UFC Fight Night 13 was the lead-in for the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. The card featured twelve bouts (seven of them at 155 lbs). What was originally scheduled to be a two-hour broadcast was expanded to three hours after numerous online fan petitions; ultimately, seven out of twelve fights were televised.
James Irvin vs. Houston Alexander
The showdown between light-heavyweight strikers was over all too quickly as Irvin landed a superman punch early on that sent Houston to the canvas. Irvin followed up with three more punches to his downed opponent as the referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in to stop the bout at just 8 seconds into the first round. Alexander vehemently protested the stoppage.
The aftermath: In their post-fight interviews, both fighters demanded a rematch. A do-over seems like a reasonable course of action.
Fight grade: What fight? 0/5
Nate Diaz vs. Kurt Pellegrino
In the first round, Pellegrino quickly took Diaz down and proceed to work him over on the ground with positional dominance and ground-and-pound assault. Pellegrino opened a cut over Nate’s right eye, and the fight was in danger of being stopped as Kurt pounded on Diaz from the crucifix position. Diaz was able to escape in the last minute of the round, and looked for his own takedown as the time ran out.
Pellegrino got another early takedown in Round 2, but Diaz was ready this time around. After a scramble, Diaz attempted a throw but landed on his back with Kurt in his guard. Diaz quickly locked in a tight triangle, and celebrated the victory by flexing his arms and flipping two birds to the camera before his opponent even had a chance to tap.
The aftermath:Nate Diaz is quickly establishing himself as the real deal – one of the top contenders at 155, and likely one of the best submission grapplers in any weight class. Kurt Pellegrino becomes somewhat of a gatekeeper in the ultra-competitive lightweight division.
Fight grade: 5/5
Matt Hamill vs. Tim Boetsch
Hamill started off with an early takedown, but was not able to capitalize and the action was restarted on the feet. The fighters traded blows for the rest of the first round, with heavy-hitting Boetsch looking to land a knee or an uppercut. Hamill was consistently beating Boetsch to the punch with precision jabs, but Boetsch connected with two big knees to close out Round 1, leaving Hamill with a bloodied lip.
Boetsch looked winded in the second round, and attempted a takedown of his own after a brief striking exchange. Hamill stuffed the takedown and ended up in mount, raining down punches and forcing a TKO stoppage as Boetsch was stuck between Hamill and the octagon fence.
The aftermath:A very entertaining fight with no implications for the LHW title picture. Hamill raised his stock, and I hope to see Boetsch get another chance in the UFC despite this loss.
Fight grade: 4/5
Karo Parisyan vs. Thiago Alves
Karo scored a takedown early in the first. Alves scrambled back to his feet but was tentative in his striking, wary of another takedown. In the second round, Alves was more aggressive and landed a huge knee which crumpled Parisyan. Alves followed up with several punches and Steve Mazzagatti stepped in for his second controversial stoppage of the night. Karo, like Houston Alexander before him, protested the stoppage.
The aftermath: Parisyan’s path to the title shot has been derailed, landing him somewhere in the middle of the pack at 170lbs. Thiago Alves racks up a huge win, positioning himself behind Jon Fitch in the welterweight title picture. Alves should fight the winner of the upcoming Marcus Davis vs. Mike Swick bout for the next #1 contender spot.
Fight grade: 3/5
Tommy Speer vs. Anthony Johnson
In his first fight since the loss at the hands of Mac Danzig in the Ultimate Fighter finale, Speer never got a chance to get anything going as he was rocked early on by a much bigger Johnson. Speer managed to stay on his feet and shoot for a takedown, only to receive a barrage of punches until he was finally knocked out cold, slumping against the fence.
The aftermath:Johnson is a huge welterweight and his striking power and takedown defense will present a challenge to anyone in the division. Speer has run up on some tough times: after looking very promising during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter – he was compared by many to a younger Matt Hughes – he has been thoroughly dismantled in his last 2 bouts, both in grappling and on the feet. He may need to go back to WEC and build up his skill set competing against the likes of John Alessio & Brock Larson.
Fight grade: 3/5
Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
In a battle of undefeated lightweight prospects, Frank Edgar failed to extend his UFC win streak when he was outwrestled for three rounds by a significantly bigger Maynard. With several slams in the third round, Maynard secured the unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards.
The aftermath:Edgar, who won most of his fights by outwrestling his opponents, finally gets a taste of his own medicine. Maynard picks up a solid win, showing that he belongs at the highest level of competition.
Fight grade: 3/5
Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
The first round was a very high paced, back-and-forth battle. Lauzon came out swinging and quickly established a dominant position but was cut by Florian’s elbow strikes from within his guard. Referee Herb Dean warned Florian for striking the back of the head (the cut was in a questionable area of Lauzon’s scalp that could easily be considered either the side of the head, or the back of it.) Neither fighter had a significant advantage in the first.
In Round 2, Florian got the best of Lauzon in the early striking exchanges, then secured a takedown and mounted Lauzon. Lauzon defended well but was unable to escape Florian’s high mount. Joe covered up and deflected most of Florian’s strikes with his forearms, however he kept absorbing punishment until Dean stopped the bout.
The aftermath:Florian proves that he deserves another title shot, though he wants to fight Roger Huerta first. A wise move, as I don’t see him beating either BJ Penn or Sean Sherk quite yet. One thing that is a bit disappointing about Florian is that for someone who prides himself on being a finisher, he seems all too content when the “finish” comes from a cut or a positional stoppage, instead of trying to truly stop his opponent. Lauzon fought well and has a bright career ahead of him, but is not yet ready for the highest level of competition.
Fight grade: 4.5/5
This Fight Night did a good job of shaping up the lightweight title picture for the next year or so. Florian re-established himself as a top contender; Maynard & Diaz both showed that they are a real threat to anyone in their weight class; and Edgar was knocked back into the pack. At 170 lbs, Thiago Alves emerged as a solid contender as well. With seven fights broadcast, this was a very fun event that would have scored a perfect 5/5 if not for the multiple reffing controversies.