UFC is having a very busy month – UFC 111 came less than a week after the inaugural ‘UFC on Versus’ event, and only a few days before Fight Night 21 and the debut of 11th season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. Sandwiched between the two smaller events, 111 held it’s own in the fight line-up, with welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre defending his belt against Dan Hardy, and heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin meeting for the interim title. Welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves were supposed to have a rematch in the third featured bout, however a pre-fight CAT scan revealed an abnormality in Thiago’s brain, which prevented him from being licensed for the fight and resulted in Ben Saunders stepping in to face Fitch. Saunders’ originally scheduled opponent Jake Ellenberger was scratched for the card (receiving both ‘show’ and ‘win’ money for his troubles). Here’s how it all went down:
Preliminary Card (Spike TV)
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown (170 lbs)
Round 1: Brown throws a high kick and gets taken down. He gets up but Almeida plants him back down again. Brown uses the cage to escape to his feet. They clinch and it’s a stalemate. Referee breaks up the clinch but Almeida is not having any part of Brown’s stand up and goes right back to clinching against the cage looking for takedowns. Very little action, with Almeida landing a couple of good elbows. Almeida edges out a very boring round to the loud boo’s of the crowd. Round 10-9 Almeida
Round 2: Brown again starts the round with a kick, leading to an instant takedown. Brown up and back down. Brown up again and back to clinch against the fence. A repeat of the first round. Almeida lands an elbow combination that cuts Brown, then takes him down and quickly passes his guard. Brown rolls; Almeida locks in a body triangle and transitions to Matt’s back, locks in a rear naked choke and Brown is forced to tap.
Aftermath: Ricardo Almeida’s welterweight debut was a successful one, despite boring the fans out of their minds for the first and much of the second round. He needs to be matched up with another elite grappler – preferably Matt Serra or Matt Hughes.
The usually exciting Matt Brown has his game shut out by a much superior grappler; his clinching and takedown defense clearly need some work. In the meanwhile, a fight with Brian Foster should make for some fireworks.
Fight Grade: 2.5/5
Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham (catch weight of 177 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters trade early. Markham is winging big punches. Diaz uses his reach advantage to beat Markham to the punch. Diaz lands punch and kick combinations, follows up with a takedown attempt that Markham defends. Diaz keeps landing strikes, dropping Markham to his knees. Diaz hops on Markham’s back, locks in a body triangle, and punches away for the TKO stoppage.
Aftermath: What was supposed to be Nate Diaz’s first fight as a welterweight, ended up being contested at a middleweight catch weight of 177 lbs when Rory Markham failed to make weight. An impressive performance by Diaz after a string of lackluster fights at lightweight; however Diaz seems intent on returning to lightweight or alternating between the divisions.
Markham’s failure to make weight combined with a flat performance after a long injury-related layoff could spell the end of his UFC career, at least for the time being.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Rousimar Palhares vs. Tomasz Drwal (185 lbs)
Round 1: Drwal throws a leg kick, slips and falls. Palhares dives onto Drwal grabbing a hold of his leg, and locks in a heel hook. Drwal taps out and screams in pain; Palhares holds on to the sub until the referee has to pry him off.
Aftermath: Rousimar Palhares was suspended for 90 days by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission for not letting go of the submission. Nevertheless he rises up in ranks, and should face Alessio Sakara next.
Tomas Drwal suffers his first loss at 185 lbs. If the heel hook didn’t cause sever injury that will keep Drwal out of action for a while, he should fight Tom Lawlor.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Main Card (PPV)
Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek (155 lbs)
Round 1: Bocek is looking for a takedown early. They clinch, reset, clinch again. Bocek picks up Miller and slams him down with a big double-leg takedown. Miller pulls rubber guard. Bocek passes into half-guard and gets caught in a kimura. Miller uses the submission attempt to roll Bocek over, ending up on top. Bocek looks close to tapping out but somehow escapes. An elbow from Miller cuts Bocek’s forehead wide open. Miller finishes the round on top, landing several solid punches. Round 10-9 Miller
Round 2: Bocek gets a quick takedown to start the second round. He passes into half-guard and works some ground-and-pound. Bocek is bleeding all over Miller from the cut suffered in round 1. Miller attempts a leg-lock; Bocek rolls and ends up in mount. Miller gives up back and Bocek locks in a body triangle, trapping one of Miller’s arms. With plenty of time left in the round, Bocek looks for a rear naked choke which seems inevitable. However Miller manages to defend with only one arm, and eventually stands up and slams Bocek to free himself from the hold. Round 10-9 Bocek
Round 3: The fighters trade strikes to open up the final round. Bocek is holding his own on the feet but keeps looking for a takedown. Miller defends. Miller has a slight edge in standup. Bocek scores a takedown but Miller pops right up. Miller with a takedown of his own and gets Bocek’s back. Miller ends the round in back control, which may have won him the very close round. Round 10-9 Miller
Jim Miller wins the unanimous decision, with the scores of 29-28 on all scorecards.
Aftermath: An exciting and spirited performance from both fighters, and a decision that could have easily went either way – this fight elevates the stock of Miller and Bocek alike. Jim Miller should next take on Tyson Griffin or Kurt Pellegrino, while Mark Bocek should face Melvin Guillard, Spencer Fisher, or Joe Lauzon.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Fabricio Camoes (155 lbs)
Round 1: Camoes takes Pellegrino down early in the first. After a scramble on the ground Camoes gets Pellegrino’s back and secures hooks. Pellegrino stands as Camoes locks in a rear naked choke. Pellegrino escapes the choke by falling forward, slamming Camoes on his head! Pellegrino takes Fabricio’s back in turn but Camoes recovers from the slam and escapes into half-guard. Both fighters attempt submissions and alternate positions on the ground. Pellegrino works in few good strikes late in the round, sealing it in his favor. Round 10-9 Pellegrino
Round 2: Camoes looks for a takedown but Pellegrino reverses and ends up on top. Camoes escapes to his feet. Pellegrino lights him up with strikes then takes him back down. Pellegrino works elbows and punches on the ground, doing damage to a tired Camoes. Back to their feet and Pellegrino rocks Camoes with a knee, then takes him down, takes his back, and sinks in the rear naked choke. Camoes taps just as he looks ready to pass out.
Aftermath: His great performance launches Kurt Pellegrino, who has won his last four bouts, into the top 20 and the elite level of the UFC’s lightweight division. He should next take on Tyson Griffin or George Sotiropoulos, or a rematch with Nate Diaz (should Diaz choose to take his next fight as a lightweight).
Fabricio Camoes is starting his UFC career on a draw followed by a loss. He likely will get one more chance to redeem himself – perhaps against someone like Thiago Tavares, Matt Wiman, or Cole Miller.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Jon Fitch vs. Ben Saunders (170 lbs)
Round 1: A brief striking exchange leads to a clinch. They trade knees from clinch. Fitch looks for a takedown and eventually gets it. Fitch works head and body shots. Saunders attempts an armbar from his guard but Fitch is in no danger. Fitch grinds away, keeping Saunders on his back with his head pressed up against the fence. Saunders has no answer off his back. Round 10-9 Fitch
Round 2: An exchange of kicks, a clinch, and a slam delivered by Fitch. Fitch is in Saunders’ half guard. Saunders regains guard. Fitch peppers Saunders with punches from the top, bloodying up Ben’s face. They alternate guard and half guard. The crowd boos and referee Dan Miragliotta stands the fighters up. They clinch again and Saunders works hard to defend the takedown. Round 10-9 Fitch
Round 3: Fitch charges in with punches, then clinches. Fitch landing solid shots from clinch. Saunders works on defending the takedown. Brief standing kimura attempt from Saunders goes nowhere. Ref breaks up the clinch but they quickly end up in the same position. Fitch gets a takedown and pounds away. Saunders is bleeding; he survives the round but hasn’t offered any offense the entire fight. Round 10-9 Fitch
Jon Fitch wins the unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27 from all judges.
Aftermath: This one-sided drubbing was a major disappointment, considering that Fitch-Alves and Saunders-Ellenberger were both promising to be great fights. Instead, the fans were subjected to a tedious mismatch that did nothing for either fighter’s career. Jon Fitch is no closer to a rematch with St. Pierre, and will have to either wait for Alves to return to action in several months, or face the winner of the upcoming bout between Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley (questionable matchup if Koscheck wins as Fitch and Koscheck train together and balk at the idea of fighting each other).
Ben Saunders also remains roughly in the same spot in the welterweight division as he was before this bout. A matchup with Ellenberger is still a good option, as soon as Saunders’ facial cuts heal up.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin (interim HW title bout)
Round 1: After initial circling, Mir throws the first strike combination of the fight. Carwin ducks under and looks for a takedown. Mir blocks and they clinch against the fence. Carwin works the body. Not much action and referee Dan Miragliotta breaks up the clinch. Mir resumes throwing punches; Carwin fires back and once again pushes Mir against the cage. They hustle for position in clinch. Carwin lands an uppercut that dazes Mir. Carwin lands more uppercuts and Mir goes down. Carwin keeps punching away until Mir is flat on his stomach unconscious, and the ref steps in to stop the bout. Shane Carwin is the new (interim) UFC heavyweight champion.
Aftermath: Shane Carwin – still undefeated – will face Brock Lesnar to once again unify the multiple heavyweight titles. The matchup is tentatively scheduled for UFC 116.
Frank Mir is out of the title contention for the time being, with Cain Velasquez waiting in the wings for the winner of Carwin – Lesnar. If Mir wants to gain another quick title shot, he will have to go through Junior Dos Santos. Otherwise he should get a ‘rebound’ matchup against Gabriel Gonzaga, or a lower-level heavyweight.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Champion Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy (170 lbs title bout)
Round 1: The fight begins and St. Pierre takes Hardy down not even 30 seconds into the round. St. Pierre quickly passes into half guard then Hardy regains guard. Several transitions follow, ending with St. Pierre on Hardy’s back. Hardy escapes to his feet but instantly finds himself on his back again. St. Pierre passes into mount then takes the back. St. Pierre transitions to an armbar, and it looks very deep but Hardy somehow escapes and gets back to his feet as the round ends. Round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round 2: A brief striking exchange with nothing significant landed, then Georges takes Hardy down with a single. St. Pierre passes into half guard, then side control, then back mount. St. Pierre attempts an armbar; Hardy reversed and ends up in Georges’ guard. St. Pierre back to his feet. Another insignificant striking exchange ends with a big takedown from St. Pierre. Round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round 3: Again a quick takedown from St. Pierre. Georges is working elbows and punches from the top and starting to do some damage. Hardy attempts a triangle but Georges easily evades and transitions to side control. Georges looks for a kimura. Hardy gets back up and is dragged right back down. St. Pierre ends the round in the dominant position. Round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round 4: Fourth round begins much like the previous three, with Hardy on his back only seconds into the round. A scramble on the ground ultimately ends with St. Pierre still on top of Hardy. Georges locks in a kimura; Hardy refuses to tap. St. Pierre hesitates, not willing to crank the submission to the point of injury, and lets go. No hope left for Dan Hardy at this point in the match. Round 10-9 St. Pierre
Round 5: The fighters exchange leg kicks, then St. Pierre secures another takedown. Hardy attempts a triangle; St. Pierre shrugs it off and takes Dan’s back. Hardy turtles up and St. Pierre attacks the body. Hardy is up but slammed back down. Kimura attempt from St. Pierre and Hardy escapes. The end of this fight can’t come soon enough. Round 10-9 St. Pierre
Georges St. Pierre wins the unanimous decision with scores of 50-44, 50-45, 50-43 to retain the UFC welterweight championship.
Aftermath: This fight was as one-sided as expected, the only surprise being Hardy’s resilience in the face of St. Pierre’s submission attempts. Though Georges went the distance with his last three opponents, his performances were as dominating as could be without a finish. There currently isn’t a top contender in sight, and so it looks like GSP will have another long layoff while he waits for a worthy challenger to emerge.
Dan Hardy showed a lot of heart – and not much else – in the five rounds of being dominated. He should next take on one of the division’s other top dogs – Jon Fitch, Matt Serra or Paulo Thiago.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Rodney Wallace vs. Jared Hamman (205 lbs)
Round 1: Wallace is looking for an early takedown and eventually suceeds but Hamman gets right back up. Wallace lands a combination and scores another takedown. Hamman back to his feet again and they trade. Hamman drops Wallace with a head kick but Wallace recovers and secures yet another takedown. Hamman back up and drops Wallace for the second time with a series of punches. Hamman looking to finish but Wallace survives the round. Round 10-9 Hamman
Round 2: Wallace lands a punch combination and takes Hamman down. Hamman escapes and throws Wallace to the ground, taking top position. Wallace attempts a triangle. Wallace gets up and takes Hamman down in turn. Hamman sweeps and end up on top. Hamman controls Wallace on the ground and lands punches from the top, scoring points with his ground-and-pound. Round 10-9 Hamman
Round 3: Wallace with a takedown attempt; Hamman reverses and ends up on top. Wallace escapes. Both fighters land solid strikes on the feet. Hamman gets a takedown. Wallace attempts submissions off his back but Hamman blocks them and ends the round in side control punching away. Round 10-9 Hamman
Jared Hamman wins the unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three scorecards.
Aftermath: This was a fight with very little significance for the stacked light-heavyweight division, with both Wallace and Hamman coming off of losses in their UFC debuts. Hamman improves to 1-1 in the UFC, assuring another shot in the Octagon. For the elaborately nicknamed Rodney ‘Sho Nuff The Master’ Wallace, the exciting fight may have been enough to remain in the ultra-competitive division even after dropping decisions in both of his UFC bouts. Both fighters earned the official ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus for their performance.
Fight Grade: 4/5
UFC 111 had plenty of highlights and low points; however the one-sided main event and the equally one-sided Fitch-Saunders bout dragged down the overall quality of the event.