Arianny
© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
UFC 67 came live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, where the only seats available on the night were at home watching the action on p-p-v.
February 3, 2007 saw the Octagon debut of two huge names in MMA: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (light heavyweight) and Mirko Cro Cop (heavyweight). Their respective bouts seemed to be more an opportunity to showcase these new fighters rather than presenting serious contests, but anything can happen in the Octagon.
Also featured on the card was rapidly rising star, Terry Martin (16-2-0), and despite losing his last two bouts (James Irvin and Jason Lambert), he was determined to turn things around in dramatic fashion.
In earlier matches:
Lyoto Machida defeated Sam Hoger by unanimous decision.
Dustin Hazelett defeated Diego Saraiva by unanimous decision.
The Battles
Terry Martin (5’9” 186 lb) vs. Jorge Rivera (6’1” 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
4.56: Jorge leg-kicked.
4.53: He kicked again and Terry caught the kick with his left arm, then put Jorge down with a right counterpunch. He dropped to his knees and hammered Jorge with three more rights. It was over
Result: Terry Martin by TKO – 0.14, Round One.
Frank Edgar (5’6” 154 lb) vs. Tyson Griffin (5’6” 156 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
4.55: They exchanged jabs.
4.50: Tyson fell short with an overhand right and Frank was short with his jab.
4.48: Frank landed a left and right.
4.42: They traded and Tyson came up trumps before the clinch.
4.25: They separated after some pushing and shoving.
4.18: Frank threw a left and right, and Tyson returned the combo.
4.03: Tyson closed in with haymakers.
4.00: Frank dived for Tyson’s lead leg, Tyson slipped whilst trying to avoid the takedown, and Frank chased after him with gloves flying.
3.50: They traded some more, but little landed.
3.45: Griffin kicked at Edgar’s lead leg. Edgar snapped up the kick and took Griffin down. Griffin trapped Edgar’s head in a guillotine and attempted standing, but Edgar tugged him back down. Griffin persisted with the choke.
3.20: Frank resisted the submission.
3.16: His head popped out. Tyson climbed to his feet while holding onto Frank’s left leg.
3.00: Tyson hoisted Frank into the air before dropping him on the floor. They were locked down on the canvas until 2.13, when the pair stood apart and exchanged fists.
1.39: They clinched.
1.38: As they broke free Frank landed a left knee and right fist.
1.32: Griffin caught him with a jab and a right. Uppercuts were exchanged before Edgar tagged Griffin with a right hook. Griffin dispatched a left and right, and uppercuts were swapped.
1.15: Edgar poked out a nice jab.
1.11: Griffin came back with a right, left, right combo, but Edgar appeared to be getting an edge in the toe-to-toe combat.
0.55: He charged Tyson and copped a knee to the body for his trouble, before taking Tyson down and moving into his guard.
0.29: Frank progressed to half guard.
0.11: After administering some g’n’p, Frank had side control, until Tyson broke free and they stood. Frank lunged in with a superman punch and Tyson rammed a knee into the body.
Round Two
Griffin restarted the bout with looping punches that Edgar took on the forearms.
4.50: They swapped jabs and shared a little flurry. Edgar was doing a good job of ducking out of Griffin’s range.
4.24: He moved in with a body shot, forcing Edgar against the cage. Griffin worked to take him down, however Frank held onto the fence until Steve Mazzagatti knocked the hand free, then Tyson took Frank to the canvas where he struggled for dominance.
3.38: They were standing in the clinch.
3.26: After absorbing a knee to the body, Frank shot for Tyson’s legs.
3.19: Griffin resisted Edgar’s takedown attempt and the men broke free. A lot of strikes missed.
2.54: Griffin landed a couple of left and right combos.
2.21: He scored with a leg kick and Edgar missed taking him down.
2.18: Griffin leg-kicked again, and this time Edgar caught the leg and put him on the floor. Frank dropped into guard, so Tyson tried for a kimura from below.
1.41: Tyson let go of the arm and Frank commenced punching.
1.36: They stood and banged it out.
1.14: Tyson delivered three leg kicks – the last one swept Frank onto his butt, however he bounced back up.
1.02: Griffin tried the kick again and Edgar took him down. He was in half guard and Griffin reapplied the kimura from underneath. The attempt failed and Griffin took his opponent down after Edgar briefly regained his feet.
0.20: Griffin grabbed Edgar’s back and had him on the floor. Edgar rolled onto mount before the hooter sounded.
Round Three
4.57: Frank leg-kicked and Tyson returned the favor.
3.47: He tagged Frank with a right and Frank countered the shot.
3.18: The trading was pretty even, then Tyson buckled Frank’s lead leg with another powerful kick.
3.07: They clinched and Tyson copped a knee in the cue rack. Strangely, Mazzagatti told him to fight on, so Frank seized his back. They stood and Frank unloaded a barrage of fists.
2.21: Tyson threw a left and right, then a kick. Frank shot in to take him down.
1.49: Griffin started climbing to his feet whilst in the clinch. They parted and Edgar took him back to the canvas.
0.47: Edgar was dominating play, when Griffin slapped on a knee bar that looked ugly. Somehow Frank hung on up to the bell.
Result: Frank Edgar by unanimous decision.
Patrick Cote (5’11” 185 lb) vs. Scott Smith (6’0” 185 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne
Round One
4.54: Patrick caught Scott with a leg kick.
4.38: And again.
4.20: He body-punched and Scott failed with a right counterpunch.
4.17: Patrick surged in with a left and right fist.
4.11: He leg-kicked.
3.59: Scott charged at him with flying fists and a kick, but Patrick retreated out of harm’s way.
3.51: They had a heated exchange and Cote went for the takedown. Smith resisted and they clinched.
3.25: They parted after Smith pounded Cote with a right and left hand and Cote missed with a haymaker.
3.11: Smith checked a leg kick from Cote.
2.44: Scott leg-kicked.
2.42: They exchanged before clinching. Scott scored with elbows and fists.
2.04: He brought up a left knee to strike Cote, whose back was against the cage. Patrick caught the knee, then picked Scott up and dumped him on the canvas. He stood over Scott and showered him with leather.
1.49: Smith scrambled to his feet and latched onto Cote’s right leg before releasing the limb and clinching.
1.21: They broke free.
1.16: Cote leg-kicked.
0.57: He closed in with a flurry before clinching. They both threw fists as the clinch broke.
0.17: Patrick kicked Scott’s inner leg.
0.13: He moved in on Scott and wore a leg kick for his trouble.
Round Two
4.37: Cote leg-kicked.
4.32: He kicked the inside leg.
4.26: He came in with a superman punch.
4.16: Smith threw fists at the fleeing Cote, then caught him against the cage on the other side of the Octagon. He tagged Cote with a combo prior to their clinching.
3.50: Patrick was working on a takedown. Scott resisted until 3.11, when Yves Lavigne separated them.
3.00: Patrick countered Scott’s left with a knee-rattling right hand. Then, for some unexplained reason, he didn’t capitalize on the blow and stood back as Scott taunted him with a ‘Karate Kid’ pose.
2.11: Cote leg-kicked, but Smith now had a clear head and absorbed the blow.
1.32: Cote landed a right and left, then followed with a leg kick. They sparred and clinched up to the bell.
Round Three
4.46: Scott came at Patrick with guns blazing. They traded heavy shots, then clinched with Patrick against the fence and Scott attempting a takedown. He yanked on the Canadian’s right leg, and Patrick threw short fists until Scott gave up the ghost and the pair became entangled.
4.06: Yves parted them.
3.38: Cote leg-kicked.
3.21: Smith closed in with punches and Cote tagged him with a right. He was outgunning Smith as he dumped strikes on Scott, then retreated or clinched when Scott tried to retaliate.
1.33: Smith was briefly roughing up Cote before being grabbed and shoved up against the fence. They fought from the clinch until the fight ended.
Result: Patrick Cote by unanimous decision.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (6’1” 205 lb) vs. Marvin Eastman (5’9” 203 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Big John McCarthy
Round One
4.58: Rampage hurled a left and right, and Marvin returned a right and left before shrugging Quinton away.
4.54: Marvin jabbed and tossed a straight right.
4.41: He attacked with another left and right, prior to their clinching. Rampage unloaded a right uppercut and shoved Marvin back.
4.30: Eastman lunged in with a jab.
4.27: They discharged leather before breaking free.
4.02: Jackson caught Eastman with a jab. His second attempt failed and Eastman clinched, then drove a knee into Jackson’s body. Rampage countered with an uppercut.
3.28: From the clinch, he dispatched another solid uppercut that whipped Eastman’s head back.
3.21: Marvin tagged Rampage with a right elbow. He followed with a left hook and another right elbow.
2.53: Big John deemed the tie up unproductive and separated the pair.
2.35: Rampage closed in, delivering a left and right.
2.21: Marvin shot for the legs, but Quinton sprawled and clinched, bringing a right knee into Eastman’s body. They exchanged short shots to the midsection and tried to outmuscle each other.
1.51: They broke the clinch.
1.41: Marvin dumped some more leather on Jackson, who wiped his right eye, then signaled that he was okay to Big John. The ref warned Eastman to watch the heads. They continued to exchange with brief flurries.
1.14: Jackson leg-kicked.
1.08: He unloaded a combo before they clinched and traded knees against the cage.
0.39: Big Mac broke them up.
0.27: Marvin went on the offensive and had Quinton retreating from a series of knuckles.
0.16: They banged and Quinton rattled Marvin’s ankles with a well-placed left hook to the jaw. The pair worked each other in the clinch, whilst Chuck Liddell applauded from ringside.
Round Two
Jackson came out more aggressively after a rev-up from his corner.
4.28: He had Eastman pressed into the wires, looking to close things down with an uppercut. But his attempt failed as Eastman dispatched a right hook. They continued to stand and bang: Jackson showing a desire to land that one big uppercut, and Eastman favoring his elbows to close the curtain.
3.03: Rampage threw a right glove and uppercut that narrowly missed Marvin’s jaw.
2.52: He caught Marvin with a right to the temple, followed by left and right hooks before they clinched. He delivered a right uppercut and a shot to the body, then Marvin threw a right hook, and they parted.
2.20: They exchanged strikes until Rampage shook Marvin with a right hook.
1.38: Eastman lunged in with a powerful right elbow.
1.18: Jackson thumped out a volley of right uppercuts and a right hook that overpowered Eastman and sat him on the floor. Jackson crouched down to g’n’p as Big John intervened.
Result: Rampage Jackson by KO – 3.49, Round Two.
Roger Huerta (5’9” 156 lb) vs. John Halverson (5’9” 155 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne
4.56: Southpaw Halverson fired off a right and Huerta returned the punch.
4.55: John leg-kicked and Roger trapped the kick, causing John to lose his balance and fall. Roger rushed in with a knee.
4.49: John lay flat on the mat as Roger took his back and pounded. John covered his ears, but offered no response to the onslaught. Yves halted the bout.
It was claimed Huerta connected with an illegal knee to the head whilst Halverson was down. The fight was nevertheless awarded to Huerta. Halverson shook his head in disbelief and Huerta stated the blow hit John in the shoulder – not the noggin. The replay was inconclusive.
Result: Roger Huerta by KO – 0.19, Round One.
Mirko Cro Cop (6’2” 223 lb) vs. Eddie Sanchez (6’2” 229 lb)
– Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Eddie flew in to rattle Mirko early in the fight, but Mirko danced out of Eddie’s flight path.
4.47: Southpaw Mirko clipped Eddie’s shoulder with a left fist. As Eddie back-stepped, Mirko pursued him like the Terminator.
4.32: Sanchez closed in with tentative jabs that were short of the mark, and Cro Cop hit Sanchez’s right shoulder with a left mitt. Eddie smacked Mirko’s left shoulder with a right and dispatched a left punch that went astray. Cro Cop shot a left shin at Sanchez’s ribs, but was out of range with a left fist.
4.25: Mirko kept comin’. He slapped Eddie’s body with a left kick.
4.19: They briefly traded before Eddie backed off.
4.03: Cro Cop tagged him with a left and Sanchez replied with a right and left that scored well.
3.43: Eddie slung a left and right looping fist at Mirko, who tapped Eddie’s face with a right.
3.31: Cro Cop landed a straight left.
3.22: He drove his left shin into Sanchez’s body.
3.18: Sanchez mainly blocked a high kick from Cro Cop, who had turned up the heat.
3.12: Eddie stopped to trade and delivered a left hand that caused Mirko to rub his right eye.
2.59: They swapped knuckles and Mirko popped Eddie with a left.
2.51: The pair clinched. Mirko tagged Eddie lightly before breaking free.
2.19: They practiced synchronized leg-kicks and Mirko continued his pursuit.
2.14: He leg-kicked.
2.02: They clinched and parted.
1.54: Cro Cop threw a series of rights at Sanchez, then missed with a follow-up left.
1.48: There was another skirmish – Cro Cop delivered a fist combo, and Sanchez answered with a knee to the body. Cro Cop kept comin’.
1.42: He picked off Eddie’s jaw with a right, before discharging a left kick to the head that wobbled his opponent.
1.29: He chased after Eddie and smacked him with a left hand. Eddie fell.
1.13: Mirko got the mount and pounded. Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight.
Result: Mirko Cro Cop by TKO – 4.33, Round One.
Anderson Silva (5’11” 185 lb) vs. Travis Lutter (5’11” 186.5 lb)
– Middleweight
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
Anderson circles with a side-on stance to avoid presenting a lead leg for a takedown.
4.08: Travis goes for the takedown anyway, but Anderson easily fends him off.
4.02: Travis throws a distracting left and fails with another shoot.
3.36: Silva is off target with a high kick, however he connects with a flying knee to Lutter’s head. Travis scrambles and moves into Anderson’s guard.
2.54: Silva switches from having Lutter in his guard to locking him in a body triangle.
2.23: Travis pounds down on Silva, then stands.
2.12: He ankle-taps Silva’s left leg and moves back into guard.
1.49: Anderson reapplies the body triangle and maintains the lock as Travis stands. Lutter eventually breaks free and Silva kicks up at him.
1.27: Travis is in guard.
1.08: He spins into side control.
0.48: He tries for the mount, but comes off with half guard.
0.44: They roll and Lutter gets the mount. He rains down punches, then Silva sweeps him off with his left leg. Lutter goes for an arm bar that doesn’t ever look like happening.
0.27: Anderson stands and calls his opponent up.
0.21: Travis misses with a shoot and Anderson fails with an axe kick.
Round Two
Anderson goes for a leg kick and Travis dives in to take him down.
4.49: He succeeds, and Anderson pulls him into his guard.
4.29: Lutter stands in the guard, so Silva kicks up and catches Lutter on the jaw. The strike shakes Travis, who falls back down. Anderson wraps him in a triangle. He uses his long limbs to apply extra pressure to the hold.
2.53: Anderson traps Travis’s right arm and pounds his head with elbows. Travis taps. There’s discussion over whether the elbows to the skull are legal.
Result: Anderson Silva by triangle choke – 2.11, Round Two.
Ali
