Rachel
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
Live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on October 14, 2006, this UFC contained title bouts in both the lightweight and middleweight divisions.
It was also a treat to see 18-year-old Dan Lauzon, younger brother of Joe Lauzon, making his UFC debut on this card. Amazingly, Dan took the bout with Spencer Fisher on just two weeks’ notice.
In earlier matches:
Yushin Okami defeated Kalib Starnes by TKO – 1.40, Round Three.
Kurt Pellegrino defeated Junior Assuncao by rear naked choke – 2.04, Round One.
The Battles
Clay Guida (5’7” 154.5 lb) vs. Justin James (5’10” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
Justin opened with a jab.
4.53: He moved in with a left and right as Clay ducked under the strikes for the takedown. But Justin had other plans and bulldozed Clay away.
4.51:Justin threw another jab.
4.48: He tried the left again and Clay flew back with a right.
4.46: James flung a left and right, then followed with another combo, and Guida went for the takedown.
4.40: James defended his stand and brought a right knee up into Guida’s body.
4.38: Guida backed away and James charged in with a left and right, then caught Guida with a knee to the body, whilst employing a Thai clinch.
4.23: They were tied up against the cage and swapped knees to the body.
4.08: Steve Mazzagatti parted them.
4.01: The pair traded jabs.
3.56: Justin landed a straight right.
3.54: He donated another one and Clay countered with a jab.
3.50: Clay scored with a right.
3.39: Justin fired off an overhand right.
3.31: They exchanged jabs.
3.27: Clay landed a left hook.
3.25: A flurry was traded before Justin went for the Thai clinch, followed by a knee to the body.
3.20: They clinched. Clay performed the fruit-picker’s clasp, then let go.
3.09: Justin kneed Clay in the gizzards, before dropping to the floor with Clay in his guard. He was doing a good job of elbowing from his back and subduing Clay’s g’n’p.
2.12: Guida stood in James’s guard and detonated a nice right.
1.47: He continued to pound whilst standing in the guard.
1.40: He dropped back into the guard and forced James against the fence.
1.09: Guida stood and rattled James with more depth charges. Fighting from his back was not advantageous to James.
0.44: Justin went for an arm bar.
0.33: Clay spun out of the hold, and g’n’ped up to the hooter.
Round Two
4.44: Clay delivered a leg kick.
4.34: He took Justin down and worked from the guard – resuming where he’d left off at the end of round one.
4.02: Justin caught Clay with a solid elbow.
3.58: After Clay stood, Justin drove an up-kick into his chest. Clay tried to rain down fists, but Justin kept picking him off with kicks from the floor, causing Clay to fall back into guard.
0.40: Steve Mazzagatti told the fighters to show him something or he’d stand them, so Clay dispatched a salvo from Justin’s guard.
0.26: Justin turned and Clay took his back. Justin tapped.
Result: Clay Guida by rear naked choke – 4.42, Round Two.
Spencer Fisher (5’7” 155 lb) vs. Dan Lauzon (5’10” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Fisher predicted before the bout that Lauzon would be out to prove himself, so he came out of the blocks in pursuit of his young opponent to fight fire with fire.
4.45: Dan shot for Spencer who fended off the attempt.
4.39: Dan reconfirmed his game plan by shooting in on Spencer’s thighs again. Spencer sprawled as Dan forced him back against the cage.
4.30: Lauzon hoisted Fisher up and slammed him into the canvas. He was standing in Fisher’s guard, trying to throw down the kitchen sink as Fisher fired kicks up at Lauzon. Dan continued to drop shots on Spencer, who protected himself well and refused to let Lauzon pass his guard.
2.12: Dan had Spencer against the fence and very briefly achieved the mount.
2.10: Fisher wrangled Lauzon into half guard.
1.46: Dan stood yet again to rain down more leather.
1.30: He rushed at Spencer for the takedown and they clinched. Spencer fired a right knee into Dan’s body, then brought his knee up into Dan’s face. The strike stunned Lauzon and caused him to back off.
0.53: Spencer came after Dan and sent a flying knee into his face.
0.31: Dan went down after Spencer dumped a salvo of knees, elbows and uppercuts on his opponent.
0.29: Fisher withdrew and Mario Yamasaki called Dan to stand.
0.26: Spencer dispatched a left uppercut and Mario waved goodbye. This was a good win for Spencer and a very encouraging UFC debut from Dan.
Result: Spencer Fisher by TKO – 4.38, Round One.
Carmelo Marrero (6’0” 222 lb) vs. Cheick Kongo (6’4” 226 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne
Round One
4.55: Cheick poked out a jab. Carmelo held his hands high to create a fence against the striker.
4.49: Cheick followed with a low kick that Carmelo avoided.
4.41: He dispatched another tentative low kick. Cheick was wary of Carmelo’s takedowns and Carmelo didn’t want to stand and bang with Cheick.
4.28: Marrero dodged another low kick.
4.23: Kongo clipped Marrero’s inner leg with a kick. Marrero kept his hands high like he was pressing against a store window, looking in, and Kongo continued searching for different angles to kick at his opponent’s legs without getting too close to the ‘glass’.
4.08: Kongo banged Marrero’s lead leg.
4.02: And again.
3.59: He tried another kick and Marrero shot in, taking Kongo down, and assumed side control. Kongo looped an arm around Marrero’s neck and copped knees from the side.
1.40: Carmelo commenced elbow shots. Cheick remained cool, but his game plan stayed ‘null and void’ at this stage.
1.05: Cheick maneuvered Carmelo into his guard.
0.17: Carmelo had Cheick against the fence and stood to drop fists, before falling into guard as the hooter blew.
Round Two
Kongo leg-kicked and hurled two right gloves.
4.42: Marrero shot under the second punch, took Kongo down, and set up house in his half guard. Kongo whacked on a guillotine. He tried to stand whilst maintaining the choke, but Marrero tugged him back down.
2.45: Carmelo popped his head out of the guillotine.
2.01: Yves Lavigne stood them up. Cheick threw a left and right combo and Carmelo shot under the right before sweeping Cheick to the floor. Cheick then worked elbows from his back.
0.41: Yves had them stand.
0.36: Kongo took two more shots at Marrero’s inner legs. His outer thigh had already turned an angry color.
0.32: Marrero took Kongo down and got side control.
Round Three
Kongo attempted more kicks and punches that Marrero mainly backed away from before attempting a takedown at 4.47. Kongo sprawled and attempted to throw Marrero down, but ended up waltzing around with him in a clinch.
4.38: Cheick kneed Carmelo’s body, and for some reason, he tried to take Carmelo down.
3.54: They both collapsed to the floor and Carmelo scrambled to take Cheick’s back. (Carmelo later revealed when interviewed by Randy Couture that his neck was hurt in the fall.) Carmelo rolled into Cheick’s guard.
3.22: Yves broke it up.
3.06: Kongo kicked Marrero’s inner leg.
2.59: He drove forward with a right and left mitt. Marrero took him down as another right fist flew past. But Kongo stood up and fell into Marrero’s half guard. He tried to lock Marrero’s right arm before they stood at 1.18.
1.16: Marrero took Kongo down and moved into guard.
0.43: Yves restarted the pair. Marrero went straight for the shoot, and Kongo sprawled his way back to a standing clinch against the cage. Carmelo managed to shut down Cheick’s stand-up game, but he accomplished little when he got Cheick on the floor.
Result: Carmelo Marrero by split decision.
Jon Fitch (6’0” 170 lb) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (5’10” 170 lb)
– Welterweight
Referee: Mario Yamasaki
Round One
4.47: Jon came forward and they clinched, swapping knees against the cage. Kuniyoshi was looking for a sweep and Jon resisted well.
3.50: Jon reversed the situation by sweeping Kuniyoshi before falling into his guard. But Kuniyoshi trapped Jon’s left arm and whacked on a triangle. Fitch moved around to Hironaka’s right side, attempting to alleviate some pressure from the submission attempt. Fitch was in deep water but he wasn’t waving.
2.48: Kuniyoshi adjusted his legs to intensify the hold.
2.40: Jon pushed Kuniyoshi into the fence. He was on his feet punching Kuniyoshi’s midsection with his right hand.
1.22: Miraculously, Fitch completed the Houdini and fought from the guard. He began unloading a hardware store on Hironaka.
0.43: Kuniyoshi rolled and Jon went for his back, g’n’p-ing up to the bell.
Round Two
4.46: Fitch threw two jabs and a right before catching Hironaka with a high kick. He fired off a right, and as Hironaka countered with his own right, Fitch slipped under the strike and hoisted his opponent into the air, then dumped him on his back.
4.46: Jon moved into Kuniyoshi’s guard, just a foot or two from Bruce Buffer who was sitting at ringside, taking it all in. Jon dispatched g’n’p and occasionally stood in Kuniyoshi’s guard to unleash elevated fists.
3.46: Hironaka slid onto his side and seized Fitch’s right arm.
3.34: Fitch retrieved his arm.
3.24: He moved back into Hironaka’s loose guard as Hironaka swept him, however Jon managed to scramble into half guard.
3.05: He delivered hammer fists and Kuniyoshi grabbed his right leg for a lock, but Jon pulled it out of Kuniyoshi’s clasp and went for his back. As Hironaka rolled, Fitch punished him with solid fists to the head and ribs.
2.43: Jon was in Kuniyoshi’s butterfly guard.
2.16: Mario Yamasaki stood them.
2.04: Kuniyoshi pounced in with a looping left. Jon retaliated with a leather combo, a knee and a high kick.
1.49: He took Kuniyoshi down against the cage and worked g’n’p from half guard.
1.08: Hironaka went for another triangle.
0.28: Fitch was free and pounding. He elbowed away at Hironaka until the round ended.
Round Three
Jon was looking fresh and strong. Kuniyoshi was a little worse for wear, but hung tough.
4.56: Kuniyoshi shot out a right cross as Jon intercepted the punch with a right shin across Kuniyoshi’s left thigh, pushed him back, and followed up with a right kick to the body.
4.53: He caught Hironaka with a left kick and a right glove. Fitch continued to outgun his opponent in the toe-to-toe until 4.43, when they clinched.
4.25: They broke free.
4.15: Hironaka delivered a spinning back-kick to the body, and they traded some more.
4.10: Fitch took Hironaka down, but banged his own nose into the canvas whilst doing so.
3.42: Mario called time out to check the cut on Fitch’s nose, got the ring physician’s approval, then recommenced the action. Jon g’n’ped heavily from Kuniyoshi’s guard.
1.20: Mario stood them. Not to be outdone, Kuniyoshi displayed a cut nose of his own. Jon landed a leg kick, then shot in and took Kuniyoshi down.
0.10: Mario stood them. Jon blasted away till the hooter pulled things up.
Result: Jon Fitch by unanimous decision.
Sean Sherk (5’6” 154.5 lb) vs. Kenny Florian (5’10” 155 lb)
– Lightweight Title
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
Kenny came out doing his best Shintaro impersonation – Samurai swords and all, but Mario Yamasaki made him check the hardware at the door.
Sean gave the thumbs up and they came out slinging. Southpaw Kenny threw a tentative right and Sean slung a powerful left hook.
4.56: Sean, the wrestler, took Kenny straight down. He went for side control and Kenny rolled to get free, but Sean stayed with him.
4.47: Sherk was fighting from Florian’s guard.
4.03: Sherk got half guard.
3.16: He was back in full guard.
2.43: Florian went for a guillotine, wrapping his right arm around Sherk’s neck, however Sherk’s right arm was part of the package.
2.19: Sean’s head was free and he was in half guard.
1.25: He had side control.
1.03: Kenny turned and Sean attempted an arm bar. Kenny escaped the submission and Sean was back in half guard.
0.30: Sherk was in full guard after dishing out some g’n’p, and unloaded more bombs before the round closed.
Round Two
They both threw air jabs.
4.53: Florian fired off a high kick.
4.48: He directed another one at Sherk’s midsection.
4.43: Sherk went for a shoot and had Florian against the cage.
4.32: Kenny was working his right elbow from the ground and had Sean’s skull leaking claret.
3.44: Steve Mazzagatti pulled it up to check Sean’s cut.
3.38: The action recommenced with Sherk in Florian’s guard. He got side control as Florian used his hands and feet to push away from the fence.
2.31: Sean was in half guard, g’n’p-ing away.
2.25: He got the mount.
1.59: Kenny toppled out and Sean went for his back. Kenny stood to drop fists on Sean, then fell into Sherk’s guard.
1.28: Kenny tumbled out and they were standing.
1.11: Sean went for a leg kick.
1.06: He followed with a shoot. Kenny sprawled before they collapsed to the canvas. Florian stood while tying up Sherk’s neck and Sherk attempted pulling him down. He had hold of Florian’s right leg, but Kenny broke free.
Round Three
Florian’s corner told him to work the cut. Sherk’s corner told him the cut was in a good place. Florian followed instructions and threw a left at the bleeding target.
4.48: Sherk leg-kicked.
4.44: Florian kicked to the body.
4.40: He sent one up at Sherk’s cut.
4.38: Sherk came forward and Florian front-kicked his midsection.
4.33: Sean shot in and took up half guard, then dispatched elbows and mitts.
1.55: He maneuvered to side control.
1.53: Kenny turned onto his stomach, but Sean forced him onto his back and maintained side control.
1.39: Kenny twisted onto his stomach and this time Sean took his back.
1.13: They tumbled and Sean moved into guard.
0.44: Steve Mazzagatti stood them.
0.28: Kenny slammed a left shin into Sean’s abs.
0.23: He fired off a right fist.
0.16: Kenny missed with an overhand left and Sean punished him with a left and right glove. Kenny moved in for the takedown; Sean repelled the attempt and brought up two right knees. He lashed out with fists and Kenny returned fire with two high kicks aimed at Sean’s cut scalp.
Round Four
4.55: Sherk kicked Florian’s inner leg.
4.49: Florian flung a kick at Sherk’s cut.
4.46: And again.
4.38: Sherk shot in and Florian danced away from the takedown attempt.
4.29: Florian threw a right, then a left, and Sherk replied with a jab.
4.20: Sean was successful with his next shoot. Kenny worked the cut with his right elbow, and Sean g’n’ped.
2.41: Kenny looked to climb up, however Sean wanted it on the floor and pulled Kenny down.
0.59: Sean elbowed with his right arm and punched with his left fist. He worked tirelessly until 0.29, when Steve stood them.
0.11: Sean kept his hands high to protect the laceration, so Kenny flew in another kick to Sean’s body.
Round Five
4.55: Sherk kicked Florian’s inner leg.
4.51: Florian sent up a kick of his own.
4.50: Sherk moved in for the shoot and Florian landed a perfect kick to the cut area, but Sherk was successful with the tackle and slammed Florian into the canvas.
4.41: He was pounding from Kenny’s guard.
4.04: Sean stood and Kenny missed with an arm bar.
3.41: Steve broke it up.
3.23: Kenny detonated another left high kick and Sean countered with a jab.
3.20: Kenny’s next kick hissed over Sean’s head.
3.00: He tagged Sean with another attempt, but when he tried for a further high kick, Sean wore it in order to take Kenny down, and Florian latched on a guillotine.
2.09: Sean was free. He picked Kenny up and pile-drove him, head first, into the ground.
0.58: Sean had the mount.
0.44: Kenny rolled and fitted Sean with another guillotine.
0.22: Sherk’s head popped out.
0.11: Florian elbowed. The epic battle was over. What a hard five rounds!
Result: Sean Sherk by unanimous decision.
Anderson Silva (6’2” 185 lb) vs. Rich Franklin (6’1” 185 lb)
– Middleweight Title
Referee: Big John McCarthy
As Rich Franklin walks out to the chant of Acca Dacca’s For Those About to Rock it appears rumors that he hasn’t fully mended from his epic five-round title defense against David Loiseau are founded.
Anderson and Rich touch gloves and square off – both in southpaw stance, as in the Rich Franklin vs. Yushin Okami bout at UFC 72: Victory. Rich appears to be positioning himself away from Anderson’s left leg and fist.
4.29: Anderson kicks Rich’s lead right leg. They’re testing each other with air jabs.
4.21: Franklin kicks Silva’s right inner leg, Silva throws a right, and Franklin returns it.
4.17: Franklin pokes out a jab and leg-kicks.
4.12: Rich kicks Anderson’s outer right thigh and moves in with right and left fists.
4.06: He kicks Anderson’s right leg.
3.54: And again.
3.53: Anderson front-kicks to the body.
3.35: There’s some shadow boxing and Rich delivers a right and left.
3.30: He kicks Anderson’s right thigh.
3.26: Franklin is throwing hooks when Silva wraps on a Thai clinch. He brings a left knee up into Franklin’s midsection. Rich is sending in more hooks and uppercuts, but Anderson is out-gunning him with knees to the body.
3.17: Rich dispatches some knees too.
3.06: They clinch against the cage. Anderson keeps the Thai clinch tight and unloads more knees to Rich’s thighs and body.
2.49: Franklin’s back is against the cage as he tries to block the knee strikes with his right arm. But Silva bypasses the defense and delivers more knees with his right leg.
2.41: Rich brings up a right uppercut.
2.36: One of Anderson’s knees catches Rich in the face.
2.23: They separate. Rich unloads more leather.
2.18: Anderson Thai-clinches for the last time and pounds a right knee straight into Rich’s face. He moves in with two more kicks, an elbow and a final knee. Rich goes down.
Result: Anderson Silva by TKO – 3.59, Round One.
Arianny
