Frankie Edgar silenced his doubters by thoroughly dominating BJ Penn in their August lightweight title-fight rematch in Boston. The fact he did it in much the same way as he took the belt from BJ in April – with energetic, unrelenting, fast-paced boxing – made the statement that much more emphatic. Penn couldn’t match Edgar’s effective application of stand-up through any of the five rounds and ended the bout being heavily out struck. The Hawaiian began to have success on the ground midway through the fight, taking the Jersey boy down and working for a submission from his back, but was never able to catch the champion who always scrambled to his feet at the first opportunity. Ultimately the scorecards said it all: 50-45 all round.
BJ is left with the first back-to-back losses of his lightweight career but takes a rubber match with Matt Hughes later in the year – though he initially pondered upon retirement and an Octagon re-visit with Kenny Florian. Edgar will also face a familiar foe in Gray Maynard, who he lost to in 2008.
Maynard earned the right by outwrestling multiple-time lightweight contender Kenny Florian on the same night. The tactic gave ‘The Bully’ his seventh decision win in a row.
Florian’s next UFC movements are unconfirmed but the Boston boy has elected to employ a college wrestling coach to hone his skills in America’s martial art. The young blood coming through the lightweight ranks gives him plenty of future match-ups though.
Despite the title-fight main event, much of UFC 118’s hype hovered around Randy Couture’s match with former boxing great James Toney. The bout played out as had always been expected with Couture getting the early takedown and manhandling ‘Lights Out’. Couture switched between ground positions at will and, after ruffling a lost Toney with strikes, chose to end the fight with an arm triangle after 3:19.
Toney’s $500,000 pay out, and raised profile, suggests it was worth his time, however. Dana White has stated we’ll never see the pugilist back in the Octagon but Toney says he’s still game. Couture’s title ambitions won’t have been lifted much by the fight but the opportunity to be MMA’s representative against boxing was too much to pass up for the veteran.
Elsewhere on the card British reps Nick Osipczak and Andre Winner were grappled upon for the better part of 15 minutes and lost unanimous decisions – though both made valiant efforts to ensure it wasn’t the case. But each have been lined up with striking-based scrappers for their next bouts (Duane Ludwig and Dennis Siver respectively) who will better suit their styles.
UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 22
September 15th, 2010,
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
A middleweight fight between a granite-chinned Brazilian submission specialist and a well-rounded American powerhouse looked bound for ‘Fight of the Night’ honours. However, in the first round Rousimar Palhares took his eye off the ball mid-scramble and as a result didn’t see the thunder-filled Nate Marquardt right hand that commenced a barrage of fight-ending punches. The Brazilian had stopped to motion to his corner that Marquardt had greased his legs in order to avoid ‘Toquinho’s notorious ankle locks: ‘The Great’ slid out of the first attempt with ease. No evidence of foul play was found, however. The win sets up a number one contender eliminator with Yushin Okami at November's UFC 122 in Germany (he steps in for a title fight-bound Vitor Belfort).
Promising Brazilian lightweight Charles Oliveira out-struck TUF winner Efrain Escudero and grabbed a rear naked choke win just before the main event. Oliveira will move up the lightweight ladder while Escudero, who missed weight by 3lb, was served his walking papers despite winning his previous fight.
On the televised opener British, TUF 9 lightweight winner Ross Pearson found success inside the lanky Cole Miller’s reach until he was backed up by a right in the second round. A left hook dropped him and Miller pounced for the rear naked choke win. It’s a set back for the highly regarded Brit but one that will give him more time to hone his game and further develop his improving wrestling.
SHARK FIGHTS 13
September 11th, 2010,
Amarillo Civic Center, Amarillo, Texas
Keith Jardine somehow managed to fall to his fifth loss in a row at the top of a surprisingly stacked regional-promotion card. The ‘L’ came via split decision against South African journeyman Trevor Prangley. A pre-fight migraine apparently hampered the American’s game and pushing an athletic commission official prior to the bout means that Jardine is indefinitely suspended from competition. Earlier in the night light heavyweight UFC veteran Houston Alexander recovered from a frenetic Sokoudjou first-round attack to stop the Cameroon fighter in the second, and Danillo Villefort upset the once highly touted Joey Villasenor via decision. On the British front, outspoken UFC exile Paul Daley grabbed a decision win over occasional-lightweight Jorge Masvidal in a close contest, while featherweight Cage Rage veteran Ronnie Mann got the best of his stand-up exchanges with Douglas Evans over five rounds to take the Shark Fights title through the judges.
UFC 118 full results
Mike Pierce def Almicar Alves
Submission (Arm Lock) 3:11, Rd 3
Greg Soto def Nick Osipczak
Unanimous Decision
Dan Miller def John Salter
Submission (Anaconda Choke) 1:53, Rd 2
Nik Lentz def Andre Winner
Unanimous Decision
Joe Lauzon def Gabe Ruediger
Submission (Armbar) 2:01, Rd 1
Nate Diaz def Marcus Davis
Submission (Guillotine Choke) 4:02, Rd 3
Gray Maynard def Kenny Florian
Unanimous Decision
Demian Maia def Mario Miranda
Unanimous Decision
Randy Couture def James Toney
Submission (Arm Triangle) 3:19, Rd 1
Frankie Edgar def BJ Penn
Unanimous.Decision
UFC: UFN 22 full results
Brian Foster def Forrest Petz
TKO (Strikes) 1:07, Rd 1
Anthony ‘TJ’ Waldburger def David Mitchell
Unanimous Decision
Rich Attonito def Rafael Natal
Unanimous Decision
Dave Branch def Tomasz Drwal
Unanimous Decision
Kyle Kingsbury def Jared Hamman
Unanimous Decision
Yves Edwards def John Gunderson
Unanimous Decision
Cole Miller def Ross Pearson
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 1:49, Rd 2
Jim Miller def Gleison Tibau
Unanimous Decision
Charles Oliveira def Efrain Escudero
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:25, Rd 3
Nate Marquardt def Rousimar.Palhares
TKO (Strikes) 3:28, Rd 1
SHARK FIGHTS 13 full results
Eric Davila def Pete Spratt
Submission (Guillotine Choke) 3:49, Rd
Daniel Strauss def Karen Darabedyan
Unanimous Decision
Aaron Rosa def Devin Cole
Unanimous Decision
Ronnie Mann def Doug Evans
Split Decision
Paul Bradley def Johnny Rees
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 4:28, Rd 1
Tarec Saffiedine def Brock Larson
Unanimous Decision
Danillo Villefort def Joey Villasenor
Unanimous Decision
Paul Daley def Jorge Masvidal
Unanimous Decision
Houston Alexander def Sokoudjou
TKO (Strikes) 1:31, Rd 2
Trevor Prangley def Keith.Jardine
Split Decision
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