On the heels of two highly successfull Pay-Per-View events in UFC 115 and 116, UFC delivered another stacked card for 117. A middleweight title bout between the champion Anderson Silva and challenger Chael Sonnen was backed up by two potential contender matchups: Junior dos Santos taking on Roy Nelson for a crack at the heavyweight title, and a rematch between top welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves.
Junior dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson (HW)
Round 1: Nelson takes the center of the Octagon, holding his hands high. Nelson’s advances while covering up; Dos Santos lands a body shot and Nelson shoots in for a takedown. Dos Santos sprawls and they clinch agains the cage. Dos Santos breaks up the clinch, landing a knee as they separate. Dos Santos rocks Nelson with an uppercut. Nelson goes down to his knees and looks for a single-leg takedown. Junior backs off then blasts Nelson with another uppercut. Nelson falls down but survives and keeps trying for takedowns. Dos Santos patiently landing punches. Nelson recovers and starts throwing back, landing several hooks and overhand rights towards the end of the round. Round 10-9 dos Santos
Round 2: Dos Santos leads with a jumping knee to the body. Nelson responds with an overhand punch that lands, then rushes in for a takedown but dos Santos blocks it. Dos Santos keeps firing off shots; Nelson covering up and swinging back. Nelson lands several punches that open up a cut underneath Junior’s eye. Both fighters slowing down. Dos Santos tries a half-hearted takedown attempt of his own but does not succeed. Nelson keeps alternating strikes with double-leg and single-leg shots but Junior’s takedown defence is flawless. Much closer than first round but dos Santos still outstriking Nelson by a large margin. Round 10-9 dos Santos
Round 3: The fighters go right back to trading, though neither has much snap to their punches in the final round. Nelson’s defense blocks most of Junior’s punches but an occasional uppercut and body shots come through. Dos Santos lands a slapping front kick to the head. Nelson finds his target with a few big punches but Santos appears unfazed. Dos Santos shoots for a takedown and scores; Nelson right back up. Nelson is hanging in there, he looks very tired but is still looking for a knockout punch. The time runs out and the fighters embrace. Good fight and a clear-cut victory for dos Santos. Round 10-9 dos Santos
Junior dos Santos wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27, 30-27, 30-26
Aftermath: Both fighters looked good in an enterntaining fight. Dos Santos showed great takedown defense and solid as usual striking, improving his UFC record to 6-0 and earning a title shot in process. He will now face the winner of the upcoming title bout between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez.
Roy Nelson’s striking and takedowns both fell short of the mark, but he demonstrated that his chin – and his heart – match the size of his belly. He may never be in the title picture but at the very least will make a great gatekeeper. His next fight should be against Mike Russow, or a rematch with his former IFL rival Ben Rothwell.
Ranking Impact: Junior dos Santos remains #5 HW. Roy Nelson remains #26 HW.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida (170 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters circle and feel each other out. Almeida jabs and kicks. Hughes not active early. They clinch briefly with neither man getting an advantage, then break up and exchange low kicks. They trade hands and Hughes connects with a left hook that makes Almeida stagger backwards and fall. Hughes rushes his opponent and locks in a choke from the front headlock position. Hughes adjusts his hold and Almeida slumps over unconscious. Amazing win for Hughes, earning him the Submission of the Night award.
Aftermath: Can you teach an old country boy new tricks? Apparently you can. Fans jokingly nicknamed Matt ‘Kru Hughes’ after he finished Renzo Gracie with strikes at UFC 112. This time, Hughes showed that his improved striking is something to be taken seriously, then finished an elite grappler with a choke that even Joe Rogan couldn’t put a name to. With eighteen wins, Hughes solidifies his standing as the winningest fighter in the UFC and extends his current streak to three victories. While a fourth matchup with Georges St. Pierre would be a hard sell, but if Josh Koscheck or Jon Fitch were to take the title, Hughes could quickly find himself back in contention. For now, he will take the rest of 2010 off and wait for the title picture to clear up.
Ricardo Almeida becomes the latest Gracie affiliate to fall prey to Hughes, and finds himself out of the welterweight Top 20. His next matchup should come against a mid-level fighter such as Chris Lytle.
Ranking Impact: Matt Hughes rises 4 spots to #5 WW. Ricardo Almeida falls 11 spots to #21 WW.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Clay Guida vs. Rafael dos Anjos (155 lbs)
Round 1: Both fighters are quick on their feet, exchanging kicks to start the bout. Guida lands a high kick. Dos Anjos with a big leg kick and combinations of punches. Dos Anjos goes for a takedown but Guida defends and looks for a takedown of his own. The action slows down in clinch. Dos Anjos lands a knee then separates. Back to trading strikes and dos Anjos is scoring with kicks then takes Guida down. Guida gets back to his feet quickly. Round 10-9 dos Anjos
Round 2: Guida attacks first. Guida bouncing around throwing strikes but nothing serious connects. Dos Anjos attempts a takedown. High output from both fighters but nothing significant landing – they are mostly dancing around. Guida gets a takedown and is working to pass guard, but gets stuck in half-guard. They trade elbows on the ground. Round 10-9 Guida
Round 3: Guida rushes in with a flurry of punches, using his attack to set up a big slam takedown. Guida working for an arm triangle choke from half guard. Dos Anjos taps though the choke doesn’t look to be locked in. Dos Anjos complains of a broken jaw – apparently injured in the first round, and Rafael tapped out because of the pain from the injury.
Aftermath: This was a strong win for Guida, who claimed after the fight that he is refocused and headed for the title. A fight with Takanori Gomi could be a step in the right direction. Rafael dos Anjos’ three-win streak is snapped, knocking him down into the bottom half of the division. He should next take on Mark Bocek.
Ranking Impact: Clay Guida rises 12 spots to #13 LW. Rafael dos Anjos falls 17 spots to #56 LW.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Stefan Struve vs. Christian Morecraft (HW)
Round 1: After an early exchange, Morecraft trips Struve from clinch and lands in side control. Morecraft looks for an arm triangle. Struve escapes, regains guard and attempts a triangle choke. Morecraft avoids the hold and bombs away on Struve’s face. Struve is taking a lot of damage but still attempting submissions from the bottom, though he keeps getting pounded. Struve is finally able to scramble out of the bad position but gets caught in a guillotine as the round ends. Round 10-8 Morecraft
Round 2: Struve’s bottom lip is shredded and badly swollen. They immediately start trading punches and Struve drops Morecraft with a right. Struve follows his opponent to the ground and lands a series of punches from the top until the referee steps in to stop the bout. What a comeback!
Aftermath: Struve survives a beating and delivers another exciting fight, earning the Knockout of the Night award. A good next opponent for him would be Brendan Schaub. Christian Morecraft loses his UFC debut but did enough to earn another fight in the organization.
Ranking Impact: Stefan Struve moves up 8 spots to #36 HW. Christian Morecraft falls 42 spots to #130 HW.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves (catchweight of 171.5 lbs)
Round 1: After an initial exchange, Fitch times a kick by Alves and uses it to score his first takedown. Fitch has Thiago’s back and a single hook in. Alves stands but Fitch follows him, still holding on to his back, and drags him back down. Alves sweeps and is now in Fitch’s guard. Alves not able to do anything from the top so he stands and looks to strike. Fitch tries for another takedown, Alves defends at first but Fitch trips him to the canvas as the round ends. Round 10-9 Fitch
Round 2: Alves looking to strike but gets taken down quickly. He grabs a guillotine on the way down but Fitch easily defends. Alves struggles to get up; Fitch stays on him and gets his back again, dragging Thiago down. Slow round; Fitch has firm control of Alves but isn’t doing anything with it. Alves sweeps and stands up; they trade strikes with nothing significant landing for either man. Round 10-9 Fitch
Round 3: Alves knows he is down two rounds and swings with desperation. He is having some luck with remaining on his feet and forcing Fitch to trade, but is not doing much in the standup. Eventually Fitch gets the takedown and takes back control again. Fitch has a figure-four body lock and looks for a rear naked choke. Thiago defends. Fitch rolls over into mount then to the back again. Alves sweeps and stands. This fight is all Fitch, beginning to end. Round 10-9 Fitch
Aftermath: Jon Fitch grinds out another win, improving to 13-1 in the UFC. He has been promised the next title shot, though Dana White was somewhat non-commital about it after the fight. Will Fitch fight his teammate Josh Koscheck if Josh wins the title? It would certainly be more interesting than a Fitch – Georges St. Pierre rematch.
Thiago Alves once again failed to make contracted weight for this fight – his second such failure in the last four fights. He would be better suited to fighting at 185 lbs – and the ideal first matchup as a middleweight would be with another fighter who struggles to make 170 lbs: Anthony Johnson.
Ranking Impact: Jon Fitch moves up 1 spot to #2 WW and debuted at #10 on the Division Dominance list. Thiago Alves falls 2 spots to #7 WW.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Champion Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen (185 lbs title bout)
Round 1: The fighters meet each other in the center of the Octagon; Sonnen kicks low and Silva catches the leg and lands a couple of punches. Sonnen shoots for a takedown and Silva moves away. Silva catches another leg kick and tries to throw Sonnen to the ground but Chael spins away, keeping his balance. Sonnen throws and rocks Silva with a punch combination! Sonnen uses the opportunity to score a takedown but Anderson is quick to get back to the feet. Sonnen lands more punches; Silva has his hands down as if to show that he’s unfazed. Sonnen scores another takedown and is controlling Silva on the ground, landing short punches. Silva scrambles trying to escape, but Sonnen controls him all while scoring with light strikes. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 2: Silva lands punches and a kick early but Sonnen times the next kick and earns a takedown. Silva elbows from the bottom; Sonnen from the top. Sonnen boxes the ears of Silva then throws a series of shoulder “humps”, bashing Silva’s head against the mat. Silva threatens an armbar from the bottom. Silva uses the cage to escape but Sonnen takes back control. Silva attempts a kimura from the back then rolls for a leg lock but Sonnen frees himself of the hold. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 3: Silva lands a couple of hard punches, then follows up with a spinning kick to the body. Sonnen keeps advancing and soon Silva finds himself on his back again. The pace slows down as Silva locks in a body triangle and stalls hoping for a re-start on the feet, but Sonnen is doing just enough with short strikes from the top to keep the referee from standing them up. Sonnen uses his hands and forearms to cover Silva’s mouth, disrupting his breathing. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 4: Sonnen charges forward right into a left hand; Silva opens up with elbows, knees and kicks. Sonnen desperately shoots for a takedown but ends up on the bottom. Silva looking to ground-and-pound but Sonnen sweeps and is in Silva’s guard again. Sonnen punches from the top with renewed energy. Silva answers with elbows from the bottom. Again, Sonnen is able to control the majority of the round, though he has a huge cut over his left eyebrow as they separate before the final round. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 5: Sonnen’s cut is taken care of between the rounds and the fight goes on. Silva blocks Chael’s initial takedown attempt and is looking to strike, but Sonnen catches him off-balance with a punch, and Silva is down again! Sonnen jumps into side control and looks for a choke but Silva regains guard. Sonnen is punching from the top; looks like he has this fight in the bag when Silva throws his legs up and locks in a triangle seemingly out of nowhere. Sonnen postures up; Silva adjusts to a triangle/armbar combination and Sonnen taps! There’s brief confusion and initial protests from Sonnen as referee Josh Rosenthal separates the fighters; the replay clearly shows Sonnen tapping out. Anderson Silva is still the UFC middleweight champion, for an unprecedented seventh title defense.
Aftermath: An amazing comeback win for Silva after being dominated for four rounds. This victory increases his records for most consecutive wins and consecutive title defenses in the UFC, and further cements his legacy as the top fighter in the world. However he also looked human for the first time since winning the title. It’s interesting to see how the loss of an aura of invincibility will play into his future fights. Vitor Belfort has previously been promised a title shot, but there have been recent rumors of him facing Chris Leben next. An immediate rematch with Sonnen would also not be out of question.
Chael Sonnen really backed up his ridiculous pre-fight trash talk, and came very close to winning a shut-out decision and the title. He will likely campaign for a rematch. If not, he could fight the winner of the upcoming bout between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama.
Both fighters earned a bonus for the ‘Fight of the Night’ award. Anderson Silva also earns the ‘Submission of the Night’ bonus, sharing the honor with Matt Hughes.
Ranking Impact: Anderson Silva remains #1 MW and moves up 1 spot to #1 on the Division Dominance List. Chael Sonnen falls 1 spot to #3 MW.
Fight Grade: 5/5
With the exception of the Fitch-Alves bout, every fight on this card delivered excitement and high drama. An amazing night of MMA.