UFC Fight Night 19 took place in Oklahoma City and served as a lead-in for the tenth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ series. The event was headlined by a lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Melvin Guillard, with another lightweight matchup between Gray Maynard and Roger Huerta taking second billing. Color commentator Joe Rogan was notable by his absence, with the lightweight contender Ken Florian taking his place in the broadcast.
Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur (185 lbs)
Round 1: Both fighters are actively trading on the feet for most of the round, with Credeur seemingly quicker and landing more shots, while Quarry the more powerful counter-striker. Credeur is mixing up punches with body kicks, and rocks Quarry with a combination, sending him to his knees. Credeur pounces on Quarry and tries to lock in a rear naked choke, but Quarry escapes and they go back to trading punches to close out the round. Round 10-9 Credeur
Round 2: Credeur comes out swinging wildly, rocking and wobbling Quarry with combinations. Out of nowhere, Quarry responds with a right hand that drops Credeur. Quarry jumps on top and bashes Credeur with elbows and hammer fists. Credeur regains his senses and attempts submissions from guard. Quarry evades and the action slows down; the round ends with a virtual stalemate with Quarry in Credeur’s guard. Round 10-9 Quarry
Round 3: The beginning of the final round looks much like Round 2, as Credeur comes out aggressive and hurts Quarry, but once again gets dropped by a stiff counter. Quarry follows Credeur to the ground; Tim scrambles up and is going all out with a flurry of punches, looking for the finish. They trade wildly and Quarry one again knocks Credeur down; both fighters are exhausted and Quarry sits in Credeur’s guard without much action. The referee calls for a standup and they finish with another exchange on the feet. Round 10-9 Quarry
Nate Quarry defeats Tim Credeur by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Aftermath: Despite the sloppy standup and at times a lack of action on the ground, this was an amazing fight that earned both contestants the official ‘Fight of the Night’ award. Quarry has a huge mouse under his right eye and much more facial damage than Credeur, despite knocking Tim down on several occasions. Credeur showed a lot of upside in this fight, and though Nate Quarry will likely never hold a title in the UFC, he will always make for exciting fights as long as his opponent is willing to engage.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger (170 lbs)
Round 1: Ellenberger catches a kick and knocks Condit down with a punch to start of the fight. Condit recovers quickly and scrambles back to his feet, only to be knocked down again in the very next exchange. Condit works his way back up and clinches, landing several knees; Ellenberger backs up and drops Condit with a right for the third time! Condit is in serious trouble, covering up in fetal position and holding on for dear life. Miraculously Condit recovers and regains guard, eventually getting up. Condit gets the worst of another exchange as the round ends. Round 10-8 Ellenberger
Round 2: Ellenberger decides to showcase his wrestling along with his standup, and takes Condit down. This proves to be a mistake as Condit effectively neutralizes Ellenberger’s ground-and-pound and constantly looks for submissions. Condit sweeps and mounts Ellenberger; Jake pushes him off using brute force. Condit mounts again but Ellenberger sweeps and ends up on top. They stand up and finish the close second round on the feet. Round 10-9 Condit
Round 3: They clinch and Ellenberger gets a takedown, landing several solid elbows then lets Condit up. Ellenberger pulls guard as he grabs the guillotine; Condit escapes and passes guard, mounting Ellenberger against the fence and landing punches. Ellenberger looks to be in trouble but eventually manages to escape. Ellenberger is gassed and Condit takes his back after a failed takedown attempt. Condit flattens Ellenberger out and works for a choke but there is no time left in the round. Round 10-9 Condit
Carlos Condit defeats Jake Ellenberger by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Aftermath: The former IFL standout Ellenberger looked very impressive in his UFC debut and will be a threat to anyone in the division. Condit shows great heart and composure as he earns his first UFC victory after another very close and exciting fight.
Fight Grade: 5/5
Roger Huerta vs. Gray Maynard (155 lbs)
Round 1: The fight starts out with mostly even striking; Huerta throws more but Maynard seems to land the bigger shots until Huerta rocks him with a flurry. Maynard shoots for a takedown and Huerta sprawls. This is the most uneventful round of the night so far. Round 10-9 Huerta
Round 2: Huerta defends a takedown attempt. Maynard is starting to figure out Huerta’s timing, and scores with big counters as Huerta continues to throw combinations. Huerta throws leg kicks and is briefly knocked down by a jab as he is off-balance. Huerta is still the aggressor but Maynard lands the more damaging strikes. Round 10-9 Maynard
Round 3: Maynard gets a takedown and holds Huerta down by the cage. Huerta gets back up to his feet and taken down again. Maynard passes his guard and secures a kimura. The hold looks very deep and painful but Huerta survives, eventually rolling his was out. They stand up and clinch as the fight ends. Round 10-9 Maynard
Gray Maynard defeats Roger Huerta by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Aftermath: Gray Maynard continues his undefeated streak, though he had more trouble with Huerta than I would have expected. He is one of the top lightweight contenders in UFC, but not ready for a title shot for another couple of fights. Roger Huerta completes the final fight on his UFC contract, looking good in the close loss. With his intention to pursue an acting career, it’s not known when (or even if) Huerta will fight again.
Fight Grade: 3/5
Nate Diaz vs. Melvin Guillard (155 lbs)
Round 1: Guillard drops Diaz with a big right hook almost immediately, but lets Nate recover instead of following him to the ground. Diaz gets a takedown but Guillard scrambles up and responds with a takedown of his own, then allows Diaz to stand up again. Diaz with a takedown again but still can’t keep Guillard down. The fight remains on the feet for the remainder of the round, with Melvin getting the better of striking exchanges. Diaz is bleeding by the end of the round. Round 10-9 Guillard
Round 2: Guillard lands a big body kick, following it up with takedown. Diaz throws his legs up and Guillard stands up, letting Nate follow him back to the feet. Diaz lands a combination and Guillard appears to be dazed, but it’s a ruse as Melvin bounces off the fence, throwing himself at Diaz. Guillard gets a big takedown but leaves his neck out, as Diaz latches on a guillotine and Guillard taps quickly.
Aftermath: Nate Diaz breaks a two-fight losing streak with another come-from-behind submission that has become his trademark. Melvin Guillard once again demonstrates how a lack of a game plan and questionable submission defense keep him from ever becoming a top contender. Perhaps Diaz can rematch Gray Maynard in the main event of the next Fight Night or the Ultimate Fighter finale (Diaz submitted Maynard in an amateur bout on Season 5 of ‘TUF’)
Fight Grade: 4/5
Though only four fights were shown, all were for the most part very entertaining, making for a quality Fight Night.