The PPV Countdown has begun with a focus on Mir/Lesnar and some on GSP.
I’ll be blogging this evening’s festivities here on Inside Fights and we have Brian Oswald cageside in Las Vegas tweeting all the action, which you can find over on the right sidebar.
Matches before the PPV start, results from Brian live from Las Vegas:
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty
Winner: Gugerty by guillotine
C.B. Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
Winner Lawlor by guillotine
TJ Grant vs Don Hyun Kim
TJ Grant and Don Hyun Kim fought a good first round. Only about 30 percent of the crowd is here but they are chanting and cheering. Kim just got kicked in the crotch and the ref takes a point from Grant. The crowd boos. Kim wins round two 10 to 8. Kim is dominating Grant in the third. Kim is clearly the more well rounded fighter. Grant is tough but Kim wins 30-26
Winner: Kim by decision
Jon Jones vs. Jake O’Brien
O’Brien comes out to some old school N.W.A. Very gansta of the irish fighter. Jon Jones enters the cage to applause. Is Jones the future of the division? We are about to find out. Jones had some good leg kicks and sprawl. The action is slower then expected. O’Brien looks frustrated. 10-9 for Jones. Jones winning style points but neither fighter is doing damage. Jones lands tight spinning elbow and stuns O’Brien! Jones follows O’Brien to the ground and ends up forcing him to tapout. They call it a guillotine but it almost looked like a darce. Jones made O’Brien look completely ineffective. The 21 year old has said he is learning as he goes. Who’s next in his education?
Winner: Jones by guillotine
Jim Miller vs Danzig
Jim Miller comes out to “Bad Moon Rising” while Danzing comes out to Cyprus Hill? This should be a scrappy fight. Miller gets a big takedown and has top control for most of the round. Gets some good ground and pound. Danzing all bloody. Miller gets another nice takedown in the second round and top controls. Danzing’s face is a bloody mess. Miller is a little energizer bunny Another big takedown and Miller falls into a guillotine as the bell sounds. We go to round 3. Danzing’s shorts are red white and blue. The red is thanks to a whole lot of blood! Miller trying to sink in rear naked choke. Miller gets a big win after the Maynard loss while you have to wonder if Danzing can cut weight. Time for the WEC?
Winner: Miller
Steven Bonnar vs. Mark Coleman
Coleman will be out of the UFC with a loss and should retire. Bonnar has to win to remain relevant. Coleman comes out to ACDC “Hells Bells.” Its do or die time for the UFC hall of famer vs the TUF 1 star. Coleman gets big take down and gets a lot of top control but nothing else. The crowd chants Coleman. Coleman bloodies Bonnar with ground and pound. The first round was close but Coleman dominates the second. The god father of ground and pound gets a standing ovation as the third round starts! Coleman dominates from top position and is on his way to major upset. Coleman takes the back and went for choke as time runs out. Another standing ovation for Coleman as he wins 29-28. Will Coleman retire on a high note or look for one more fight?
Winner: Coleman by decision
PPV Matches/Coverage
Alan Belcher vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
The announcers note that Akiyama’s nickname in Japan is Sexyama and he sings concerts as a big crossover star. Bruce Buffer announces the opening of UFC 100 and sponsors, and introduces the fighters for the match. Akiyama in red trunks and Belcher in blue. They start standing and trading kicks. Inadvertent low blow kick by Belcher about a minute in. The replay gets a HUGE groan from the sympathetic crowd in Vegas. Round 1 starts back up after a rest period for Akiyama. Akiyama hits some stiff punches and the fighters trade punches. Belcher hits a punch that knocks Akiyama back a bit and he trips, but gets up immediately. Primarily punching a the first round continues, and both fighters mix in some roundhouse kicks. FInal minute sees Akiyama take down Belcher and have some leverage but time expired.
Round 2 goes almost immediately to the mat. Akiyama lands some unprotected strikes to the face with Belcher on the mat. Akiyama trying to find a dominant position. Belcher gets leverage and gets back to a standing position with 2 minutes left. The final 2 minutes see some tentative strikes until the round ends.
Round 3 begins with Belcher targetting Akiyama’s right leg, which appears weakened. Akiyama is having trouble seeing out of his left eye. Belcher targets the left side of Akiyama’s head with strikes. Belcher with a leg kick and Akiyama hits a punch that knocks Belcher back into a backflip, but he recovers quickly. Belcher uses one leg to bounce off the cage for a punch. Akiyama takes down Belcher with 20 seconds left in Round 3 but Belcher is back up with a few seconds to spare as the round ends.
Judges scores:
30-27 Akiyama
29-28 Belcher
29-28 Akiyama
Winner by decision: Akiyama
Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping
Bisping gets booed by the crowd. Henderson announced as former 2-time Pride champion to big cheers. We know where the fighters stand with this crowd. Henderson with a huge flurry of strikes and has Bisping reeling. Settles down a bit and both guys feel each other out. Henderson lands a couple good shots as the round ends, seems like a clear round for Henderson.
Round 2 resumes the standing action and Henderson gets a good shot against the cage. Both men looking for openings. Henderson hits a sick knockout punch and then hits him again on the ground and just like that, it’s over. Crowd erupts. Wow
Winner: Henderson by KO
Joe Rogan interviews Henderson after the match. Hendo made his case for a rematch with Anderson Silva but Hendo could be headed back to the light heavyweight division.
UFC Welterweight Championship Match
George St. Pierre (c) vs. Thiago Alves
Huge GSP chant by the crowd as the match begins. St Pierre in red trunks, Alves in black. St Pierre with a single leg takedown 1 minute into the round and he maneuvers for position on Alves. Alves spots an opening and escapes and both fighters are back standing. GSP lands some kicks. Crowd is electric with a bunch of chants. Alves goes on offense with some kicks and charges GSP, who responds with an almost immediate takedown. GSP took that round.
Round 2. Once again Alves with a small burst of offense and GSP takes him down. Alves hammer fisting from the bottom, and GSP responds with some strikes and an elbow to the face. Alves is bleeding from the face, i think the nose. GSP lands more shots and Alves tries fighting him off. More hard shots by GSP to the face. Alves is unable to get back to his feet unlike in the first round. Alves back to his feet with 30 seconds to go in the round. Clutching. Alves survives the round.
Round 3. Standing goes back and forth for about 2 minutes and GSP takes down Alves. He’s up about a minute later but takes his time to get back on offense. Both men are throwing punches and kicks but nothing much is connecting. About 40 seconds to go GSP takes down Alves and starting pounding on his face to a huge crowd reaction. 20 second flurry and Alves covers up and recovers a bit. GSP is on top of Alves as the round ends.
Round 4. GSP takedown early in the round. GSP in a full mount and looks to lock up the arm. Alves from a half guard and squirms free briefly but GSP catches him from behind. Alves then pops up and gets on top of GSP and is punching GSP in the face. GSP escapes with about 2 minutes to go in the round. Alves with a big uppercut attempt that whiffs. GSP takes him down with 1 minute to go in Round 4. GSP mounts Alves from behind but Alves blocks it off as the round ends. First time in the fight you could see the round going to Alves.
Round 5. GSP tells his coach that he has pulled his groin. Could be a factor in the final round. Alves on the attack. GSP takes him down about a minute in. Alves escapes and goes for some wild blows. GSP reverses an Alves leg kick, pushing Alves back into the cage and then down. Alves up, GSP takedown. Announcers are calling it a rout with a minute to go. With the injured groin, GSP rides out the round on top of Alves.
Judges:
50-45 St. Pierre
50-44 St. Pierre
50-45 St. Pierre
Winner: St. Pierre by unanimous decision.
Joe Rogan interviews GSP after the match. GSP confirms he injured his groin in the third round. Rogan asks about his future, including moving up in weight and taking on Anderson Silva. GSP doesn’t confirm or deny.
UFC Heavyweight Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Frank Mir
Crowd is firmly behind Mir. Round 1 begins. Brock almost immediately goes for a takedown and Mir has a half guard. Mir has a small cut on the bridge of his nose already. Brock pressing down hard on Mir and delivers some head strikes as Mir tries to cover up. Brock continues pounding Mir for several minutes. Brock moves down and hits some body strikes. Brock holds on for the rest of the round. Mir took some major damage to his face in that round.
Round 2. Mir is aggressive on offense and lands some stiff head shots and Lesnar stood up to it and took Mir down. Crowd boos as Lesnar resumes his mount on Mir. Crowd chants “get them up” and boos. Lesnar is leveling repeated punches to the side of Mir’s head until Mir is knocked silly and stops defending himself. Ref calls it off and Brock says “who’s the fucking man”. Mir gets up and Brock talks trash to him. Brock flips off the crowd! Crowd boos. Replay shows that Brock just was pummeling him there.
Winner: Lesnar by KO
Joe Rogan interviews Brock and Brock is FIRED UP. Tells the crowd to bring it on. Brock said Frank Mir had a horseshoe up his ass a year ago, and he pulled it out and beat him with it – WOOOOO. This is great stuff. Brock says he’s going home and drinking Coors Light because Bud Light wont pay him. He then promises to “get on top of his wife”.
Joe goes over to talk to Frank Mir, who concedes Lesnar did a good job. Mir is classy and humble in loss, to a big cheer from the crowd.
Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
Round 1. Paulo locks in a side headlock and works Fitch on the mat up against the cage. Fitch moves to escape but Thiago keeps it locked in. Fitch locks Thiago’s legs. Fitch escapes with about 2 minutes left in the round. Fitch goes for a mount still with both men up against the cage. Both fighters jockey for position as time runs out in the round.
Round 2. Fitch with a hard right and backs Thiago into the cage. Back into a similar situation as round 1 with Thiago’s back to the cage and Fitch on top, without the headlock. Thiago rolls out but gives up his back and Fitch has his hands locked around his waist. They get to a half standing position and Fitch powers Thiago back down with a stiff takedown. Fitch locks one hook from behind. FInch controlled most of that round.
Round 3. Fitch with an early takedown and resumes his strategy to keep Thiago pinned. With about 2 minutes to go in the round, Thiago thrashes up with some kicks to Fitch’s face. Fitch regains control on the mat and hits some blows to the back of the head and to the chest. Fitch takes the back and hits some strikes from behind. Fitch switches arms to continue the relentless offense on Thiago’s head. Round expires with Fitch dominant.
Judges
30-27 Fitch
29-28 Fitch
29-28 Fitch
Winner: Fitch by unanimous decision
Joe Rogan interviews Jon Fitch.
Stay tuned to Inside Fights latenight tonight and all day Sunday for UFC 100 post-match news, podcasts and fallout. Thanks for joining us tonight!
