As with every major show, BloodyElbow.com will be here to bring you live results and commentary for UFC Fight Night 20. The live blog will start with the beginning of the Spike broadcast (at 9PM ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.
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The broadcast is live. First fight up shortly.
Brad Blackburn vs. Amir Sadollah – Round 1– Exchanging jabs and leg kicks early. Now they flurry at each other with Blackburn landing a few more strikes. Jab by Brad and Amir misses with the leg kick. Body kick by Brad is answered with one by Amir. Now Amir with a nice kick/punch combination. Both men are throwing a lot of strikes here with Blackburn focusing on body and head punches while Amir is working the jab and leg kicks mainly. Right hand lands for Brad very solidly and now Amir with a nice body kick return. Very good uppercut by Amir and Blackburn’s legs are rubber. Takedown by Amir with 40 seconds left and Blackburn regains guard. Back to standing and Brad looks recovered as he lands a right hand. The round ends and it was close until Amir took it over with the knockdown to make it 10-9. Round 2 – Amir is working the uppercut and body kicks again early. Blackburn presses him into the cage. Right hand on the way out by Brad. They’re in the clinch and Amir is landing knees to the body. Blackburn catches a kick and lands a punch. Left hook for Brad, now a right hand. Back to a clinch against the cage and Amir is throwing the knees to the body. Now they stand in front of each other and trade punches with Amir getting the best of it with a left hand. Blackburn does some of his bes offense with some punches from the clinch. The round ends and it was 10-9 Amir again. Round 3 -Amir with a big knee and Blackburn’s legs are rubber. Amir takes him down and lands a big elbow. Now Amir to side control. Amir lands a few more shots and Blackburn just looks like he’s trying to survive to the scorecards. Amir does some nice work from the top and flurries while the last ten seconds run off. 10-9 Sadollah for a 30-27 scorecard for me. Official Scorecards: 30-27 across the board. Amir Sadollah wins by unanimous decision.
Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson – Round 1 – Lawlor comes charging in with a nice uppercut. Now he works for a takedown and eats a few shots from Simpson. Lawlor is starting to melt him now with some power shots. Simpson is looking to be in better shape than I thought though and he survives. Lawlor lands a big shot and Simpson’s legs are buckled. Lawlor landing some really big shots and Simpson is reeling all over the cage. It’s pretty amazing that he is still up but he is throwing punches still. Both men looking up at the clock now. Another right hand lands for Lawlor. The round ends and I’d make it a 10-8 for Lawlor. Round 2 – Simpson looks better on his feet now and he lands a knee. Tom with a nice jab. Now Simpson presses him up against the cage and eventually manages to get the takedown. Lawlor turns and manages to stand up and lands a left hand. Right hand by Lawlor spins Simpson around. Simpson working the body now. Simpson lands a punch and Lawlor looks confused or hurt, assume he got poked in the eye. Simpson pushes him into the cage again. Lawlor secures a standing guillotine but Simpson is able to get out. Simpson now lands a few shots of his own to the body and head and then gets a takedown. Very close round but 10-9 Simpson to make it 19-18 in favor of Lawlor to this point. Round 3 – Lawlor lands early with a right and Simpson hits to the body. Knee lands for Simpson now. Simpson with a takedown now but Lawlor stands right back up. Nice double leg by Lawlor now and Simpson stands back up. Lawlor rolls with a kimura but can’t finish it. Simpson passes into the mount now and now has Lawlor’s back. Simpson is in much better shape at this point and Lawlor looks really tired. Simpson continues to work from Lawlor’s back. They’re back to standing and trading shots. The fight ends and my scorecard reads 28-28 for a draw. Official Scorecards: 29-28 Lawlor, 29-28 Simpson, 29-28 Simpson. Aaron Simpson wins by split decision. I can see it if you didn’t score the first round 10-8, to score the fight for Simpson. But I can see this not going over well.
Evan Dunham vs. Efrain Escudero – Round 1 – Dunham shoots and Efrain shrugs it off. Body kick lands solid for Escudero. Escudero ducks under and lands a punch to the jaw. Dunham turns standing and Efrain has his back. Dunham keeps trying to lead with a jab and Escudero is starting to time it. Now Dunham is hurt badly and Efrain is landing a bunch of hard shots and Dunham is dropped. As Escudero tries to finish Dunham almost locks up an armbar. He lets go and Efrain jumps into a very quick guillotine but he can’t finish. Escudero goes down on a slip and the round ends. 10-9 Escudero. Round 2 – Dunham is the one pushing forward early. Nice kick, straight left combo by Dunham. They’re not engaging quite as much this round. Uppercut by Efrain catches Dunham’s attention. Dunham is able to get a takedown with just over two minutes left.Dunham landing some nice shots from inside the guard now. Dunham takes the back in a scramble and gets the body triangle locked in. Twenty seconds left and Dunham is landing a few punches. The round ends with Dunham landing a lot of punches to the head of Efrain. 10-9 Dunham. Round 3 – Dunham charges for a takedown and Escudero grabs a guillotine. He isn’t able to finish and they’re back to standing. Now Dunham gets the takedown into side control. Full mount and now Efrain gives up his back. Dunham transitions to an armbar and has it VERY deep. Escudero refuses to tap and waits until far too late to give up, but he finally does tap. Evan Dunham wins by submission (armbar), round 3. Escudero’s arm is hurt and it’s entirely his own fault for refusing to tap until far too late.
Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard – Round 1 – Diaz pawing with the right and trying to throw a left behind it. Maynard is cut above the right eye. Maynard with a right hand that lands solid. They’re both swinging a lot but neither guy is really landing. Maynard now with a three punch combo and he ducks under a return punch from Diaz. Maynard lands an uppercut. Leg kick by Diaz. They’re starting to talk and taunt each other now. This is a pretty ugly fight with two guys winging wide shots. Very close round but 10-9 Maynard. Round 2 – Maynard is landing a little more crisp here. Big overhand right by Maynard lands flush and now a hard body shot. Diaz lands a few decent punches but gets dropped by a knee from Maynard. Right hand by Maynard sends Diaz stumbling. Diaz with a jab now. Both men trade some more punches with both men landing. Right hook lands for Diaz. The round ends and it was a 10-9 for Maynard. Round 3– Diaz is trying to flurry but isn’t really landing anything of substance. Left hand by Diaz spins Maynard around and Diaz taunts him but Maynard says he is fine. Diaz with another left hook. Diaz is having a much better round here in the third using small punches and avoiding the shots of Maynard. Gray lands his first two effective punches of the round with about two minutes left. Nate continuing to use the pitter-patter punches and now he gets hurt by a shot from Gray. Diaz is hurt pretty solid here but survives to the bell. Close round based on Maynard’s flurry but I’d score it for Diaz to make the fight 29-28 Maynard. Official Scorecards: 29-28 Diaz, 30-27 Maynard, 29-28 Maynard. Gray Maynard wins by Split Decision. That didn’t look like a guy who has any business fighting BJ Penn.