UFC 90 'Silva vs. Cote' Play-by-Play
Oct 25, 2008
Sherdog.com reported live from the Allstate Arena near Chicago with
live play-by-play of UFC 90, which was headlined by Anderson
Silva's third-round victory over Patrick
Cote
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Click here for quick results.
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Round 1
This battle of welterweights is over seen by referee Mike Reid. Drago takes the center of the cage and throws a right hand off of a Burkman low kick. Sell then goes for a shot, but Burkman stuffs it and the fighters clinch. Then they separate and Burkman connects with a hard right hook that stuns Drago. Sell is taken down and Burkman passes to half and lands some elbows. Still in half-guard, Burkman isolates Sell's right arm with his left leg. Unable to do anything with it, Sell gets his arm free. With 1:42 remaining in the round the Matt Serra student gets full guard. Shortly there after, the two TUF veterans are stood up. They clinch against the cage where Burkman lands a footstomp. Sell attempts a takedown and Burkman wizzers out of it. The first frame ends. 10-9 Burkman.
Round 2
The two men circle to start the middle stanza. Both pawing with jabs and straights. Neither landing with great success. After landing a right, Sell shoots for a double but Burkman stuffs it. Burkman then lands a straight jab that backs up the New Yorker. Burkman lands a mid kick to the body at the mid-point of the round. The two men clinch and then separate. Sell lands a left to the midsection of Burkman. Sell is finding his range effectively landing a couple shots. A left to the body with an overhand right finds its home. Sell is rallying while Burkman swings wildy. The end of the second round concludes with a failed Drago shot reversed to a Burkman takedown. 10-9 Sell.
Round 3
Round three begins with Sell sporting nice mouse under his right eye. Burkman starts the last round with a knee to the body. The fighters then begin a sequence of clinching and separating. Sell takes the center and tries again to take down Burkman, this time with a single. To no avail, the two welterweights separate. Sell lands a low right leg kick. With half the round remaining Sell gets tagged with a jab and answers with a left hook to the body. Burkman shoots and Drago stuffs. A good left jab finds the chin of Burkman. Sell finds his rhythm again and lands a few more quick punches. The Matt Serra product is finding his punches landing and this opens up a takedown. With 45 seconds left in the fight Sell finds himself on top for the first time in the fight. Burkman looks to stand and Drago frames up a guillotine. It isn't tight enough for a finish as the bell rings. 10-9 Sell. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Pete Sell.
Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
Round 1
Hermes Franca, a former student of Marcus Aureilo, meets his former instructor in a lightweight contest. The official overseeing this scrap is Todd Frederickson. The ref has to separate the men before the bout starts as Franca bumps Aurelio as he passes him circling the cage.
The official action starts with a missed Franca flying knee. Aurelio takes the center of the Octagon to eat a right low kick by Franca. The former American Top Team fighter starts to counter Aurelio with kicks to the legs and thighs. Franca looks to work the jab while Aurelio misses with a variety of punches. “Maximus” finally lands a flush jab, but Franca circles. Another nice low kick lands to the left leg of the Pride veteran. Aurelio answers with a right hand. A front kick lands by Franca. Franca closes the first round with good kicks and obviously frustrates his former training partner. 10-9 Franca.
Round 2
Todd Frederickson starts the second frame and the Brazilians waste no time trying to exchange. Franca again starts with kicks going low and high. Nothing is catching Aurelio flush, but Franca is showing dominance. Franca’s unorthodox style is working. Combos are coming from Franca. Left jab, right straight and a low kick for good measure. Aurelio is trying to answer, but nothing is landing hard. Finally Aurelio has a combo that grazes Franca. Flurries from both men miss. The fighters engage again and both land decent shots, but still Franca is the more effective striker. With 10 seconds remaining, Franca lands another hard low kick. 10-9 Hermes Franca.
Round 3
Franca again takes the center of the cage and starts where he left off, leg kicks. Aurelio is obviously frustrated and sore. He shoots but cannot secure a takedown. Aurelio then shoots off of another Franca leg kick and finally takes his opponent down. On the floor Aurelio passes to half and lands some strikes. Aurelio is scoring here and Franca then gets guard. He pushes Aurelio away and stands. As Franca gets back to his feet Aurelio lands a knee to the head of Franca. Fredrickson stops the bout and says the knee was illegal. Replays show that the knee was legal. The fighters restart with Franca landing a leg kick. Aurelio shoots for a single and the two men clinch. They separate for the closing moments of the bout. Franca throws a three-punch combo that misses.
Franca tries to shake Aurelio’s hand and Marcus has none of it. Franca then flips him off. 10-9 for Franca. The official judges see the bout 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for Hermes Franca.
Dan Miller vs. Matt Horwich
Round 1
Referee Mike Reid oversees this middleweight bout. Miller starts strong with a superman punch and a takedown. "Suave" stays cool and gets half guard. Miller looks to secure his position but winds up in full guard after a Horwich leglock attempt. Horwich then uses rubber guard to attempt a gogoplata and an omaplata, but neither work. Horwich gets his guard and looks to use the cages to stand up. In a scramble, Horwich gets on top as Miller shoots. Sprawling is Horwich, but the Team Quest fighter ultimately finds himself on his back. Horwich looks to bring his guard high and Miller stacks. After a lull in the action, both men stand up. A left jab and right straight land to the face of Horwich. The fight goes to the floor with Horwich looking for another omaplata. The round concludes. 10-9 Miller.
Round 2
The bout continues as Miller secures a takedown. Horwich then stands and the two fighters clinch. In his unorthodox jiu-jitsu attack, Suave grabs the arm of the former IFL champ and flops to guard. Again on the floor, Horwich uses rubber guard to hook up an omaplata, and this time he uses the attack to get on top and looks to pass the legs of Miller. Miller now tries to utilize the rubber guard himself. With nothing happening, a scramble occurs and Horwich takes Miller’s back. Horwich locks on a body triangle and frames up a rear-naked choke. A resilient Miller defends and is mounted. Horwich lands some blows and Miller gives his back again. The round ends with Horwich’s forearm under the chin of his opponent. 10-9 Horwich.
Round 3
The two fighters touch gloves and start the final frame. Miller takes down his fellow IFL alum. Again with the rubber guard, Horwich secures mission control. Another omaplata attempt allows Miller to pass for a brief moment. Horwich then secures full guard again. With his back against the cage, Horwich looks bored as he rests his head on his right arm. Miller fires a few strikes to the face of the Team Quest fighter. Nothing very effective but it’s enough to keep Mike Reid from standing them up. Miller keeps active from the guard with a minute left. Miller stacks the open guard and lands some punches. Horwich is cut under his right eye. The round ends as Horwich lands an upkick. 10-9 Miller. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Dan Miller.
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Round 1
The southpaw Fisher takes the center of the cage and finds himself defending a Gugerty shot. He stuffs it all he can until Gugerty gets double underhooks and takes him down. From his back, the Miletich fighter is defensive. Getting his head pushed against the cage "The King" circles away. Gugerty can't do much with his top position and can't secure it for long. Fisher creates space and stands. Some dirty boxing against the fence as Gugerty looks to get another takedown. A knee from Gugerty finds the stomach of Fisher. Still clinched the fighters walk across the cage and then separate. After a few ineffective punches, Gugerty clinches again after another separation Gugerty is dropped with a right hand. Fisher lets him up and throws again. Gugerty is on his back and Fisher finishes the round with a hard ground attack. 10-9 Fisher.
Round 2
Gugerty starts the second frame with a head kick that misses. He slips and falls with the kick attempt. He gets back up and clinches with the Miletich product. Fisher puts Gugerty’s back to the cage and they separate. Again they clinch and engage in some dirty boxing. Gugerty throws a right low kick and Fisher just missed with a right hand. Fisher executes a takedown and Gugerty looks for a guillotine. After trying to get it on the floor, Gugerty stands and still has the choke on. He lets it go to launch a flurry at Fisher. A few punches land to Fisher’s face, followed by two high kicks that are blocked. The round ends. 10-9 Gugerty.
Round 3
The two men clinch and Fisher gets taken down. From there he frames up a triangle that looks very deep. Gugerty is fighting it hard and looks close to tapping. His face is red but he is giving the thumbs up. Fisher has the choke set up from an odd angle but it is still locked on. Gugerty is holding on, but is forced to tap at 3:56 of the third period.
Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
Round 1
McFedries starts the fight with a big right hand that rocks Leites. Leites then recovered and gets a slam takedown. From there, he passes the Iowan's guard and takes his back. From there its just a matter of time. Referee Mark Fernell stops the contest at 1:18 of round one due to a rear-naked choke.
Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
Round 1
Sherk and Griffin touch gloves to begin the round as Sherk takes the center of the Octagon. Sherk wades in with his jab and after a wild exchange of punches, explodes into a double leg and puts Griffin on his seat against the cage. Sherk gets Griffin’s back an ensuing scramble, and Griffin walks to his corner, and hula-hoops Sherk off of his back to escape danger. Griffin lands a hard leg kick as Sherk pumps his jab. Sherk gets a lightning fast single leg which Griffin briefly defends, but Sherk holds his leg and drives him into the fence. As Griffin bases low, Sherk picks his ankle and puts him down again, and attempts to walk up his legs to mount. Griffin scoots up the fence to his feet again, as Sherk continues driving a single leg Griffin with another stiff leg kick. A body shot from Griffin is answered with two body shots and a leg kick from Sherk. Both fighters showing crisp, technical stand-up. Griffin attempts a weak double leg from the outside, and Sherk sprawls out easily. Sherk tries to controls the head and spins around the corner. Sherk gets Griffin’s back again, and Griffin again stands up, as Sherk voluntarily gets off his back. A great body kick from Griffin lands, and the two trade heavy punches as a quality round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Round 2
Another Sherk takedown puts Griffin down for a moment before Griffin makes it back to his feet and resets standing. Both fighters having success with short punches. Sherk lands a great right hand, and swarms Griffin but fails to land. Sherk with a five-punch combination inside, but Griffin blocks most of it. Both fighters continuing to work their hands in close, and Griffin lands two thunderous low kicks, and Sherk lands flush with two double jabs. The crowd begins to roar as the two continue to throw sharp combinations in range. Griffin’s pace slows with 90 seconds left after being the more effective striker over the first three and a half minutes. Sherk lands a glancing three-punch combination, and lands another combination inside off of a takedown attempt. Griffin answers back with a combination of his own. Sherk’s left jab becoming more effective over the last minute.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Round 3
The Chicago crowd roars as the round begins. Griffin comes out swinging and rocks Sherk to his heels, but Sherk recovers. A good Griffin right hand lands over a Sherk lead knee. Both fighters a bit more tentative, but Sherk lands a chopping left inside. Griffin lands a good overhand right, and follows up with another great leg kick. Sherk beginning to land with some leg kicks of his own, as well as a teep. Both fighters still right in range, but neither as active with their punches. Sherk glances Griffin with a three-punch combination. Both fighters standing upright now, clearly only concerned with throwing hands. Sherk’s lead left hand finds its mark several times, but none are particularly potent. A Griffin body shot lands as Sherk lands a hook combination as Griffin rises. With a minute to go, the Chicago crowd roars again. Both fighters jabbing idly. Sherk with a soft three-punch combo again. An overhand right and left hook land for Sherk, and Griffin lands a right hook to the body. A nice leg kick from Griffin lands, and he follows up with another two hooks to the body. The horn goes, ending a very entertaining lightweight affair.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
The official scores are: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Sherk.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Werdum comes out with his hands up, throwing sparse low kicks, while Dos Santos jabs idly, before cracking a big leg kick of his own. Dos Santos steps into range, Werdum looks to clinch, but Dos Santos shucks him off. As Werdum steps into the pocket with an awkward overhand right, he leans his face into an explosive right uppercut from Cigano, which turns Werdum to rubber as he falls to all fours. Dos Santos swarms on him, pounding his prone head with punches until referee Marc Fennell rescues the senseless Werdum at 1:21 of the first round.
Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard
Round 1
Both fighters crouched, circling around each other tentatively through the first 30 seconds. Maynard jabs and comes in with a cross on the back of it, but fails to land. Clementi opening his hands, trying to bait Maynard into activity. Clementi has a body kick blocked, but snaps a crisp leg kick. The slow pace draws boos from the Chicago crowd, as Maynard lands a right hook, and an uppercut which just graze Clementi. Maynard with a weak shot, and Clementi easily gets an underhook and brushes him by. Maynard throwing jabs, and right overhands from outside, but not landing anything significant. Maynard steps inside of a Clementi leg kick, and elevates “No Love” with a big slam into half guard. Maynard punches away to Clementi’s ribs while Clementi looks for a half-guard sweep. A very telegraphed armbar is easily thwarted by Maynard, who lands some punches and elbows, his best offense so far, to end the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Clementi
Round 2
A good counter right cross for Maynard lands. Clementi lands a hard leg kick, but Maynard bulls him into the cage for a moment. Both fighters putting right crosses over each other as they exchange, but Maynard drops levels for a takedown. Clementi turns his body around, but can’t avoid the takedown, as Maynard assumes top position. Maynard looks for a top position guillotine, but Clementi sweeps him with butterfly hooks, and gets to his feet for a moment, before Maynard takes him back down with a single leg. Clementi sets up an omoplata, but Maynard stays on top as Clementi fails to roll through successfully. Maynard now upright in Clementi’s half guard, looking to pound. Clementi nearly initiates a scramble as he sneaks below Maynard’s body from the half guard, but Maynard retains top position, controlling him with a partial headlock. Clementi continuing to work for a sweep, but Maynard stays on top, getting into full guard and punching away. Maynard stacks Clementi and passes to side control as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Round 3
The two touch gloves to begin the final round. As an aggressive, stalking Clementi moves in, Maynard elevates and slams Clementi to the mat again, landing in half guard. Maynard attempting to control Clementi’s head as referee Todd Frederickson asks the pair for action. Clementi attempts to use a kimura sweep to initiate another scramble, but Maynard has none of it, reaffirming top position and getting into Clementi’s full guard. Maynard uses a partial headlock to move to side control, but Clementi regains half guard. Clementi uses the half guard to sneak between Maynard’s legs through the back, attempting a low single. Although Clementi makes it to his feet, Maynard gets control of his waist, and forces another takedown with just over 90 seconds to go. With 60 seconds to go, Clementi finally scrambles to top position, but can’t get Maynard’s back as Maynard squares up on Clementi, and takes “No Love” down again. The Chicago crowd heartily booing as Clementi controls Maynard’s wrists, thwarting his attempts to ground and pound him as the lackluster affair ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
All three judges score the bout 30-27 for Maynard.
Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1
The first meaningful action happens 40 seconds in, when Koscheck slips through a side kick, but Alves lets him up. Koscheck gets clipped with a left hook stepping into Alves’ range, and Alves begins to swarm all over the collegiate wrestling champion, landing punches and ahead kick, and fending off a single leg take down. Koscheck quickly regains his bearings and avoids a big combination from Alves, started with a Superman punch. Another Superman Punch falls short, and a head kick misses from Alves, and Koscheck lands his best shot of the fight with a sharp right cross off of his jab. Koscheck lands another solid right hand, and a right hook to the body. Alves continues to mix up jabs and leg kicks off of one another. A hard leg kick lands for Alves. Koscheck lands a left hook to the body, and gets a hold on Alves’ leg as the Brazilian lands a sharp knee. Alves controlling Koscheck’s wrist as he tries to grab his right ankle. Alves limplegs out of the takedown attempt superbly and resets standing. Two hard leg kicks from Alves to Koscheck’s lead leg. Two lukewarm inside leg kicks land for the “Pitbull” before the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Round 2
Koscheck lands a jab and leg kick combination of his own, and throws two big one-two combinations, both of which are blocked by Alves. Alves lands his familiar inside leg kick, jab combination again, but Koscheck responds with a switch-step head kick which draws a crowd roar, but is blocked. A big Alves leg kick is caught, and he nearly falls to his back, but he recovers. Koscheck closes the distance, clinches Alves with an underhook against the fence. Alves swims his way out of the clinch and they circle to the middle where the Brazilian lands another crushing leg kick to Koscheck’s lead leg. The two trade crisp kicks to the body. Alves beginning to stalk Koscheck more, as he lands a right left kick, and a left kick to the body. Koscheck with a glacing right hook the ribs. Koscheck jabs and drops for a single leg, pushing Alves back to the fence. Koscheck tries to stomp the feet as Alves stops his push and ties up his wrist. Alves and Koscheck hand fight for Alves right leg, in a good display of tit-for-tat wrestling. Great takedown defense by Alves allows him to make it to his feet, where the welterweights jostle against the fence until the horn goes.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Koscheck
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Koscheck
Round 3
Alves diligent with his inside leg kick and jab combination. Alves cuts Koscheck hard in close with a leg kick that buckles him, and drops him with a brutal knee to the jaw. Koscheck desperately swimming forward while Alves controls his neck. A wobbly Koscheck makes it to his feet while Alves attempts to square up and attack. Alves misses an uppercut, but scores with a pair of hooks that force Kosheck to clinch up, and push him into the fence. Koscheck pushing a takedown against the fence again, but nothing doing. Out of the clinch, Koscheck catches an eyepoke, and Dr. David Smith allows him a moment to regain his bearings. Koscheck takes less than 30 seconds, and the action is back on. Alves continuing to batter Koscheck’s lead left leg with outside leg kicks. A switch-step head kick by Alves is blocked. As Koscheck presses forward, his double jab puts a finger into Alves’ eye, again temporarily freezing the bout for 20 seconds or so. The bout resumes with just over 90 seconds to go. Alves absolutely crushes Koscheck with an outside leg kick that nearly puts him on the mat. Two more outside leg kicks for Alves score as Koscheck wades in, looking for a last-minute KO. The crowd bellows with 15 seconds to go, as Koscheck stalks Alves, but Alves lands a superman punch, and tackles Koscheck just after the horn goes.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Alves
The official judges see the bout 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 for Thiago Alves.
Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote
Round 1
The bouncy Cote takes the center of the Octagon as Silva dances around the outside. Cote lands some early leg kicks. Without throwing a strike, a “Silva, Silva” chant is already building in the Allstate Arena. Through two minutes, the bout has been primarily leg kicks for either party. A short inside leg kick for Silva brings Cote forward, and almost allows him to tie him up in the Thai clinch. Silva, with his lead right hand low, stares down Cote from the pocket, while Cote bobs and weaves without throwing. A Cote kick to the body is blocked. Cote switches to southpaw momentarily, but switches back to Orthodox, lunging at Silva with punches which miss. Silva lands a big left head kick, and is able to land a lunging left knee on Cote inside which slashes his forehead open. A now-orthodox Silva sticks the jab in Cote’s face before turning back to southpaw. Silva pacing on the outside, attempting to get Cote to come forward, while Cote switches his stance back and forth again. A hard leg kick from Silva turns Cote around momentarily. Cote continues stalking, and Silva throws a switch-step high kick which is blocked as the round ends. Both fighters bow to one another to end an opening round that was largely a feeling-out process.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Silva
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Round 2
Cote opens with another inside leg kick. A nimble Silva bounces around the perimeter, but explodes forward with a two punch combination, and throws a jumping switch head kick which just misses. Cote responds with a spinning back fist which grazes Silva, and the champion presses “The Predator” into the fence. A big right hook by Cote is easily ducked by Silva, who lands a stiff left kick to the body. Cote takes a literal run at Silva, who changes levels and takes him down with a double leg takedown against the fence, settling into Cote’s guard. Cote using wrist control to stop Silva from pounding on him, and lands a sharp elbow to the crown of Silva’s head. Silva stands above Cote, and offers Cote his hand in the middle of the fight to help him up, before backing away and allowing him to regain his feet. Cote attempts to jab in, and Silva easily moves out of range. Silva throwing his hands around aimlessly, as Cote stands in front of him resolute. Silva lands a hard right leg kick, as Cote drops for a low single. Silva escapes, throws another, and Cote gets a deeper grab on the single leg, as he pushes Silva into the fence. Cote bails out on the takedown, and Silva lands a swinging back elbow, and a late salvo of knees to the torso from the body clinch.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Silva
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Round 3
Cote is the first man to make it to the third heat with Silva in the Octagon, and he lands an overhand right and a leg kick to begin the round. As Cote crow hops toward Silva, he plants awkwardly on his back leg, and pops his right knee, and falls back to the mat. Cote grabs his knee, writhing on the mat, and awkwardly attempts to get to his feet. As he finally struggles to his feet, referee Herb Dean informs him that he’s in no condition to continue. The injury brings an extremely anti-climactic end to the fight at just 0:39 of the third round.
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Josh
Burkman vs. Pete
Sell
Round 1
This battle of welterweights is over seen by referee Mike Reid. Drago takes the center of the cage and throws a right hand off of a Burkman low kick. Sell then goes for a shot, but Burkman stuffs it and the fighters clinch. Then they separate and Burkman connects with a hard right hook that stuns Drago. Sell is taken down and Burkman passes to half and lands some elbows. Still in half-guard, Burkman isolates Sell's right arm with his left leg. Unable to do anything with it, Sell gets his arm free. With 1:42 remaining in the round the Matt Serra student gets full guard. Shortly there after, the two TUF veterans are stood up. They clinch against the cage where Burkman lands a footstomp. Sell attempts a takedown and Burkman wizzers out of it. The first frame ends. 10-9 Burkman.
Round 2
The two men circle to start the middle stanza. Both pawing with jabs and straights. Neither landing with great success. After landing a right, Sell shoots for a double but Burkman stuffs it. Burkman then lands a straight jab that backs up the New Yorker. Burkman lands a mid kick to the body at the mid-point of the round. The two men clinch and then separate. Sell lands a left to the midsection of Burkman. Sell is finding his range effectively landing a couple shots. A left to the body with an overhand right finds its home. Sell is rallying while Burkman swings wildy. The end of the second round concludes with a failed Drago shot reversed to a Burkman takedown. 10-9 Sell.
Round 3
Round three begins with Sell sporting nice mouse under his right eye. Burkman starts the last round with a knee to the body. The fighters then begin a sequence of clinching and separating. Sell takes the center and tries again to take down Burkman, this time with a single. To no avail, the two welterweights separate. Sell lands a low right leg kick. With half the round remaining Sell gets tagged with a jab and answers with a left hook to the body. Burkman shoots and Drago stuffs. A good left jab finds the chin of Burkman. Sell finds his rhythm again and lands a few more quick punches. The Matt Serra product is finding his punches landing and this opens up a takedown. With 45 seconds left in the fight Sell finds himself on top for the first time in the fight. Burkman looks to stand and Drago frames up a guillotine. It isn't tight enough for a finish as the bell rings. 10-9 Sell. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Pete Sell.
Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
Round 1
Hermes Franca, a former student of Marcus Aureilo, meets his former instructor in a lightweight contest. The official overseeing this scrap is Todd Frederickson. The ref has to separate the men before the bout starts as Franca bumps Aurelio as he passes him circling the cage.
The official action starts with a missed Franca flying knee. Aurelio takes the center of the Octagon to eat a right low kick by Franca. The former American Top Team fighter starts to counter Aurelio with kicks to the legs and thighs. Franca looks to work the jab while Aurelio misses with a variety of punches. “Maximus” finally lands a flush jab, but Franca circles. Another nice low kick lands to the left leg of the Pride veteran. Aurelio answers with a right hand. A front kick lands by Franca. Franca closes the first round with good kicks and obviously frustrates his former training partner. 10-9 Franca.
Round 2
Todd Frederickson starts the second frame and the Brazilians waste no time trying to exchange. Franca again starts with kicks going low and high. Nothing is catching Aurelio flush, but Franca is showing dominance. Franca’s unorthodox style is working. Combos are coming from Franca. Left jab, right straight and a low kick for good measure. Aurelio is trying to answer, but nothing is landing hard. Finally Aurelio has a combo that grazes Franca. Flurries from both men miss. The fighters engage again and both land decent shots, but still Franca is the more effective striker. With 10 seconds remaining, Franca lands another hard low kick. 10-9 Hermes Franca.
Round 3
Franca again takes the center of the cage and starts where he left off, leg kicks. Aurelio is obviously frustrated and sore. He shoots but cannot secure a takedown. Aurelio then shoots off of another Franca leg kick and finally takes his opponent down. On the floor Aurelio passes to half and lands some strikes. Aurelio is scoring here and Franca then gets guard. He pushes Aurelio away and stands. As Franca gets back to his feet Aurelio lands a knee to the head of Franca. Fredrickson stops the bout and says the knee was illegal. Replays show that the knee was legal. The fighters restart with Franca landing a leg kick. Aurelio shoots for a single and the two men clinch. They separate for the closing moments of the bout. Franca throws a three-punch combo that misses.
Franca tries to shake Aurelio’s hand and Marcus has none of it. Franca then flips him off. 10-9 for Franca. The official judges see the bout 29-28 (twice) and 30-27 for Hermes Franca.
Dan Miller vs. Matt Horwich
Round 1
Referee Mike Reid oversees this middleweight bout. Miller starts strong with a superman punch and a takedown. "Suave" stays cool and gets half guard. Miller looks to secure his position but winds up in full guard after a Horwich leglock attempt. Horwich then uses rubber guard to attempt a gogoplata and an omaplata, but neither work. Horwich gets his guard and looks to use the cages to stand up. In a scramble, Horwich gets on top as Miller shoots. Sprawling is Horwich, but the Team Quest fighter ultimately finds himself on his back. Horwich looks to bring his guard high and Miller stacks. After a lull in the action, both men stand up. A left jab and right straight land to the face of Horwich. The fight goes to the floor with Horwich looking for another omaplata. The round concludes. 10-9 Miller.
Round 2
The bout continues as Miller secures a takedown. Horwich then stands and the two fighters clinch. In his unorthodox jiu-jitsu attack, Suave grabs the arm of the former IFL champ and flops to guard. Again on the floor, Horwich uses rubber guard to hook up an omaplata, and this time he uses the attack to get on top and looks to pass the legs of Miller. Miller now tries to utilize the rubber guard himself. With nothing happening, a scramble occurs and Horwich takes Miller’s back. Horwich locks on a body triangle and frames up a rear-naked choke. A resilient Miller defends and is mounted. Horwich lands some blows and Miller gives his back again. The round ends with Horwich’s forearm under the chin of his opponent. 10-9 Horwich.
Round 3
The two fighters touch gloves and start the final frame. Miller takes down his fellow IFL alum. Again with the rubber guard, Horwich secures mission control. Another omaplata attempt allows Miller to pass for a brief moment. Horwich then secures full guard again. With his back against the cage, Horwich looks bored as he rests his head on his right arm. Miller fires a few strikes to the face of the Team Quest fighter. Nothing very effective but it’s enough to keep Mike Reid from standing them up. Miller keeps active from the guard with a minute left. Miller stacks the open guard and lands some punches. Horwich is cut under his right eye. The round ends as Horwich lands an upkick. 10-9 Miller. All three official judges see the contest 29-28 for Dan Miller.
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Round 1
The southpaw Fisher takes the center of the cage and finds himself defending a Gugerty shot. He stuffs it all he can until Gugerty gets double underhooks and takes him down. From his back, the Miletich fighter is defensive. Getting his head pushed against the cage "The King" circles away. Gugerty can't do much with his top position and can't secure it for long. Fisher creates space and stands. Some dirty boxing against the fence as Gugerty looks to get another takedown. A knee from Gugerty finds the stomach of Fisher. Still clinched the fighters walk across the cage and then separate. After a few ineffective punches, Gugerty clinches again after another separation Gugerty is dropped with a right hand. Fisher lets him up and throws again. Gugerty is on his back and Fisher finishes the round with a hard ground attack. 10-9 Fisher.
Round 2
Gugerty starts the second frame with a head kick that misses. He slips and falls with the kick attempt. He gets back up and clinches with the Miletich product. Fisher puts Gugerty’s back to the cage and they separate. Again they clinch and engage in some dirty boxing. Gugerty throws a right low kick and Fisher just missed with a right hand. Fisher executes a takedown and Gugerty looks for a guillotine. After trying to get it on the floor, Gugerty stands and still has the choke on. He lets it go to launch a flurry at Fisher. A few punches land to Fisher’s face, followed by two high kicks that are blocked. The round ends. 10-9 Gugerty.
Round 3
The two men clinch and Fisher gets taken down. From there he frames up a triangle that looks very deep. Gugerty is fighting it hard and looks close to tapping. His face is red but he is giving the thumbs up. Fisher has the choke set up from an odd angle but it is still locked on. Gugerty is holding on, but is forced to tap at 3:56 of the third period.
Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
Round 1
McFedries starts the fight with a big right hand that rocks Leites. Leites then recovered and gets a slam takedown. From there, he passes the Iowan's guard and takes his back. From there its just a matter of time. Referee Mark Fernell stops the contest at 1:18 of round one due to a rear-naked choke.
Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
Round 1
Sherk and Griffin touch gloves to begin the round as Sherk takes the center of the Octagon. Sherk wades in with his jab and after a wild exchange of punches, explodes into a double leg and puts Griffin on his seat against the cage. Sherk gets Griffin’s back an ensuing scramble, and Griffin walks to his corner, and hula-hoops Sherk off of his back to escape danger. Griffin lands a hard leg kick as Sherk pumps his jab. Sherk gets a lightning fast single leg which Griffin briefly defends, but Sherk holds his leg and drives him into the fence. As Griffin bases low, Sherk picks his ankle and puts him down again, and attempts to walk up his legs to mount. Griffin scoots up the fence to his feet again, as Sherk continues driving a single leg Griffin with another stiff leg kick. A body shot from Griffin is answered with two body shots and a leg kick from Sherk. Both fighters showing crisp, technical stand-up. Griffin attempts a weak double leg from the outside, and Sherk sprawls out easily. Sherk tries to controls the head and spins around the corner. Sherk gets Griffin’s back again, and Griffin again stands up, as Sherk voluntarily gets off his back. A great body kick from Griffin lands, and the two trade heavy punches as a quality round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Round 2
Another Sherk takedown puts Griffin down for a moment before Griffin makes it back to his feet and resets standing. Both fighters having success with short punches. Sherk lands a great right hand, and swarms Griffin but fails to land. Sherk with a five-punch combination inside, but Griffin blocks most of it. Both fighters continuing to work their hands in close, and Griffin lands two thunderous low kicks, and Sherk lands flush with two double jabs. The crowd begins to roar as the two continue to throw sharp combinations in range. Griffin’s pace slows with 90 seconds left after being the more effective striker over the first three and a half minutes. Sherk lands a glancing three-punch combination, and lands another combination inside off of a takedown attempt. Griffin answers back with a combination of his own. Sherk’s left jab becoming more effective over the last minute.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
TJ De Santis scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
Round 3
The Chicago crowd roars as the round begins. Griffin comes out swinging and rocks Sherk to his heels, but Sherk recovers. A good Griffin right hand lands over a Sherk lead knee. Both fighters a bit more tentative, but Sherk lands a chopping left inside. Griffin lands a good overhand right, and follows up with another great leg kick. Sherk beginning to land with some leg kicks of his own, as well as a teep. Both fighters still right in range, but neither as active with their punches. Sherk glances Griffin with a three-punch combination. Both fighters standing upright now, clearly only concerned with throwing hands. Sherk’s lead left hand finds its mark several times, but none are particularly potent. A Griffin body shot lands as Sherk lands a hook combination as Griffin rises. With a minute to go, the Chicago crowd roars again. Both fighters jabbing idly. Sherk with a soft three-punch combo again. An overhand right and left hook land for Sherk, and Griffin lands a right hook to the body. A nice leg kick from Griffin lands, and he follows up with another two hooks to the body. The horn goes, ending a very entertaining lightweight affair.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Griffin
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Sherk
The official scores are: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Sherk.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
Round 1
Werdum comes out with his hands up, throwing sparse low kicks, while Dos Santos jabs idly, before cracking a big leg kick of his own. Dos Santos steps into range, Werdum looks to clinch, but Dos Santos shucks him off. As Werdum steps into the pocket with an awkward overhand right, he leans his face into an explosive right uppercut from Cigano, which turns Werdum to rubber as he falls to all fours. Dos Santos swarms on him, pounding his prone head with punches until referee Marc Fennell rescues the senseless Werdum at 1:21 of the first round.
Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard
Round 1
Both fighters crouched, circling around each other tentatively through the first 30 seconds. Maynard jabs and comes in with a cross on the back of it, but fails to land. Clementi opening his hands, trying to bait Maynard into activity. Clementi has a body kick blocked, but snaps a crisp leg kick. The slow pace draws boos from the Chicago crowd, as Maynard lands a right hook, and an uppercut which just graze Clementi. Maynard with a weak shot, and Clementi easily gets an underhook and brushes him by. Maynard throwing jabs, and right overhands from outside, but not landing anything significant. Maynard steps inside of a Clementi leg kick, and elevates “No Love” with a big slam into half guard. Maynard punches away to Clementi’s ribs while Clementi looks for a half-guard sweep. A very telegraphed armbar is easily thwarted by Maynard, who lands some punches and elbows, his best offense so far, to end the round.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Clementi
Round 2
A good counter right cross for Maynard lands. Clementi lands a hard leg kick, but Maynard bulls him into the cage for a moment. Both fighters putting right crosses over each other as they exchange, but Maynard drops levels for a takedown. Clementi turns his body around, but can’t avoid the takedown, as Maynard assumes top position. Maynard looks for a top position guillotine, but Clementi sweeps him with butterfly hooks, and gets to his feet for a moment, before Maynard takes him back down with a single leg. Clementi sets up an omoplata, but Maynard stays on top as Clementi fails to roll through successfully. Maynard now upright in Clementi’s half guard, looking to pound. Clementi nearly initiates a scramble as he sneaks below Maynard’s body from the half guard, but Maynard retains top position, controlling him with a partial headlock. Clementi continuing to work for a sweep, but Maynard stays on top, getting into full guard and punching away. Maynard stacks Clementi and passes to side control as the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Round 3
The two touch gloves to begin the final round. As an aggressive, stalking Clementi moves in, Maynard elevates and slams Clementi to the mat again, landing in half guard. Maynard attempting to control Clementi’s head as referee Todd Frederickson asks the pair for action. Clementi attempts to use a kimura sweep to initiate another scramble, but Maynard has none of it, reaffirming top position and getting into Clementi’s full guard. Maynard uses a partial headlock to move to side control, but Clementi regains half guard. Clementi uses the half guard to sneak between Maynard’s legs through the back, attempting a low single. Although Clementi makes it to his feet, Maynard gets control of his waist, and forces another takedown with just over 90 seconds to go. With 60 seconds to go, Clementi finally scrambles to top position, but can’t get Maynard’s back as Maynard squares up on Clementi, and takes “No Love” down again. The Chicago crowd heartily booing as Clementi controls Maynard’s wrists, thwarting his attempts to ground and pound him as the lackluster affair ends.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Maynard
All three judges score the bout 30-27 for Maynard.
Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1
The first meaningful action happens 40 seconds in, when Koscheck slips through a side kick, but Alves lets him up. Koscheck gets clipped with a left hook stepping into Alves’ range, and Alves begins to swarm all over the collegiate wrestling champion, landing punches and ahead kick, and fending off a single leg take down. Koscheck quickly regains his bearings and avoids a big combination from Alves, started with a Superman punch. Another Superman Punch falls short, and a head kick misses from Alves, and Koscheck lands his best shot of the fight with a sharp right cross off of his jab. Koscheck lands another solid right hand, and a right hook to the body. Alves continues to mix up jabs and leg kicks off of one another. A hard leg kick lands for Alves. Koscheck lands a left hook to the body, and gets a hold on Alves’ leg as the Brazilian lands a sharp knee. Alves controlling Koscheck’s wrist as he tries to grab his right ankle. Alves limplegs out of the takedown attempt superbly and resets standing. Two hard leg kicks from Alves to Koscheck’s lead leg. Two lukewarm inside leg kicks land for the “Pitbull” before the round expires.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Round 2
Koscheck lands a jab and leg kick combination of his own, and throws two big one-two combinations, both of which are blocked by Alves. Alves lands his familiar inside leg kick, jab combination again, but Koscheck responds with a switch-step head kick which draws a crowd roar, but is blocked. A big Alves leg kick is caught, and he nearly falls to his back, but he recovers. Koscheck closes the distance, clinches Alves with an underhook against the fence. Alves swims his way out of the clinch and they circle to the middle where the Brazilian lands another crushing leg kick to Koscheck’s lead leg. The two trade crisp kicks to the body. Alves beginning to stalk Koscheck more, as he lands a right left kick, and a left kick to the body. Koscheck with a glacing right hook the ribs. Koscheck jabs and drops for a single leg, pushing Alves back to the fence. Koscheck tries to stomp the feet as Alves stops his push and ties up his wrist. Alves and Koscheck hand fight for Alves right leg, in a good display of tit-for-tat wrestling. Great takedown defense by Alves allows him to make it to his feet, where the welterweights jostle against the fence until the horn goes.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Koscheck
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Koscheck
Round 3
Alves diligent with his inside leg kick and jab combination. Alves cuts Koscheck hard in close with a leg kick that buckles him, and drops him with a brutal knee to the jaw. Koscheck desperately swimming forward while Alves controls his neck. A wobbly Koscheck makes it to his feet while Alves attempts to square up and attack. Alves misses an uppercut, but scores with a pair of hooks that force Kosheck to clinch up, and push him into the fence. Koscheck pushing a takedown against the fence again, but nothing doing. Out of the clinch, Koscheck catches an eyepoke, and Dr. David Smith allows him a moment to regain his bearings. Koscheck takes less than 30 seconds, and the action is back on. Alves continuing to batter Koscheck’s lead left leg with outside leg kicks. A switch-step head kick by Alves is blocked. As Koscheck presses forward, his double jab puts a finger into Alves’ eye, again temporarily freezing the bout for 20 seconds or so. The bout resumes with just over 90 seconds to go. Alves absolutely crushes Koscheck with an outside leg kick that nearly puts him on the mat. Two more outside leg kicks for Alves score as Koscheck wades in, looking for a last-minute KO. The crowd bellows with 15 seconds to go, as Koscheck stalks Alves, but Alves lands a superman punch, and tackles Koscheck just after the horn goes.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Alves
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Alves
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Alves
The official judges see the bout 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 for Thiago Alves.
Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote
Round 1
The bouncy Cote takes the center of the Octagon as Silva dances around the outside. Cote lands some early leg kicks. Without throwing a strike, a “Silva, Silva” chant is already building in the Allstate Arena. Through two minutes, the bout has been primarily leg kicks for either party. A short inside leg kick for Silva brings Cote forward, and almost allows him to tie him up in the Thai clinch. Silva, with his lead right hand low, stares down Cote from the pocket, while Cote bobs and weaves without throwing. A Cote kick to the body is blocked. Cote switches to southpaw momentarily, but switches back to Orthodox, lunging at Silva with punches which miss. Silva lands a big left head kick, and is able to land a lunging left knee on Cote inside which slashes his forehead open. A now-orthodox Silva sticks the jab in Cote’s face before turning back to southpaw. Silva pacing on the outside, attempting to get Cote to come forward, while Cote switches his stance back and forth again. A hard leg kick from Silva turns Cote around momentarily. Cote continues stalking, and Silva throws a switch-step high kick which is blocked as the round ends. Both fighters bow to one another to end an opening round that was largely a feeling-out process.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Silva
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Round 2
Cote opens with another inside leg kick. A nimble Silva bounces around the perimeter, but explodes forward with a two punch combination, and throws a jumping switch head kick which just misses. Cote responds with a spinning back fist which grazes Silva, and the champion presses “The Predator” into the fence. A big right hook by Cote is easily ducked by Silva, who lands a stiff left kick to the body. Cote takes a literal run at Silva, who changes levels and takes him down with a double leg takedown against the fence, settling into Cote’s guard. Cote using wrist control to stop Silva from pounding on him, and lands a sharp elbow to the crown of Silva’s head. Silva stands above Cote, and offers Cote his hand in the middle of the fight to help him up, before backing away and allowing him to regain his feet. Cote attempts to jab in, and Silva easily moves out of range. Silva throwing his hands around aimlessly, as Cote stands in front of him resolute. Silva lands a hard right leg kick, as Cote drops for a low single. Silva escapes, throws another, and Cote gets a deeper grab on the single leg, as he pushes Silva into the fence. Cote bails out on the takedown, and Silva lands a swinging back elbow, and a late salvo of knees to the torso from the body clinch.
Jordan Breen scores the round: 10-9 Silva
TJ DeSantis scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Lotfi Sariahmed scores the round: 10-9 Silva
Round 3
Cote is the first man to make it to the third heat with Silva in the Octagon, and he lands an overhand right and a leg kick to begin the round. As Cote crow hops toward Silva, he plants awkwardly on his back leg, and pops his right knee, and falls back to the mat. Cote grabs his knee, writhing on the mat, and awkwardly attempts to get to his feet. As he finally struggles to his feet, referee Herb Dean informs him that he’s in no condition to continue. The injury brings an extremely anti-climactic end to the fight at just 0:39 of the third round.
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