UFC ‘Fight for the Troops’ was a charitable event, held to benefit the Intrepid Center – a medical center which helps U.S. veterans who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Ironically, several matches on the card ended with brutal concussion-inducing knockouts, along with other injuries.
Jim Miller vs. Matt Wiman (155 lbs)
This fight had a last-minute substitution: Wiman was originally slated to face Frankie Edgar, who pulled out with an injury only a week prior to the fight. Jim Miller stepped in on short notice, and performed admirably. After getting the better of Wiman in early exchanges, Miller pulled guard as Wiman was going to a takedown, and secured a very tight guillotine. Miller rolled over into mount as he attempted to finish the choke; Wiman held on to Miller’s trunks despite repeated warnings from the referee Mario Yamasaki. As Mario finally detached Wiman’s hand from Miller’s shorts, Matt was able to slip out of the guillotine. After briefly achieving the top position Wiman let Miller up and Jim finished the round strong on the feet.
The pace slowed down a bit in the remaining two rounds, but Miller thoroughly dominated Wiman both standing and on the ground for the rest of the match. Wiman hung in there but was never able to get an advantage, and lost all three rounds in a unanimous decision.
Fight Grade: 4.5/5
Aftermath: A dominant performance from Miller in his second UFC bout should earn him a spot in the lightweight Top 10. Wiman’s win streak is over with what has to be a very disappointing loss after his last performance. Both fighters earned an additional $30,000 for the official ‘Fight of the Night’.
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran (185 lbs)
‘The Ultimate Fighter’ alum Credeur outclassed his opponent for two rounds with wild yet accurate strikes, both standing and on the ground. At the end of Round 2, Loughran was left writhing on the floor in pain from an apparent rib injury. Loughran was not able to answer the bell for Round 3, giving Credeur a TKO victory.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: Credeur shows that he is a formidable striker as well as grappler, and takes a small step up the ranking ladder. Uninspiring performance from Loughran will likely force him back to the untelevised undercard in his next Octagon appearance.
Razak Al-Hussan vs. Steve Cantwell (205 lbs)
This was the UFC debut for both fighters: the last WEC lightheavyweight champion Cantwell and the undefeated Al-Hussan. Cantwell was originally scheduled for a rubber match with Brian Stann, whom Steve defeated for the WEC title in their last bout. Stann was forced off the card with an injury, giving Al-Hussan a chance to perform in the big show. Razak started out as the aggressor, driving Cantwell back and winning the early exchanges. Cantwell wisely went for a takedown, and Razak looked lost on the ground. Cantwell quickly secured an armbar; Razak attempted to roll out but could not escape, and refused to tap as the referee halted the bout. Upon replay, it was clearly visible that Razak’s elbow joint was grotesquely dislocated as the result of the armbar.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Great UFC debut for Cantwell, demonstrating that he is more than just a robotic striker. No so much for Al-Hussan, who looked very one-dimensional and will likely be out of action for a while with a seemingly severe injury.
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff (170 lbs)
In a welterweight bout, Ben Saunders looked like he had a tremendous size and reach advantage over the UFC newcomer Brandon Wolff. Saunders started the bout with an inside low kick, which landed squarely on Wolff’s groin. After a brief break, the action resumed and Saunders utilized his reach to punish Wolff with brutal knees from the clinch. Wolff had no answer but to back away and cover up; not a good strategy as Saunders kept landing the knees until Wolff collapsed. Saunders earns the first round TKO victory.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: This was the best showing from Saunders since his stint on ‘TUF’. If he can repeat this against higher level opponents, he will soon be a title contender. Wolff is welcomed into the UFC with a brutal beating, earning a huge hematoma on his forehead – the biggest one I’ve seen in all the years of watching combat sports.
Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet (170 lbs)
After a series of lackadaisical fights, Swick promised to return to his old form in his third bout as a welterweight. He delivered on his promise, and Goulet delivered on his reputation of having a glass chin. Swick knocked out Goulet in the very first exchange of the first round.
Fight Grade: 1/5
Aftermath: This fight should not have happened; certainly not as a co-main event of the night. Goulet is one of those fighters who makes me wonder, ‘Why is he still in the UFC?’ I will reserve any judgment on whether the ‘old’ Swick is back until he faces a tougher opponent.
Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170 lbs)
The night’s main event was another welterweight showdown. Josh Koscheck took the fight to Yoshida early on, driving him back with accurate punches. With Yoshida’s back to the fence, Koscheck stunned Yoshiyuki with a big right hand, then followed up with another right that knocked Yoshida out cold.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Koscheck’s striking seems to improve with every fight – he has come a very long way from the one-dimensional wrestler of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ days. An impressive knockout over a respected opponent will give him much needed leverage in his ongoing contract negotiations with the UFC. After a solid performance in his UFC debut, Yoshida was not able to follow up with another win, falling to the curse that seems to affect every Japanese fighter in the UFC.
Steve Bruno vs. Johny Rees (170 lbs)
In a preliminary bout shown in the time remaining after the main event, Bruno submitted Rees with a rear naked choke in the second round, in a fight most of which took place with opponents clinched against the fence and scrambling for the dominant position.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: A fight between two unranked fighters with no real implications for the welterweight division.
Event Grade: 4/5
Despite a lack of ‘big name’ matchups and mostly one-sided bouts, a very enterntaining night of fights.