Here is Dan Hardy fighting Danny Rushton in Cage Warriors which took place on 9/16/06 in Sheffield, England. At the time, Hardy was the Cage Warriors welterweight champion.
Dan Hardy fights Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 tonight.
UFC on Versus 5 airs live tonight from Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Bradley Center, broadcasting on Versus and Facebook.
VERSUS CARD
Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle
Ben Henderson vs. Jim Miller
Donald Cerrone vs. Charles Oliveira
Duane Ludwig vs. Amir Sadollah
FACEBOOK CARD
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman
Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland
Ed Herman vs. Kyle Noke
Ronny Markes vs. Karlos Vemola
Alex Caceres vs. Jim Hettes
Cole Miller vs. T.J. O'Brien
Danny Castillo vs. Jacob Volkmann
Edwin Figueroa vs. Jason Reinhardt
Showing posts with label Dan Hardy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan Hardy. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
UFC 111 - GSP v. Hardy Preview
UFC 111 will be broadcast live this Saturday from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main event pits UFC's 170 pound champion Georges St. Pierre against upstart UK challenger Dan Hardy. In the co-main event, former UFC champ Frank Mir will fight bruising wrestler Shane Carwin for the interim title.
MAIN CARD
Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy- Georges St. Pierre (19-2, 13-2 UFC) will be looking for his seventh straight win and fifth straight title defense in this welterweight title match. St. Pierre should be able to take down UK's Dan Hardy at will if he chooses.
Expect St. Pierre to come out pushing the pace and using his athleticsm. Georges is a sure fire future Hall of Famer, with career victories over Mayhem Miller, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes and many more.
(GSP throwing a high kick against Matt Hughes)
Dan Hardy (24-6, 4-0 UFC) has been on a tear in the UFC, using his underrated striking ability. Look for him to try to keep the fight standing and outstrike St. Pierre. In Hardy's last bout, he defeated Mike Swick via unanimous decision by winning most of the exchanges and landing some heavy shots to wobble Swick. Hardy has also defeated Akihiro Gono, Marcus Davis and Rory Markham.
(Dan Hardy pictured)
Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir- This fight is for the interim UFC heavyweight championship and will be five rounds of stellar action. Look for Carwin to throw heavy bombs Mir's way, closing the distance and beating up Mir against the fence.
Mir (13-4, 11-4 UFC) will want to keep distance, using his kickboxing, or getting the fight to the ground where the BJJ black belt has an advantage in his submission game. However, getting Carwin, an NCAA division 2 wrestling champ, to the ground will be a tough task. Mir is a former UFC champ with career wins over Antonio Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar and Cheick Kongo.
(Frank Mir pictured)
Carwin (11-0, 3-0 UFC) has never been out of the first round with his longest match lasting a mere 2 minutes 11 seconds. His three matches in the UFC have resulted in a 44 second KO of Christian Wellisch, a minute and thirty second TKO of Neil Wain and a minute and nine second TKO of Gabriel Gonzaga. Carwin suffered a broken nose in the Gonzaga fight before unleasing a blitzkrieg attack on the BJJ blackbelt.
(Shane Carwin pictured)
Ben Saunders vs. Jon Fitch- After Thiago Alves was forced out of the UFC 111 card due to an abnormal CT scan of the brain, Ben Saunders volunteered to face Fitch. Look for Ben Saunders to attempt to utilize his height and reach advantage from the outside. I would expect Fitch, an All-American wrestler to try to get the fight to the ground.
SPIKE TV PRE-LIMS
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
UNDERCARD
Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller
Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto
MAIN CARD
Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy- Georges St. Pierre (19-2, 13-2 UFC) will be looking for his seventh straight win and fifth straight title defense in this welterweight title match. St. Pierre should be able to take down UK's Dan Hardy at will if he chooses.
Expect St. Pierre to come out pushing the pace and using his athleticsm. Georges is a sure fire future Hall of Famer, with career victories over Mayhem Miller, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes and many more.
(GSP throwing a high kick against Matt Hughes)
Dan Hardy (24-6, 4-0 UFC) has been on a tear in the UFC, using his underrated striking ability. Look for him to try to keep the fight standing and outstrike St. Pierre. In Hardy's last bout, he defeated Mike Swick via unanimous decision by winning most of the exchanges and landing some heavy shots to wobble Swick. Hardy has also defeated Akihiro Gono, Marcus Davis and Rory Markham.
(Dan Hardy pictured)
Shane Carwin vs. Frank Mir- This fight is for the interim UFC heavyweight championship and will be five rounds of stellar action. Look for Carwin to throw heavy bombs Mir's way, closing the distance and beating up Mir against the fence.
Mir (13-4, 11-4 UFC) will want to keep distance, using his kickboxing, or getting the fight to the ground where the BJJ black belt has an advantage in his submission game. However, getting Carwin, an NCAA division 2 wrestling champ, to the ground will be a tough task. Mir is a former UFC champ with career wins over Antonio Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar and Cheick Kongo.
(Frank Mir pictured)
Carwin (11-0, 3-0 UFC) has never been out of the first round with his longest match lasting a mere 2 minutes 11 seconds. His three matches in the UFC have resulted in a 44 second KO of Christian Wellisch, a minute and thirty second TKO of Neil Wain and a minute and nine second TKO of Gabriel Gonzaga. Carwin suffered a broken nose in the Gonzaga fight before unleasing a blitzkrieg attack on the BJJ blackbelt.
(Shane Carwin pictured)
Ben Saunders vs. Jon Fitch- After Thiago Alves was forced out of the UFC 111 card due to an abnormal CT scan of the brain, Ben Saunders volunteered to face Fitch. Look for Ben Saunders to attempt to utilize his height and reach advantage from the outside. I would expect Fitch, an All-American wrestler to try to get the fight to the ground.
SPIKE TV PRE-LIMS
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown
UNDERCARD
Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller
Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace
Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares
Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Video of the Day - Hardy v. Walker
Here is Dan Hardy fighting Andy Walker from CWFC Quest which took place on 4/8/005. Hardy is fighting Mike Swick at UFC 105. The winner likely will fight Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight title.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Review
UFC 99 featured the promotions first journey into German soil. The fight card featured many decisions, much to dismay of the rowdy crowd. Overall, there were some solid fights in Ben Saunders v. Mike Swick and Franklin v. Silva.
Results:
Dan Hardy def Marcus Davis via Dec (Split)- This fight was very close as the fight could have easily been called a draw. The fight was hyped a little too much as the fireworks didn't really happen. Davis probably took the first with a trip takedown and inflicting the most damage. In the second, Hardy dropped Davis with a knee and in the third Hardy looked more fresh opening a cut on Davis' nose.
Spencer Fisher def Caol Uno via Dec (Unanimous)- This fight generated quick a few boo's from the German crowd that was probably getting a little bored with the decisions. I thought Uno and Fisher were close through two rounds, and Uno stole the third round with a takedown and ground and pound.
Mike Swick def Ben Saunders via TKO (Punches) R2, 3:47- This fight turned out to be one of the more entertaining bouts on the card. Swick and Saunders seemed evenly matched lanky fighters for 170 pounds. Swick was the quicker fighter of the night, getting takedowns and doing more damage with his strikes. Saunders got off a couple knees, but wasn't able to match Swick. In the second, Swick began to dominate, landing a flush right to the temple of Saunders. Swick followed it up with a massive flurry to win the TKO.
*Swick wins KO of the Night bonus.
Mirko Filipovic def Mustapha al Turk via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:06- Mirko Cro Cop was the more precise and game fighter, damaging Al-Turk from all different angles. After defending a takedown, Cro Cop dropped Al-Turk with punches. Going in the guard, Cro Cop landed some ground and pound before allowing Al-Turk to stand. From there, it looked as if Cro Cop landed a nasty eye poke, which wasn't seen by the ref and ended in Cro Cop punishing Al-Turk for the TKO.
Cain Velasquez def Cheick Kongo via Dec (Unanimous)- Velasquez was struck twice hard by Kongo which stunned him standing. Unfortunately for Kongo, as soon as that happened, Cain took Kongo to the ground and landed numerous strikes. Cain scored about ten takedowns throughout the fight. He will likely fight Shane Carwin for a title shot.
Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva via Dec (Unanimous)- Franklin was the more precise fighter this night, landing strikes and getting takedowns. In the second, Franklin was able to drop Silva with a stiff jab, but took his own big punch from Silva moments later. Near the end of the second, Franklin landed a nice head kick. In the third, the match was pretty even with Franklin probably getting a takedown to seal the fight.
*Franklin wins Fight of the Night bonus.
Undercard-
John Hathaway def Ricky Story via Dec (Unanimous)
Stefan Struve def Denis Stojnic via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 2:37
Paul Kelly def Roli Delgado via Dec (Unanimous)
Paul Taylor def Peter Sobotta via Dec (Unanimous)
Dennis Siver def Dale Hartt via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1, 3:23
Terry Etim def Justin Buchholz via Sub (Brabo Choke) R2, 2:38
*Etim wins submission of the Night bonus.
(Rich Franklin pictured)
Results:
Dan Hardy def Marcus Davis via Dec (Split)- This fight was very close as the fight could have easily been called a draw. The fight was hyped a little too much as the fireworks didn't really happen. Davis probably took the first with a trip takedown and inflicting the most damage. In the second, Hardy dropped Davis with a knee and in the third Hardy looked more fresh opening a cut on Davis' nose.
Spencer Fisher def Caol Uno via Dec (Unanimous)- This fight generated quick a few boo's from the German crowd that was probably getting a little bored with the decisions. I thought Uno and Fisher were close through two rounds, and Uno stole the third round with a takedown and ground and pound.
Mike Swick def Ben Saunders via TKO (Punches) R2, 3:47- This fight turned out to be one of the more entertaining bouts on the card. Swick and Saunders seemed evenly matched lanky fighters for 170 pounds. Swick was the quicker fighter of the night, getting takedowns and doing more damage with his strikes. Saunders got off a couple knees, but wasn't able to match Swick. In the second, Swick began to dominate, landing a flush right to the temple of Saunders. Swick followed it up with a massive flurry to win the TKO.
*Swick wins KO of the Night bonus.
Mirko Filipovic def Mustapha al Turk via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:06- Mirko Cro Cop was the more precise and game fighter, damaging Al-Turk from all different angles. After defending a takedown, Cro Cop dropped Al-Turk with punches. Going in the guard, Cro Cop landed some ground and pound before allowing Al-Turk to stand. From there, it looked as if Cro Cop landed a nasty eye poke, which wasn't seen by the ref and ended in Cro Cop punishing Al-Turk for the TKO.
Cain Velasquez def Cheick Kongo via Dec (Unanimous)- Velasquez was struck twice hard by Kongo which stunned him standing. Unfortunately for Kongo, as soon as that happened, Cain took Kongo to the ground and landed numerous strikes. Cain scored about ten takedowns throughout the fight. He will likely fight Shane Carwin for a title shot.
Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva via Dec (Unanimous)- Franklin was the more precise fighter this night, landing strikes and getting takedowns. In the second, Franklin was able to drop Silva with a stiff jab, but took his own big punch from Silva moments later. Near the end of the second, Franklin landed a nice head kick. In the third, the match was pretty even with Franklin probably getting a takedown to seal the fight.
*Franklin wins Fight of the Night bonus.
Undercard-
John Hathaway def Ricky Story via Dec (Unanimous)
Stefan Struve def Denis Stojnic via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 2:37
Paul Kelly def Roli Delgado via Dec (Unanimous)
Paul Taylor def Peter Sobotta via Dec (Unanimous)
Dennis Siver def Dale Hartt via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1, 3:23
Terry Etim def Justin Buchholz via Sub (Brabo Choke) R2, 2:38
*Etim wins submission of the Night bonus.
(Rich Franklin pictured)
Monday, February 23, 2009
UFC 95 Review
UFC 95 may not of had a title fight, but the card delivered. In what was the most entertaining card of 2009, we saw 6 KO's, 2 submissions and only one decision in the 9 fights that aired on Spike TV.
Mike Ciesnolevicz def Neil Grove via sub (heel hook)- R1, 1:03- Mike C tried for a takedown, but was unsuccessful with Grove landing in top position. From there both fighters went for leg locks, with Grove looking for a straight ankle lock. Mike C got a heel hook close to his body and when he torqued it the knee appeared to pop and the fight was over. Hopefully Grove didn't suffer a bad knee injury.
Evan Dunham def Per Eklund via TKO, R1, 2:13- Dunham took a punch or two before unloading a left hand to the face of Eklund. After Eklund went down, Dunham continued delivering punishment until the ref called the fight.
Junior dos Santos def Stefan Struve via TKO- R1, 0:54- The tall Struve looked like a kid facing an adult in his match with dos Santos. When dos Santos was able to get inside on the taller Struve, it was all over as dos Santos landed a left and right crumpling the bigger fighter.
Terry Etim def Brian Cobb via TKO- R2, 0:10- Terry Etim put on a dazzling striking display as he dominated late replacement Brian Cobb. Etim looked good with varying kicks and punches. Cobb was able to get takedowns on Etim, but couldn't do anything in top position. In the second, Etim landed a kick to Cobb's face then finished him off.
Paulo Thiago def Josh Koscheck via TKO, R1 3:29- In the upset of the night, Paulo Thiago made a name for himself by knocking out heralded fighter Josh Koscheck. Entering the fight as a huge underdog, Thiago took a couple clean shots from Koscheck as the fight began. Kos seemed to be getting the better of Thiago, stalking him around the cage. However, Kos was caught by a nasty uppercut and then clipped with a hook before hitting the ground. The ref stepped in as Thiago knew it was over. Koscheck disputed the stoppage, but the replay showed it was the correct call.
*KO of the night bonus awarded to Thiago.
Demian Maia def Chael Sonnen via Sub (Triangle Choke) R1, 2:37- Demian Maia continued to dazzle as he submitted Chael Sonnen. Maia threw Sonnnen with a lateral throw landing in top position. From there, he locked in a triangle, rolled, and then had Maia tapping.
*Submission of the night bonus awarded to Maia.
Nate Marquardt def Wilson Gouveia via TKO (Knee and Punches) R3, 3:10- Marquardt was in his element as he had his way with Gouveia throughout the fight. Marquardt consistently landed push kicks, leg kicks and attempted high kicks. Marquardt was able to get a couple takedowns as well. In the third, Marquardt landed a jumping knee and straight punch. With Goeveia backing up, Marquardt threw kicks, a spinning backfist, knees and punches before the ref jumped in to stop the action. Marquardt looks poised for a title shot.
Dan Hardy def Rory Markham via KO (Punch) R1, 1:09- Markham came in looking for another knockout of the night bonus, but that didn't happen. Markham threw a huge overhand right which was countered by a left hook from Hardy. Markham protested the stoppage, but it was justified.
Diego Sanchez def Joe Stevenson via Dec (Unanimous)- In what turned out to be a close fight, Sanchez and Stevenson spent most of the fight trading punches. Diego did enough to win, landing more strikes overall. The closest Stevenson came to victory was a second round attempt at a guillotine choke.
*Sanchez and Stevenson win fight of the night bonus.
(Diego Sanchez pictured)
Un-aired bout- Paul Kelly def. Troy Mandaloniz via Dec (Unanimous)
Mike Ciesnolevicz def Neil Grove via sub (heel hook)- R1, 1:03- Mike C tried for a takedown, but was unsuccessful with Grove landing in top position. From there both fighters went for leg locks, with Grove looking for a straight ankle lock. Mike C got a heel hook close to his body and when he torqued it the knee appeared to pop and the fight was over. Hopefully Grove didn't suffer a bad knee injury.
Evan Dunham def Per Eklund via TKO, R1, 2:13- Dunham took a punch or two before unloading a left hand to the face of Eklund. After Eklund went down, Dunham continued delivering punishment until the ref called the fight.
Junior dos Santos def Stefan Struve via TKO- R1, 0:54- The tall Struve looked like a kid facing an adult in his match with dos Santos. When dos Santos was able to get inside on the taller Struve, it was all over as dos Santos landed a left and right crumpling the bigger fighter.
Terry Etim def Brian Cobb via TKO- R2, 0:10- Terry Etim put on a dazzling striking display as he dominated late replacement Brian Cobb. Etim looked good with varying kicks and punches. Cobb was able to get takedowns on Etim, but couldn't do anything in top position. In the second, Etim landed a kick to Cobb's face then finished him off.
Paulo Thiago def Josh Koscheck via TKO, R1 3:29- In the upset of the night, Paulo Thiago made a name for himself by knocking out heralded fighter Josh Koscheck. Entering the fight as a huge underdog, Thiago took a couple clean shots from Koscheck as the fight began. Kos seemed to be getting the better of Thiago, stalking him around the cage. However, Kos was caught by a nasty uppercut and then clipped with a hook before hitting the ground. The ref stepped in as Thiago knew it was over. Koscheck disputed the stoppage, but the replay showed it was the correct call.
*KO of the night bonus awarded to Thiago.
Demian Maia def Chael Sonnen via Sub (Triangle Choke) R1, 2:37- Demian Maia continued to dazzle as he submitted Chael Sonnen. Maia threw Sonnnen with a lateral throw landing in top position. From there, he locked in a triangle, rolled, and then had Maia tapping.
*Submission of the night bonus awarded to Maia.
Nate Marquardt def Wilson Gouveia via TKO (Knee and Punches) R3, 3:10- Marquardt was in his element as he had his way with Gouveia throughout the fight. Marquardt consistently landed push kicks, leg kicks and attempted high kicks. Marquardt was able to get a couple takedowns as well. In the third, Marquardt landed a jumping knee and straight punch. With Goeveia backing up, Marquardt threw kicks, a spinning backfist, knees and punches before the ref jumped in to stop the action. Marquardt looks poised for a title shot.
Dan Hardy def Rory Markham via KO (Punch) R1, 1:09- Markham came in looking for another knockout of the night bonus, but that didn't happen. Markham threw a huge overhand right which was countered by a left hook from Hardy. Markham protested the stoppage, but it was justified.
Diego Sanchez def Joe Stevenson via Dec (Unanimous)- In what turned out to be a close fight, Sanchez and Stevenson spent most of the fight trading punches. Diego did enough to win, landing more strikes overall. The closest Stevenson came to victory was a second round attempt at a guillotine choke.
*Sanchez and Stevenson win fight of the night bonus.
(Diego Sanchez pictured)
Un-aired bout- Paul Kelly def. Troy Mandaloniz via Dec (Unanimous)
Monday, February 2, 2009
UFC 95 Preview
UFC 95 will be taking place this Saturday in London, England. Lucky for us fans, the event will be shown live on Spike TV. All fighters made weight and will be ready to go tomorrow.
Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson- The main event pits two TUF champs against eachother in a 155 pound bout. This will be Diego's first match at 155 pounds. I expect Diego to try to keep the fight standing, attempting to utilize his reach advantage. Stevenson will likely try to take the fight to the ground looking for ground and pound.
Sanchez (19-2) has been on a roll beating Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden in his last two bouts. Previous to those bouts, Diego lost two decisions to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, while battling a staff infection that took a chunk out of his leg. Diego has big wins against Kenny Florian, Jorge Santiago, Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan.
(Diego Sanchez pictured)
Joe Stevenson (29-9) enters this bout needing a win to stay relevant as a contender in the 155 pound division. In his last three bouts he has lost to #1 contender Kenny Florian, beat Gleison Tibau, and lost a title fight with BJ Penn. Stevenson has been fighting since he was 17 and has big wins over Melvin Guillard, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Luke Cummo and Kurt Pellegrino.
(Joe Stevenson pictured)
Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham- This fight pits hometown English fighter Dan Hardy (20-6) against hard hitting Midwestern brawler Rory Markham (16-4). In Markham's debut, he destroyed Brodie Farbar with the nastiest head kick of 2008. He will be looking to brawl and get the KO of the night. In his 16 wins, he has 11 KO/TKO's and 5 submissions. Markum's big wins have come over Brad Blackburn, Pat Healy and Mike Pyle.
(Rory Markham gif)
Dan Hardy is a solid fighter with technically sound stand-up. At 6 feet tall, he usually has a reach advantage when he fights. Hardy won a razor thin split decision over Akihiro Gono in his UFC debut. Hardy's big wins have come over Hidetaka Monma, Chad Reiner and Daniel Weichel.
Dan Hardy pictured
Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt- A win by each of these 185 pound vets would put them that much closer to a potential title shot. Marquardt (27-8-2) is a former King of Pancrase who has gone 6-2 in the UFC. In his last fight he overwelmed Martin Kampmann in a first round TKO. Marquardt has victories over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Joe Doerksen, Kazou Misaki and Yves Edwards. Look for Marquardt to take Gouveia to the mat.
(Nate Marquardt pictured)
Wilson Gouveia (12-5) started at 205 pounds in the UFC before moving down to the 185 pound division. The American Top Team fighter mainly can strike and has a BJJ blackbelt. Gouveia has 7 submission and 4 (T)KO wins with victories over Jason MacDonald, Jason Lambert, Jon Fitch and Seth Petruzelli in his career.
Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen- This bout would seem to be a grappling war. BJJ blackbelt Demian Maia has made everyone he's fought in the UFC look out of his league. Chael Sonnen is a superb wresler who will probably stand and trade with Maia, using his wrestling to keep the fight standing.
Demian Maia (9-0) has dazzled submitting each of his four UFC opponents. He has wins over Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen in the UFC, securing submission of the night honors three times. Maia also won the 2007 ADCC submission grappling 83 KG division.
Chael Sonnen (21-9) has gone 7-1 in his last eight fights beating Paulo Filho in an odd bout in the WEC. Since the 185 pound division dissolved, Chael made the jump to the UFC, his second stint in the promotion. Chael's career has seen him defeat Tim Credeur, Amar Suloev, Trevor Prangley and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago- TUF 1 alumnus Josh Koscheck (12-3) is coming off a highlight reel KO victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Josh is a highly decorated wrestler who has devoted himself to learning the striking game. Koscheck has victories over Diego Sanchez, Dustin Hazelett and Dave Menne in the UFC.
Paul Thiago (10-0) is a relevative unknown in this fight. He has fouht primarily in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. This will be his first fight in the United States. He has 7 submission victories with a win over Luis Dutra Jr.(7-2) and Ferrid Kheder (10-4).
UNDERCARD
Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz
Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Neil Grove
Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund
Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson- The main event pits two TUF champs against eachother in a 155 pound bout. This will be Diego's first match at 155 pounds. I expect Diego to try to keep the fight standing, attempting to utilize his reach advantage. Stevenson will likely try to take the fight to the ground looking for ground and pound.
Sanchez (19-2) has been on a roll beating Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden in his last two bouts. Previous to those bouts, Diego lost two decisions to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, while battling a staff infection that took a chunk out of his leg. Diego has big wins against Kenny Florian, Jorge Santiago, Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan.
(Diego Sanchez pictured)
Joe Stevenson (29-9) enters this bout needing a win to stay relevant as a contender in the 155 pound division. In his last three bouts he has lost to #1 contender Kenny Florian, beat Gleison Tibau, and lost a title fight with BJ Penn. Stevenson has been fighting since he was 17 and has big wins over Melvin Guillard, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Luke Cummo and Kurt Pellegrino.
(Joe Stevenson pictured)
Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham- This fight pits hometown English fighter Dan Hardy (20-6) against hard hitting Midwestern brawler Rory Markham (16-4). In Markham's debut, he destroyed Brodie Farbar with the nastiest head kick of 2008. He will be looking to brawl and get the KO of the night. In his 16 wins, he has 11 KO/TKO's and 5 submissions. Markum's big wins have come over Brad Blackburn, Pat Healy and Mike Pyle.
(Rory Markham gif)
Dan Hardy is a solid fighter with technically sound stand-up. At 6 feet tall, he usually has a reach advantage when he fights. Hardy won a razor thin split decision over Akihiro Gono in his UFC debut. Hardy's big wins have come over Hidetaka Monma, Chad Reiner and Daniel Weichel.
Dan Hardy pictured
Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt- A win by each of these 185 pound vets would put them that much closer to a potential title shot. Marquardt (27-8-2) is a former King of Pancrase who has gone 6-2 in the UFC. In his last fight he overwelmed Martin Kampmann in a first round TKO. Marquardt has victories over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Joe Doerksen, Kazou Misaki and Yves Edwards. Look for Marquardt to take Gouveia to the mat.
(Nate Marquardt pictured)
Wilson Gouveia (12-5) started at 205 pounds in the UFC before moving down to the 185 pound division. The American Top Team fighter mainly can strike and has a BJJ blackbelt. Gouveia has 7 submission and 4 (T)KO wins with victories over Jason MacDonald, Jason Lambert, Jon Fitch and Seth Petruzelli in his career.
Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen- This bout would seem to be a grappling war. BJJ blackbelt Demian Maia has made everyone he's fought in the UFC look out of his league. Chael Sonnen is a superb wresler who will probably stand and trade with Maia, using his wrestling to keep the fight standing.
Demian Maia (9-0) has dazzled submitting each of his four UFC opponents. He has wins over Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen in the UFC, securing submission of the night honors three times. Maia also won the 2007 ADCC submission grappling 83 KG division.
Chael Sonnen (21-9) has gone 7-1 in his last eight fights beating Paulo Filho in an odd bout in the WEC. Since the 185 pound division dissolved, Chael made the jump to the UFC, his second stint in the promotion. Chael's career has seen him defeat Tim Credeur, Amar Suloev, Trevor Prangley and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago- TUF 1 alumnus Josh Koscheck (12-3) is coming off a highlight reel KO victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Josh is a highly decorated wrestler who has devoted himself to learning the striking game. Koscheck has victories over Diego Sanchez, Dustin Hazelett and Dave Menne in the UFC.
Paul Thiago (10-0) is a relevative unknown in this fight. He has fouht primarily in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. This will be his first fight in the United States. He has 7 submission victories with a win over Luis Dutra Jr.(7-2) and Ferrid Kheder (10-4).
UNDERCARD
Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz
Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Neil Grove
Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund
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