© Marc Wickert
www.knucklepit.com
January 31, 2009
All photos copyright 2004 Zuffa LLC
Photography by Joshua Hedges
Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, this UFC was packed with some extremely tight competitions, whilst others that were expected to be tight matches turned out to be landslides. But all up it was another monster card from UFC.
In earlier matches:
Jon Fitch def. Akihiro Gono by unanimous decision.
Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan by unanimous decision.
John Howard def. Chris Wilson by split decision.
Jake O’Brien def. Christian Wellisch by split decision.
Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo by split decision.
The Battles
Clay Guida (5’7” 156 lb) vs. Nate Diaz (6’0” 156 lb)
– Lightweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne
Round One
Nate came out crouched over like a southpaw Quasimodo. The pair felt each other out briefly before clashing at 4.46.
4.39: They broke free.
4.33: Clay was punctuating his fist attack with leg kicks. Both men were landing their punches consistently, with Nate favoring right jabs and regular follow-up left hands.
3.40: Nate rocked Clay with a solid left.
3.12: Guida had enough of being picked off by Diaz’s knuckles and went for the shoot; however Diaz refused to go down and they broke free at 2.57.
2.39: Diaz shot for Guida and the action resumed on the ground as Guida got half guard.
2.17: Clay was in guard.
2.07: Nate climbed to his feet with Clay on his back.
1.43: They collapsed to the floor – Clay wrapping on a full nelson. Nate rolled and Clay grabbed side control.
1.11 : He had Nate’s back.
1.09: Diaz stood with Guida sticking to him like a pole dancer’s G-string.
0.53: Guida heaved Diaz in the air and pile-drove him into the canvas, before moving into Diaz’s guard.
0.17: They stood, with Guida clinging to Diaz’s back before separating and finishing the round in a trade-off.
Round Two
The pair banged it out until clinching at 4.34, when Clay fought for a takedown and Nate looked to secure a kimura.
3.05: They tumbled to the floor.
2.36: Nate had Clay’s back.
2.30: Clay had Nate’s back; eventually they stood in the clinch.
1.28: Diaz swept Guida and they fought for dominant position till 0.41, when Diaz climbed back up with Guida strapped to his back.
0.21: Diaz swept Guida again.
0.14: Guida was in Diaz’s guard before the round ended.
Nick Diaz worked Nate’s corner during the break.
Round Three
Nate outgunned Clay in the stand-up until 3.54, when they clinched.
3.35: They parted and Nate again dominated Clay with punches.
2.52: They tied up.
1.53: Nate swept Clay.
1.47: Nate stood and Clay rode his back.
Each round was a carbon copy of the others: The banging belonged to Diaz and Guida owned the grappling.
Result: Clay Guida by split decision.
Karo Parisyan (5’10” 170 lb) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (6’1” 171 lb)
– Welterweight
Referee: Josh Rosenthal
Round One
Southpaw Dong attempted a leg kick.
4.47: Karo closed in with distracting haymakers, then shot in; however Dong resisted the takedown as they tied up against the cage.
4.38: Dong swept Karo and dropped into Karo’s guard.
4.21: Hyun Kim hung onto Parisyan’s back.
3.59: Parisyan stood with Hyun in the jockey seat.
3.14: Parisyan flung Hyun Kim onto the mats but Hyun Kim hung on.
2.36: Karo piggybacked his rider to the vertical world.
2.18: Karo plunged to the floor with his jockey still locked on.
2.05: Dong got adventurous and attempted an arm bar. Karo stood in Dong’s guard in an attempt to pound down on his opponent; however Dong used the opportunity to whack on a triangle.
1.45: Parisyan slipped out and worked his g’n’p from Hyun Kim’s guard.
1.14: They were standing in a clinch.
1.08: Hyun Kim had Parisyan’s back as they collapsed to the floor.
0.42: The stand-up game resumed.
Round Two
They traded.
4.35: Karo shot in and Dong sprawled.
4.15: Karo swept Dong, only to have Dong back in the jockey seat. Karo failed with a kimura submission, but was able to turn Dong onto his back with the hold.
3.47: They got to their feet in a clinch.
2.42: Parisyan pulled off the perfect hip-throw and got side control; Hyun Kim grabbed the fence to climb back up.
1.20: They parted.
1.15: The ref halted proceedings to refit Parisyan’s mouthguard – this was the second time Karo’s mouthguard hit the deck, but not the last.
Play resumed and Karo adopted a lefty stance and forced Dong back with strikes, so Dong opted to clinch.
Round Three
4.39: The pair tied up after a brief knuckle exchange.
4.32: Hyun Kim took Parisyan down.
4.20: Parisyan pulled Hyun Kim into guard, then kicked him away and they stood.
3.57: Dong got Karo’s back after a brief skirmish.
3.51: Karo turned and they clinched.
2.45: Karo slammed a knee into Dong’s solar plexus.
2.33: Parisyan dragged Hyun Kim to the ground.
2.22: They stood clinched for the rest of the round.
Result: Karo Parisyan by split decision.
Jon Jones (6’4” 206 lb) vs. Stephan Bonnar (6’4” 206 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti
Round One
They danced and sized each other up.
4.34: Jon tested a spinning back-kick.
4.29: He leg-kicked and Stephan failed with a high kick.
4.20: Jon body-kicked; Stephan caught the leg and they clinched.
4.04: Jon seized Stephan’s left leg momentarily, took Stephan down before he scrambled back up and they clinched.
3.44: Jon hip-threw Stephan.
3.26: They climbed up in a clinch until 3.19, when Jones hip-threw Bonnar.
3.07: The pair stood and faced off.
2.48: Bonnar leg-kicked and Jones countered with a body punch as both men continued to switch stances.
2.20: They tied up.
1.38: Jones took Bonnar’s back and suplexed him at 1.31; they climbed back up and Jones knocked Bonnar down with a spinning elbow.
1.18: Jon was g’n’p-ing from Stephan’s guard.
1.08: He had Stephan’s back.
0.48: They stood entangled.
0.19: Jon connected with a knee strike. He chalked up another takedown before the first five ended.
Round Two
Bonnar came out with fists and feet flying.
4.36: Jones back-kicked to the midsection.
4.28: They slipped to the floor as Jones took Bonnar’s back.
3.35: Bonnar kicked; Jones caught it and hurled Bonnar to the canvas.
2.51: Jon had half guard and was dusting Stephan up.
2.21: Stephan managed to climb to his feet and broke free until they tied up and fought a close-quarter battle from there.
0.26: Jones flung Bonnar to the floor in uncompromising fashion.
Round Three
4.39: They clinched after a brief spar – Stephan worked uppercuts and Jon replied with knees.
3.36: Stephan was landing a succession of uppercuts, then Jon brought up a rattling knee strike.
2.52: Stephan looked for the takedown; however Jon resisted the invitation and swept Stephan to the ground before dropping into guard.
2.28: Bonnar failed with a triangle attempt.
1.53: The pair stood in the clinch.
1.34: They broke free with Jones outclassing his opponent for most of the bout.
Result: Jon Jones by unanimous decision.
Lyoto Machida (6’1” 206 lb) vs. Thiago Silva (6’1” 206 lb)
– Light Heavyweight
Referee: Yves Lavigne
This was the co-main event, which would bring one combatant’s dream run to an end as both athletes entered the Octagon with perfect 13-0 records.
Yves Lavigne asks the men if they want to touch gloves and both players decline.
4.42: Southpaw Lyoto kicks high; he comes in with hit’n’run strikes, then exits at odd angles – leaving no DNA for Thiago to track him down.
4.29: Lyoto leg-kicks.
4.21: He delivers a Thai knee.
4.14: Lyoto body-kicks.
4.02: They clinch and Yves calls time out as Thiago holds his billiards with an agonized look after wearing a stray knee.
3.52: Thiago body-kicks.
3.46: Machida sweeps Silva to the mats, then they stand back up.
3.07: Machida knees to the body and puts Silva down with a follow-up left hook, before taking half guard. Lyoto is known for his evasive game, but tonight he’s standing and delivering, providing a much more entertaining bout and still outgunning his opponent.
2.43: Machida is in guard.
2.28: He stands and kicks the legs of the downed Silva as he kicks out at Machida’s legs.
2.00: Lyoto falls into Thiago’s guard.
1.40: They’re on their feet.
1.32: Lyoto high-kicks.
1.16: He drops Thiago with a right and grabs side control, mounts Thiago, then stands over him.
0.40: Lyoto takes Thiago’s back.
0.27: They face each other in the clinch; Thiago lands a left elbow and Lyoto trips Thiago and slams a crushing right on his jaw.
Machida’s record remains unblemished after he totally blitzkriegs Silva.
Result: Lyoto Machida by KO – 4.59, Round One.
Georges St-Pierre (5’10” 170 lb) vs. BJ Penn (5’9” 168 lb)
– Welterweight Title
Referee: Herb Dean
Round One
They face off at a distance: Georges stands his guard and BJ edges forward, closing the gap with ‘baby’ steps. They clinch immediately and knees are exchanged as GSP forces BJ back into the fence at 4.20.
4.08: Georges latches onto BJ’s left thigh while BJ pogos across the cage, refusing to go down.
3.49: St-Pierre releases the leg.
3.31: He goes for Penn’s left leg again and Penn throws right hooks as he hops on his right leg.
3.01: St-Pierre releases the leg.
2.51: They break the clinch and stand toe-to-toe, with St-Pierre dispatching lightning jabs before tying up.
2.10: GSP wraps up BJ’s left leg again.
1.49: They’re entangled until 1.37, when the pair separates and BJ lets his hands do the talking before Georges shoots out a series of jabs.
0.43: There’s another tie-up until 0.27, when they pick each other off with strikes – GSP punctuating his jabs with leg kicks.
Round Two
More jabs are traded.
4.38: Penn lets rip with a combo.
4.29: St-Pierre clinches once more: He almost seems to be taking a leaf from Randy Couture’s book of pressing his opponent against the cage and shutting him down.
4.11: St-Pierre locks onto Penn’s left leg.
4.03: He succeeds with the takedown and Penn uses his exceptional flexibility to wrap GSP in a rubber guard before pulling full guard. Penn tries to bring his legs up higher but Georges is smoking with his g’n’p game.
3.04: Georges takes half guard, then motors into side control.
1.59: He is in guard, but unrelenting with his g’n’p.
1.02: Georges takes side control.
0.49: BJ sends GSP back into guard.
Round Three
St-Pierre unloads jabs and a leg kick.
4.49: He smacks a jab into BJ’s jaw.
4.15: St-Pierre ties it up.
4.11: He targets Penn’s left leg and tugs him to the mats.
3.59: GSP is in half guard.
3.42: He briefly isolates BJ’s right arm.
3.05: Georges is in guard and keeps busy.
2.03: BJ stands; however he’s had to lift Georges up as well in order to get to his feet, and now BJ is seeking a takedown. The attempt fails and GSP forces BJ’s back into the wires.
1.15: Georges tugs BJ’s legs out from under him before dropping into BJ’s guard.
Round Four
St-Pierre resumes play like he wants to shut up shop early.
4.30: He scores another takedown after some precision jabs.
4.20: He progresses from half guard to side control, then parks light elbows in Penn’s face.
3.19: St-Pierre snatches the mount.
3.06: Miraculously, BJ forces GSP into half guard; however GSP immediately takes side control. This is total dominance from Georges. He pounds it home, making it impossible for BJ to come back.
God help BJ’s next opponent!
Result: Georges St-Pierre by TKO – 5.00, Round Four.
For more info: www.ufc.tv .
