Saturday, November 28, 2009

UFC 94 - Notable Rounds

By Diego Penn

MATT ARROYO VS. DAN CRAMER: Round 3 - Arroyo has a major black eye as the left side of his face swells. The fighters trade blows in the center of the cage, and Arroyo finally secures a takedown of his own. Cramer, though, looks for the triangle choke, but without the position, he allows Arroyo to take sidemount and then his back. Arroyo climbs onto his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Cramer won't tap and breaks free of the choke, but Arroyo still has his back. After throwing some punches from behind, Arroyo again attempts the choke as he locks in a body triangle. Cramer wiggles free and is able to turn free and take top position. Now working from inside his opponent's guard, Cramer rains down elbows. The pace slows as Cramer works elbows. Mazzagatti steps in and restarts them. Arroyo shoots lazily, and Cramer collapses on top of him and immediately rains down elbows that find their mark. Arroyo looks for the triangle choke, but Cramer pulls back and frees himself. With a sense of desparation, Arroyo looks for a submission, but Cramer closes out the round with a flurry of ground and pound. Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

JAKE O'BRIEN VS. CHRISTIAN WELLISCH: Round 3 - Wellisch goes on the offensive as O'Brien looks to counter. Wellisch chases with some lunging rights and eats a shot that opens his nose and causes a steady flow of blood. O'Brien shoots and scores the takedown, but Wellisch rolls free and easily gets to his feet. The fighters trade jabs and Wellisch again throws wildly and lands with a left. O'Brien patiently awaits to counter and forces the fight to the ground again. Wellisch quickly gets to his feet and throws left-right combinations. O'Brien deflects most of them. Wellisch sneaks through an overhand right. Wellisch swings wildly and just misses with a knee to the head. O'Brien shoots and again gets the takedown, but again, he can't keep his opponent there. Wellisch, now gushing blood from his nose and mouth, stalks after O'Brien but is again easily taken to the mount. O'Brien stands over him and tries to rain down a blow, but Wellisch easily deflects it and gets to his feet. The fighters battle for ground position as the round ends. Jake O'Brien def. Christian Wellisch via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

JOHN HOWARD VS. CHRIS WILSON: Round 3 - As the third round gets started, random "B.J. Penn!" and "GSP!" chants randomly break out. Wilson opens with a knee to the body, but Howard checks it, takes his opponent's back, locks in a body triangle and looks for the rear-naked choke. Wilson successfully defends, but Howard maintains the dominant position and delivers some blows from behind. After a flurry of the punches, Wilson gives Howard the opening he needs, and he sinks in the rear-naked choke. Wilson rolls just enough to break free and eats some punches. Howard again goes for the rear-naked choke, but he can't get it under Wilson's chin. Two minutes into the position, Howard continues fighting with Wilson's long limbs and then tries to soften him up with punches from behind. Wilson finally escapes and takes top position to avoid the choke threats. Wilson delivers punches from above, but after standing, he's taken to the mat when Howard secures a leg and trips him. Both fighters look for submissions with the other's leg, but they give up the positions and return standing. Howard shoots and after a few efforts trips Wilson to the mat. Wilson delivers elbows from below and Howard throws a few wild punches as the round ends. John Howard def. Chris Wilson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

JON FITCH VS. AKIHIRO GONO: Round 2 - Fitch lands two leg kicks before Gono closes the distance. Gono pins him against the fence and works punches to the body. The fighters stay clinched before Fitch scores the trip takedown and works from inside guard. Fitch works elbows from above and follows with a series of lefts, and referee Steve Mazzagtatti warns Fitch to get busier. Fitch kicks it up a notch and continues a steady stream of ground and pound. Fitch tries to improve his position, but with Gono shoved against the cage, he can't take the mount position. However, when Gono tries to escape, Fitch takes his opponent's back, locks in a body triangle and throws punches from behind. Gono, though, controls his hands and avoids the rear-naked choke. Fitch locks in an armbar just as the round comes to a close, but Gono is saved by the bell.

NATE DIAZ VS. CLAY GUIDA: Round 1 - We've got a full house as we get ready for the night's first televised bout. Both fighters are amp'd to get started, and both swing wildly as we get started. Guida closes the distance, but the fighters quickly separate. Diaz uses his reach advantage to work jabs and a couple nice left-right combinations. Guida counters with a knee that partially connects. Guida follows a leg kick that an overhand right that misses, and Diaz continues a steady stream of jabs. Diaz remains the aggressor, and when Guida shoots for a single-leg takedown, Diaz easily escapes. Diaz shoots, but Guida stuffs it and put his opponent on his back. The crowd cheers for Guida, who takes Diaz's back as the fighter gets back to his feet. Diaz tries to roll free, but Guida puts him in a full nelson and then lands in side control to rain down punches and elbows. Diaz gets back to his feet, but Guida clings to him to try to salvage the position. When the opportunity rises, Guida picks up and slams Diaz violently to the mat. Diaz tries to get back to his feet, but Guida again takes his back. Standing, Diaz controls his opponent's hands as the round ends. A great first round is met with booming applause.

DONG HYUN KIM VS. KARO PARISYAN: Round 2 - Kim whiffs on a head kick, and the fighters again trade leather in the center of the cage. Parisyan dips and shoots, but Kim sprawls and avoids the takedown. Pinned against the cage, Parisyan is nearly thrown to the mat on a first try and finally is on the second. Kim takes his back, but during a scramble for position, Parisyan breaks free and they're back to their feet. Clinches against the fence, Kim works for underhooks. Parisyan dips for the trip takedown, but Kim scrambles free and again puts Parisyan against the mat. Parisyan, though, finally secures the trip takedown and sends Kim airborne and onto his back. Parisyan tries to take his back, but Kim escapes and puts Parisyan back into the cage. The fighters continue battling for position as the pace slows. Kim separates, and a timeout is called as Parisyan loses his mouthpiece. It's washed, and we're again underway. Parisyan connects on a left and a strong right just as the round ends. It's a strategic (and action-less) second round.

DONG HYUN KIM VS. KARO PARISYAN: Round 3 - After a quick clinch, Parisyan puts Kim against the cage, but it's Kim who gets the trip takedown. Parisyan works from below, and after failing with the triangle choke, kicks Kim in the face, forcing the referee to halt the action and issue a warning. Parisyan immediately charges forward, but Kim overpowers him and puts him on his back. Parisyan quickly gets to his feet, and the fighters again clinch against the cage while jockeying for position and hand control. Parisyan tries a flying knee that does little and immediately closes the distances and pulls Kim's legs out from under him. It doesn't last long. and Kim gets back to his feet. Parisyan avoids a takedown attempt but grabbing the fence, which the referee doesnt see. The crowd boos the stalemate. A minute later, there's still little action against the cage. Parisyan scores a brief takedown, but Kim gets to his feet easily. The final minute of the fight is much of the same, and little connects as the fighters focus on getting position. The round ends with a chorus of boos. Karo Parisyan def. Dong Hyun Kim via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

STEPHAN BONNAR VS. JON JONES: Round 3 - Bonnar works the kicks early before clinching with Jones. Jones pushes him away, but Bonnar uses some dirty boxing from the clinch. Jones, though, counter with a knee to the body. Against the cage, the pace slows, so the fighters break and trade big blows in the center of the cage. Jones gets the last lick with a knee to the head. More dirty boxing and elbows from both fighters, and Bonnar may have stunned Jones with a right to the temple and left to the jaw. Jones scores a trip takedown and works from inside guard. Bonnar grabs an arm and nearly locks in a triangle choke, but Jones wisely backs out of it. Bonnar soon gets back to his feet, and back to the center of the cage we go. Bonnar shoves Jones into the cage and has no luck with knees to the body. Jones pushes him off, and both fighters catch their breath. With 30 seconds to go, the two light heavyweight swing wildly, and Bonnar gets the better of it. However, the fight ends anticlimactically against the cage. Jon Jones def. Stephan Bonnar via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

B.J. PENN VS. GEORGES ST. PIERRE: Round 3 - St. Pierre lands a left jab and a couple leg kicks and then attacks Penn with a couple punches from different angles. Penn's now gushing blood from his nose as he eats another head-snapping jab. St. Pierre clinches and looks for the single-leg takedown. It wasn't easy, but he gets it. St. Pierre frees one leg from Penn's guard and looks to move into side control. While trying to pass, St. Pierre pops Penn with two quick rights. However, he can't free his second leg, and Penn pulls him back into butterfly guard. St. Pierre rises up and drops a right hand on Penn before falling back into his guard. A left hand connects to the head and a series of rights get Penn's body. St. Pierre then connects on some hammerfists, but Penn powers his back to his feet and gets the fight standing again. St. Pierre reverses the position and puts Penn's back to the cage before referee Herb Dean warns them to pick up the pace. St. Pierre immediately forces Penn to the mat, and with a minute to go, drops stiff elbows while Penn's head is pinned against the cage. St. Pierre then stands and rains down two big blows. Penn pulls guard and tries to wait out the round.

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