UFC 99 was broadcast live from Cologne, Germany – marking the organization’s first foray into continental Europe. UFC was not exactly welcomed with open arms, as the local legislators attempted to block the event, citing the brutality of the sport. In the end their efforts were futile, and the event went on (as usual, there were several late substitutions due to injuries). As it has been the case with most of UFC’s overseas cards, there were no title bouts in this event. Instead, the headlining bout was a ‘super fight’ between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva at a catch weight of 195 lbs. The fight card also featured a bout between top heavyweight contenders in Cheik Kongo and Cain Velasquez, as well as the UFC return on Caol Uno and Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic.
Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy (170 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters circle and exchange leg kicks, then Davis rushes in and clinches Hardy against the fence. Not much action until Davis gets a takedown and quickly mounts Hardy. Davis throws strikes, Hardy regains guard but ends up giving up his back as he tries to get back to the feet. Hardy rocks Davis with an elbow and follows up with knees from clinch; Davis goes for another takedown as the round ends. Round 10-9 Davis
Round 2: The round starts with a heated exchange, seemingly even until Hardy drops Davis with a knee. Hardy jumps into Davis’ guard; Marcus regains his composure and nearly catches an armbar. Hardy throws elbows from the top; Davis defends and the fighters are stood up by the ref. The fighters exchange again, with both men connecting solid strikes. Davis takes down Hardy and finishes the round with strikes from the top. Round 10-9 Hardy
Round 3: The initial exchange ends with Davis landing a punch on an off-balance Hardy and knocking him down, though Hardy does not look hurt. Davis attempts to work from Hardy’s guard then quickly transitions to a leg lock. Hardy spins out and stands up, then gets a takedown of his own and mauls Davis with elbows. Davis is bleeding profusely and the referee stands them up to check the cut. The fight is allowed to continue, and the action slows down until the ref calls for another stand up. Davis’ has blood in his eyes and a huge mouse over the left one. Davis finishes the round aggressive but loses based on damage taken. Round 10-9 Hardy
Dan Hardy wins by split decision.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: Hardy solidifies his position as a Top 10 welterweight. Davis remains in a gatekeeper role – surely he will soon find another “grudge” to keep himself relevant in the division. I would like to see Hardy and Davis face the winner and the loser of the Swick-Saunders bout, respectively.
Caol Uno vs. Spencer Fisher (155 lbs)
Round 1: Fisher starts off throwing strikes and Uno quickly shoots for a takedown. Fisher sprawls and they end up clinched against the cage. The remainder of the round follows the same pattern: Fisher lands a few strikes, Uno attempts a takedown, they end up in clinch. Minimal action. Round 10-9 Fisher
Round 2: Fisher leads with a kick and a punch; Uno evades and finally gets a takedown but Fisher quickly gets up. They trade and Uno works for another takedown; Fisher avoids going to the mat. Uno finally gets a takedown but Fisher gets up again. Fisher throws knees from clinch and Uno pulls guard. Another slow round. Round 10-10 draw
Round 3: More of the same as Fisher strikes whenever he gets a chance but Uno relentlessly goes for takedown, with most of the round resulting in a stalemate clinched against the fence. With a minute left in the round, Uno gets a takedown and passes guard. Fisher is trapped by the cage, and Uno blasts away from top, getting mount. Fisher regains half guard but is still eating a lot of shots as the round ends. Round 10-9 Uno
Spencer Fisher wins by unanimous decision.
Fight Grade: 2.5/5
Aftermath: Not an overly impressive outing for either fighter. Fisher has now won three in a row, but his wrestling remains a gaping weakness that will prevent him from rising further up the lightweight ranks.
Mirko Filipovic vs. Mustapha Al-Turk (HW)
Round 1: Al-Turk rushes in with punches and kicks, quickly switching to a takedown attempt, but Mirko throws him off. Al-Turk alternates leg kicks with takedown attempts and Filipovic keeps sprawling. Filipovic unloads with a punch combination that drops Al-Turk. Mirko allows Mustapha to stand up then throws a punch that connects and causes Al-Turk to double over in pain, holding his eye. ‘Cro Cop’ swarms Al-Turk, striking until the referee stops the bout. On replay, it becomes clear that Mirko’s finger went deep into Al-Turk’s eye; however the referee did not notice the infraction and so Filipovic wins by TKO.
Fight Grade: 3/5 2/5 1 point deduction for the eye poke
Aftermath: The last time the outcome of a fight was determined by an eye poke, UFC set up an immediate rematch (between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns). It is extremely unlikely that a rematch will be granted this time around, as Al-Turk’s UFC career is all but over after two quick losses in which he did not show much skill. Cro Cop’s future with the UFC is also up in the air: This bout was a one-fight contract, and UFC president Dana White berated Mirko after the fight, claiming that Filipovic refused an offer to remain in the UFC, instead signing a deal with Japan’s DREAM promotion. Filipovic has issued a statement denying the DREAM deal, and so it remains unclear of what will become of this situation.
Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders (170 lbs)
Round 1: Saunders is the first to attack and immediately gets taken down for his effort. Swick throws body punches from Saunders’ guard; Saunders holds on to Swick and stalls, hoping for a standup. Neither fighter is effective from the position, and after a while the ref stands them up. They clinch and exchange knees, with neither fighter getting a clear advantage. Round 10-9 Swick.
Round 2: Saunders leads with a kick; they clinch and exchange knees. Swick gets a takedown and it’s once again a stalemate in Saunders’ guard. Referee calls for a standup and they go back to trading on the feet. Swick with a big flurry, landing a series of punches that rocks and drops Saunders. Swick continues throwing punch after another until the fight is stopped, giving Swick a TKO victory.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Aftermath: In his post-fight interview Swick claims that he is ready for a title shot and wants to fight one of the top guys in the division. I would prefer to see him in another contender’s match first – perhaps against Dan Hardy. Saunders should face off against Marcus Davis, or Dustin Hazelett (who was supposed to be Saunders’ original opponent before suffering an injury in training.)
Cheik Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez (HW)
Round 1: Velasquez moves in on Kongo and eats a punch that momentarily drops him to his knees. Velasquez recovers instantly and takes Kongo down. Velasquez quickly gets mount, then back control. Kongo defends a choke attempt and desperately tries to get up but Velasquez deposits him on the mat with a high-impact double leg takedown. Velasquez works over Kongo, who is finally able to get back to his feet just as the round ends. Round 10-9 Velasquez
Round 2: Once again Kongo rocks Cain with a right hand to start off the round. Inexplicably Kongo goes for a takedown of his own, and succeeds but Velasquez quickly escapes and takes Kongo’s back. Velasquez dominates Kongo with strikes on the ground, alternating side control, mount, and back mount. Kongo covers up. Kongo stands up just to be taken down and mounted again. Round 10-9 Velasquez
Round 3: The third round begins much like the first two – Kongo rocks Cain with punches, then attempts a takedown only to be reversed. Cain is landing numerous punches; Kongo throws a few futile elbows. Kongo gets up halfway through the round, and lands several hard knees to Cain’s midsection. Cain looks unsteady, but survives the assault and takes Kongo down again. Velasquez finishes the round mounted on top of Kongo, teeing off with punches. Round 10-9 Velasquez
Cain Velasquez wins by unanimous decision.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Aftermath: Velasquez moves into the ranks of top heavyweight contenders. A bout between Cain and Shane Carwin would be a good way to determine who gets the next shot at the winner of Brock Lesnar-Frank Mir title unification bout at UFC 100. Velasquez’s lack of striking defense is likely to get him in trouble against fighters like Lesnar and Carwin. Kongo suffers the third loss in his UFC career, looking a lot like his first few losses. He will most likely face another string of lower-ranked competition while he works on his grappling, takedown defense, and game-planning.
Rich Franklin vs Wanderlei Silva (195 lbs catch weight)
Round 1: Little action in the beginning as the fighters circle and measure each other up. Franklin moves in and out, with leg kicks and jabs. Silva attempts to counter with wild strikes but nothing lands. Silva catches a body kick and takes Franklin to the ground. Silva lands a few strikes from Franklin’s guard; Rich gets back to his feet and Silva attempts a guillotine but ends up on his back and eventually mounted. Silva is bleeding from a facial cut. Silva stands up and swings for the fences as the round ends. Round 10-9 Franklin
Round 2: Franklin starts out strong, picking Silva apart while avoiding big counters. Franklin briefly drops Silva but Wanderlei recovers quickly. Wanderlei fires back, dropping Franklin in return. Wanderlei swarms Franklin but Rich recovers quickly; Silva is not able to put Franklin away but takes the round. Round 10-9 Silva
Round 3: After some circling, both fighters pick up the pace as Silva is looking for a knockout. They trade and Silva starts getting the best of Franklin, waving him on as Franklin eludes Silva’s punches. Franklin scores a takedown. Silva gets back to his feet but Franklin takes his back standing, and the fight ends with both fighters frenetically exchanging strikes against the fence, as Silva throws vicious back elbows and Franklin responds with short punches. Round 10-10 draw
Rich Franklin wins by unanimous decision.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Aftermath:
A great headlining bout elevated this card a notch after a mediocre undercard; however a string of close fights ending in controversial decisions along with a couple of lackluster bouts made UFC 99 at best a very average event.