UFC 80 took place at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. The main event featured BJ Penn taking on Joe Stevenson for the vacant 155-lbs title.
Jorge Rivera vs. Kendall Grove
The broadcast begins with the veteran fighter Rivera taking on the middleweight TUF 3 winner, Kendal Grove. Rivera pushes the pace with an early takedown and punishes Grove with ground-and-pound. Grove gives up his back and is taking heavy strikes to the head. Grove tries to get back to his feet while still eating blows. Grove collapses next to the cage and the referee calls an end to the bout.
The aftermath: With 2 consecutive TKO losses, Grove finds himself in a precarious position: if he doesn’t get a victory in his next outing, he may be the first TUF winner to be released by the UFC.
Rivera looked very impressive and focused in victory. It will be interesting to see if he can capitalize on this win and rejuvenate his career in the shallow 185 division.
Fight grade: 4/5
Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert
Lambert starts out strong, pushing Gouveia around the Octagon, landing strikes and takedowns at will. Gouveia attempts submissions from guard but can’t pull anything off. Lambert wins the first round.
In Round 2 it’s more of the same, as Lambert is winning the stand-up. The fighters are trading blows against the cage; Lambert’s hands are low and he eats a hook to the chin that knocks him out cold.
The aftermath: A disappointing setback for Lambert after his impressive victory over Sobral. Gouveia gets his fourth straight win at 205 and moves up the Light Heavyweight ranks.
Fight grade: 4.5/5
Marcus Davis vs. Jess Liaudin
In a very brief fight, Davis is dominating the stand-up and quickly catches Liaudin with a right hand that renders Jess unconscious.
The aftermath: This is Marcus’ sixth consecutive win in the UFC, and he needs to step up to the next level of competition. Davis came out of this match unscathed, and he would make a perfect opponent for Jon Fitch, who was left hanging after Akihiro Gono pulled out of their scheduled bout with an arm injury. As for Liaudin, he will likely be back in the UFC’s next European outing.
Fight grade: 4/5
Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor
Both fighters come out swinging. Taylor is winning the stand up exchanges, but Kelly controls him with takedowns & GnP. After the frantic beginning, the pace slows down quite a bit. Kelly controls Taylor on the ground for the remainder of the fight, and wins a unanimous decision.
The aftermath: Neither man is currently a serious contender at their weigh class, but both Pauls will likely be back for another UFC in the UK.
Fight grade: 2.5/5
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum
Gonzaga gets a takedown early on, but is unable to do any damage from top. Gonzaga lets Werdum up and is scoring with devastating leg kicks, several of which knock Werdum to the ground. Gonzaga attempts a high kick and is bull-rushed by Werdum; Werdum takes Gabriel’s back but Gonzaga regains guard. Werdum scores with elbows from half guard. Gonzaga takes the round 10-9.
In Round 2, Gonzaga gets several takedowns on Werdum but lets him up every time. Gonzaga looks like he is starting to get tired. Werdum is utilizing the Muay Thai clinch and landing knees for which Gonzaga has no answer. Werdum gets a takedown against the fence, and pounds Gonzaga until the ref steps in, in an ending that was reminiscent of Gonzaga’s bout with Randy Couture.
The aftermath: With a huge win, Werdum makes up for his unimpressive UFC debut, and injects himself into the HW title picture. Gonzaga seems to have a serious problem that became clear in his last two fights: Questionable conditioning, and inability to come back from adversity. He will have to address these issues if he is ever to be a top heavyweight.
Fight grade: 4.5/5
BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
In the main event of the evening, BJ Penn takes on Joe Stevenson for the UFC 155-lbs title. Sean Sherk joins Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg in the announcers booth. He is slated to face the winner of this fight.
BJ Penn knocks Stevenson down with an uppercut in the first 10 seconds of the bout. Stevenson recovers and defends BJ’s attack from guard. Penn is not doing much damage but mounts Joe on two occasions; Stevenson is able to escape and regain guard. Stevenson throws elbows and punches off his back. Penn lands a glancing elbow that splits Joe’s forehead open. Stevenson is bleeding profusely as Round 1 comes to an end.
The cut man patches up Stevenson’s cut between the rounds, slowing down the blood flow to a trickle. Stevenson comes out with determination in Round 2, but Penn quickly gets the best of the stand-up exchanges. Stevenson goes down and his cut starts gushing blood once again. Penn gets Joe’s back and locks in a rear naked choke, to become the new Lightweight champion of the world.
The aftermath: Penn & Sherk exchange some words and a handshake after the fight. They will face each other next. Stevenson fought valiantly but was simply outclassed. I’d like to see him face Huerta once Roger comes back from his temporary hiatus and Joe’s cuts heal.
Fight grade: 4/5
Antoni Hardonk vs. Colin Robinson
In the quickest fight of the night, Hardonk assaults Robinson with knees and leg kicks, then drops him with a jab about 15 seconds into the fight. Robinson attempts to get up but his knees buckle and the referee stops the bout.
The aftermath: We already knew that Hardonk is a great kickboxer, and this match did nothing to demonstrate whether he improved the weakness in his ground game. However he gained a much needed victory and will be back for another go-round. On the other hand, 39-year old Robinson has likely fought his last UFC match.
Fight grade: 2/5
Alessio Sakara vs. James Lee
In James Lee’s UFC debut, the veteran from Detroit wastes no time shooting for a takedown. He secures one but Sakara escapes back to his feet. Lee shoots again and gets another takedown. Sakara gets up and pummels Lee, who is still holding on to Alessio’s leg. Lee is not defending himself, and the ref has to step in. It appears Lee has injured his back during one of the takedowns.
The aftermath: With an impressive victory, Sakara earns a stay of execution on his UFC career. He promises to go back down to 185 in the post-fight interview. James Lee has had a disappointing debut – I hope to see him get another shot in the UFC.
Fight grade: 2/5
While this UFC somewhat lacked in star power, it more than delivered in the entertainment value. The undercard matches were weak, but there is something to be said for having 7 televised bouts even if not all of them are great. This was not the perfect UFC event, but damn close to it.