My picks for the night: Filho, Larson, Curran, and Leggett.
Update [2007-8-5 20:46:16 by Kid Nate]: I'm going to live blog the fights tonight, stay tuned.
What is up with Frank Mir's shirt collar, he's looking a bit deer in the headlights on live TV.
Fight Card
Jamie Varner vs. Sherron Leggett
There was some serious pushing and shoving at weighins. Varner is talking a lot of trash about being an "A" level fighter. I'm picking Leggett.
Up first, UFC vet Jamie Varner takes on powerful ground and pounder Sherron Leggett.
Ref Steve Mazzagatti has the mustache back in full effect.
Verner gets a big slam into side mount. Full mount.
Leggett gets back to his feet. Then gets Varner down. Varner gets to his feet and drops another power slam. Mazzagati calls time out because Varner hit in the back of the head and docks Varner a point.
Varner has a big cut in his head. Lands a high kick. Throws a second and Leggett goes for a single. Tries to get Varner down. Varner reverses and gets another slam. Gets Leggett's back, trying for the choke.
Varner is totally outclassing Leggett. Varner throwing elbows from the mount. Now has Leggett's back and Mazzagati calls a stop to it.
Well Varner certainly backed up his smack talk. He dominated every aspect of the fight. The slam on Leggett's head was the key move. Absolutely D-E-V-A-S-T-A-T-I-N-G.
Varner calls Leggett a "fluffer", classy.
Preliminary Fight to be shown on tape.
Blas Avena vs. Tiki Ghosn
Tiki IS a fluffer.
Small crowd barely works up a good boo for Tiki.
Avena takes Tiki down works some GnP and takes Tiki's back goes for a rear naked. Tiki survives, despite Mir saying "it's done." Avena gets back again and this time chokes Tiki out.
Jeff Curran vs. Stephen Ledbetter
I'm picking Curran, a true submission artist.
Feeling out process. Some kicks exchanged. Curran lands a HUGE right. Curran able to get a hold of Curran and get him up against the fence.
Curran throwing knees. Ledbetter gets the takedown. Curran gets guard. Curran has arm control. Yves Lavigne restarts the fight.
Curran throws a superman punch. Ledbetter gets takedown off a Curran flying triangle attempt. Back to Curran's guard. Curran stands up as the round ends. I score it 10-9 for Curran based on the big right hand.
Ledbetter opens the 2nd with a shoot and gets back into Curran's guard. Curran working for a sweep from butterfly guard. Curran stands ups. Back to the clinch. This fight is a slow grind. Back to a standing fight with 2:30 left in round 2. Ledbetter lands a decent left. Ledbetter shoots Curran sprawls but Ledbetter gets a single leg and gets back into Curran's guard. Curran is controlling from the guard. Ledbetter stuffs him into the cage, begins throwing, uh oh. Curran locks in a triangle. Ledbetter survives the round!!
Round Three
Curran swinging for the fences. Landing stiff jabs but needs to throw more leather. Curran lands some big lefts. Body kick. Ledbdetter shoots for a single, gets back to Curran's guard. Lavigne stands them up and Curran shoots, Ledbetter stuffs him and gets a single. Curran locks in a reverse triangle from the top. Nice.
Ledbetter escapes and gets back into Curran's guard. Now it goes to the judges. Ledbetter wins by surviving three rounds. I pick it 30-27 for Curran.
Unanimous decision for Curran. He says he'd be honored to fight Uriah, calls him a stud. I think Uriah's wrestling will give him a massive advantae over Curran.
Looks like we're headed for another prelim match. I hope it's the Hiromitsu Miura fight.
Middleweight Championship
Paulo Filho vs. Joe Doerksen
Filho is trying to make it a matter of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu vs Canadian Jiu Jitsu. I'm going to pick Doerksen in an upset.
I'm already regretting my rash pick, but I'll stick by Joe. He towers over Filho.
Filho shoots and pushes Doerkson into the cage. Goes for a slam off a single leg, Joe escapes. Paulo shoots for another single leg. Clinching up against the fence. Gets the slam into Doerksen's guard. Doerksen sweeps Filho and gets back to his feet. Impressive!
Doerksen goes for a leg trip, Filho counters with a whizzer attempt, neither man gets the takedown. Filho starts throwing bombs standing. Filho pounding. Doerksen is hurt bad, Big John stops the fight. Wow. Filho wins it on the feet.
I'm a dumbass.
Welterweight Championshp
Carlos Condit vs. Brock Larson
This time I'm going with Condit. I think his Jiu Jitsu and striking can overcome Larson's wrasslin' and "gorilla jiu jitsu".
Quick trivia question, what movie features a gruesome triple murder set in Larson's hometown of Brainerd, MN?
Condit making ugly faces across the cage. Larson doesn't look intimidated.
Larson shoots, Condit sprawls. Larson gets a trip, starts whaling. Larson goes for an arm triangle choke Condit defends, stuck in half-guard. Condit gets guard. Larson throwing down. Condit going for an armbar, has it deep! That is it! I am a genius! Condit by submission. Wow.
Condit is top five in the world. I think he could be a top contender in the UFC welterweight division. He could destroy Diego or Koschek.
Get the latest gear
