Tonight, UFC presents UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main event of the evening is a welterweight encounter between B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch. Also on the card, Michael Bisping squares off with Jorge Rivera in a middleweight fight, while lightweights Dennis Siver and George Sotiropoulos clash.
Follow our round by round updates and results beginning tonight at 9 PM ET with the ION Television preliminary bouts. Be sure to tune to http://facebook.com/ufc at 8 PM ET for two other fights as well.
UFC 127 Main Card
Live on Pay Per View at 10 PM ET
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BJ Penn vs. Jon Fitch
Round 1
Penn charges in, Fitch throws a kick but Penn is thinking take down. They are smashed up against the cage. Fitch throws a few knees and then punches him on the ass. They exchange knee,s Fitch turns it around and presses Penn up against the cage. Fitch is grinding to get Penn down. Fitch drops a level but still can’t get it. Penn is still up against the cage. Fitch misses a punch and Penn turns it into a take down. Penn takes Fitch’s back. Penn has the body triangle on. Fitch is up to his knees. Fitch rolls back into the cage and Penn grabs the rear naked choke. Fitch gets out of the hold and turns into his guard. Fitch throws a few elbows. Penn pushes him off, Fitch runs back in and presses Penn into the age. Fitch is trying to get one more take down before the end of the round. Fitch releases the attempt and the round ends. 10-9 Penn in an ultra close round.
Round 2
Fitch throws a kick, Penn returns with a knee which Fitch turns into a take down. Fitch begins to drop knees on the shins. Penn stands up and tries to land an elbow. Tie up against the cage with Fitch in control. Fitch throws an elbow and tries to parlay it into a double leg take down. There seems to be some blood coming from Fitch. Fitch’s nose may be broken. Fitch lands an elbow and a shot to the face. Penn gets a take down of his own and then takes the back again. He gets both hooks in and looks to steal the round. Once again he goes for the rear naked choke. Fitch rolls and takes control just like in the last round. Fitch lands an elbow and then a few more. Fitch starts raining shots on BJ’s body. Penn can’t manage to push Fitch off. Finally he lands there just as the round ends. 10-9 Fitch, close again.
Round 3
Fitch wails on Penn with a huge shot and then gets a hard earned take down. He finds himself in Penn’s guard and starts doing damage to the body. Penn pushes him off stands up, and then gets taken to the mat again. Penn stands up easily but in the process Fitch takes his back and pushes him back down. Penn has something of a half guard going as Fitch continues to win this round. Fitch is wearing Penn down and we’ll see where he cardio goes from here. Fitch continues to pummel Penn doing exactly what he does best. Penn seems to be having trouble defending himself. 2 minutes left in the fight. Penn looks to be rather miserable. Fitch is just swinging relentlessly on his opponent. Penn kind of tries a triangle but it goes nowhere. Fitch is now landing shots on Penn’s face. Penn has been on his back for almost the entire round. Fitch slowly begins to build towards an arm triangle then abandons it. More beatings from Fitch as the round and the fight comes to an end. 10-9 Fitch though maybe it was more lopsided than that. 29-28 Fitch on our scorecard.
Jon Fitch and BJ Penn ends in a majority draw (29-28 Fitch, 28-28, 28-28)
Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera
Round 1
Rivera obviously looking for the big shot early. Bisping comes back swinging hard. Bisping goes for the take down and gets it. Rivera stands up quickly and the boxing resumes. Rivera clips him on the chin. Bisping still feeling out his opponent. Bisping gets another take down. Bisping looking to land elbows from the top. Bisping stands up and lands a standing punch. Rivera goes to stand up and Bisping kills him with an illegal knee to the forehead of a grounded Rivera. The ref stops the action and the doctor comes in to check on River’a status. Rivera says that he can continue the fight. 1 point deduction for Bisping. Rivera lands a kick to the shoulder. He seems wobbly but time will tell. Bisping goes for a take down but Rivera blocks it. Bisping goes for another take down but in this case Rivera pulls him into his guard. Rivera stands up and Bisping wails on him against the cage. The round ends. 9-9 tie due to the point deduction.
Round 2
They exchange leg kicks to start. Rivera rocks him with a solid hook. Bisping lands a major right. RIvera is in trouble and starts to cover. Bisping begins to unload with fists and knees. Rivera continues to just turtle and Bisping just wails away on him. Rivera drops to a knee and Bisping smells blood. He continues to hit him at will until the ref steps in and ends the fight. Afterwards Bisping confronts Rivera and demands an apology from him before telling him to go home.
Michael Bisping def. Jorge Rivera via TKO (Round 2, punches, 1:54)
Dennis Siver vs. George Sotiropoulos
Round 1
Feeling out process to start, crowd chanting “Georgie” very loudly. Inside leg kick for Siver. Sotiropoulos hits a combo that dazes Siver for a second. Siver throws a kick but Sotiropoulos catches it and backs him up to the cage with it. Siver displays his balance. Siver gets his leg free and lands a shot right on Sotiropoulos’ jaw. Leg kick from Siver. Spinning heel kick from Siver that misses. Siver then lands another punch to the face that hurts Soriropoulos. Then a short left hook drops Sotiropoulos. George stands back up but Siver punches him and drops him again. He pounces on him to try and finish but Sotiropoulos ties him up to save himself. Siver has his leg kick caught, counters with a huge swinging right that misses. Sotiropoulos goes for a big head kick but also misses. 10-9 Siver.
Round 2
Sotiropoulos comes out aggressively. Siver charges forward, Sotiropoulos tries to exploit but can’t. The fighters box with neither grabbing a real advantage. Sotiropoulos goes for a take down but Siver shrugs him off. Head kick for Siver that is partially blocked. Sotiropoulos goes for a single leg take down but Siver escapes without much effort. Lots of punches thrown, most of them are misses. Sotiropoulos hits a nice combo and the crowd responds. Siver rejects another take down. Combo of his own for Siver. They exchange near the end of the round, Sotiropoulos does a bit more damage. Super close, I’ll say 10-9 Sotiropoulos. It was a lot closer than round 1 but that won’t do Siver a bit of good.
Round 3
Inside leg kick for Siver that he combines with a face kick. Sotiropoulos goes for a single leg but Siver simply will not be taken down tonight. Front kick for Siver when Sotiropoulos came in for a take down. Siver is doing a great job of keeping the fight standing. Sotiropoulos catches yet another kick but still can’t get things to the mat. Sotiropoulos lands a nice shot to the face but Siver just keeps swinging. Another take down attempt by Sotiropoulos goes bust. Siver hits a beautiful combo. Siver lands a nice jab.Siver hits a nice spinning back kick which pushes Sotiropoulos back but the kick gets caught. Still Sotiropoulos can do nothing with the advantage. Leg kick from Siver. 45 seconds left in the fight. Misses jab by Siver. Sotiropoulos continues to box to no avail. 10-9 Siver giving him the fight 29-28 on our scorecard.
Dennis Siver def. George Sotiropoulos by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-28, 30-27)
Chris Lytle vs. Brian Ebersole
Round 1
Weird start with a cartwheel type kick to start, doesn’t phase Lytle. Ebersole continues to move around the cage like a weirdo. He throws a quick shin kick, Lytle hits with a few body blows. Ebersole misses a leg kick, Lytle goes for a take down but Ebersole bounces off the cage and breaks it. Tie up, Lytle grabs a guillotine choke that looks very dangerous. He holds it for a few seconds, but Ebersole rolls away from it. Lylte keeps the choke in place, Ebersole rolls again and begins to work on his own D’Arce choke. The two lay on the ground together without much movement. Ebersole goes to stand up but Lytle catches him in another guillotine choke but Ebersole pops his head out. Ebersole then gets a sluggish take down and Lytle attempts another choke. He risks burning his arms out. Lytle has been cut somewhere on his face. The round ends with Ebersole on top landing shots with his shoulder. 10-9 Lytle.
Round 2
Lots of feeling out to begin with. Ebersole hits a leg kick that is fairly nasty. Lytle comes in rough throwing massive hooks to Ebersole’s body. He turns it on again, the punches are vicious. Ebersole dives for a take down but it is blocked. Jab by Ebersole. Ebersole continues his weird behavior by shooting someone in the crowd. Ebersole then nails a crazy knee to the face and Lytle goes down hard. He swarms him and starts a flurry of punches. Lytle stays awake. Ebersole then goes for a sitting D’Arce choke. Lytle is hurt bad. Lytle back to his feet, Ebersole grabs the clinch and nails a big right hand. Ebersole slams him, Lytle attempts the guillotine choke but can’t close it. Ebersole is in full guard and throwing punches. He goes back to the shoulder blows from above to end a great round. 10-9 Ebersole.
Round 3
Ebersole opens with his crazy kick again. They never works but A for creativity. Lytle opens up with a flurry of shots. The two wrestle their way on to the ground. Lytle obviously goes for the guillotine but it doesn’t work. The two stand up, Lytle again goes for the guillotine, this one looks like it might have legs. He rolls his over and transforms his choke. Lytle moves back to the guillotine, Ebersole gets out and is now in a dominant position. It doesn’t last as Lytle stands up and they are back to a tie up on the cage. Ebersole gains control and pushes Lytle up against the cage. Lytle looks gassed and Ebersole tries to take advantage. Tie up on the cage, Ebersole lands a weak elbow to the face. The ref stops the action due to mouthpiece about a minute after Ebersole lost it. 1 minute left in the fight. Lytle lands a kick, Ebersole wisely pushes him up against the cage and wins a takedown. Ebersole is trying to keep Lytle down, he lands a sharp elbow that splits Lytle wide open. The fight ends. 10-9 Ebersole in a close round and a close fight. 29-28 for Ebersole on our scorecard.
Brian Ebersole def. Chris Lytle via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Kyle Noke vs. Chris Camozzi
Round 1
Noke strikes first with a straight right. Leg kicks from Camozzi. Camozzi charges with some body kicks, Noke shakes it off and scores a slomo take down. THe crowd goes wild. Camozzi works hard to get out, Noke spins away takes the back. He puts the hooks in and gets the rear naked choke on and earns the submission victory almost instantly.
Kyle Noke def. Chris Camozzi via submission (Round 1, rear naked choke, 1:35)
Welcome to the UFC 127 Prelims on ION Television. Should be fun times and we’re getting a good match to start.
Preliminary Fights on ION Television
Inside Fights coverage begins at 9 PM ET
Spencer Fisher vs Ross Pearson
Round 1
The two start off by feeling each other out, Fisher is coming out harder. Outside leg kick for Pearson, follows up with a three punch combo. Leg kick again for Pearson. Hook by Pearson, blocked. Pearson then goes for another combo but can’t put it together. Taunting from FisherThe two trade punches that land on the arm. Pearson goes for a kick, Disher catches his leg and nails a takedown. Pearson goes for an armbar, Fisher tries to lift and slam but Pearson gets out of it. Back in the stand up, Pearson lands an outside leg kick. Big hook by Fisher, miss. Jabbing from both. Fisher moves in with some punches then tries to land a knee. Pearson goes for a hook, Fisher blocks it then taunts him again. Leg kick from Fisher. 10-9 Fisher in a close round that saw neither of them control the action.
Round 2
Fisher pushes forward hard again, Pearson seems a little timid. Rogan claims that Fisher is out there playing for Fight of the Night. Fisher hits two jabs and Pearson counters with a leg kick. Pearson then lands a nice jab, kick combo. Fisher throws a hard right but misses. Body kick by Pearson and then a straight right. Leg kick from Pearson, Fishes acts as though he’s going for the Superman but then pulls out. Pearson keeps the action going with a jab and then a crazy body kick. Pearson goes for the takedown but Fisher finds some relief from the Octagon. Pearson turns it on near the end of the round. Another closely contested round comes to an end. 10-9 Pearson which ties things up heading into the final frame.
Round 3
Fisher comes out jabbing. Outside leg kick from Pearson. Huge shot from Pearson is ducked under by Fisher. Pearson ties him up against the cage and tries for the takedown. He gets it but Fisher quickly wall walks to get back up. The fighters find their way to the center of the cage. Pearson lands a shot to the top of Fisher’s head which may have done more damage to his hand. Pearson goes for a takedown but Fisher sprawls out of it. Fisher lands a nice right on the nose of Pearson. A boxing match breaks out with both combatants landing nice hard shots. Pearson hits a kick for the stomach. More boxing and more taunting from Fisher. THis time Pearson catches the kick and takes Fisher down. Fisher gets up but Pearson gets another one this one up against the side of the cage. Fisher is dying to stand back up but it isn’t meant to be. End of round. 10-9 Pearson making the fight 29-28 Pearson on our scorecards.
Ross Pearson def. Spencer Fisher by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
James Te Huna vs Alexander Gustafsson
Round 1
The two run in and tie up immediately. Struggle for a few seconds, Te Huna gets the takedown and very quickly moves in side control. Te Huna goes for a crucifix, can’t quite get it but still lands a nice series of shots to the head of Gustafsson. Te Huna moves into full guard, lands a huge right on the jaw. Gusafsson gets back up but Te Huna attacks and pushes him back up against the cage. Gustafsson tries for a guillotine choke, can’t make it work but then scores a big takedown. Te Huna stands back up when Gustafsson goes for a kimura. The two wrestle their way back down to the ground, Gustafsson rolls around and gets a very impressive rear naked choke, Te Huna miraculously squirms out of it. Full mount for Gustafsson, Te Huna rolls to avoid it which allows Gustafsson to get his hooks in and choke Te Huna out for the victory.
Alexander Gustafsson def. James Te Huna via submission (Round 1, rear naked choke, 4:27)
Nick Ring vs Riki Fukuda
Round 1
Outside leg kick from Ring. Another one, no damage. Ring pushing the action, another outside leg kick. Fukuda shoots and gets the takedown against the Octagon. Fukuda goes for side control but Ring counters, goes for an armbar then transitions into a triangle attempt. Ring continues to work on the arm from the bottom. Ring tries to butterfly away but Fukuda was too quick and takes him down again. The action stands back up. Ring keeps on with the leg kicks. Fukuda comes back with a combo of his own, he’s starting to look tired though. Ring goes for a Muay Thai knee but doesn’t quite nail it. Fukuda shoots again but this one is stuffed by Ring. Ring racks up another outside leg kick. Fukuda hits a mild uppercut. The two exchange blows nobody shows any damage however. Fukuda shoots again and gets this take down possibly securing the round for himself. We’ll go 10-9 Fukuda in a closely contested round.
Round 2
Ring opens with his outside leg kicks. Fukuda scores another takedown though he is unable to keep Ring down for very long. Fukuda lands an uppercut but then walks into a hook from Ring. Ring seems only interested in the standup though his aggression doesn’t seem to be there. The two tie up in the clinch, Ring lands a few short blows. Another leg kick for Ring, and another. The crowd starts to boo. Few shots from Fukuda to try and end hot, Ring ties him up to slow things down. 10-9 for Ring.
Round 3
Fukuda grabs a quick takedown and starts to pound, Ring gets up after a few seconds. Ring has a nasty welt under his right eye. Fukuda is keeping the pressure on with the striking. Outside leg kick from Ring but Fukuda moves in on it and gets another takedown. Ring struggles to get back to his feet, Fukuda tries for a front choke, can’t get it and instead wrestles the action back down to the ground. Rogan continues to rag on Ring for fighting lethargically. Fukuda on top and dominating the action. A minute left in the fight. Fukuda is working on an arm triangle, while Ring goes for an armbar and the crowd is supremely displeased. Referee Leon Roberts stands the action up with 15 seconds left. Fukuda plays it safe and runs out the clock. 10-9 Fukuda in the easiest round to score. Inside Fights has the fight scored 29-28 for Riki Fukuda.
Nick Ring def. Riki Fukuda by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Mark Hunt beat Chris Tuchscherer via knockout (R2, punches, 1:41)
Curt Warburton defeated Maciej Jewtuszko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Fights on Facebook
(Begin at 8 PM ET on Facebook.com/UFC)
Tiequan Zhang submitted Jason Reinhardt (R1, guillotine choke, 0:48)
Anthony Perosh beat Tom Blackledge via submission (R1, rear naked choke, 2:45)
