UFC 104 took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and was headlined by the light heavyweight champion Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida attempting to make his first title defense against a man who was at one point widely regarded as the #1 light heavyweight in the world, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. The other featured bout had the undefeated heavyweight Cain Velasquez taking on former IFL standout Ben Rothwell. With no major events in the past few week, this was a highly anticipated event that unfortunately ended up mired in controversy and addled with mostly uneventful fights.
As was the case with UFC 103, three of the preliminary bouts were broadcast on Spike TV prior to the pay-per-view event.
Preliminary card (Spike TV)
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk (HW)
Round 1: The two former professional kickboxers and training partners start the fight off trading on the feet as expected. Barry seems to have quicker and more powerful hands, and lands a solid combination but Hardonk has a significant reach advantage and keeps Barry at bay with a variety of kicks. Hardonk accidentally pokes Barry in the eye with a pawing jab, halting the action briefly. Hardonk slips throwing a kick and Barry quickly follows him to the ground. Barry lands some good shots from half guard; eventually Hardonk gets back to his feet. Hardonk is landing multiple leg and body kicks, and Barry’s legs are starting to show the effects of them by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Hardonk
Round 2: Hardonk is throwing kicks again but Barry counters with a combination that rocks Antoni. Hardonk attacks again and gets hit with the same combination, this time knocked down momentarily. Hardonk shoots for a half-hearted takedown, Barry easily defends and drops Hardonk with a punch to the side of the head. Barry follows up with a huge right hand and raises his arms in victory before the referee officially stops the bout.
Aftermath: With a solid knockout, Pat Barry recovers nicely from the submission loss to Tim Hague in his previous bout. Stefan Struve or Chris Tuchsherer would be the next logical matchups for Barry. Barry received the official ‘Knockout of the Night’ and ‘Fight of the Night’ awards for his performance, adding a cool $120,000 to his fight purse.
Antoni Hardonk once again demonstrates that he is a one-trick pony, with nothing to back up his impressive arsenal of kicks. Though Hardonk is 4-4 in the UFC, he has lost to strikers as well as grapplers, and struggled with even journeymen fighters. With very little upside for Hardonk in the division, it may be time for the UFC to let him go – or possibly use him as fodder for the graduating class of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ heavyweights.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley (HW)
Round 1: The 6′ 11” Struve leads with leg kicks then switches up to a high kick but gets taken down in process. Gormley stands over Struve and lands punches. Struve attempts an armbar. Gormley lifts him up and slams him back down, but Struve holds on. Gormley falls back for a leg lock and Struve looks for one of his own; it’s a stalemate until Struve sweeps Chase. Struve doing damage from the top, then passes guard and locks in a triangle from mount. Struve rolls over and finishes the choke, forcing Gormley to tap out.
Aftermath: Stefan Struve adds a fourteenth career submission win to his record (his second in the UFC after a brutal loss to Junior dos Santos in Struve’s debut). Struve has potential and should be allowed to develop it by being matched up with fighters close to his current level – perhaps Pat Barry or Mike Russow.
Previously undefeated Chase Gormley suffers his first loss after a more than a year-long layoff from fighting. Gormley was originally scheduled to face Ben Rothwell at the ‘Affliction: Trilogy’ event prior to the fall of Affliction MMA. With both men losing their UFC debut at 104, this should be their next matchup.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer (205 lbs)
Round 1: Bader comes out swinging, looking to land a big looping punch. Schafer responds with jabs. After several exchanges Bader lands a jab then follows up with a right hand, dropping Schafer. Bader swarms Schafer on the ground and tees off. Schafer tries to escape but takes a lot of punishment as he gets up, then gets slammed back to the ground and pummeled some more. Schafer survives the onslaught and regains guard, looking for submissions as he comes to his senses. Bader stands up out of Schafer’s guard to finish the round on the feet. Round 10-8 Bader
Round 1: Schafer looks more comfortable in the standup, consistently landing the job and winning exchanges. An unintentional eye poke from Schafer stops the fight for a few moments. Bader keeps looking for another big right hand but lands no clean shots. Bader shoots a takedown but Schafer stuffs it. Bader lands several good punches and attempts another takedown but gets caught in a guillotine as the round ends. Round 10-9 Schafer
Round 1: Bader lands another haymaker early in the round, and jumps in to finish Schafer but Eric quickly regains guard. Bader stands up; referee pauses the fight as a cut is checked near Schafer’s eye – seemingly the result of a head clash. An uneventful exchange on the feet follows, then Bader finally scores a takedown and finishes the round in dominant position. Round 10-9 Bader
Ryan Bader defeats Eric Schafer by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-26)
Aftermath: Ryan Bader continues his streak of wins and dominant performances. I believe he has the potential to be a champion within 2-3 years. Schafer showed improved striking but it was not enough to deal with Bader’s power. Without the striking or the takedowns to deal with the top fighters in the division, Schafer will remain at a gatekeeper level.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (catch weight of 176 lbs)
Round 1: The fighters close distance and Johnson blasts Yoshida with a flurry as Yoshiyuki desperately looks for a clinch. Johnson forces Yoshida to back up then puts him down with a right to the chin for a brutal knockout.
Aftermath: This was the third time in Johnson’s UFC career that he failed to make weight, and by a large margin. This has cost Johnson eligibility for the ‘Knockout of the Night’ award. Johnson should be fighting at 185 lbs, but if he insists on staying at welterweight he should take on another big striker such as Paul Daley.
Yoshida is dealt his second out-cold KO in four UFC fights, furthering the record of poor performance by Japanese fighters in the UFC. As a reward for having to face a man with such a significant size advantage, Yoshida should be given one more chance in the Octagon – against a lower-level opponent.
Fight Grade: 3 2/5 1 point deduction for Johnson’s weight
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson (155 lbs)
Round 1: After a feeling out process, the fighters exchange strikes. Fisher lands several punches and Stevenson fires back with one that opens a cut over Fisher’s eye. Stevenson attempts a takedown but Fisher sprawls. Stevenson locks up Fisher in a clinch against the fence. Fisher’s eye is bleeding and obviously bothering him. The referee breaks up the clinch and Stevenson shoots for another takedown. Fisher defends but Stevenson takes his back in a scramble, landing punches and elbows as the round ends. Round 10-9 Stevenson
Round 2: Stevenson avoids a flying knee attempt and takes Fisher down off a kick. Stevenson works his way to half guard, then crucifix position, and punishes Fisher with a barrage of elbows. Fisher is trapped and not defending himself, as the ref steps in to stop the fight.
Aftermath: After a rough patch, Joe Stevenson regains some momentum with back-to-back victories over Nate Diaz and Spencer Fisher, earning him a spot in the lightweight Top 10. As he is still very far from a title shot, a bout with Sean Sherk or Tyson Griffin would be interesting. Fisher’s lack of wrestling once again ends his winning streak and any aspirations of a title shot. He should be matched with mainly strikes for some exciting matchups – if Roger Huerta returns to the UFC in near future it should make for a good fight.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen (185 lbs)
Round 1: After a brief exchange Sonnen shoots for a takedown and eventually completes it. Okami tries to escape and gives up his back as he stands up. Sonnen slams Okami back down. Okami gets up but gives up his back again. Okami finally works his way free of Sonnen and they exchange strikes, then Sonnen gets another takedown. Okami pops right back up and they trade with nothing meaningful landing. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 1: Okami defends the initial takedown but Sonnen is persistent and gets Okami to the ground, though he can’t keep him down. More standup action in this round, fairly even at first but as the round wears on Sonnen begins to find his range, repeatedly landing left hooks. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Round 1: Sonnen again attempts a takedown early. Okami defends it and forces the fight to remain on the feet for a bit. Eventually Sonnen slams Okami down and quickly takes his back. Sonnen stays on Okami, scoring with punches and knees. Okami attempts a kimura then sweeps to guard but Sonnen quickly gets his back again. Sonnen ends the round controlling Okami who is struggling to get back to his feet. Round 10-9 Sonnen
Chael Sonnen defeats Yushin Okami by unanimous decision (30-27 on all scorecards)
Aftermath: This was easily one of the most dominant performances of Chael Sonnen’s career, and it positions him as a legitimate contender in the division. If Dan Henderson does not come to terms with UFC, Sonnen should face Nate Marquardt for a shot at the title. For Yushin Okami, any talk of contendership is over for now. He should next face Alessio Sakara or Alan Belcher.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer (catch weight of 157 lbs)
Round 1: Neer backs up Tibau with a combination; Tibau responds with a huge slam takedown. Neer quickly gets up and is slammed back down just as quick. This sets the pace for the remainder of the round, as Neer gets taken down repeatedly, struggles to get to his feet, and gets taken down again. Round 10-9 Tibau
Round 1: Not much different from the first round – a couple of effortless takedowns from Tibau, and Neer gets to his feet easily each time. On the third takedown, Tibau passes into mount then back mount, but Neer reverses and ends up on top. Neer is unable to capitalize on the position and they get back to the feet, where Neer defends takedowns for the remainder of the round while striking aggressively, but does not do enough to win the round. Round 10-9 Tibau
Round 1: Tibau is looking tired and Neer is defending more of his takedowns, but still manages to end up on his back several times through the third round, standing up quickly each time. Both fighters slow down the pace; the crowd boo’s the lack of action. Round 10-9 Tibau
Gleison Tibau defeats Josh Neer by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Aftermath: This battle of mid-level lightweights was difficult to watch and carried very little significance for the division. An odd choice of a fight for the main card. Both fighters weighted in over the contracted weight of 155 lbs: Tibau at 157 lbs, and Neer at 156.5
Fight Grade: 2/5
Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell (HW)
Round 1: A brief exchange starts the fight then Velasquez takes Rothwell down with a single-leg. Rothwell works his way back up and gets taken down again. Rothwell gets up and they trade strikes in a seemingly even exchange, then Velasquez takes Rothwell down once again. This time Rothwell is not quick to get back up, and Velasquez mounts Ben and unloads with hammer-fists and elbows. Velasquez moves through mount, side control, north-south positions and pummels Rothwell from every angle. Round 10-8 Velasquez
Round 2: Velasquez gets an early takedown and lands a huge flurry on Rothwell, who is trapped by the fence. Just as Rothwell is getting up, referee Steve Mazzagatti steps in to stop the fight. Though it would be only delaying the inevitable, the timing of the stoppage could not be worse as Rothwell was getting up and did not seem hurt. Rothwell is understandably angry with the stoppage.
Aftermath: As Cain Velasquez continues his undefeated streak, he is only about one fight removed from a title shot. He should face Antonio Nogueira or Junior dos Santos in a #1 contender bout. Ben Rothwell should fight Chase Gormley next, as Gormley was scheduled to face Rothwell in an ‘Affliction’ event that never came to be, and the two men were rumored to be matched up in the UFC prior to the Rothwell-Velasquez bout being announced.
Fight Grade: 3 2/5 1 point deduction for the stoppage
Champion Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua (205 lbs championship bout)
Round 1: Rua lands a big punch for the first offense of this title bout. Machida clinches and lands several knees to the body. Rua responds with knees of his own. Rua attempts a takedown; Machida defends well. They exchange body kicks and leg kicks, with neither fighter rushing to engage. Very close round. Round 10-10 draw
Round 2: Rua keeps working Machida with roundhouse leg and body kicks. Machida lands a good flurry. They trade knees, low and mid kicks, with Rua landing the more significant strikes. Machida’s torso is red and bruised by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Rua
Round 3: Rua leads with another body kick. Machida responds with body strikes of his own. Machida’s timing is better this round, making Rua miss on a lot of strikes. A slow-paced round. Machida flurries and lands a combination of several punches, but Rua is unfazed and counters with a big hook. Round 10-9 Machida
Round 4: Very little action in this round as both fighters are cautious and possibly tiring out. Several powerful leg kicks land for Rua, disrupting Machida’s mobility. Machida slips on a missed kick but jumps up before Rua can capitalize. The round ends as uneventfully as it began. Round 10-9 Rua
Round 5: Both fighters are showing a bit of urgency in the beginning of the final round, with neither man having a significant advantage. Rua continues landing powerful leg kicks. Machida looks to counter with punches but doesn’t score with anything damaging. They clinch and Rua attempts a takedown; Machida defends and referee breaks up the clinch as it has become a stalemate. A nice exchange ends the round and both fighters walk away with their hands raised. Round 10-9 Rua
Lyoto Machida defeats Mauricio Rua by unanimous decision (48-47 on all scorecards) to retain the UFC light heavyweight title. Fans in the arena are loudly booing the decision.
Aftermath: It appears that both fighters as well as the fans and the UFC brass all agree that an immediate rematch is the only way to remedy the horrible judges decision. Expect a do-over on the UFC’s end of the year card.
Fight Grade: 3 2/5 1 point deduction for the decision
With anti-climactic and controversial endings to both featured bouts, and a number of tedious matchups where takedowns were the only offense, not even the number of fights show could save this event from oblivion.