Rachelle Leah
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
Melvin Guillard (5'9" 156 lb) vs Rick Davis (5'9" 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Rick Davis was introduced as a kickboxer and a BJJ exponent, but when the action started, he adopted a karate-style stance, and attempted to baffle Guillard by switching from southpaw to orthodox – a la Rocky. Melvin thought it was a great idea, and at 4.33, slammed Rick with Thai knees to the head.
4.25: Guillard ripped a left glove into Davis's body. They traded leather and feet, with Melvin gaining the upper hand for the most part.
3.38: Guillard caught Davis with a left and a right hand that put Davis down, though there appeared to be a bit of slipping involved. Rick shot back up, however Melvin closed in and landed two Thai knees and a right glove.
3.25: Davis opted for a left kick and Guillard countered with a smashing right fist that turned the lights out for Davis.
Result: Melvin Guillard by KO – 1.37, Round One.
Gabriel Gonzaga (6'2" 244 lb) vs Fabiano Scherner (6'3" 263 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
This was a slow bout between two up-and-coming guys to the Octagon. Against fast heavy-hitters such as Paul Buentello and Gilbert Aldana, these heavyweights would have difficulties. Gonzaga looked to have the edge on his opponent in the first five minutes.
Round Two
Scherner said he was experiencing double vision between rounds and didn't appear to want to be there. Eventually the bout recommenced. Gonzaga caught Scherner with a jab, and it was over.
Result: Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO – 0.24, Round Two.
Spencer Fisher (5'7" 154.5 lb) vs Matt Wiman (5'10" 155.5 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
4.49: Wiman threw a wild looping right and clinched. They exchanged knees against the fence. When Wiman bent down to take Fisher's leg for a takedown, Fisher did a Jeremy Horn and brought his knee up into Wiman's face.
3.44: Matt got his way and took Spencer down, g'n'p-ing from Spencer's guard.
3.12: Matt locked on a guillotine. This looked bad for Spencer, but he remained cool despite Matt appearing to have sunk it in deep.
2.50: Fisher twisted his way out of the chokehold, but sacrificed his back to do so.
2.20: Wiman had his hooks in and was lining Fisher up for a rear naked choke.
2.07: Wiman further secured the position by applying an anaconda. Fisher left himself open to short punches from Wiman as a trade for warding off the choke.
1.16: Fisher finally broke free and both men were standing.
1.08: They clinched, and Spencer unloaded knees.
0.48: Spencer delivered an airborne knee from the clinch and the pair collapsed to the canvas, with Spencer pounding Matt from his half guard.
0.15: Matt had Spencer in full guard and continued the g'n'p-ing.
0.11: Spencer delivered a left elbow that drew blood from the center of Matt's forehead.
Round Two
4.57: Fisher caught Wiman with an inner leg kick. Wiman replied with two kicks that didn't quite make it, before landing a right fist.
4.44: Fisher shot out a kick which Wiman trapped and used to take Fisher down. Fisher then g'n'ped from Wiman's guard.
4.23: Spencer stood and lunged back down with a punch. Matt wrapped him in his guard.
3.34: Spencer stood and moved away. Big John ordered Matt to do the same.
3.27: They exchanged from the clinch. Spencer caught Matt with a right.
3.21: Wiman held his right hand up to say it didn't hurt and Fisher came in with a flying knee. Wiman's lights went out.
Result: Spencer Fisher by KO – 1.43, Round Two.
Jeremy Horn (6'2" 186 lb) vs Chael Sonnen (6'1" 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
Southpaw Sonnen threw right and left punches before shooting in and taking Horn down. Jeremy hugged Chael's back from the ground and Chael committed himself to g'n'p-ing.
3.30: Sonnen stood and rained down punches.
3.23: He was back in Horn's guard.
3.07: Jeremy slipped his right arm around Chael's neck for a guillotine.
3.03: He had both of Chael's legs hooked.
2.44: Sonnen freed his left leg.
2.28: Horn had Sonnen in his guard, but maintained the choke.
2.22: Sonnen pulled his head out of Horn's guillotine and was back to g'n'p-ing Horn.
2.05: Chael lifted his head to add leverage to his punches. Jeremy caught him with a left elbow, but Chael continued to lead the strike-battle as he fought from Jeremy's open guard.
0.29: Herb Dean stood them up.
0.23: Sonnen front-kicked Horn in the abs. Horn responded with a right fist that Sonnen ducked under, before taking Horn down. The round concluded with Sonnen fighting from Horn's open guard.
Round Two
Chael took Jeremy straight down.
4.41: Jeremy slipped his right leg around Chael's neck and went for an arm bar while securing Chael's right leg to further tie him down. Jeremy then opted for a triangle hold, but after Chael defended against it, Jeremy then caught him a front triangle. Chael tapped.
Towards the end of the first round, some of the crowd had booed when the fighters returned to the ground. And while Jeremy may not be the sport's most exciting competitor, he remains one of the great pioneers of ultimate fighting, and introduces techniques today that his peers employ tomorrow.
Result: Jeremy Horn by arm bar – 1.17, Round Two.
Mike Swick (6'1" 185 lb) vs Joe Riggs (6'0" 184.5 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Before this bout started, some cornermen stood outside the ring on crates to look over the Octagon fence. Others peered through the cage. With one knee bent, 6'8" Tim Sylvia hung his arms over the fence and casually watched the introductions.
5.00: Swick and Riggs showed caution for each other's skills as they faced off.
4.33: Swick kicked southpaw Riggs's front leg.
4.23: Riggs missed with a high kick.
4.18: Swick attacked Riggs's body with a right kick. Tentative shadow boxing continued until they clinched at 3.33.
3.20: Joe wanted to fight on the floor to avoid Mike's reach advantage, and he attempted a hip-throw from the clinch, but Mike resisted well.
3.05: Joe broke free from the tie-up and caught Mike with a right hook.
2.51: Swick scored with a sharp right kick to Riggs's glove that slammed against Joe's head. It stunned Riggs and caused him to go for the takedown.
2.45: After sprawling, Mike latched on a guillotine and wrapped his legs around Joe's waist. Joe tapped.
Result: Mike Swick by guillotine – 2.19, Round One.
Brandon Vera (6'3" 226 lb) vs Assuerio Silva (6'1" 234 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Vera issued jabs and a front kick from the southpaw stance, then continued to switch from southpaw to orthodox.
4.21: Vera smacked a kick on Silva's leg.
4.13: Silva returned the kick.
4.03:Vera blocked Silva's high kick, then shot his own high kick up which Silva absorbed on his gloves. They kept exchanging kicks and jabs until 3.24, when Big John halted proceedings while Silva recovered from a poke inthe eye.
3.05:Assuerio missed with a high spinning kick, but put Brandon down with a lower kick.
3.27: They were back standing after scrambling for dominance on the floor.
3.25: Assuerio went for a takedown, but Brandon slapped on a guillotine and they crashed to the mats. Assuerio tapped.
Result: Brandon Vera by guillotine – 2.39, Round One.
Diego Sanchez (5'11" 169 lb) vs John Alessio (5'10" 169 lb)
– Welterweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
4.39:Sanchez shot in and Alessio sprawled. They air-jabbed while sizing each other up.
3.37: Sanchez missed with another takedown. He charged forward with punches to close the gap, but Alessio backed away, preventing Sanchez from setting up the follow-through takedown.
3.17: Alessio landed a jab and cross.
3.08: Diego seized John's left leg and tugged to pull him down, as John resisted and tried for a kimura.
2.38: They broke free and worked toe-to-toe.
2.03: Diego offered to introduce the horizontal game again.
1.55: John declined, and shoved Diego back from the tie-up. This procedure continued up to the hooter.
Round Two
More of the same until 3.58, when Sanchez finally took Alessio down. But, amazingly, he let Alessio straight back up. By the end of this bracket, Sanchez had some blood over his right eye. Little else had changed.
Round Three
3.28: Alessio leapt in with a knee. Sanchez grabbed it and climbed on
Alessio's back as he stood up. The rest was comical. The Staples Center may
be home to the Lakers, but Alessio seemed to be with the Dodgers.
Result: Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision.
Dean Lister (6'1" 205 lb) vs Alessio Sakara (6'0" 204 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Herb Dean
4.55: BJJ exponent Dean Lister shot up a high kick. He moved in with a fist and Sakara retreated while dispensing a leather combo. Lister's strategy was to encourage Sakara to hold his gloves up, thus exposing his lower body for the takedown.
4.32: Dean had Alessio in his guard. Alessio previously demonstrated against Elvis Sinosic that he was also at home on the ground, however Dean was able to tie Sakara's left arm up, and he scored with punches to Sakara's head.
3.22: Alessio freed his arm and was back in Dean's guard.
3.02: Lister was plotting a triangle choke, and he had Sakara's right arm trapped in the hold. Sakara tapped. Dean Lister came to UFC with impressive credentials, and this was a great
way for him to make his debut in the 'Big O.'
Result: Dean Lister by triangle choke – 2.20, Round One.
Matt Hughes (5'9" 175.5 lb) vs Royce Gracie (6'1" 175 lb)
– Catchweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
The house was on its feet as Royce came out first. The crowd remained standing for Matt. Although this was not a title fight, there was a lot more on the line: Gracie BJJ vs MMA; and Gracie BJJ vs Team Miletich systems. Bruce Buffer announced: "And now, two warriors have entered the Octagon – one a UFC legend, and the other a UFC champion." Matt did his usual prance along the ringside, and displayed his intimidating stare that challenges an opponent's right to be in there with him. On the other side of the Cage, Royce stood motionless and expressionless, like the Bill Wyman of BJJ. As Big John brought them to center ring, Royce looked tall and lean. By contrast, Matt was shorter but muscular. Royce could have put on a suit and passed as a businessman. Matt would just look like a well-dressed battering ram.
4.52: Gracie flicks out a left low-kick from an orthodox stance, then a left high kick.
4.41: Gracie kicks Hughes's lead leg as he tries to penetrate Gracie's long reach. Gracie follows with another kick to Hughes's inner left thigh.
4.34: Matt fakes a jab; they both send out jabs; then Matt tags Royce's face with a left glove.
4.23: Matt kicks Royce's left thigh.
4.17: Royce replies with a leg kick off his front foot, but it's not loaded.
4.14: He flicks up a kick at Matt's face to keep him at bay.
4.07: After a series of flick-kicks from Gracie that are used as a fence, Hughes moves in with another leg kick. Gracie partially catches the kick and counters with a right fist.
3.57: Hughes seems to be losing patience and lunges in with a big right fist. They clinch. Knees are exchanged and Gracie cracks Hughes with a right elbow. But Matt is hell-bent on taking it to the ground. After all the hype about his not being able to survive on the ground with Royce, Matt is determined to carve his initials in the canvas.
3.38: Hughes takes Gracie down.
3.35: Matt has side control, but Royce has Matt's right arm tied up with his right arm, so Matt knees Royce's bicep in order to break the hold and mount Royce. Gracie tries to scissor Hughes's head away with his legs. Hughes remains in control.
2.27: Royce gives up his back, but Matt doesn't want it, and rolls Royce (no pun intended) back over. He's now fighting from Royce's half guard, and looks to be lining him up for a kimura.
2.14: Hughes has the kimura fitted perfectly. This is a textbook application. He bends Gracie's arm at angles it definitely wasn't meant to go in. If the kimura is Matt Hughes's "bread and butter", then Royce Gracie is immune to the fibre diet. He just lies there – expressionless. So Matt surrenders the hold and wrangles around for another submission target. He moves from half guard to side control.
1.14: This time he accepts Royce's back.
0.42: Royce is flat on his stomach, with his lower body secured by Matt's hooks. Hughes starts raining down right fists, then deploys left and rights to Gracie's head. Big John waves the flag. Royce's record for never being submitted remains intact. But for the entire match, he stayed on the defensive and was never a threat to Hughes. The bout between Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and Team Miletich techniques was easily
won by the latter, and demonstrated the practicality of their hybrid system which continues to evolve. Ironically, it was through Grand Master Helio Gracie's refining and adaptation of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu that the hybrid Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was born. And when Matt Hughes fought at this historic competition, through his thorough training at Team Miletich, it was obvious he was prepared – both physically and technically – for the challenge.
Result: Matt Hughes by TKO – 4.39: Round One.
Amber Miller
Knucklepit's Fighter of the Night Matt Hughes for doing everything he said he would.
