Join us here at BloodyElbow.com this Saturday night for live results and discussion of UFC 91, featuring “the biggest fight in UFC history” with Randy Couture returning to the octagon for the first time in 15 months to defend his heavyweight strap against Brock Lesnar.
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See you back here on Saturday beginning at 10PM EST / 7 PM PST.
Just about 30 minutes to showtime now. Let the endless preview loop on the PPV channel commence…
And we have Gladiator Man. MGM Grand is looking pretty packed early on. The first crowd shot of the night has a guy in a Cage Fighter shirt. Oops. Goldie is stoked (of course), Rogan a little more subdued, though he did just call Lesnar “the freakiest guy ever to enter the octagon.”
Looks like McCrory/Hazelett is the swing bout, as we’re starting off with…
Round 1: Maia shoots and immediately spins to guard but Quarry’s on one knee. They spin and Maia moves straight to mount, then takes Quarry’s back, body triangle cinched up as he sneaks solid shots up under Quarry’s arms and looks for the rear naked. With three minutes left this isn’t looking good for Nate. Quarry keeps trying to roll out, but eventually leaves himself exposed and Maia sinks in the RNC quick. Quarry taps and the Brazilian stays undefeated, now 10-0.
Demian Maia def. Nate Quarry via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:13 of Round 1
Speaking to Joe after the fight, Maia says there are a lot of matchups he’d be interested in but singles out Michael Bisping as a potential opponent.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks
Round 1: The two clinch immediately, Gonzaga connects with a few solid rights to the head and body before taking the plum and shooting some hard knees up the middle. A second later, Napao crushes Hendricks with a nasty overhand right. Gonzaga checks with ref Steve Mazzagatti, who isn’t ready to call the fight yet, and blasts Hendricks with one more which drives his head into the canvas and ends the bout.
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Josh Hendricks via KO (Punch) at 1:01 of Round 1
Two quick fights means it’s prelim time…
Round 1:Thomas with an early takedown and moves to side control, now looking for mount. Brown works his way up and the two clinch briefly before Thomas brings it back to the floor. Now Brown reverses and has the “Tank Engine” against the cage. A wild exchange on the floor as Brown locks up a dangerous looking armbar, but Thomas postures up, slams Brown to the floor and escapes. With under a mintue left, Brown sinks in a guillotine but Thomas manages to escape that as well. Round goes to Brown off the strength of his sub attempts. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Brown.
Round 2: The second frame begins with Thomas taking Brown to the floor again, where “The Immortal” quickly re-starts his armbar attempt. Thomas slams his way out of it once, just like in the last round, but on the second try Brown rolls him over and there’s no option but to tap.
Matt Brown def. Ryan Thomas via Submission (Armbar) at :57 of Round 1
Dustin Hazelett vs. Tamdan McCrory
Round 1: Solid punching combinations from McCrory to open up but they don’t seem to faze McLovin. Hazelett stuns McCrory and tries to follow up with a wild flying knee but can’t capitalize. Now a big right from Hazelett stuns McCrory, but he quickly recovers and comes back with a mean leg kick. McCrory keeps them coming but both men are showing respect for the other’s standup. McCrory slips and Hazelett takes guard. Now McCrory’s right arm tied up under Hazelett’s legs, the BJJ black belt looking for an omoplata. McCrory in trouble with one minute remaining, tries to spin out to no avail. Hazelett turns it into a gruesome straight armbar and McCrory has to tap before something breaks.
Dustin Hazelett def. Tamdan McCrory via Submission (Armbar) at of Round 1
Another prelim – only an hour deep and we’re on the fifth fight.
Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Jeremy Stephens
Round 1: Dos Anjos shoots and pins Stephens against the fence after a slow feeling out process. After some work along the bottom of the cage, Stephens pulls guard and works for a guillotine. No dice – Dos Anjos slips out, now in side control, now in full mount. Stephens reverses but Dos Anjos is working for an omoplata with a minute left. Stephen’s left arm is pinned under him on the mat, wrenched under his body, as the round expires. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Dos Anjos.
Round 2: Stephens keeping his range in the first minute, coming in with hard single rights and leg kicks. Dos Anjos returns with an inside leg kick of his own, then shoots a double and pins Stephens to the fence again. After a struggle, Dos Anjos picks Stephens up for a slam, almost from a fireman’s carry. Dos Anjos takes Stephens’ back with body triangle in, but Stephens spins into guard as Dos Anjos tries to tie up one of “Lil Heathen’s” arms. Stephens pounding away with hard shots from outside the guard, now moves to Dos Anjos’ full guard with :30 left. One last elbow from guard punctuates it. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Stephens.
Round 3: After 30 seconds of trading leg kicks, Stephens melts Dos Anjos with an upperhand right that he wound up from a mile away. Dos Anjos is out cold but Stephens rapidly pounces and pounds away with more rights until Mazzagatti can step in.
Jeremy Stephens def. Rafael Dos Anjos via KO (Punch) at :39 of Round 3
Joe Stevenson vs. Kenny Florian
Round 1: Florian bouncing around, circling and hopping away from Stevenson. The Bostonian moves in and out with several knees and punches before Joe Daddy starts swinging away and pins Florian to the fence. Stevenson muscling him around, finally picks Florian up for a slam but Florian grabs the fence and lessens the impact. He receives a warning for Herb Dean and gets back to his feet. Florian still keeping his distance, working a right jab and a nice left head kick that’s blocked. Stevenson clinches from the side and Florian slams him down and moves to full guard, postures up and mounts Stevenson with 1:20 left. Stevenson gives up his back and Florian gets his hooks fast. Joe tries to get to his feet, grabbing the fence with both hands, but falls backwards. It’s unbelievably deep – Joe hesitates for a moment but then has to tap. What the hell did they feed these guys tonight?
Kenny Florian def. Joe Stevenson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:03 of Round 1
Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar
Lesnar comes out to “Enter Sandman,” Randy to “Back In The Saddle.” To borrow a phrase, “this! place! is! electric!” Mario Yamasaki is our ref.
Round 1: They touch gloves, circle and clinch. Randy grapples the wrestler up against the cage, Brock throwing knees up the gut. Couture returns a few knees and Lesnar reverses him into the fence. Randy pushes out and lands a right jab flush, Lesnar unfazed. They circle and Lesnar shoots in for a single. Randy on one leg against the fence, tying up with 3:00 to go. Brock lifts him up with a double and slams Couture down. Randy avoiding the mount from Lesnar, works back to his feet nearly takes Lesnar’s back but Brock grabs a leg and sweeps Couture under. Brock laying in half guard at the bottom of the fence, pins Couture’s right arm down with his left leg momentarily and lands a couple. Randy’s out and shooting but Lesnar’s sprawl is too wide and Randy’s too low. Back standing and Couture’s got Lesnar on the fence now. Lesnar looks at the clock with :30 left, and again with :15 and Randy lefts one of his legs and shuffles him sideways. Brock is warned for grabbing the fence as the round runs out. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Lesnar.
Round 2: Randy ducks a left to start, but catches an elbow a moment later and looks shook. Lesnar shoots in but finds himself against the fence once again, eating knees to the gut from Couture. Lesnar works out and just misses with a huge knee of his own. Lesnar has a small cut above his right eye which he’s wiped at a couple times already. Halfway through the round, Randy’s controlling against the fence again but Brock’s in his own corner now. It doesn’t seem to be helping. Brock finally explodes out with some huge knees which miss but get him free. Lesnar sets up with a left jab and follows with a right directly to the temple which drops Couture!!! Randy is down!!! Lesnar is pounding away with massive hammerfists from side control and Randy’s legs are out flat. Yamasaki is giving Randy every chance but the champ can’t recover. Brock Lesnar is your new UFC Heavyweight Champion. Seriously.
Brock Lesnar def. Randy Couture via TKO (Strikes) at 3:07 of Round 2
Another prelim, and then we’ve been promised a “special treat from 50 Cent” by Goldie as the broadcast ends. Great.
Round 1: Riley’s first solid strike is an unintentional kick to the goods of Gurgel. Jorge takes a minute to recover and the fight resumes. Gurgel looking good with some solid body and leg kicks. Riley is moving forward but not landing much. Gurgel with a kicking combination that’s partially deflected. Solid first round from Jorge. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Gurgel.
Round 2: Aaron Riley with a big knee from the clinch, and a follow-up right. Riley moving forward with leg kicks, and now he’s checking Gurgel’s. Right straight – left cross combo from Riley, followed by a couple left head kicks. Gurgel pulls guard, Riley hammerfisting from close range before backing up. Jorge butt-scooting, warned for grabbing on to the fence but doesn’t let go. Riley allows Gurgel back to the feet but Jorge is looking tired and a bit wobbly now. Riley pawing away with rights. They’re standing and banging away, Gurgel coming forward with punching combos and Riley looking for knees and head kicks. Riley snaps Gurgel’s head back with a straight left, but Gurgel presses forward and slams him down as the frame ends. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Riley.
Round 3: The two stand and bang for the first two minutes before Riley breaks through with a huge left kick to the head. Follows with a couple punching combos and now he’s bullying a dazed Gurgel against the fence. Jorge backs out but Riley’s confident now and continues to move forward with lunging lefts. More head kick attempts miss, Riley’s looking for a highlight reel KO. Gurgel looks beat and he’s being picked apart on the feet now as Riley moves in and out. With a minute remaining, Jorge attempts a couple shots but Riley’s not budging. Third time’s a charm, but Riley springs back up quickly and closes out the round with one last combination and his 50th missed head kick. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Riley.
BloodyElbow.com scores the bout 29-28 for Aaron Riley.
Aaron Riley def. Jorge Gurgel via Decision (Unanimous, 29-28 x 3)
Round 1:The two black belts clinch [correction: Robinson is a brown belt] and Robinson falls to his back out of an attempted whizzer. Bocek in side control now. Robinson escapes to his feet and attempts a wild triangle but winds up on his back again. Bocek back to side control and begins finding his mark with short elbows and fists. With :10 left, Bocek sinks in a tight choke from north-south but Robinson is saved by the bell. BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Bocek.
Round 2: Robinson with a nice right hand early. Bocek takes Robinson down out of a whizzer and lands in guard, now side control, now north-south and into the same choke. Bocek flips over and now it’s a guillotine, but Robinson flips again and it’s a D’arce. It looks tight but Robinson doesn’t appear to be in danger and doesn’t tap. Now Alvin cage walks out of the corner, but Bocek moves into mount and then secures Robinson’s back. Bocek’s got the body triangle but Robinson is still rolling himself out of trouble with 1:20 left. Still working for the rear naked, Bocek is swept and works for an omoplata on Robinson’s left arm. Robinson pops out and briefly into side control, but he’s swept into Bocek’s guard once more at the end of the round. Jiu jitsu war! BloodyElbow.com scores the round 10-9 Bocek.
Round 3: Bocek forces Robinson to the cage, then slams him to the mat. Bocek in full guard, passes to side control again with ease. Short elbows from Bocek. Robinson has no answers tonight. Bocek pounces, full mount now. Robinson gives up his back and Bocek begins to pound away. Robinson somehow twists around with Bocek still in mount, then gives his back again. Bocek sinks his right forearm under Robinson’s chin and secures the rear naked choke.
Mark Bocek def. Alvin Robinson via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:16 of Round 3