Rachelle
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
This was another great UFC. And with former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson in the audience, it showed just how big an impact ultimate fighting is having – encompassing all fighting styles.
One of the bouts featured on the card was a rematch between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. Most fans believed their first match-up could have gone either way, so the crowd was eager to see how Forrest vs. Bonnar #2 would pan out.
And with the main event being another rematch… Well, it’s always hard to put up your cold, hard cash against The Iceman.
The Battles
Wilson Gouveia (6’1” 205 lb) vs. Wes Combs (6’2” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
4.51: Wilson attacked Wes’s inner leg with a kick.
4.45: Wes returned the favor.
4.41: Wes echoed the kick and followed with left and right mitts.
4.37: Wilson cranked out an outer thigh kick.
4.30: Wes dispatched another inner thigh strike.
4.19: Gouveia tagged Combs’s left outside leg.
4.11: Gouveia landed a left hook.
4.01: Combs banged Gouveia’s outer thigh.
3.48: They had a mid-air kick crash.
3.42: There was a skirmish and Gouveia landed with a right, then slammed with a right kick that buckled Combs’s left leg. He tried to repeat the blow, but Combs countered with a right glove and an inner kick.
2.53: Wilson had enough of the foot fetish and closed in with flying fists.
2.47: He got the takedown and progressed from half guard to side control, while Wes attempted a guillotine.
2.04: Wilson’s head popped out. He took Wes’s back and pounded away.
1.55: He got a rear naked choke with hooks in and Wes tapped.
Result: Wilson Gouveia by rear naked choke – 3.23, Round One
Eric Schafer (6’3” 205 lb) vs. Rob MacDonald (6’3” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Herb Dean
4.53: Eric detonated a cracking leg kick. Rob replied with a right fist.
4.47: Eric shot an inside leg kick.
4.32: Rob landed a jab.
4.29: Eric landed an inside leg kick.
4.22: And again.
4.18: Rob caught Eric’s next kick and they clinched.
4.09: Eric brought up a knee to the body.
4.06: Rob got a takedown and Eric rolled into guard. This was a fast-paced bout.
3.35: Schafer moved into half guard.
3.04: He had the mount. MacDonald rolled and looked to go out the back door, but Schafer sealed the escape hatch.
2.46: Schafer tied him up with an arm triangle – trapping MacDonald’s left arm. Herb checked MacDonald’s right arm and saw he was snoozing.
Result: Eric Schafer by arm triangle – 2.26, Round One
Hermes Franca (5’6” 155.5 lb) vs. Jamie Varner (5’8” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
Franca came after Varner, so Varner threw out a jab to back his pursuer.
4.47: Varner charged forward with a right, then two more jabs, and Franca responded with a leg kick.
4.19: He landed another leg kick, closed in, and had Varner running away.
4.05:Jamie missed with a jab and Hermes continued to target Jamie’s left leg. It was apparent that Jamie had adopted a sniper approach, whereas Hermes wanted to stand and bang.
4.00: Varner shot in with a big right. Franca ducked under the punch and Varner scooped his right leg.
3.57: Franca lassoed Varner with a guillotine, then wrapped his hooks around Varner’s back. Jamie slammed Hermes to the floor, but Hermes maintained the choke.
3.48: Jamie had his noggin free and was batting on from Hermes’s guard.
3.08: Jamie stood again and Hermes was able to dodge the next drop-fist.
2.19: They were back up – Hermes pursuing Jamie.
2.05: Hermes dropped his hands and stood at center ring, frustrated with chasing Jamie down.
1.59: Jamie flung a right punch that Hermes blocked. They shared low kicks – Hermes caught Jamie’s and launched a right to the jaw, which caused Jamie to dance away.
1.25: Varner’s right fist went screaming over Franca’s head as he ducked down and countered with a right to Varner’s body. They clinched and scrambled – Varner eventually getting the takedown and moving into Franca’s guard.
0.40: They were standing and Varner brought a knee up into Franca’s abs.
0.36: Franca was chasing Varner around the Octagon.
0.25: The pair sent haymakers over each other’s heads.
0.16: Franca scored with a leg kick. He moved in and Varner harpooned a right fist into Franca’s midsection. Jamie was off target with a jab, and Hermes countered with a right hook to the temple.
Round Two
4.56: Hermes delivered a front kick that Jamie caught and hung onto until he had Hermes on the floor and was g’n’p-ing from his guard.
4.32: They stood.
4.15: Both men missed with synchronized rights. Jamie attempted the takedown and Hermes took his neck.
4.01: Hermes was forced against the fence and Jamie’s head was free.
3.53: He was going for Hermes’s back and Hermes took Jamie’s right arm for a kimura.
3.39: Jamie’s arm was liberated and he commenced pounding.
3.36: Franca rolled onto his back and Varner moved into his guard – Varner striking from on top and Franca punching from underneath. Varner stood and dropped elbows and fists down on his opponent.
2.01: Big John restarted the action. Straight away Varner took Franca back down and fell into his guard, then moved to side control, half guard, and back to side control.
1.01: He briefly got the mount before Franca rolled him, stood and rained down blows.
0.41: Franca moved to take Varner’s back, but Varner stood and dumped Franca on the ground like a sack of potatoes.
0.31: They were standing.
0.18: Varner took Franca down.
Round Three
Jamie was running away from Hermes, until 4.37, when they clinched.
4.32: They parted.
4.18: Jamie took Hermes down.
4.16: Hermes stood and Jamie took him back down. He was achieving little on the ground, but his takedowns were chalking up points with the judges.
4.06: Hermes drove a knee into Jamie’s kisser, Jamie seized the knee and grounded Hermes.
3.58: Hermes was up and he had Jamie on the run.
3.41: Big John was jack of the retreating and deducted a point from Jamie.
3.37: Franca came rushing in and planted another knee on Varner’s dial, and Varner tried to snap up Franca’s leg. But Franca was canonized and he was using his strikes to exorcise his opponent. He fired off fists and knees into the pillbox.
3.22: Varner caught Franca’s kick and got the takedown.
3.15: He had Franca’s back. Franca rolled.
2.32: Varner was in Franca’s guard.
1.42: From his back, Hermes was going for an arm bar. He turned over with Jamie’s arm in tow, and Jamie tapped.
Result: Hermes Franca by arm bar – 3.34, Round Three
Cheick Kongo (6’4” 230 lb) vs. Christian Wellisch (6’3” 231 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Wellisch charged out hunting for Kongo – fired a left hook wildly into the air and paced after him. Kongo stayed poised and poked out jabs.
4.53: Wellisch failed with a right haymaker.
4.45: Cheick smacked out an inner leg kick.
4.43: Christian rushed in with a distracting right fist, trying to set up the takedown. Cheick attempted a guillotine, then let it go. They clinched, with Christian still eager to take the fight to the ground.
4.35: Cheick brought a knee up into Christian’s midsection.
4.28: Wellisch reversed the clinch and had Kongo up against the cage whilst attempting to sweep his left leg.
4.15: Wellisch had his way and took side control.
4.06: Wellisch had the mount.
3.52: Kongo was turning over and Wellisch went for an arm bar. Kongo escaped the hold.
3.36: They stood and Christian worked for another takedown.
3.30: Cheick sprawled before driving a right knee into the body. He went for Christian’s left leg, and Christian latched on a guillotine. Like Paris, Cheick was out in no time at all. He began pounding with fists and knees.
3.10: Wellisch retreated. But as Joe Louis said of Billy Conn prior to their bout on June 19, 1941, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Kongo dispatched more fists and knees.
3.01: Wellisch went down.
2.20: They stood. Kongo tagged him with a left and right. Wellisch was on the floor and Mario declared the fight over.
Result: Cheick Kongo by TKO – 2.51, Round One
Nick Diaz (6’0” 170 lb) vs. Josh Neer (5’11” 170 lb)
– Welterweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
4.45: Josh kicked southpaw Nick Diaz’s lead left leg.
4.39: Nick gripped Josh’s wrists and hit him with an overhand right. Josh replied with a right cross.
4.36: Josh kept coming and Nick clinched before bringing up a left knee. They traded knees against the fence.
4.14: Josh broke free.
4.10: He attacked with an inner kick. They were throwing gloves but nothing was catching.
3.59: Josh shot off another leg kick and Nick commenced tapping with light combos.
3.48: They clinched.
3.47: Nick delivered light knees and left fists to the body. Josh went for a Thai clinch whilst attempting to line up his opponent for knee strikes. However, Nick countered with right hooks from the clinch, punctuated by more knees to the body.
3.11: He chalked up two big uppercuts and a left hook before they separated.
3.07: Herb Dean called timeout to refit Josh’s mouth guard.
3.00: Diaz continued to grab Neer’s lead left wrist with his lead right hand, but Neer resisted the tactic until 2.53, when he latched on a Thai clinch and followed up with a driving knee to the body. More knees were swapped and the pair parted after Diaz caught Neer with two right hooks on the jaw. Neer moved in again and Diaz tapped him with left uppercuts, an elbow and right hooks. None of the strikes were telling blows, but they all scored points. Neer kept trying to set up the big Thai knees, however Diaz’s soft shots kept coming and disrupted Neer’s strategy.
0.49: Nick landed a kick to the head and Josh called for him to stand and fight.
0.42: Josh delivered a big knee to the body. Nick came home strongly, tallying up plenty of point-scoring light blows.
Round Two
More of the same…
4.48: They stood toe-to-toe; Josh covered up and Nick went to work on him with a combo of light strikes. When he couldn’t get through Josh’s forearms with straight punches, he stepped in with uppercuts and body shots.
4.41: Josh came back with a right and missed with two lefts. Nick’s punches were not KO material, but they were adding up and this bout was becoming more of a martial arts point-scoring competition rather than ultimate fighting. Neer was firing off bigger shots, however they were too infrequent and he was becoming a punching bag. Only a KO would save him in this hare-and-tortoise race to the bell.
Round Three
Diaz came out taunting Neer. More slapstick sparring followed until Diaz got a double-leg takedown, and while standing over Neer, he commenced to rain down punches.
3.51: Neer twisted and Diaz fell into side control.
3.34: He started setting up a kimura.
3.18: Neer tapped.
Result: Nick Diaz by kimura – 1.42, Round Three
Forrest Griffin (6’3” 205 lb) vs. Stephan Bonnar (6’4” 204 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
Stephan elects to jab and Forrest trials a low kick. He takes up center position whilst Stephan circles.
4.47: Forrest ducks under a jab and answers with one.
4.36: He lands a soft leg kick.
4.27: Stephan throws a left and right, and Forrest connects with a kick to Stephan’s lead leg. Both miss with jabs.
4.12: Griffin lunges in with blazing fists, forcing Bonnar back to the fence.
4.02: Griffin lands an inner leg kick and Bonnar responds with a right glove.
3.58: Stephan goes for a leg kick that Forrest catches then uses to shove Bonnar to the canvas.
3.50: Stephan stands back up and counters Griffin’s right with a jab. Forrest backs Bonnar up with a left.
3.45: Forrest dispatches a strong leg kick.
2.29: He connects with a loaded jab.
3.25: Stephan lands a spinning side kick.
2.59: Forrest leg kicks.
2.53: Stephan lands a right body shot.
2.45: Griffin is having success picking off Bonnar with jabs.
2.42: Forrest follows up with a right.
2.24: Stephan misses with a high kick.
2.23: Forrest attempts a superman punch that also fails, then connects with a left.
2.10: He kicks Stephan’s inner leg.
2.01: Griffin charges in and Bonnar catches him with a right hook.
1.50: They clash with strikes as both men opt to attack with kicks.
1.47: Bonnar counters Griffin’s jab.
1.44: Bonnar scores with a spinning back kick.
1.36: Griffin moves in and they trade fists – Forrest has Stephan back-pedaling with a right that lands on the button.
1.32: Stephan sends up a left kick. Forrest takes it on the glove, but it still impacts as Forrest ducks into it.
1.29: Bonnar goes for another left kick. This time Griffin sweeps under the kick and takes out Bonnar’s right leg. He sees his chance and rushes in wildly like Don Quixote attacking a windmill. Stephan manages to cover up and misses most of the barrage, but wears a knee to the body, then flees the scene.
0.23: Forrest ambushes Stephan and there’s another skirmish before Stephan retreats.
0.16: Forrest tags Stephan with a right and left, and keeps trudging forward like the Terminator hunting down his prey. He lunges in with a right and Stephan backs away, causing Forrest to wave his hands out as though to say, “Let’s stand and fight.” He delivers a leg kick and Stephan answers with a straight right.
Throughout the opening five minutes, Griffin has been the aggressor and Bonnar has been the moving target, switching from orthodox to southpaw, and backing away from his opponent while choosing to counter-attack. But his corner tells him he has to let his hands go. In their first close-encounter, the fight was awarded to Griffin. If Bonnar wants to reverse things in this meeting, he’ll have to stand and deliver.
Round Two
Stephan dances around Forrest and lands a leg kick. Forrest is off target with a kick and Stephan misses with a spinning backfist.
4.31: Griffin bangs out a right glove.
4.02: He lands a jab that’s smack on the mark.
3.51: Bonnar catches Griffin with a jab and Griffin wipes his eye to check it – there’s no blood but he’s pretty red under the eye.
3.31: He does an inner leg kick and Bonnar suggests it’s a bit too close to the after-hours area. Griffin signals he’s sorry.
3.19: Stephan puts up a right spinning kick that sails over Forrest’s head.
3.00: Stephan is picking Forrest off with effective jabs around Forrest’s right eye.
2.57: Forrest connects with a jab, then a right, and Stephan thumps back with his own right punch.
2.46: Forrest checks a leg kick.
2.41: He ducks under a right and unloads a right, left combo.
2.24: He lands another solid left.
2.16: Stephan counters a right incoming kick with a jab.
2.08: He moves in and rattles Forrest via left, right, and left hooks. He follows with more punches that Forrest eludes before wearing another left hook.
1.55: He stings Stephan with a thigh kick, they both fire into the air, and Forrest scores with a big left.
0.50: Bonnar unloads a solid leg kick.
The second five-minute battle closes with Bonnar dispatching two jabs and Griffin replying with his own jab. Eddie Bravo has the fight going Griffin’s way 10-9, 10-9, which seems a fair call.
Round Three
Stephan comes out more aggressively, but at 4.40, Forrest has him heading for the hills.
4.30: Stephan switches to southpaw before testing a high kick that’s taken on the gloves.
4.23: Forrest moves in with a superman punch. It doesn’t work, so he follows up with a kick to Stephan’s right leg, and Stephan goes back to orthodox stance.
3.59: Griffin shifts his attention to Bonnar’s left leg, and the kick is returned. Griffin continues to dominate until 0.36, when Bonnar scores with a left and right, followed by two right fists, but Griffin stands solid and keeps moving in on his opponent.
Eddie Bravo says, “ Well, that round was pretty damn close… Bonnar did some good things there, but overall, throughout the whole fight, Forrest Griffin was pressing the action – he had Octagon control… And his defense was on point: He kept making Bonnar miss with those big shots. I’ve got it a shutout – 30-27 Forrest Griffin.”
All three judges concur.
Result: Forrest Griffin by unanimous decision
Chuck Liddell (6’2” 205 lb) vs. Renato Sobral (6’1” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Renato strolls out slowly and flat-footed. Chuck has a long, wide stance with his hands low.
4.48: Renato throws up a right high kick that Chuck avoids. His left arm is down and swinging like a pendulum – his right is low and cocked. The Iceman is circling to Babalu’s left, away from his right fist.
4.40: Chuck launches a jab that Renato backs away from.
4.37: Renato misses with a leg kick. He follows with two jabs, but Chuck moves out of range.
4.28: Liddell feigns with a left.
4.20: He pokes out a tentative jab.
4.01: Sobral launches a right and moves in on Liddell. He’s swinging punches at Chuck, trying to overpower him. Liddell is backtracking, but staying focused with his strikes: Renato is employing brawl tactics, whereas Chuck’s punches are more clinical.
3.57: As Renato closes in, Chuck lands a right hook to Sobral’s temple. It stuns him. Chuck then floors Renato with a right uppercut. He towers over Renato and paints him with leather as Renato desperately climbs to his feet.
3.52: Sobral is standing and Liddell is firing off machine-gun fists: Some shots miss, but others make Renato’s head and body shudder as though he’s in front of a firing squad.
3.47: Renato falls to the floor.
3.31: He kicks up from his back and wipes his left eye, however Chuck is unrelenting with his Gatling-gun fist power.
3.27: Sobral turns his back without answering Liddell’s onslaught and Big John calls the battle off. This fight was shut down faster than my bookie the last time the cops raided him.
Result: Chuck Liddell by TKO – 1.35, Round One.
In Earlier Bouts:
Yushin Okami (6’2” 185 lb) vs. Alan Belcher (6’2” 184 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Result: Yushin Okami by unanimous decision
David Heath (5’11” 205 lb) vs. Cory Walmsley (6’0” 205 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Result: David Heath by rear naked choke – 2.32, Round One
Arianny
