UFC 164 results and gifs: Pettis taps Henderson

Another UFC in the books, and we have a new lightweight champion.

Anthony Pettis def. Benson Henderson via verbal submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:31 – wins UFC lightweight championship

I’d thought the most likely outcome for this fight would have involved Bruce Buffer keeping everyone on the edge of their seats as he read the judges close scorecards. Ben Henerson i snot generally the kind of man that get’s finished even if his opponent is Anthony Pettis and we saw evidence of that in their fist fight.

The round started with some control against the cage from the champion that Pettis was able to survive without taking too much punishment. No-one stamped their authority on the fight until the challenger rattled off four consecutive right kicks to the body. THese weren’t even on Henderson’s live side, but he was visibly affected by their thunderous impact. From there, it looked like Pettis made the first error of the fight bey truing a flashy cartwheel kick and ending straight on his back in guard.

However, he used this to his advantage very quickly, controlling Bendo’s position and switching his hips tight and quick to lock in an armbar. A few seconds later and a futile attempt by Henderson to escape and the verbal tap came.

In the post-fight interview the new champ was calling out José Aldo, but I think he’ll probably have to defend his new 155lb prize a couple of times before the Brazilian makes his way up to  challenge for the belt. I can;t see the UFC brass letting him drop to featherweight. I also see Pettis handling anyone the lightweight division has to offer. If I had to pick one man to give him problems it would be Gilbert Melendez, but considering how capably Showtime has handled his last four opponents I would say he will have a rough go at that.

Josh Barnett def. Frank Mir via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:56

Josh Barnett got a win in his return to the UFC after nearly a decade with a TKO of the always TKO-able Frank Mir. He had a perfect gameplan, rushing Mir early and throwing a barrage odf strikes to the head and body. I honestly thought he was on the way to screwing everything up when knees started missing their mark, the face became the secondary target and Mir started firing back, but I need not have had any doubt as Barnett delivered a knee which crumpled the former champ to the mat and brought the stoppage.

I think the stoppage was a tad early, but not terrible. Mir should have been allowed the chance to recover (which he did seconds later), but if Barnett had been able to throw a couple more punches Mir would have had his lights out in short order. Where’s Dan Miragliotta when you need him.

Barnett has set himself up for some high-profile fights at heavyweight now, but I don;t think he’ll ever really be in for a title hunt with guys like Velasquez, Dos Santos and Cormier around. Mir has lost three straight but still has a place in the division. He’s a good fighter who’s lost to three top 10 fighters and he could still crush most heavyweights with ease. His title hunting days are over though.

Chad Mendes def. Clay Guida via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:30

Chad Mendes is a stone-cold killer, and really proved it by grabbing a fourth KO in a row against a notoriously impossible-to-KO fighter.

Clay Guida had nothing for Mendes in the grappling or striking departments, and when the Team Alpha Male prospect finally uncorked the kind of punches that had the potential to end the fight the fight was well and truly ended.

Mendes is ready for an Aldo rematch now. He might not win, but I don;t think he’ll get blown up like he did last time. He’s by far and away proved himself to be the number one contender and improved his skills enough that a rematch is still compelling. If he is given one more fight before he gets that chance you won;t find me complaining though. It will just be another chance for us to see hime flex his skills and blow up another 145 pounder.

Ben Rothwell def. Brandon Vera via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:54

This could finally be Brandon Vera’s ticket out of the UFC. He fought quite well at first, but he couldn’t stop Rothwell putting him up against the cage and when the big mid-westerner finally turned on the power Vera was helpless.

Big Ben might want to be careful what he asks for in his post-fight interviews though. A fight with Travis Browne is likely to nring one thing his way. A severe ass kicking.

Dustin Poirier def. Erik Koch via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)

This was the fight of the night for sure (despite what the official list of UFC bonuses might say). A back and forth battle with high offensive output in all areas of mixed martial arts. It looked like Poirier was done for when he was caught in a tight triangle early in the first and even when he finally managed to escape he looked like he was close to passing out. However, he gritted his teeth and swung the momentum back in his favour.

After this excellent punch ‘The Diamond’ rained down blows on ‘New Breed’ until the end of the round before following up with a second round of dominance. The punishment he dealt out in the first was so great in fact, that two judges gave him a 10-8 score despite the trouble he’d been in earlier on.

To his credit, Koch came back and won the third round, but unless he was about to score a finishing blow or hail-Mary submission the fight was Poirier’s.

Whatever the outcome of this fight my sentiments would have been the same as they are now. I can;t wait to see these young exciting fighters matched up with other high-quality featherweights for years to come. Boredom will never be an issue with these men fighting.

Prelim results

The official fight of the night was Hyun Gyu Lim’s destruction of Pascal Krausss. This was a hugely entertaining few minutes of violence, and striking to see how ENORMOUS Lim is at 170lbs. With reckless gameplanning like that he won’t be troubling the division’s elite any time soon, but he will definitely give some top-25 fighters some trouble and provide some outrageous excitement whether he’s delivering the damage or eating it.

The Jacaré award for upkick eating goes to Kyung Ho Kang, who pretty much lost his fight with Chico Camus as a result of taking this beauty.

The early contender for submission of the night was this nice guillotine from Magnus Cedenblad in the night’s opening contest.

Finally, I can’t not mention the slop-fest that was Soa Palelei win over Nikita Krylov in his return to the Octagon. The big Aussie was not impressive in his first UFC fight all those years ago, and broken rib or not, he was not impressive here. The blame can;t lie squarely at his door though. I’d herad Sherdog.com’s Jordan Breen describe how bad Krylov was on Friday, and the young Ukrainian scertyainly lived up to his billing. He played right into Paleelei’s limited abilities and deserveddly got beaten. I guess these horrorshow fight sare a bit of fun every once in a while, but I hope most of this sort of thing is reserved for the likes of Bellator and World Series of Fighting in future. It was BRUTAL to watch.

Gleison Tibau def. Jamie Varner via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
Tim Elliott def. Louis Gaudinot via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Hyun Gyu Lim def. Pascal Krauss via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:58
Chico Camus def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Soa Palelei def. Nikita Krylov via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:34
Al Iaquinta def. Ryan Couture via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Magnus Cedenblad def. Jared Hamman via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:57

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Dana White UFC 164 post fight media scrum

Dana gets on the mic with the assembled media to chat all things UFC 164.

For those familiar with Dana White, you will also be familiar with his brutal honesty. Occasionally this might be grossly misinformed, just plain wrong or controversial to the point he gets into a bit of bother with the media.. However, his there are times when his insistence on calling a spade a spade is admirable, particularly in the case of his criticism of the Soa Palelei/Nikita Krylov fight. That fight really deserved to be slammed, and the UFC president duly obliged.

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UFC 164 post fight press conference

Dana White and UFC 164 fighters sit down with the media after the conclusion of last night’s event.

New lightweight title holder Anthony Pettis fields questions for the first time as champion, including his future defending the belt and a potential fight with featherweight king José Aldo.

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UFC 164 Henderson vs. Pettis 2 weigh-in results and video

Every fighter was on weight for UFC 164 earlier today in Milwaukee, so there’s not too much to say really.

A few thoughts:

• Gleison Tibau us far too big to be a lightweight!
• Erik Koch and Dustin Poirier are still in the infancy of their MMA careers, but you won’t find many better or more intense fighters out there. Prepare for fireworks.
• When I hear Brandon Vera was moving back up to heavyweight I was skeptical. When I heard he weighed in at 241 pound I though his return to the division was bound to be a disaster. However, having seen his frame, he’s thicker, not just heavier. If he can keep a bit of speed from 205lbs he could give Ben Rothwell some trouble and revitalise his career.
• You would thing Chad Mendes had just dropped from the weight class above. He dwarfs Clay Guida. I predict an uncomfortable ride for The Carpenter tomorrow night.
• Henderson and Pettis look ready to go right now. This ssi very exciting.

Full preview to follow, though I’m not sure how coherant it will be. I think the breakdown of the main event might just be a list of superlatives, because this is the rematch of one of the top 5 best fights ever, and for my money the most exciting match possible to make in MMA right now.

Main Card

Benson Henderson (155) vs. Anthony Pettis (154.5)
Josh Barnett (255) vs. Frank Mir (248)
Clay Guida (146) vs. Chad Mendes (145)
Ben Rothwell (262) vs. Brandon Vera (241)
Erik Koch (145) vs. Dustin Poirier (145.5)

Prelims

Gleison Tibau (155) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Tim Elliott (125.5) vs. Louis Gaudinot (125)
Pascal Krauss (170) vs. Hyun Gyu Lim (171)
Chico Camus (135) vs. Kyung Ho Kang (136)
Nikita Krylov (236) vs. Soa Palelei (265)
Ryan Couture (156) vs. Al Iaquinta (156)
Magnus Cedenblad (185) vs. Jared Hamman (185.5)

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UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs. Latifi results

Despite a lacklustre main event, the UFC’s return to Sweden was refreshingly entertaining. Fights that had me shifting in my seat were few and far between, and the occasion brought some pretty impressive performances out of some fighters that I had not expected

Gegard Mousasi def. Ilir Latifi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

As previously mentioned, this was a bit of a let down. It was apparent before the fight began that Latifi, and unranked, late replacement had no business being in the cage with the former Dream and Strikeforce champion, and that was confirmed in pretty short order once things got under way.

Latifi threw some heavy strikes that hit fresh air pretty much every time, while he was slowly jabbed to death. Mousasi didn’t show his usual killer instinct, although that could be down to the multitude of injuries and illnesses that have been reported ever since the klaxon to signal the end of the third round sounded. It’s probably for the best that he didn’t end up fighting Gustaffson after all.

This whole affair should probably just be forgotten, and we can all look forward to a healthy Mousasi putting himself to the test against the best the UFC has to offer very soon.

Ross Pearson def. Ryan Couture via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:45

Rather unwisely, I though Ross Pearson was throwing this fight away for a round and a half. I thought that he was competitive, and Ryan Couture was doing nothing to make a statement, but knowing these MMA judges, I feared if this went the distance we could have been looking at a nightmare scenario for the TUF 9 winner.

I need not have worried though, as ‘The Real Deal’ was really just taking all the time he needed to find his range and rhythm, because as soon as he pulled the trigger the fight ended in spectacular fashion.

Ryan Couture is a decent fighter, and could probably carve out a niche fighting on undercards in entertaining back-and-forth battles, but he is no match for the kind of skills that  fighter like Pearsin brings. Once again his striking was precise, economic and powerful. As soon as he landed clean for the first time, you knew the end was in sight for Randy’s son.

Matt Mitrione def. Philip De Fries via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:19

Not much to say for this one, De Fries ran straight into a big punch from Mitrione, which clipped him in the dreaded spot behind the ear, opening him up for a swift and devastating ground and pound finish. Unfortunately for the big Brit, I fear that may be the last chance he gets in the UFC, while ‘Meathead’ gets back on track after two straight defeats.

Brad Pickett def. Mike Easton via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

Another fight which went as expected. Pickett attacked with a variety of strikes, takedowns and grappling to win at least two rounds and take home a decision.

Once again, Mike Easton simply did not attack enough. You can’t win fights by being passive.

Diego Brandao def. Pablo Garza via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:27

I think this may have been the most underrated performance of the night. Pablo Garza is no slouch, but Diego Brandao came out, went straight for the jugular (almost literally) and forced him to tap quickly in the first frame. The speed in which Brandao transitioned into the arm-triangle position was so fast that Garza hardly seemed to realise how much trouble he was in until it was too late. He tried to fight the submission off, but his efforts we futile, as the Brazilian had that locked up tight.

There is a plethora of interesting and exciting match-ups to make for Brandao, and so long as he has taken care of some of thee cardio issues that blighted him for his octagon losses, his aggression and dynamism should make him a match for almost anyone in the division

Akira Corassani def. Robbie Peralta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

This took me by surprise.

After a less than convincing performance in the TUF house, and against Andy Ogle last year in Birmingham, I had pretty much written Akira Corassani off. However, whether he has stepped up his training or the Swedish crowd really pushed him on to reach new heights, he raised his game to take out a highly touted prospect in Robbie Peralta.

He won’t be frightening the UFC’s 145 elite any time soon, but it was nice to see such a big improvement and gutsy performance from a fighter, which led to a great fight to kick off the main card

Prelim highlights

Only one place to start here, Conor McGregor’s beautiful series of uppercuts to take out Marcus Brimage.

Brimage came out aggressively and looked like he didn;t know what had hit him when the first uppercut landed. He couldn’t adjust, and they just kept coming.

McGregor looks set to be a star for the UFC now. Dana White has already committed to adding him to the Boston card later this year, and he got the Ko of the night bonus in his first octagon appearance. Exciting stuff.

The best fight of the night was Reza Madadi’s submission victory over Michael Johnson. Johnson hurt Madadi bad in the first round, and the horn for the end of the frame could not have come quickly enough for the Swede. He had composed himself 60 seconds later though, and took over the fight in the next round, increasing his dominance in the third and locking up the choke.

A fantastic performance (another good one form a Swede on the night), and a richly deserved fight of the night bonus.

Prelim results

Reza Madadi def. Michael Johnson via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:33
Tor Troeng def. Adam Cella via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:11
Adlan Amagov def. Chris Spang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Conor McGregor def. Marcus Brimage via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:07
Ryan LaFlare def. Ben Alloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tom Lawlor def. Michael Kuiper via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:05
Papy Abedi def. Besam Yousef via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi VS Latifi preview

A truncated prevview for tonight’s UFC on FUEL TV card, which is in the unusual position of being less appealing than the same week’s Bellator card. It certainly has a lot to live up to after such a rousing showing from the main-card fighters at Bellator 95.

The main event of Gergard Mousasi vs. Some Guy Ilir Latifi is quite a downgrade from what was original scheduled, as we have gone from a match between two top-10 light heavyweights that had title-shot implications, to a match between a veteran and an unknown.

I must admit I have no idea about Latifi’s abilities, but the fact that he had not made it to the UFC until no in a division lacking depth does not say an awful lot for his skills.

From what I have heard, expect Latifi to come charging out from the opening bell, winging punches and trying to overwhelm Mousasi. The Dutchman/Armenian should be able to take over in short order and put on a clinic by the second round at the latest, giving him an opportunity to shine in his promotional debut that he may not have had against the infinitely tougher Alexander Gustaffson.

There are a couple of fun lighter weight fights involving British fighters taking on tough Americans elsewhere on the main card.

Ross Pearson should be too good in every department for Ryan Couture, and walk away with a TKO or decision victory. Couture is by no means bad, bur Pearson has established himself as a good mid-upper level UFC fighter by now, and has the experience and constantly-improving skillset to make sure he is not upset.

Brad Pickett’s all-action attack should be kryptonite for Mike Easton, who, skilled as he is, seems to fail to put together any kind of consistent offence, costing him his two previous fights. Easton is difficult to finish, but a relentless attack from all angles from ‘One-Punch’ should be too much for him.

Elsewhere, I’m most interested by featherweight fights. Former TUF winner, and tightly-wound ball of violence Diego Brandao will tackle the 145lb division’s lankiest fighter. BOth of these guys have been involved in nothing but entertaining fights, win or lose, during their Zuffa tenure, and there should be no reason why that should change. I think the most likely course this fight will take is a stand up battle, leading to some heavy leather being thrown.

After a less than impressive showing on TUF, Marcus Brimage has surprised almost everyone by building a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. He will welcome highly-touted, two division Cage Warriors champion Conor McGregor to the promotion. THe Irishman has won his last eight fights by stoppage in the British promotion, but he should have a considerably tougher task in the world’s premier MMA organisation. If he can prevail however, the UFC could have a lively prospect on its hands, who could finally herald its return to the Emerald Isle.

Main Card lineup

Light Heavyweight – Gegard Mousasi vs. Ilir Latifi
Lightweight – Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture
Heavyweight – Matt Mitrione vs. Phil De Fries
Bantamweight – Brad Pickett vs. Mike Easton
Featherweight – Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
Featherweight – Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta

Prelims

Lightweight – Reza Madadi vs. Michael Johnson
Middleweight – Tor Troéng vs. Adam Cella
Welterweight – Chris Spång vs. Adlan Amagov
Featherweight – Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
Welterweight – Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
Middleweight – Michael Kuiper vs. Tom Lawlor
Welterweight – Papy Abedi vs. Besam Yousef

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UFC on FUEL TV 9: Mousasi vs Latifi Weigh-In results and video

Everything was made official for UFC on FUEL TV 9 earlier this afternoon, as all fighters made weight.

Nothing much else to report apart from a little bit of aggro between Marcus Brimage and Conor McGregor, as well as Michael Johnson and Reza Madadi.

One thing to make note of though. Just because the various analysts from FUEL TV kept saying Gegard Mousasi used to be considered the best light heavyweight in the world, that doesn’t mean that is actually the case. He was more highly ranked, yes, but the best, certainly not.

Main Card

Light Heavyweight – Ilir Latifi (206) vs. Gegard Mousasi (204)
Lightweight – Ryan Couture (154) vs. Ross Pearson (155)
Heavyweight – Philip De Fries (248) vs. Matt Mitrione (259)
Bantamweight – Mike Easton (135) vs. Brad Pickett (135)
Featherweight – Diego Brandao (145) vs. Pablo Garza (146)
Featherweight – Akira Corassani (145) vs. Robert Peralta (146)

Prelims

Lightweight – Michael Johnson (155) vs. Reza Madadi (155)
Middleweight – Adam Cella (184) vs. Tor Troeng (185)
Welterweight – Adlan Amagov (170) vs. Chris Spang (170)
Featherweight – Marcus Brimage (145) vs. Conor McGregor (145)
Welterweight – Ben Alloway (170) vs. Ryan LaFlare (171)
Middleweight – Michael Kuiper (186) vs. Tom Lawlor (185)
Welterweight- Papy Abedi (170) vs. Besam Yousef (168)

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