IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT’S TIME! Live from The Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
All updates will be in those cute little italics letters…let’s get it on!
First Fight: Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Jason “The Punisher” Lambert
Babalu has the height and reach advantage, for what it’s worth.
Round 1: Quick flurry and take down from Babalu to open the round which leads to a solid ground game and near rear naked choke before Lambert stands up with about 50 seconds left in the round. Lambert then gets some shots in, cutting Babalu open and then just UNLOADS. Babalu saved by the bell.
Round 2: Babalu still looks out of it and gets taken down against the cage early to start the round. McCarthy stands them up due to non actions with 1:33 left in the round and Lambert WRECKS Babalu with a left hook, knocking him out. McCarthy stops the fight at 3:36 of the second round.
Winner: Jason “The Punisher” Lambert via knockout at 3:36 into the second round.
Second Fight: Matt Hughes vs. Chris “Lights Out” Lytle
Lytle has the height and age (not big: 1 year) advantage, for what it’s worth.
Round 1: Back and forth ground action with Lytle taking an early advantage with a guillotine attempt. Hughes eventually takes control and almost locks Lytle into the position that he took BJ Penn out with, 1 arm trapped between the legs and the elbows raining to the side of the head. I’ll name it The Crucifix, for style and a cheap plug for my wrestling column. Lytle slips out but almost winds up in an armbar from Hughes as the round ends.
Round 2: Hughes goes to work, taking Lytle down and cutting him open to the side of the right eye. He gets full guard but Lytle nicely reverses off the cage and takes top on Hughes. Not much doing for Lytle and Hughes gets him over and takes control again. Hughes is dominant, but not enough to take Lytle out before the round ends.
Round 3: To the ground they go with Hughes taking side control. Action is slow and the crowd responds in kind. Hughes goes for an Americana but gives up quick. Action stays slow with Hughes controlling and Lytle trying to find a way out. Hughes goes for an armbar out of nowhere with 10 seconds left but drops it and Lytle takes top as the bell rings.
Scorecard: Should be academic for Hughes:
Card 1: 30-27 Hughes
Card 2: 30-27 Hughes
Card 3: 30-27 Hughes
Winner: Matt Hughes via unanimous decision
Third Fight: Rich Franklin Vs. Jason MacDonald
MacDonald has the height and reach advantage. Franklin has the crowd advantage, being from Cincinnati, Ohio for what it’s worth.
Round 1: MacDonald goes for a take down early but can’t get it, which leads to a little flurry from Franklin. They get into a clinching game against the cage that goes nowhere. They break off that and go toe to toe, with Franklin getting the better of it. They clinch up again and Franklin takes him down and UNLOADS. Herb “Whoops” Dean doesn’t call it and they stand back up. MacDonald shoots and takes Franklin down with 30 seconds left. Franklin reverses with 15 seconds left and they stay there until the bell. Franklin looks winded as he goes to the corner.
Round 2: MacDonald goes for a take down, grabbing a single leg, which Franklin fights off of. MacDonald finally gets it and looks to lock a submission in. Franklin reverses it and takes side control. Franklin eventually moves into full mount and tees off. To no avail and he slides back into semi-side control and then back to full mount. MacDonald rolls over and gives his back while Franklin rains down blows. The blows get slower as Franklin tires and MacDonald looks to survive. He does, barely, and they go to round 3. Franklin looks gassed and MacDonald looks wobbly.
In the corner in between rounds, MacDonald’s camp throws in the towel and it’s over.
Winner: Rich Franklin via TKO (MacDonald unable to continue.)
Rich Franklin wants Anderson Silva and Silva makes his way to the octagon. Silva puts Franklin over and hopes to fight Franklin again. Franklin puts him over in return and says that Dana White just told him they could have the rematch in Cincinnati.
Fourth Fight: Drew McFedries Vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann
McFedries has a slight reach advantage (1 inch) and Kampmann, depsite the nickname, is not wearing pink and black for what it’s worth.
Round 1: McFedries kocks him down early with a hook and looks to end it, but Kampmann makes his way back up. McFedries catches him with some rights against the cage that start the swelling on Kampmann. Kampmann makes a move and takes McFedries down and gets side control. Kampmann lands some knees and few good elbows. He slides over and LOCKS on an arm triangle TIGHT and McFedries is OUT.
Winner: Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann via submission at 4:06 into the 1st round.
Kampmann gets the line of the night, saying “I feel good man, he hits f*cking hard.”
5th Fight: Main Event – World Heavyweight Title Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (C) vs. Randy “The Natural” Couture
For you betting folks, the odds over at Gamblers Palace as of 11:30pm EST were:
RANDY COUTURE +220
TIM SYLVIA -290
As we all know, Sylvia has a friggin’ 6 inch height, 41 pound weight and a 12 inch reach advantage…not to mention 13 years in age…for what it’s worth.
Round 1: Couture ROCKS Sylvia and he goes down! Couture rains down blows as Sylvia gets back up and Couture takes him down again and takes his back! Couture wraps in a light body scissors and attempts a choke but can’t get it in. They hold the position with Couture having Sylvia’s back from the bottom. Couture gets some wrap-around punches and a few elbows to the side of the head, making progress but no serious damage. Couture tries hard to lock in the choke but can’t get it as the round ends.
Round 2: They trade some shots standing up and Couture shoots. Blocked by Sylvia and they clinch against the cage. Couture takes him down and moves into guard, hitting Sylvia with some straight shots. Sylvia fights out and Randy hits some shots from the standing position with Sylvia legs up on his back. He moves back into Sylvia’s guard and they slow down. McCarthy stands them up with 30 seconds left in the round. Randy comes over the top with a left hook and Sylvia hits a knee that Couture catches and takes Sylvia down as the round ends.
Round 3: They go toe to toe which Sylvia initially gets the best of. Couture comes over the top with some shots and keeps moving, avoiding any shots from Sylvia with a nice bob and weave style. Couture keeps TAGGING Sylvia over the top and while the fear is there for a big shot from Sylvia, Couture is dominating this fight STANDING UP as well as on the ground. They dance some more with Randy nailing most of his shots and ducking out of Sylvia’s shots as the round ends.
Round 4: Couture shoots, blocked by a sprawl but Couture stays persistent and takes him down, moving into Sylvia’s guard. No action and McCarthy stands them up. Sylvia goes for a clinch, Couture ducks out, takes him down and grabs side control. They slide and Couture gets full mount with 55 seconds left in the round. Sylvia slips out and clinches face to face on the ground. They stand and Couture gets a couple of jabs in as the round ends.
Round 5: They clinch into the cage and Couture powers him down and goes into half guard. Sylvia slips out, looks to grab a leg and Couture cuts back into side control. Sylvia tries to slip around using the cage but it doesn’t work out for him. Couture drags some knees into the body and some elbows to the side of the head. Sylvia tries to slip underneath but Couture takes full mount. Sylvia rolls to his back and stands but Couture takes him down AGAIN. Sylvia has a mouse over his left eye the size of something in the South Bronx projects and Randy holds Sylvia down in full guard. He stands as the bell rings. PURE DOMINANCE FORM COUTURE.
Card 1: 50 – 45 Couture
Card 2: 50 – 45 Couture
Card 3: 50 – 45 Couture
Winner and NEW UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD – Randy “The Natural” Couture
Personal note: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING work from Couture. Pure dominance. Like everyone else, I’m speechless.
Couture: “Not bad for an old man.” Indeed Captain America, indeed.
Final Results:
– Jason “The Punisher” Lambert def. Renato “Babalu” Sobral via KO 3:36 1st Round
– Matt Hughes def. Chris “Lights Out” Lytle via unanimous decision
– Rich “Ace” Franklin def. Jason MacDonald via TKO after Round 2 (Macdonald unable to continue)
– Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann def. Drew McFedries via submission, 4:06 1st Round
– Randy “The Natural” Couture def. Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia via unanimous decision. Couture NEW UFC Heavyweight Champion
It’s been a pleasure, keep it here on Inside Fights for the results from the undercard in the coming hours.
