any jiu-jitsu guy."

 

Hendricks points to his March win over Alex Serdyukov as an example of his ground prowess.

 

"[serdyukov] was a brown belt," Hendricks said. "I was easily able to pass his guard.

 

"He was dangerous. He's a very tough dude. I easily passed his guard, and he didn't want to play jiu-jitsu with me anymore. He wanted to stand back up. I was like, 'Alright, that's fine with me.'"

 

Hendricks said his striking game, often the last phase of the game world-class wrestlers truly pick up, is also progressing nicely.

 

"I believe I can win this fight," Hendricks said. "It's a great fight for me. [sadollah's] wrestling is not that great. His jiu-jitsu? I work with Marc Laimon, so my jiu-jitsu's right there, if not better.

 

"And my stand-up game? I've been working with Kenny Hahn over at Striking Unlimited and with Ron Frazier and Shawn Tompkins at Xtreme Couture. I'm working out with these top-of-the-line striking coaches, and my game has gotten so much better in the last four to five weeks with Kenny Hahn and doing nothing but striking four days a week."

 

Hendricks and Sadollah briefly crossed paths at Xtreme Couture, but the Oklahoma native said what little his opponent saw will be useless on Saturday night.

 

"We've sparred a couple of times, but I don't even remember," Hendricks said. "But if he remembers those sparring days and he's banking off that, then he's in for a rude awakening. I've gotten better."

 

Bottom line, though it may be his first trip to the UFC, Hendricks promises to be relaxed and ready to perform at his best.

 

"I think it's a great [fight] for me," Hendricks said. "The UFC throws testers out there (for 'TUF' winners). I'm one of those testers.

 

"(The UFC thinks,) 'OK, if [sadollah] beats him, then we can move him up. If he loses to him, then we'll move Johny up.' No matter what, it's a win-win."

 

[Drooke]

Enjoy while it lasts...

Anderson Silva KO Forrest Griffin

 

[Drooke]

That is beyond pathetic.  I hope the rest of the fight yields the reason why.

[Smooth34]

 

FORREST GRIFFIN VS. ANDERSON SILVA

 

Round 1 ? Both fighters stay light on their fight while measuring up the other. Griffin misses wide with a head kick. After resetting, he then fakes a low kick. Silva remains ever patient. The fighters paw before Silva catches a low kick, kicks back and tries to throw Griffin to the mat. Griffin remains on his feet and resets. Griffin again goes high and misses with a kick. Silva charges forward with a combination and then knocks Griffin down with a subsequent shot that's partially a knock down and partially a slip. Griffin waves him in for more. Silva connects. Griffin bobs and weaves and then throws a punch, and Silva counters and knocks him down again. He awaits for Griffin to get back up and shakes his hand. Surreal. Silva drops his hands, avoids a one-two and then knocks Griffin down again with a quick and short right to the chin. Silva waits a second before going in for the finish, and the ref halts it. Anderson Silva def. Forrest Griffin via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 3:23.

 

(Forrest Griffin stormed out of the cage immediately after the fight. Security tried to stop him, but he shoved his way free and ran backstage in almost a full sprint.)

 

 

Wow...who is left for Silva?  Machida?  Anyone?

[MattM]

I think I'd run out of the ring pissed if I was Griffin too after getting embarassed like that.  Silva wasn't exactly in top shape (added extra pounds on flab over muscle),  he toyed around with Forrest dodging everything that was thrown, he dropped his hands multiple times even offering to help Griffin up when he went down and wanted to stay there, and still managed to rock him whenever he felt like it.  

 

I think by now it's clear that the UFC need to find a huge challenge that Silva will accept because if not he's just not going to worry much about the rest of his contracted fights.  Seems like he's burned out from training hard becuase no one is presenting a much of a fight worth working hard for.   Find a way to make a GSP fight work or the top two or three guys in the light heavy weight division is about the UFC can do to present Silva with something to work for.

[TripleB]

If nothing else, fanboy nation should have been silenced last night. Anderson Silva and BJ aka The TUF Killa's!

[MattM]

Those two along with GSP are mostly the UFC killa's in general.  Well when Penn is motivated to fight at least.

[JakeandBreighton]

I'd love to see Machida vs Silva. I'll take Machida.

[devildog47959]

 

 

Wow...who is left for Silva?  Machida?  Anyone?

 

Anderson Silva is the absoulte best fighter in the world at any weight class. He is undefeated in the UFC and i donot see him gettin beat anytime soon his skills are un matched....  he has nobody left to fight at 185 and nobody at 205 willbeat him so righ tnow he owns 2 weight classes the only true challenge left would be a GSP fight i reallyhope the Dana White can get this fight done if they could meet at an agreed weight like 177 or something it wouldwork out.  both fighters r so good it would b an absolute brawl

[devildog47959]

how do i up-load a picture?? does it have 2 be an online pic or can b a personal photo i have on my computer??

[Smooth34]

 

 

Wow...who is left for Silva?  Machida?  Anyone?

 

Anderson Silva is the absoulte best fighter in the world at any weight class. He is undefeated in the UFC and i donot see him gettin beat anytime soon his skills are un matched....  he has nobody left to fight at 185 and nobody at 205 willbeat him so righ tnow he owns 2 weight classes the only true challenge left would be a GSP fight i reallyhope the Dana White can get this fight done if they could meet at an agreed weight like 177 or something it wouldwork out.  both fighters r so good it would b an absolute brawl

 

It doesn't make sense for them to fight at a catch-weight because no title would be on the line.  How do you have two titles holders fight each other without a title being on the line?

 

I would love a GSP-Silva fight, but it's not happening unless GSP comes up to 185 and I don't see that fight happening for a while.  GSP even admitted he would need a year to get his body right for such a fight. 

[MattM]

Not sure if it makes sense to fight for at title on the line either since that could leave one guy with the very hard task of defending two titles at the same time.  The hype of the fight itself is enough to sell the tickets and PPV buys without a title even being in the picture.  Sure it would be cool for it to be a title fight, but that could create more issues than is needed.

[TripleB]

No reason for GSP to take the fight, Anderson is way to big for him. Let Anderson keep dabling in 205 and if Machida ever gets beat, Set up a champion vs champion match. Some intriguing fights still for Anderson. Him and Wanderlai have some beef, Henderson rematch, Vitor if he gets past Franklin, and you also got Jackson, Vera, Jardine, Evans, maybe a last match for Chuck, at any rate a good 2-3 years worth of fights before a possible GSP match.