Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas NV has hosted many memorable events in the UFC and tonight is no exception. The main card features veterans, rising stars and former champions all looking to increase their rankings within Zuffa and is the birthing ground for Georges St Pierre, will it be the former WEC champion Carlos Condit or former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz? Time will tell kids and until that match is in the books, stay with us tonight and get all your updates right here!
Pay Per View – Main Card:
Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit (UFC interim welterweight championship)
This fight has had months of build up and we are all pumped to watch this finally take place. Condit comes out to the cage focused and is amped with some Rage Against The Machine, I wonder if Dana gives bonuses for that? Lights dim and crowd is excited for Mr. 209 to walk out, Nick is in the zone and shadow-boxing en route to the fight. Nick is looking right at Condit as he is getting checked by Stitch, this is going to be amazing. He walks into his corner and has not looked away from Condit at all.
No glove touch, forehead bumps as rules explained – GSP is in front row and watching. Leg kick from Condit and Diaz is talking to him already. Diaz connects with punches and backs right out, Condit with a leg kick. Leg kick again from Condit, Diaz staying in front of him. Diaz lands punches to body and the head before walking away. Condit looks for a head kick and misses, Diaz does the same. Leg kick from Diaz is checked, head kick misses from Condit. Diaz lands a leg kick to Condit’s back leg and Diaz is talking and dropping his hands. Condit misses with a spinning back elbow and Diaz hits body, head combo. Head kick misses from Diaz, Condit misses with a push kick. Round ends after Diaz crosses his arms and pops Condit with a jab.
Round 2 starts with jabs and kicks missing from Condit. Diaz teasing Condit and a flying knee misses from Condit, they keep moving around and Diaz is patient while Condit looks hesitant. Spinnign back fist connects for Condit and they are center of octagon, punch misses for Diaz. Diaz is in Condit’s face, slaps his head and hits a double jab. teo more jabs land for DIaz, more punches land as they walk around the cage. Jabs land for Condit and Diaz answers with a combination. Body shot hits Diaz, followed by a kick from Condit. Diaz hits shots to the body and head before Condit escapes. Condit lands another body shot, Diaz is not bothered and presses forward. Round ends with Diaz in Condit’s face and Condit looks irritated; GSP watches with intent.
Nate Diaz tells his brother he is doing good and we are ready to start round three. Head kick misses for Condit. Diaz lands a hook to the body then to the head. Condit lands a push kick and then three piece to the head. Diaz gets hit with a body-head-body and Condit gets out. Diaz lands a left-right combo, Condit answers with a body shot. Diaz misses with a jumping thrust kick, Condit lands a body kick. Condit is finding his stride and is winnign the round on the feet. Dia zis coming in and he lands a jab, followed by a big left hand. Diaz is losing on the feet if Condit finds his timing like he did in this round.
Championship rounds have begun. Leg kick hits for Condit, another one connects. Diaz moves in with a few jabs and Condit gets away. Leg kick misses for Diaz and he is trying to corner Condit, unsuccesful. Diaz looks for a single leg against the fence and gets shook off. Leg kicks hit for Condit, Diaz tries to press him against the cage and Condit avoids. Left hook from Condit connects, nice combo lands for Condit – Diaz needs to press action and try to win. Jab lands for Condit, hits him with a sidekick, Diaz looking for a single leg and gets nada. We go into the final round and may have Condit five minutes away from an interim championship.
Diaz throws a body kick and finds a one-two combo from Condit. Diaz lands a jab, Condit misses again with a spinning back fist. Condit misses with punches and Diaz seems hesitant in his attack. They are standing in fron of each other, both trying to set up kicks. Condit lands punches and a head kick, he is winning this fight. Diaz tried to get fight to the ground and Condit gets away. Head kick misses for Codit, Diaz lands a right hook. Less than two minutes and it would appear that Condit is about to meet GSP in the fall to unify the belt. Diaz has full back mount with sixty seconds to go. Nick has a body triangle locked in and looking for a rear naked choke, Condit defends. Diaz is looking for everything but finds nothing and fight is over. They hug it out and we go to the scorecards.
Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision; 49-46 x2, 48-47.
Condit credits his team and coaches and says he followed the gameplan. Credits Diaz for being a warrior, hopes everyone was entertained. Nick is calm and raising his hands in the background. Condit is honored to fight GSP, GSP does not look happy. Diaz is not accepting the loss, says he is happy with Carlos. Nick says he doesent needs this anymore, he says that he was pressing the action and that Carlos was runnign away but is tired of the games judges play; Nick Diaz is tired of this sh!te and is walking away from MMA.
Roy Nelson vs Fabricio Werdum (heavyweight bout)
The two in this match are both highly skilled Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts, Nelson has heavy hands and Werdum has better striking each time he comes out. Roy Nelson says he has the heart of a champion, Werdum walks out to some Tejano music, odd choice but whatever works. Mike Goldberg says that Werdum just received a black belt in Muay Thai, I did not know there was ranking in Muay Thai. “Big Country” is on the way out to the cage courtesy of THE BOSS – Born In The USA!
They touch gloves and tehy are both center cage; USA chants start out strong. Werdum landing good leg kicks and they go to the ground and Werdum has Nelson’s back, they are back on their feet. Uppercuts coming from Nelson, Werdum answers with knees. Strong knees to the body from Werdum and Nelson spins out to press Werdum on the fence. Werdum lands a big knee to the chin of Nelson and they are still agains the fence. Nelson is bleeding from the face and Rosenthal tells them to impove position. Rosenthal breaks them and calls time, doctors come to check Nelson’s nose, they are good to fight on. Leg kick from Werdum, Nelson looking tired after the knees, Werdum coming in with shots and Nelson knocks him down and falls into Werdum’s guard, pops up and out. Werdum on his back and looking to pull guard but Nelson knows better. Werdum landing kicks, punches and knees to end the round. Werdum has an amazing first round back in the UFC.
Nelson looks spent in the corner but has the heart of a champion, Werdum looks ready to pick it up again. Leg kick from Werdum, knee stumbles Nelson. Big leg kick from Nelson, hish kick misses from Werdum and strong inside leg from Werdum. Clinch with uppercuts from Nelson, Werdum throwing knees to the body and head. Leg kick again from Werdum and Nelson throws his hands, some connecting and some not. Nelson moving forward and Werdum looks ready for anything, swinging punches from Nelson all miss and Werdum looks to be setting up high kicks or shoot in. They stalk each other and nothing really, Werdum is timing Nelson trying to set something up. Body kick from Werdum, Nelson catches him with a big right hand, lands another left hook. Round ends with a right hand from Nelson.
Five minutes remain in the fight, they touch gloves and Werdum lands jabs and leg kicks. Nelson looking for a standing guillotine and exits with a knee to Werdum’s head. Werdum has Nelson in the clinch and lands a knee, they are against the fence. Left hand from Werdum has Nelson backing up, followed by a right hand and a knee. Big jab and uppercut hit Nelson but he keeps moving forward. Thrust kick to the face connects for Werdum, Nelson not phazed. Leg kicks connect for Werdum, he tries a high kick but misses. Nelson looks tired, is bloody but is not done, always moving forward. Head kick from Werdum lands and he hits him with a combo, Nelson lands a right hand in the exchange. Spinning back kick from Nelson hits Werdum’s mid section. Fight is over and Werdum looks to have earned a unanimous decision in his return bout to the UFC.
Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via Unanimous Decision; 30-27 x3
Josh Koscheck vs Mike Pierce (welterweight bout)
This is a grudge match in every sense. They don’t like each other and “K-Sos” feels disrespected from Chael Sonnen’s friend and they want to knock each other out. Pierce runs into the cage and looks ready; Koscheck comes out focused and pumped by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. No glove touch
Pierce tries a single leg, gets stuffed. Koscheck is being pressed against the cage, nothing really happening in first thirty seconds. Quick scramble, couple body shots from Koscheck and still against the cage with Pierce pressing him, trying to wear him out. Pierce gets a good uppercut and hook combo, Koscheck doing some range finding with a jab. Koscheck now trying to press Pierce against the cage, complains the Koscheck is holding the trunks – Herb Dean warns him. Right hands from Pierce finding a home, Koscheck answers with the same, Pierce lands a stiff jab. Leg kick from Koscheck is blocked, jabs miss from both men. Haymakers from Pierce all miss and he looks for a single leg, finding nothing and they end the round against the fence, close round for both.
Round 2 begins center cage with whiffing punches and a right hand again from Pierce. Uppercut and overhand right from Pierce hit Koscheck again. Koscheck looking stiff with excahnges after being tagged a few times, looking for some heavy shots and finds nothing. Pierce has a big wound opened on the top of his head, from what – who knows but he is bleeding. Koscheck misses with a knee and they clinch, back against the fence, body shots from Koscheck. Joe Rogan says an inadvertant headbutt caused the cut to Pierce. Herb Dean is timing the fight to warn Koscheck about the fingers (nothing new to him) and K-Sos ignores the warning by continuing to do it, Koscheck then lands his first takedown of the fight. Nothing happening, ref says to work and crowd is booing. Pierce is back on his feet and they end with Herb telling Josh Koscheck to watch his fingers.
Final round and they are looking to land punches and Koscheck connects with a right. Pierce looks for a single leg and then takes down Koscheck, they get back on their feet and Koscheck avoids having his back taken, presses Pierce against the cage, doing nothing and the crowd boos again, they are doing that alot in this fight. Koscheck lands a decent combo and they clinch, good dirty box and knees to the body from Pierce. Pierce lands a good left jab and Koscheck is still measuring, gets hit with a lead left hook from Pierce. Koscheck looking for a takedown and has Pierce pressed against the cage, Herb Dean is saying to work and get broken up, finally breaks them and they are center cage; Koscheck pokes Pierce in the eye, he was warned for this the whole fight – blatant eye poke and Herb says last warning. Pierce lands a right then a left and they scramble to a clinch. Koscheck gets a double leg in the last thirty seconds, not soing much. Pierce lands a solid spinning elbow to finish the fight for a bland outing in the end.
The official decision is coming, nothing spectacular from Koscheck, for someone who felt disrespected by Pierce, he did not do anything definitive to win the fight. It could go either way, lets see what Bruce Buffer has to tell the crowd.
Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via Split Decision; 29-28 x2, 29-28 (Pierce). The crowd boos Koscheck and he answers by flipping off the fans and says to deal with him, classy. He is trying to explain himself but is booed out from the crowd.
Renan Barao vs Scott Jorgenson (bantamweight bout)
Following the folrmula for dynamic, action paked fights at 135lbs, these two come out and throw hands and feet at each other, not losing pace. Jorgenson throws some jabs and leg kicks trying to find range against Barao, equally looking for the same. Havey leg kicks from Barao and Jorgenson throwing looping right hands looking for a strong shot. Round ends with both men standing center cage looking to throw.
Apolgies for delay of the first two rounds (technical difficulties) but the third has been much of the same of the first ten minutes. Barao has landed numerous leg kicks, punches and spinning heel kicks landing near the head of Jorgenson. “Young Guns” is not going away easy, coming forward with 1-2 combos and staying in the center of the cage and has bloodied the Brazilian. Jorgenson lands a stiff jab which is answered by a strong leg kick from Barao. Whistles blows and the hug it out. Barao thre 320 strikes; Jorgenson threw 221
Renan Barao def. Scott Jorgenson via Unanimous Decision; 30-27 x3
Ed Herman vs Clifford Straks (middleweight bout)
Both men look confident on the way to the cage, Rogan gives us the hint that Straks may look to lay on Herman since wrestling is his go to, lets hope “Short Fuse” continues his quick, winning ways to avoid a fifteen minute molestation from the wrestler.
Fighters come center cage and start throwing at each other, Starks catches Ed Herman for a moment but nothing significant, they go against the cage. Starks keeps pressing Herman against the fence, trading small shots. Starks lands a straight right on Herman, looking better since his last fight. Starks is finding more shots with the right and then the left on Herman. Herman presses Starks on the cage, lands some knees and they are throwing leather again. After trading shots, Herman takes him down and they scramble on the ground, round ends with Starks in Herman’s guard. Even round, slight advantage to Starks for better striking exchange.
Round 2 starts and they go back against the fence, after a few moments of clinch work Herman secures a trip takedown into side control. After taking the mount, Starks tries to roll out and gives up his back. Herman sinks in the choke and forces Starks to tap to a rear naked choke and making the wrestler suffer his first loss.
Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via submission, rear naked choke (R2)
Preliminary bouts (FX):
Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission, mounted triangle-armbar (R1)
Matt Riddle def. Henry Martinez via Split Decision; 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 (Martinez)
Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via Split decision; 28-27, 28-27, 28-27 (Caceres)
Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via KO (R2)
Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via Unanimous Decision; 30-27 x2, 29-28
Stephen Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via KO (R1)
