Ultimate Fight Night 20 Results

Ultimate Fight Night 20 might not have delivered in fireworks, but was filled with three entertaining fights. The sold out George Mason crowd was boisterous and loud throughout the night wanting action.

One fighter who delivered was TUF 7 contestant Gerald Harris, who succesfully returned to the UFC with a TKO of previously undefeated John Salter. The 185 pound Harris won the UFC's knockout of the night bonus and is currently riding an 8 fight win streak.

Here are the results:

Gray Maynard def. Nate Diaz via split dec- unfortunately, the main event proved to be the biggest snoozer of them all. Maynard threw many powerful, looping punches throughout the fight, but most didn't land. Diaz couldn't get his short punches through and failed to get the fight to the ground. In the end, Maynard was able to defend Diaz' attacks and land occasional punches to get the win.

It seems that Frank Edgar will face BJ Penn next for the lightweight title in Abu Dhabi. Maynard will likely have to notch another win to get a shot at the title. Maybe a fight with Kenny Florian is in the works.

Evan Dunham def. Efrain Escudero via sub (armbar) R3, 1:59- Escudero dominated in the first round rocking Dunham with punches and getting takedowns with quick groud and pound strikes. It seemed Efrain almost had the ability to close out the fight.

In the third round and pivotal round, Dunham got a takedown and when Efrain tried to roll to escape he got himself in deep trouble. Dunham had Efrain's arm trapped, rolling to a triangle before an armbar. Efrain didn't tap for several seconds making the viewing audience squeemish as Dunham wrench the arm and elbow, eventually coaxing a tapout.
*Dunham wins Submission of the Night.

Aaron Simpson def. Tom Lawlor via split dec- The first round belonged to Tom Lawlor, whose Hulk Hogan like entrance was a breath of fresh air. He landed short left hooks, straights and jabs to dizzy and daze Aaron Simpson.

In the second and third, Simpson may have done more to win. In the third, Simpson was able to out grapple Lawlor, getting his back. However, he didn't inflict much punishment on the fellow wrestler. Scorecards split for Simpson, but I scored it a draw.
*Simpson and Lawlor both win Fight of the Night bouns.

Amir Sadollah def. Brad Blackburn via unanimous dec- Amir peppered Blackburn with a variety of attacks throughout this fight. Blackburn, fresh from shoulder surgery could offer little in response. Amir beat up Blackburn with a big flying knee, front kicks, and a decent ground and pound attack.

DARK FIGHTS

Chris Leben def Jay Silva via unanimous dec
Rick Story def Jesse Lennox via split dec
Thiago Tavares and Nick Lentz declared majority draw
Rory MacDonald def Mike Guymon via sub (armbar) R1, 4:27
Rafael dos Anjos def Kyle Bradley via unanimous dec
Gerald Harris def John Salter via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:24
Nick Catone def Jesse Forbes via split dec

To read a previous interview with Gerald Harris on MMA Blaster, click here!

Zuffa Double Dose Preview

Here are the rumored match-ups for a stacked Sunday and Monday of mixed martial arts actions. WEC has a 155 pound title unification match between Jamie Varner and Benson Henderson on Sunday. The event airs live on Versus Sunday night.

The UFC has a main event of TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz against TUF 5 cast member and currently undefeated Gray Maynard on Monday. The event airs live on Spike Monday night.

Ultimate Fight Night 20

Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
Evan Dunham vs. Efrain Escudero
Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson
Brad Blackburn vs. Amir Sadollah
Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva
Jesse Lennox vs. Rick Story
Nik Lentz vs. Thiago Tavares
Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald
Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Gerald Harris vs. John Salter
Nick Catone vs. Jesse Forbes

(Nate Diaz pictured)

WEC 46

Jamie Varner vs. Benson Henderson
Raphael Assuncao vs. Urijah Faber
Dave Jansen vs. Kamal Shalorus
Mike Brown vs. Anthony Morrison
Mackens Semerzier vs. Deividas Taurosevicius
Akitoshi Tamura vs. Charlie Valencia
Bryan Caraway vs. Mark Hominick
Wagnney Fabiano vs. Clint Godfrey
George Roop vs. Eddie Wineland
Will Campuzano vs. Coty Wheeler

(Urijah Faber pictured)

UFN 19 - Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City was ready and rocking for the return of the UFC for the first time since the epic UFC 4 tournament rolled into town in December of 1994. That tournament had an epic finish with Royce Gracie narrowly defeating Dan Severn after taking a beating for 15 minutes. This Ultimate Fight night featured three epic fights before the main event.

Nate Diaz def Melvin Guillard via sub (guillotine) R2, 2:13- In the main event, Nate Diaz was able to get back on track with a submission victory over the uber athletic Melvin Guillard. In the first round, Guillard went on the offensive, tagging Diaz in the eye knocking him to the canvas. When he got up, blood streamed from Diaz' eye.

However, in the second round, Guillard got a little too comfortable and found himself stuck in a modified guillotine. Soon after Guillard was tapping.
*Diaz wins Submission of the Night.

Gray Maynard def Roger Huerta via split dec- Huerta looked to utilize his advantage in kickboxing to keep Maynard at bay from long distance. Maynard consistently tried to close the distance and tag Huerta with a big punch.

In the third round, Maynard finally got the fight to the mat and locked in a kimura. It seemed as if Huerta's shoulder was going to be ripped off, but somehow he managed to roll out of it. Huerta's heart will never be questioned. I scored the fight 29-28 Maynard, the judges scored it 30-27 twice for Maynard, once 29-28 Huerta.

Carlos Condit def Jake Ellenberger via split dec- Ellenberger didn't get the memo that he was supposed to be a big time underdog. In the first round he worked over Condit with big punches, causing Condit to go into the fetal position on numerous occasions. The ref did a good job letting the action go.

In the second and third rounds, Condit seemed to get better positions on the ground, get mount, and almost get submissions. But, Ellenberger always seemed to escape. I scored the fight a 28-28 draw, while the judges scored it 29-28 twice for Condit, once 29-28 Ellenberger.

Nate Quarry def Tim Credeur via unanimous dec- This fight was an all-out battle and definitely a contender for fight of the year. In the first round, Credeur looked to be landing more effective combinations, kicks and jabs. Near the end of the round, Credeur send Quarry to the canvas and followed him to the ground, nearly getting a fight ending rear naked choke.

In the second and third, Quarry was able to land big right hands, knocking Credeur to the canvas. From there, Quarry unleashed some good ground and pound, with Creduer countering with submission attempts and striking from his back. The crowd was screaming throughout, as both fighters threw punches back and forth.
*Quarry and Credeur win Fight of the Night Bonus.

(Nate Quarry pictured)

UNDERCARD

Brian Stann def Steve Cantwell via unanimous dec
Mike Pyle def Chris Wilson via sub (guillotine) R3, 2:15
C.B. Dollaway def Jay Silva via unanimous dec
Mike Pierce def Brock Larson via unanimous dec
Ryan Jensen def Steve Steinbeiss via sub (guillotine) R1, 3:56
Jeremy Stephens def Justin Buchholz via TKO (Cut) R1, 3:23
*Stephens wins KO of the Night

UFN 19 - Diaz v. Guillard Preview

UFN 19 will come to us live on Spike TV right before the debut of TUF 10 - Heavyweights. The event will take place in the Cox Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The main event will pit TUF 5 Champ Nate Diaz against TUF 2's Melvin Guillard.

Nate Diaz (10-4) is known for his dynamic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills and ever improving boxing. He is coming off two disappointing and kind of lazy decision losses to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson. Prior to that, Diaz had unleashed five straight wins which included 4 submissions and a decision over Josh Neer.

(Nate Diaz pictured)

Melvin Guillard (22-7) has shown flashes of being an extremely talented athlete in KO victories over Denis Silver, Gabe Ruediger and Rick Davis. However, he is also prone to trash talking and coming out on the wrong end of a submission. Guillard will try to sprawl and brawl his way to his third straight victory.

(Melvin Guillard pictured)

Here is what the fight card looks like:

Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard
Roger Huerta vs. Gray Maynard
Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Quarry
Steve Cantwell vs. Brian Stann
Mike Pyle vs. Chris Wilson
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jay Silva
Phillipe Nover vs. Sam Stout
Justin Buchholz vs. Jeremy Stephens
Brock Larson vs. Mike Pierce
Ryan Jensen vs. Steven Steinbeiss

UFC 90: Silva Chicago Style

The AllState Arena was packed to the gills this Saturday, October 25th, 2008. The sold out crowd that produced a record breaking 2.8 million dollar gate featured some entertaining fights.

I had floor seats with a couple friends and we were delighted to get to meet and greet with Dan Henderson, Mark Coleman and Hermes Franca. Others in attendence were Matt Hughes, Dan Severn, Jeff Samardzija, Clay Guida, Rashad Evans, Georges St. Pierre and other UFC stars.

The Chicago crowd left somewhat dissappointed as there were 6 decisions and 3 to start the show, and a main card bout that featured one of the odder title fights in some time. There weren't as many fans booing as many are making it out to be. It wasn't any different than a Las Vegas, England, Ohio or any other crowd.

Results-

Pete Sell def Josh Burkman via Decision (Unanimous)- Sell looked quick and sharp as he outdueled Burkman. Sell is a guy that could move up the ladder at 170.

Hermes Franca def Marcus Aurelio via Decision (Unanimous)- Hermes ran into Aurelio before the fight even started, creating more buzz about the fight. Unfortunately, it was pretty slow as there was alot of circling and not much action.

Dan Miller def Matt Horwich via Decision (Unanimous)- This fight turned into mainly a grappling match as Miller ground out a unanimous decision.

Spencer Fisher def Shannon Gugerty via Sub (Triangle Choke) R3, 3:56


Thales Leites def Drew McFedries via Sub (Rear Naked choke) R1, 1:18- Leites was able to stop the one-dimensional McFedries with a quick submission.

Sean Sherk def Tyson Griffin via Decision (Unanimous)- This was a pretty entertaining fight as Sherk almost got the victory in the first with a rear naked choke. Sherk controlled the rest of the fight getting takedowns and landing punches.

Junior dos Santos def Fabricio Werdum via TKO (Punches) R1 1:21- This fight ended quickly, with Junior dos Santos crushing Werdum's shot at a top contender spot. Dos Santos used a right uppercut to strike Werdum clean sending him to the canvas.

Gray Maynard def Rich Clementi via Decision (Unanimous)- Maynard frustrated Clementi throughout the fight with superior wrestling. Maynard tried to work ground and pound, but really didn't do much damage.

Thiago Alves def Josh Koscheck via Decision (Unanimous)- Alves dominated the fight from start to finish dropping Koscheck with a left hand in the first. He threw snapping leg kicks throughout the fight keeping Koscheck off balance. Koscheck was tough throughout, occasionally landing shots. Alves however reigned supreme, making it one step closer to a title shot.


Anderson Silva def Patrick Cote via TKO (Injured knee) R3 0:39- Silva and Cote started out tenative with Cote trying to attack Silva with punches. Silva was content to counter, throwing kicks and jabs.

Silva continued to play the counter game circling and throwing power shots. Silva was able to catch Cote with a kick across the jaw and body kicks. Near the end of the round, Anderson was able to get a takedown.

In the third, was bouncing to set up a shot when it looked like his right knee buckled. In a bit of confusion, the fight was called. Many around me were asking what the heck had happened. With 6 fights going to decision and 5 hours of fights, the crowd was not pleased at the result of the main card bout. Anderson did look impressive at stretches, but there was some inactivity. I have a feeling Anderson will put on a nasty display in his next bout.


*All photos taken by MMA Blaster

UFC 90 Preview

I will be at UFC 90 this weekend in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Just a short trip on the blue-line will send me to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont to see one of the best mixed martial artists of all-time, Anderson Silva. Needless to say, I am ecstatic.

MAIN CARD

Anderson Silva (22-4, 7-0 UFC) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4, 4-4 UFC)- MW Title Fight- Anderson Silva is on the most dominating run in UFC history winning the belt in his second UFC fight and defending four times, then beating James Irvin at 205. Not one fight has entered the third round. Rich Franklin's nose has been destroyed twice. Nate Marquardt was dominated, and Dan Henderson choked out. Anderson has displayed some of the finest stand-up skills ever seen in mma fighting.

Cote has a tall task ahead of him if he wants to stomp out the Spider. Cote is on an impressive run, winning five straight with four wins in the UFC. He has beaten Ricardo Almeida, Drew McFedries, Kendall Grove and Scott Smith in the UFC and Jason Day in the Canadian based TKO promotion during that time.

The fight will be a stand-up affair. Cote has a strong chin and will be able to take punches. Cote will have to look to counter and throw his punches with precision, while blocking Anderson's kicks. Silva has the superior ground game, and may use it to take out Cote if eating too many blows.


Thiago Alves (15-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (11-2)- Koscheck is replacing Diego Sanchez who had to withdraw due to injury. Alves is on a big run with 6 victories in the UFC including TKO wins over Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Koscheck meanwhile has rattled off two wins since his loss to Georges St. Pierre. He looked excellent in his recent wins over Dustin Hazelett and Chris Lytle.

I expect Koscheck to try a takedown to ground and pound as he is a superb wrestler. Alves meanwhile is a devastating striker who will try to keep this one standing. It will be interesting to see how the fight unfolds and the winner will be positioning themselves for a potential shot at the title.

*pic of Thiago Alves

Fabricio Werdum (11-3) vs. Junior dos Santos (7-1)- Poor Fabricio Werdum. With the Lesnar/Couture and Mir/Big Nog match-ups in place, it will likely take Werdum to win this fight and another against one of the aforementioned big four to get a shot at the title. Werdum has quality wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera since his uneventful loss to Andrei Arlovski.

Dos Santos is an unknown fighter hailing from Brazil. All his wins seem to have come in Brazil against quality local fighters. We will see what "Cigano" is made of when he faces Werdum. Werdum has wins against Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Alistair Overeem and Tom Erickson on his resume.

*pic of Werdum

Tyson Griffin (12-1) vs. Sean Sherk (32-3)- Sherk is attempting to rebound from his loss for the title against BJ Penn. The previous fight happened with the dark cloud a failed appeal for a postive Sherk steroid test. Griffin has four straight decision victories in the UFC since his loss to Frankie Edgar. That includes wins over Marcus Aurelio, Thiago Tavares, and Gleison Tibau. Prior to Sherk's loss to Penn, he had won three straight times in the UFC via decision over Hermes Franca, Kenny Florian and Nick Diaz.

Sherk is going to be looking for a takedown and ground and pound. I would expect Griffin to try to keep the fight standing. We could see a lot of clinching from Sherk to wear down his oppoenent.

*pic of Sean Sherk

Rich Clementi (32-12) vs. Gray Maynard (5-0)- Clementi is riding a six fight win streak, with four straight in the UFC over Sam Stout, Anthony Johnson, Melvin Guillard and Terry Etim. Maynard meanwhile has three straight victories in the UFC over Joe Veres, Dennis Siver and Frank Edgard. Expect Maynard to look for the takedown and Clementi to keep the fight standing.

UNDERCARD

Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Matt Horwich vs. Dan Miller
Marcus Aurelio vs. Hermes Franca
Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell