(Silly Sable, you don’t step in between two giant beasts who are about to rumble)
Here we are with yet another liveblog. Although I don’t agree that Lesnar-Carwin is "the biggest fight in UFC history, I’m pumped to see which one of these behemoths knocks the other one the eff out.
Let’s cut the chit chat and get this party started.
Unaired Preliminary bouts:
Kendall Grove def. Jon Madsen def. Karlos Vemola by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3
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Broadcasted preliminary bouts (SPIKE TV):
Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricardo Romero
Round 1
Romero is backing up as Petruzelli moves forward winging punches. Petruzelli stuffs a takedown and lands with a 1-2 combination, backing Romero back into the fence, landing a handful of punches that seem to stun Romero. Petruzelli lands a high kick, but slips. Romero winces, but shakes it off. Romero gets dropped by a straight right and coaxes Seth into his guard where he begins a ground and pound assault. Romero sweeps and ends up in mount. From the mount, Romero transitions into an Americana. He quickly relinquishes the hold in favor of an armbar attempt, but Petruzelli works out and gets back to his feet, where he pounds away with double axe-handle strikes to the side of Romero’s head. Then, Petruzelli inexplicably gives up the dominant position and gives Romero his back. The round ends with Petruzelli avoiding a rear naked choke attempt.
Round 2
Romero misses with the left and is caught with a knee flush to the chinand is dropped. Petruzelli sprawls to stuff the shot and then takes Romero’s back, working for the armbar but Romero muscles out. Romero takes the opportunity to punish Petruzelli from Seth’s guard. Petruzelli throws some ineffective elbows and transitions to a triangle attempt, but Romero passes to side control and starts working for another Americana, bt this time it’s deep. Petruzelli screams out in pain and taps. It looks like his arm may be damaged.
Romero def. Seth Petruzelli by submission (Americana) 3:05 R2
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Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Round 1
This bout could be one that could perhaps foreshadow what will happen between their training partners later tonight.
Lesnar’s training partner, Tuchscherer is the first to strike, but Carwin’s teammate is having none of his takedown attempt. Schaub pushes him back and lands an overhand right when Tuchscherer moves forward. Tuchscherer drops to the mat. Schaub pounces on him and finishes him off with a barrage of punches.
Brendan Schaub def. Chris Tuchscherer by TKO (strikes) 1:07 R3
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George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Round 1
Action is moving slowly to begin. Sotiropoulos finally connects with Pellegrino’s chin, dropping the American to the mat, but is unable to secure a sub. Pellegrino works free and gets back to his feet. Sotiropoulos takes him down again, but both men stand up. Pellegrino lands a right hook, and Sotiropoulos connects with a knee. Now Pellegrino takes Sotiropoulos, but the Aussie is able to hold him at bay with his legs. Pellegrino gets back to his feet and gets dropped back into Sotiropoulos’ guard with an upkick.
Round 2
Pellegrino connects first with a left, but his follow-up right misses, but Sotiropoulos takes him down with a single, and works into half guard. Pellegrino moves him back into full guard, but Sotiropoulos nearly in mount begins a ground-and-pound assault, landing with elbows to the side of Pellegrino’s head. Pellegrino tries to tie him up into guard, but Sotiropoulos moves back into side control. Pellegrino finally shrimps back and regains his feet, but Sotiropoulos pins him to the cage. Seconds before the bell rings, they exchange, but nothing of note lands.
Round 3
Sotiropoulos seems the fresher of the two men, keeping Pellegrino at the end of his punches. He rocks Pellegrino with a crisp combo, but Kurt takes him down, ending up in George’s full guard. Sotiropoulos’ trying to snag an arm, and doing so stifles Pellegrino’s assault from the top. Utilizing high guard, Sotiropoulos tries for a triangle, but Pellegrino is too high, so George uses the position to land more punches. Pellegrino postures up and regains his feet, as does Sotiropoulos. From the clinch, Pellegrino breaks away, lands a 1-2 punch combination, followed by a flush knee to Sotirpoulos’ face, and connects with two more shots for good measure on the way down, as Sotiropoulos sprawls to the canvas, stunned, but is saved by the bell.
George Sotiropoulos def. Kurt Pellegrino by unanimous decision (30-27. 30-27. 29-28) R3
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Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Stephan Bonnar
Round 1
Bonnar comes out throwing Soszynski lands with a leg kick and Bonnar returns the favour. When Krzysztof tries for another leg kick, Stephan lands a striaght right, and takes him immediately down. Bonnar posts up with Soszynski against the fence. Krystof uses high guard to roll into Stephan mounting him, but both men stand up. Krzysztof pushes Stephan into the fence and maintains control of his left wrist, and Stephan has a right underhook. Bonnar lands with a knee in the clinch. K-Sos continues to employ leg kicks. Bonnar misses with a spinning back kick, and Krzys takes his back, standing. Bonnar pulls away and runs a la Chris Horodecki , but K-Sos can’t catch him before he turns around. Bonnar is the aggressor, lands a combination and a body kick and K-Sos clinches to take away his distance, landing a knee before they break. He follows up with a handful of punches, Bonnar is hurt agains the fence, winging punches of his own. They clinch and Bonnar throws a pair of knees to Krzystof’s thighs, and misses with a high kick as he pushes away and the horn sounds to end the round.
Round 2
Bonnar opens by doubling up on the jab, and K-Sos returns a combo. Bonnar clinches and lands a pair of knees and a left-right that stuns the Canadian. The Polish Experiment catches the American Psycho, but doesn’t follow-up, clinching to close the gap. Bonnar connects with a knee and a right hand that stumbles Krzysztof. Again they clinch. Bonnar takes the fight to the ground and softens Soszynski with elbows to his liver, but Krzysztof gets back to his feet, only to be dropped again by a knee and at least two dozen shots by Bonnar who has his hooks in, and is looking to finish. Unrelenting, Bonnar punches until Mario Yamasaki steps in to rescue Soszynski.
Stephan Bonnar def. Krzysztof Soszynski by TKO (strikes) 3:08 R2
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Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown
Round 1
Brown tries for a front kick, and Lytle lands a right. Again, Brown trows a teep and Lytle looks for a home for his right hook, but neither fighter lands anything damaging. They clinch, and Brown trips Lytle, but Lytle pops right back up, and again they clinch. Brown spins him around and lands a knee to the body, grabs the shorts temporarily and lands a left high kick to Lytle’s temple. Brown with a left underhook and wrist control ragdolls Lytle into the fence and takes him down, landing in Lytle’s guard. Lytle works for a gogoplata and switches to an omaplata. Brown postures out as Lytle attempts to get back to his feet. Lytle pushes him into the cage and works from a guillotine to a darce choke, but can’t finish it as Lytle pops out. They decide to stand for a while, Brown landing high and low kicks, and Lytle trying his hands. Brown trips Lytle again and follows him to the canvas, but Lytle snags an arm and works for a kimura as the round ends.
Round 2
Lytle presses the action and comes out swinging but misses Brown’s exposed chin. Both fighters are throwing now. Lytle takes Brown down this time and ends up in mount, working a one arm guillotine, but failing that, jumps to side control and an inverted triangle with the arm in. Brown with his arm tied up can do nothing to defend as Lytle extends his right arm in a straight armbar, eliciting a quick tap.
Chris Lytle def. Matt Brown by submission (armbar) 2:02 R2
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Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Round 1
Leben throws a kick, but Akiyama drops him on his back after he catches it. Leben scrambles and gets back to his feet before Sexyama can inflict any damage. Neither fighter is the aggressor. Leben lands a leg kick and Akiyama is testing his range with loose jabs. Leben lands a body kick, followed by an inside leg kick, and Akiyama checks his cup with a kick, eliciting him a few moments to recover from Herb Dean. Back to the action, Leben throws a lazy jab and Akiyama connects with the straight right. Spinning backfist misses Leben, but Akiyama clinches and hip tosses the American to his back. Leben tries for an armbar, but Akiyama postures up and lands with hammer fists. Leben repeats the armbar attempt. Akiyama is no stranger to submissions, and pulls out. Mimicking Lytle’s inverted side triangle with the arm in, he works Leben’s arm but can’t step over into the armbar, as Leben anticipates his next move. Controlling Leben’s head, Akiyama works to free his leg in half guard, and is looking to mount, but Leben regains his feet. Pulling out of a headlock, Leben is pressed against the cage, but Akiyama backs away, choosing to stand. When a handful of short punches connect with his face, Akiyama thinks better of the decision, and trips Leben back onto his back as the round ends.
Round 2
Leben grazes Akiyama’s face with a left leg kick and slips, but Akiyama lets him back up. Akiyama lands this time with the spinning back fist, but takes a left from Leben in return. Leben clips Akiyama’s temple, but the Japanese fighter shrugs it off and keeps moving forward. Leben lands an upercut, and Akiyama seems hurt, but recovers and catches The Cat Smasher, stunning him, and backing him up. We’ve got a fight now. Both men are trading, but Akiyama cuts the exchange short with another takedown, attempting to land shots from Leben’s guard, he finally connects with a handful of punches, but Leben is again able to use the cage to get back to his feet. Leben tries for a guillotine, but Akiyama pushes away, and when Leben steps in to engage he is met with a right hook and answers with a left to Akiyama’s jaw. They close the round out swinging away, but neither man’s chin gives out.
Round 3
Both fighters pick up where they left off, throwing leather at each other’s faces. Suprisingly Leben seems to have more of a gas tank, despite having fought two weeks ago. He lands a head kick and an outside leg kick, but Akiyama grabs it and throws Leben on his back on the canvas. Working inside Leben’s full guard, he grabs Leben’s neck but abandons an neck crank when Leben punishes his head with punches while attempting an armbar. Akiyama slips out and works into mount. Leben tries to sweep, but Akiyama rides out the maneouver. Leben is staying more active, throwing punches from the bottom while Akiyama tries the same from the top. Moving back to full guard, Leben throws a handful of punches and elbows that connect with the top of Akiyama’s head. As Akiyama pulls back to move out of range, Leben wraps a leg around the back of his neck and shoulder and locks a triangle. Akiyama has space, and Leben’s ankle isn’t locked….. OH MY GOD, HE TAPS!! LEBEN WINS!!
Chris Leben def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by submission (triangle choke) 4:40 R3
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Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Round 1
Nearly a minute passes before any shots land, as both men feel each other out on their feet. Carwin bum rushes Lesner and connects with an uppercut, which drops the bigger man to the canvas, and relentlessly punishes the champion, alternating punches and elbows. Cawin gets back to his feet to put more leverage into his shots, and methodically drops bombs on Lesner’s face. Lesner’s eyes are almost swollen shut now. Lesner’s in survival mode, and relies on his wrestling to get back to his feet, as both men clinch, and the round ends with Carwin looking like he’s blown his gas tank.
Round 2
Both men give each other a high five, but it’s Lesner who makes the first move, only to be stopped abruptly with a right hand. Lesner steps underneath and finishes the shot, getting Carwin on his back in the process. Smothering Carwin in side control, Lesner transitions to mount and locks on a side choke. Adjusting his position, Lesner squeezes and rolls, stretching out Carwin’s arm as the man on the bottom grimaces. Seconds later, Carwin taps.
Brock Lesner def. Shane Carwin by submission (arm-triangle choke) 2:19 R2
Wow. What a night of fights. I’m a bit surprised by how the Leben-Akiyama and Lesnar-Carwin fights ended, but this is MMA. It’s not like Brock is James Toney.
Be sure to catch the post-fight presser at 1:00am ET.
Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, Potato Nation.
Stay safe. You never know when a gorilla-like man with a phallic tattoo is going to jump out of nowhere and choke you out.
@ FBF
No No , I don’t care about your comments. Not that I dont care for them. bit of a difference.