UFC 119 Review

Sep 27, 2010
oleg

Taking place in Indianapolis, UFC 119 presented a rather pedestrian card, with Frank Mir taking on Mirko ‘Cro-Cop’ Filipovic in the main event after Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira withdrew from a scheduled rematch with Mir due to an injury.  In the co-main, Minotauro’s brother Antonio Rogerio Noguiera took on undefeated lightheavyweight prospect Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader.  The card was rounded out by a number of random matchups of little divisional significance.

 

 

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

Joey Beltran vs. Matt Mitrione (HW)

Round 1: Mitrione is the aggressor, going after Beltran with combinations of punches.  Mitrione mixes in a high kick and leg kicks.  Beltran looking to counter and finally finds an opening, rocking Matt with a punch, pushing him against the fence and punching while holding his head.  Beltran changes levels and scores a takedown.  Beltran works from the top.  Mitrione looking for a triangle, but Beltran evades and passes into half-guard, north-south, then side control all while landing punches from the top.  Beltran got cut somewhere along the way, bleeding on Mitrione from his brow.  Round 10-9 Beltran

Round 2: Mitrione is again leading with punch and kick combinations.  Beltran charges with a flurry, backing up Mitrione against the cage and looking for a takedown.  Mitrione manages to remain on his feet.  They trade wildly, Mitrione rocks Beltran and looks for the finish but Joey hangs in there and lands a big shot of his own.  Beltran slows the pace down by clinching and attempting a takedown but can’t complete.  The action is stopped to cut off some tape that’s hanging off Beltran’s glove.  Fight resumes and they go back to trading windmill punches, and Mitrione finishes the round with a big flurry of punches and kicks.  Round 10-9 Mitrione

Round 3: Mitrione begins the final round in the same manner as the first two.  Beltran is tired, covering up and absorbing a lot of punishment.  The pace slows down and Mitrione is landing on Beltran at will; Joey’s face is bloodied but he keeps coming forward and forcing Mitrione into sloppy exchanges.  Clear victory for Mitrione but Beltran is making a fight of it until the final second.  Round 10-9 Mitrione

Aftermath: An unlikely 3-0 in UFC (and his professional MMA career), Mitrione climbs the ranks with a hard fought victory.  He should next take on Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, or the winner of an upcoming matchup between Brendan Schaub and Gabriel Gonzaga.   Joey Beltran should fight Patrick Barry or Sean McCorkle.  Better yet, get in shape and cut down to 205 lbs.

Both fighters earned a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus for the sloppy but enterntaining bout.

Ranking Impact: Matt Mitrione rises 49 spots to #39 HW.  Joey Beltran falls 9 spots to #43 HW.

Fight Grade: 4/5


Joe Doerksen vs. C.B. Dollaway (185 lbs)

Round 1: Dollaway leads with a body kick.  Doerksen catches the kick and uses it to score a takedown but Dollaway secures a guillotine on the way down; they roll and end up with Doerksen stuck in Dollaway’s guard, guillotine still intact.  Both fighters remain calm and it’s a stalemate for a while; eventually Doerksen attempts to roll and Dollaway rolls with him.  Amazingly they roll over four times with CB keeping the hold and constantly adjusting it until he finally forces a tapout.  Submission of the Night for CB Dollaway.

Aftermath: Former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ contestant CB Dollaway has had a rocky road in the UFC, but seems to have found the right course, capping off a three-fight streak with a beautiful submission.   His next opponent should be Dan Miller or Mark Munoz.  Joe Doerksen will likely be cut from the UFC’s roster after his sixth loss in the organization.

Ranking Impact: CB Dollaway rises 23 spots to #33 MW.   Joe Doerksen falls 25 spots to #60 MW.

Fight Grade: 5/5


Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle (HW)

Round 1: Hunt charges at McCorkle, landing hooks and uppercuts as Sean scrambles for a takedown.  Hunt sprawls and ends up in McCorkle’s guard.  He attempts to strike from the top but is quickly caught in a kimura, which then turns into a straight arm bar.  McCorkle torques the hold, and Hunt’s arm is twisted at an unnatural angle before the tapout comes.

Aftermath: Sean McCorkle earns a submission win in his Octagon debut, improving his record to 10-0.   He should next take on Joey Beltran or Christian Morecraft.

The only reason Mark Hunt was given a bout in UFC after a long layoff and losing his previous 6 MMA fights was a contractual obligation – a remnant of Zuffa’s buyout of Pride FC.   Don’t expect to see him back, unless the contract stipulated for multiple bouts despite a loss.

Ranking Impact: Sean McCorkle rises 65 spots to #63 HW.  Mark Hunt, previously unranked for inactivity, returns to rankings at #86 HW.

Fight Grade: 4/5


Thiago Tavares vs. Pat Audinwood (155 lbs)

Round 1: Tavares runs forward while throwing punches, clinches and drags Audinwood to the ground.  Tavares punches from the top, Audinwood maintains guard.  Audinwood uses the cage to scramble up and is caught in a standing guillotine.  Tavares tries to pull guard and Audinwood taps out while remaining upright.

Aftermath: Great showing for Tavares, who has had more downs than ups in UFC to date.  I’d like to see him take on Rafael dos Anjos.  Pat Audinwood might be one-and-done after being submitted so quickly in his UFC debut.

Ranking Impact: Thiago Tavares rises 16 spots to #85 LW.  Formerly at #239 LW, Pat Audinwood falls out of the Top 250.

Fight Grade: 4/5


Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Jeremy Stephens vs. Melvin Guillard (155 lbs)

Round 1: Both fighters come out swinging with huge hooks.  Guillard misses; Stephens lands, knocking Melvin down momentarily.  Guillard is right back up and flurries on Stephens.   The fighters put some distance between them and slow down the pace, trading sporadically through the remainder of the round.  Stephens favors leg and body kicks while Guillard looks for big counter punches, but neither fighter lands anything significant.  Round 10-9 Stephens

Round 2: More long-distance trading.  Good kicks land for both fighters.  Guillard catches Stephens with a kick to the groin and the fight is paused.  Restart and more of the same.  Stephens returns a favor with a low blow of his own; though the replay shows that it barely grazed Melvin’s shorts, it causes for another break in action – or lack thereof.  More ineffective trading and the fans are beginning to boo.  Round 10-10 draw

Round 3: They continue circling and trading from far away.  Stephens scores with leg kicks; Guillard lands an occasional punch.  Guillard lands a nice combination; Stephens hurts Guillard with a big punch to the body as the most significant offense in another uneventful round.   Round 10-9 Stephens

Melvin Guillard wins a split decision with the scores of 30-27, 29-28, 28-29

Aftermath: An uninspired performance from both fighters to kick off the PPV broadcast.  Both remain in the middle of a tightly-packed division with many potential matchups (none of which seem particularly exciting after this dance-off).

Ranking Impact: Melvin Guillard rises 15 spots to #34 LW.  Jeremy Stephens falls 4 spots to #42 LW.

Fight Grade: 2.5 1.5/5 1 point deduction for the decision


Evan Dunham vs. Sean Sherk (155 lbs)

Round 1: Some feinting and faking early with neither fighter landing.   Sherk shoots and slams Dunham down with a double-leg but is caught in a guillotine in process.  He slips out; Dunham gets up and immediately gets slammed again.  Dunham still looking for a guillotine then takes Sherk’s back but Sean reverses and lands a huge elbow from Dunham’s  guard that slices Evan’s eyebrow wide open.  Sherk looks to do more damage from the top.   Dunham gets up and the ref stops the fight to check his cut with only seconds left in the round.  The fight is allowed to continue.  Dunham’s cut is worked on between rounds, and it’s looking nasty.  Round 10-9 Sherk

Round 2: Sherk looks for a takedown and gets caught in another guillotine.  Back to the feet, another takedown and another guillotine attempt.  Dunham is relentless with sub attempts but Sherk slips out every time.  Dunham is starting to have some success stopping Sherk’s takedowns, and opens up on Sherk with kicks and knees towards the end of the round. Round 10-9 Dunham

Round 3: Dunham connects with a high kick; Sherk is hurt but grabs on to Dunham and eventually completes a takedown.  Dunham gets back to the feet.  Dunham is now taking Sherk apart in standup; Sherk attempts takedowns but is getting thrown off every time.  Dunham lands a huge knee that knocks Sherk back against the cage, then follows it up with another.    Round 10-9 Dunham

Sean Sherk wins a split decision with the scores of 29-28, 29-28, 28-29

Aftermath: This bout had potential title shot implications, but neither man did enough to make it into the title picture.  Nevertheless it was a good night for both fighters:  Sherk earned a much needed win with a solid performance in his return after a long layoff and multiple injuries.  Evan Dunham experienced his first loss, but won in the eyes of most fans.  Both fighters earned a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus, along with Mitrione and Beltran.

Sean Sherk should next take on Joe Stevenson or Yves Edwards, while Dunham faces Gleison Tibau or Kurt Pellegrino.

Ranking Impact: Sherk returns to the rankings at #19 LW.   Evan Dunham falls 3 spots to #24 LW.

Fight Grade: 4 3/5 1 point deduction for the decision


Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle (170 lbs)

Round 1: Both fighters come out swinging for the fences.  Lytle uses his reach advantage to land numerous punches on Serra’s head as Matt is trying to get inside and work the body.  Both are contend to box for the entire round; Lytle outlands Serra by a wide margin and Serra’s face is marked up by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Lytle

Round 2: Lytle continues his assault of punches, and Serra is hurt but hanging in there and throwing back.  Wild exchanges continue with Lytle landing more and more as the round goes on, but Serra takes it all and keeps coming forward.  Round 10-9 Lytle

Round 3: Lytle keeps Serra at bay with jabs and hooks.  Serra is now switching it up a bit, throwing leg kicks and even attempting a takedown, but has no success.  Serra is gassed and Lytle continues landing punches but can’t put Matt away.  Round 10-9 Lytle

Chris Lytle wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27 from all judges

Aftermath: Lytle is the perennial  gatekeeper of the UFC’s welterweight division, but seemingly has made great improvements as a fighter – enough to win four in a row and earn a spot in the Top 10.   A rematch with Thiago Alves or the winners of Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy or Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann would all make for interesting matchups.    I’d like to see Matt Serra take on Paulo Thiago or Nate Diaz.

Ranking Impact: Chris Lytle moves up 12 spots to #7 WW.  Matt Serra falls 8 spots to #17 WW.

Fight Grade: 3/5


Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader (205 lbs)

Round 1: Bader moves forward in the early action.  Nogueira looks to counter-strike but Bader takes him down and unloads with ground-and-pound from the top.  Nogueira closes his guard and regains composure.  Bader continues to strike from the top.  Nogueira works his way to the feet and lands a combination, hurting Bader with a body kick.  Bader with another takedown to cinch the round.   Round 10-9 Bader

Round 2: Uneventful trading for the first half of the round, slow pace and neither fighter has an advantage.  Bader catches a kick and takes Nogueira down.  Nog is up quickly.  More mild exchanges, unsuccessful takedown from Bader but he lands a few solid strikes near the end.  Round 10-9 Bader

Round 3: Bader gets poked in the eye in an exchange.  Nogueira is blocking takedowns and finding some luck on the feet.  Eventually he gets taken down and gets back up quickly.  They trade punches and Bader scores another takedown.  Boring round, dull fight.  Round 10-9 Bader

Ryan Bader wins a unanimous decision with the scores of 30-27 from all judges

Aftermath: It was not the most impressive performance, but Bader remains undefeated, earning his biggest ‘name’ win to date, and inching closer to a title shot.  Up next:  Jon ‘Bones’ Jones in a #1 contender bout.  Nogueira, after winning a questionable decision against Jason Brilz, this time finds himself on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards.  He should take on Rich Franklin or Thiago Silva next.

Ranking Impact: Ryan Bader rises 9 spots to #6 LHW.  Nogueira falls 7 spots to #15 LHW.    

Fight Grade: 3/5



Frank Mir vs. Mirko Filipovic (HW)

Round 1: Slow start as the fighters feel each other out.  Mir moves in for a takedown.  Mirko defends but gets pushed against the fence, where they stall out.  Mirko lands a knee to Mir’s groin, causing a break in the action.  Mir lays on his back humping the air until he feels sufficiently recovered, and they resume.  Few strikes are thrown and back to clinch until referee Herb Dean breaks them up.  Very little action in the remainder of the round with both fighters landing sporadically.  Round 10-9 Mir

Round 2: They strike but do not land.   Mir pushes Cro-Cop into the fence, where nothing happens.  Ref break, back to clinch, another ref break, rinse and repeat.  Hardly anything happens in the round, Mir wins by default though he did little beyond pushing Mirko into the fence.  Mirko seems to miss on everything he throws, which isn’t much.  Round 10-9 Mir

Round 3: More of the same in the final round.  Mir tries for a takedown but the best he can do is clinch by the cage.  Another ref break and another clinch.  Out of nowhere Mir connects with a knee to Mirko’s chin, and Cro-Cop is instantly out.  Mir lands two punches to fallen Cro-Cop before the fight is called.

Aftermath: Frank Mir quipped in a post fight interview that an ugly win is better than an ugly loss.  While true, the win doesn’t do anything for Mir’s standing in the title picture.  In line behind Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and Shane Carwin,  Mir’s best bet is the rematch with Minotauro that was supposed originally supposed to take place at UFC 119.

The best bet for Mirko Filipovic at this point is retirement.

Despite this being the only fight on the card to end with a knockout, Mir was not awarded a ‘Knockout of the Night’ bonus.

Ranking Impact: Frank Mir remains #7 HW.  Mirko Filipovic falls 3 spots to #18 HW.

Fight Grade: 2.5/5

What started out with a great undercard, devolved into a main card full of drudging fights and questionable decisions, capped off with a dreadful main event.

Event Grade: 2.5 1.5/5

1 point deduction for the poor judging

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