Tonight we'll be providing live updates from the UFC 78: Validation pay-per-view. Check back in at 10:00pm Eastern for the start of our live blog.
One rule: DO NOT post results from the prelim bouts until the broadcast is over. I don't want to "spoil" any fights that may be broadcast after the main card.
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The PPV broadcast has started...and it's fight time!
Lightweights - Spencer Fisher vs. Frankie Edgar
Round 1: Edgar looks like he wants to shoot straight off. Frankie chants from the hometown crowd. Big double leg from Edgar puts Fisher on his back. Spencer is holding a tight guard and uses the cage to stand up. Another quick takedown for Edgar and he is back in Spencer's guard. Fisher stays active on bottom throwing some elbows but Edgar is doing good work with punches and elbows also. Shoulder crank attempt from Fisher allows him to get back to standing, but he slips throwing a high kick and Edgar jumps back into his guard. Edgar postures up and lands a few decent punches. The round comes to a close with Frankie Edgar on top landing a few more blows. 10-9 round for Edgar on my card. Round 2: Fisher runs out to take the center of the octogon but Edgar gets a quick tadedown and starts working to pass, getting half guard for a second but Spencer is able to work back to full guard. They're back to standing. Fisher is able to fend off a takedown attempt but on second effort Edgar gets him down and is again sitting in Spencer's guard. Fisher has a cut on his forehead but it doesn't look too serious. Flurries of punches from the half guard by Edgar. Spencer gives up his back but is able to avoid any real danger before rolling back to butterfly guard. Another 10-9 round for Frankie Edgar and I've got it 20-18 overall. Round 3: Fisher with a pointless spinning leg kick which is caught and Edgar takes him down. Edgar gets Fisher's back as he tried to roll over to escape. Back to the feet as Fisher stays out of danger. But again Edgar gets a quick takedown. Fisher is sitting up against the cage eating a few punches befure using the cage to stand back up. Edgar gets a body lock against the cage and suprise! It's another takedown. Fisher just has no answer for Edgar's game. Triangle attempt results in an escape to standing but Edgar doesn't let go and takes Fisher back down. 30 seconds left and Edgar is going to coast to a comfortable decision win. Frankie ends the round in side control landing a final flurry of punches. 30-26 decision for Frankie Edgar on my card. Judges Cards: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 all for the winner...Frankie Edgar. I was just flat out wrong thinking that Fisher would make him pay for the takedowns with knees that would make him less aggressive with the attempts. Edgar looked great though...so props to him.
Middleweights - Joe Doerksen vs. Ed Herman
Round 1: They trade jabs before Joe lands a good body kick and a few nice punches. They end up in a body lock with Herman's back to the cage. Ed is fighting off takedown attempts before getting a trip takedown of his own. Doerksen scrambles back to his feet. Herman lands a good knee and elbow to Joe's head before ending up back on top of Doerksen. Joe is cut right above the eye or possibly on the eyelid. Herman is working from the top landing some punches and elbows. Joe got to his fee but ends up on his back again. Herman gets the full mount but Joe is able to get back to full guard by teasing giving up his back. Joe's eye doesn't look good, I think if the doc gets a look at it the fight might be stopped. 30 seconds left in the round and Herman keeps working from inside the guard. 10-8 round for Herman. As impressive as I think I've ever seen Ed. In between the round Joe's left eye is swelling and the cut is just under the eyebrow, he does say he can still see though. So the fight continues. Round 2: Herman is head hunting a little, needs to be careful to not get caught. Ed grabs a body lock and takes it back to the ground. Herman gets to side control for a second, Joe gets guard and the ref stands them back up. Joe reverses a takedown attempt and gets Herman's back but a little bit high. Ed is able to reverse but Doerksen grabs a kneebar. Ed is able to work out of danger and takes Joe's back landing several punches. Herman throws knees to the body and Joe rolls to half guard. Doerksen looks a little gassed. Joe transitions to a triangle/arm bar which is fully locked in and Ed's arm is straightened out. But the horn sounds ending the round, if the round doesn't end Joe is winning the fight. 10-9 round for Herman but he was in real danger a few times, I could even see giving the round to Joe. Round 3: Right off the start of the round Herman with the KO. Looping left hook landed flush on Doerksen's chin. Ed Herman wins by KO at 0:39 of round 3. My picks are not delivering for me tonight.
Welterweights - Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
Round 1: They're trading punches and Chonan throws some of his leg kicks before Karo gets a takedown off of a left hook. A quick pass to half guard for Karo. Parisyan with a few punches to look to set up passing the half guard but instead he ends up back in Ryo's full guard. A stand-up even though plenty of work was being done, I'm hating that trend in reffing as of recent. Nice body kick by Chonan and a few decent punches by Karo. Big double leg by Karo and he is back in Chonan's full guard with his head pushed up against the fence. Karo unloads some elbows and then a few punches. Ryo is able to get up and again they're in a body lock. They get distance and Karo catches a low kick causing Ryo to trip, and again Karo is in Ryo's full guard. They're back to the feet and Chonan has Karo against the cage. The round ends and I have it 10-9 for Karo. Round 2: They trade punches to start the round. Chonan catches Karo behind the head with a hook that looked to stun him, but Karo gets a body lock and looks fine. This has started to turn into a standup battle but neither guy looks fully committed to their strikes. Chonan launches another low kick and again Karo uses it to trip him down and end up on top. They're back to standing and Karo is looking to use the kimura/takedown but Chonan fends it off. Takedown by Karo off of Ryo's knee attempt. Parisyan with some elbows from inside the half guard. Three more elbows land to the forehead of Ryo. Karo stole the round in the last 45 seconds on my card...but not a bad round for Chonan. 20-18 Karo after 2 rounds. Round 3: Inside leg kick by Karo results in a slight low blow. Body lock against the cage and Karo is able to get the takedown. More solid work from the half guard by Karo but Chonan is able to reverse and ends up in Karo's guard. After a scramble they're back to standing. Not a lot of meaning in any of the standing strikes. A standing backfist from Ryo is a miss. Right hook lands for Karo. Spinning back fist from Karo this time. Elbow from a body lock by Karo. The crowd isn't liking the slower pace of the fight. The round and fight ends and we're going to the scorecards. I have Karo 30-27 on my card. Judges scorecards: 30-27 on all three cards for the winner...Karo Parisyan.
Light Heavyweights - Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
Round 1: Houston has some Mark McGuire type forearms...damn things are massive. Houston presses forward and gets a body lock against the cage. Houston looks much calmer in this fight than he has to this date. Really fast break by the ref and they're back to the starting position. Houston continues to stalk. Body punch by Alexander and again they end up in a body lock. Houston with a big takedown but Silva grabs a leg and gets a takedown of his own. Half guard for Houston now. Silva to full mount quickly. Houston holds on but Silva lands a few elbows. Flurry of punches land for Silva, and another flurry and Houston is rocked and looks to be out. The ground game of Alexander was badly exposed as there were moments where Houston could have gotten back to at least half guard. Thiago Silva wins via TKO 3:25 of round 1.
Light Heavyweights - Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
Round 1: "Rampage" gave Bisping a bit of a pre-fight pep talk as Stitch was applying the vasaline. The fight starts and an exchange of jabs followed by an imediate body lock by Evans. Ankle pick and Bisping is down for a second but stands directly back up. The always tacky "USA, USA" chant starts. More work from the body lock and the fighters are separated. Rashad rushes right back in to secure the body lock, which the crowd does not appreciate. Distance is created and Rashad lands a nice right hand. Takedown by Evans and he passes to side control after almost falling into a triangle. Scramble and Bisping gets back to his feet. Thai plum and a body knee/uppercut combo by Bisping. Rashad with another takedown to side control but Bisping secures half guard. Elbow from Evans. Bisping staying busy from the bottom looking for an escape before securing full guard. The round ends, 10-9 Evans but Bisping has some things to draw a little confidence from. Round 2: Bisping looked a little winded between rounds but Evans has his mouth open too. Nice leg kick by Bisping but Evans grabs a double leg and gets a big pick up slam. Bisping throwing elbows from the bottom and working to secure the right arm of Evans. Bisping is actually the one doing the work right now. Ref break and a stand-up. Rashad is breathing heavy now. Bisping landing the better strikes now and Evans looking a little less explosive going for the clinch and takedowns. A knee to the body is the payback for Evans trying to get the body clinch again. Bisping with a nice jab and a right from Evans in return. Bisping is stalking and lands another knee to the body, and another. Rashad looks for a takedown but Bisping isn't making it easy. Evans lands a right a little off the mark. Bisping lands one of his own and another body knee. Bisping gets a takedown at the end of the round. Rashad looks tired and much less explosive. 10-9 round for Bisping evens things up on my scorecard. Round 3: Bisping looks the much fresher of the two. Bisping with a counter right and a follow up left. Rashad catches a leg kick and manages to get a single leg. Bisping scoots back to the cage and reverses to get on top of Rashad. Rashad gives up his back but escapes danger. They're back to standing and the round is very close. Nice left hook from Bisping, he needs to go back to the body. Nice left right combo by Evans. Bisping slips and Rashad is on top against the cage. Bisping reverses and they're back to standing. Body kick by Bisping, he needs to turn it up to steal the round. Right hand by Rashad. Bisping fights off a takedown. 40 seconds left. Bisping with an uppercut and a body knee. Uppercut again. Rashad goes for a takedown and the round ends. I have to give the final round to Rashad slightly. 29-28 Evans on my scorecard. Judges Scorecards: 29-28 Evans, 29-28 Bisping, 29-28 for the winner by split decision...Rashad Evans. Props to Rashad for overcoming 2 rounds of looking pretty gassed. Bisping looked good defending takedowns and not taking damage on the ground, but he really needed to turn up the pressure in the third round. Those knees to the body were paying off he should have kept pressing and trying to get back to the body. He didn't press the fight in the third round and he lost the fight because of it.
My picks took an absolute beating tonight.
Prelim results below the fold.
- Joe Lauzon defeated Jason Reinhardt by submission - rear naked choke 1:14 round 1
- Akihiro Gono defeated Tamden McCrory by submission - armbar 3:19 round 2
- Marcus Aurelio defeated Luke Caudillo by TKO - Strikes 4:29 round 2
- Thiago Alves defeated Chris Lytle by TKO - Cut 5:00 round 2
My picks went 3-6 and I am flat out embarassed.
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