Ultimate Fight Night 21 took place in Charlotte, NC and was headlined by the long-awaited UFC debut of the last Pride FC lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi, taking on one of UFC’s top lightweight contenders Ken Florian. Serving as a lead-in for the premiere of the eleventh season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ series, UFN 21 also featured past ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winners Roy Nelson and Ross Pearson trying to make a mark in their respective divisions. A middleweight bout between veterans Nate Quarry and Jorge Rivera rounded out the televised card, while the preliminaries featured mostly lightweight matchups.
Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver (155 lbs)
Round 1: Pearson has a reach advantage over Siver, and is a bit quicker on the feet, outlanding Siver for most of the round in what is mostly kickboxing action. Siver throws unorthodox front kicks but doesn’t land anything significant. A small cut is open under Siver’s eye. Pearson gets a takedown from a clinch and gets Siver’s back, then mounts Dennis. Siver pushes Pearson off and pops up, landing a flurry of hooks to finish the round. Round 10-9 Pearson
Round 2: Once again Pearson is scoring with punches and kicks on Siver. Siver hangs in there and shoots for a takedown but is stuffed. More striking exchanges and Siver gets the takedown and briefly takes Pearson’s back but can’t control the position. Siver with his patented spin kick attempt, which falls just short of the target. Round 10-9 Pearson
Round 3: Both fighters look a bit tired but are still exchanging at a decent pace. Pearson still outlanding Siver. Siver gets a takedown and briefly works from guard but Pearson escapes. Pearson scores a takedown of his own. Back to the feet and another takedown from Siver and quick escape by Pearson. Round 10-9 Pearson
Ross Pearson wins a unanimous decision, 30-27 on all scorecards.
Aftermath: Ross Pearson continues to improve as a fighter and shows a lot of potential. As an ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner and one of the more promising British fighters in the UFC, he will likely be brought along slowly and kept away from the many strong wrestlers of the division who could derail his progress. He should face Sam Stout next for another exciting display of stand-up fighting.
Denis Siver, who is usually a mainstay of the UFC’s European events, has had decidedly mixed results in the Octagon. Siver has been the recepient of multiple ‘Knockout of the Night’ awards in the past, and with Siver and Pearson earning the ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus for this bout, Siver’s place in the lower tier of the lightweight division is safe for now.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera (185 lbs)
Round 1: Quarry is the aggressor early, attacking Rivera with punch and kick combinations. Rivera defends most of the strikes but the leg kicks get through. Rivera opens up later in the round, stunning Quarry with a punch then dropping him with another one. Quarry recovers and gets back to his feet, returning fire with elbows. They trade wildly and Rivera drops Quarry again. Quarry is bleeding from what appears to be a broken nose but survives the end of the round. Round 10-8 Rivera
Round 2: Quarry comes out swinging and quickly gets dropped with big punches from Rivera. Rivera keeps at it until the referee stops the fight.
Aftermath: This was the most dominant performance of Jorge Rivera’s many UFC outings. Jorge is focused and determined to make the final run of his career, and with his current streak he should take a step up in competition and face Yushin Okami, who scored a TKO victory over Lucio Linhares on the undercard. Nate Quarry’s next opponent should be Mario Miranda, who suffered a TKO loss to Gerald Harris in another untelevised bout.
Fight Grade: 5/5
The arena lights go out just as Stefan Struve is making his Octagon entrance. While the production crew attempts to fix the problem, we’re treated to a preliminary match:
Gleison Tibau vs. Caol Uno (155 lbs)
Round 1: Gleison Tibau is the much bigger man in the cage compared to the veteran Caol Uno. Tibau catches a leg kick and throws Uno to the ground. Uno is back up and Tibau pushes him against the fence. They trade up close and Tibau rocks Uno with punches. Tibau tosses Uno to the ground, taking his back. Tibau flattens out his opponent and keeps punching until the referee steps in, stopping the beating.
Aftermath: Gleison Tibau seems to be coming into his prime as a fighter. This would have been his fifth consecutive win if not for the controversial decision loss to Melvin Guillard. He appears to be ready to take on the elite of the lightweight division – his next bout should come against the likes of Sean Sherk, Clay Guida, or Jim Miller.
Caol Uno has not been very competitive since his return to the UFC. With a record of 0-2-1 in his comeback, he will likely be cut from the organization, and it may be time to wrap up his long and fruitful career.
Fight Grade: 3/5
The lights are back on and the live event resumes:
Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve (HW)
Round 1: The 6’11” Struve has a huge reach advantage, but is not able to utilize it against the shorter Roy Nelson. Struve attacks with leg kicks, which Nelson walks right through. Nelson pushes Struve close to the cage and lands a huge overhand right that stuns Struve. Another right hand from Nelson and Struve is down and out.
Aftermath: It’s amazing how much the UFC’s heavyweight division, which has been shallow and lackluster for years, has improved recently. With his second brutal knockout in as many UFC fights, the most recent ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner joins the ranks of heavyweight contenders. Post-fight, Roy Nelson asked to face the heavyweight boxing champion James Toney in Toney’s UFC debut. That would make for an interesting matchup for Nelson – and so would a number of current UFC heavyweights such as Frank Mir, Cheik Kongo, Gabriel Gonzaga, or even Junior dos Santos.
Stefan Struve should be a force when he hits his mid to late twenties and fills out his still growing frame. For now he would be best off facing mid-level heavyweights; perhaps Chris Tuchsherer, Ben Rothwell, or Michael Russow.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi (155 lbs)
Round 1: Not much action early in the fight, with both fighters circling and feinting. As they begin to engage, Florian utilizes his reach advantage well, connecting with jabs and leg kicks. Gomi with a half-hearted takedown attempt that Florian easily evades. Gomi throwing power punches and connects with few good hooks to the body but is getting outpointed on the feet. Round 10-9 Florian
Round 2: Much of the same in the second round, with Florian keeping Gomi at bay with accurate jabs. Gomi again lands a few good shots, mostly to the body. Neither fighter doing any damage but Florian is consistently outlanding and frustrating Gomi. Round 10-9 Florian
Round 3: Between rounds, Florian’s corner advises him to be more aggressive. Ken goes for a clinch, eating a combination on the way in but eventually taking Gomi down. Florian passes guard and attempts an arm triangle choke. Gomi escapes but gives up his back in the process. Florian works in a rear naked choke and Gomi is soon forced to tap.
Aftermath: Kenny Florian has been on a roll since his loss to BJ Penn, and is inching closer to another title shot. A fight between Florian and Gray Maynard should determine who gets to face the winner of the upcoming title bout between Penn and Frank Edgar.
Takanori Gomi, like many former Pride FC stars, was lackluster in his UFC debut. While at 31 years of age Gomi may still continue to improve, it is unlikely that he will make much of an impact. His next bout should come against Spencer Fisher, who is also coming off a loss and has expressed the desire to fight Gomi in the past.
Fight Grade: 4/5
Despite the technical difficulties and the fizzle of Gomi’s UFC debut, this was a thoroughly entertaining Fight Night.