UFC 92 Results: A Night of Surprise Endings

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If I hadn’t been watching UFC 92 myself, I would have had a difficult time believing some of the outcomes.  It was a fight card that delivered action, surprise and drama and reminded viewers that in MMA fans should always expect the unexpected:

 

Main Events:

 

Forrest Griffin vs Rashad Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title

 

The challenger Rashad is the quicker, more athletic of the two so it was surprising to watch the champion Forrest dominate rounds one and two with a very controlled game plan that used his long legs to keep Rashad at bay.

 

Even as <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Griffin stole the opening rounds it was clear to see that the hard-punching Evans had much faster hand speed and a flash knockout on the feet was always a risk if Griffin happened to engage at closer distance.

 

But in the third round, Griffin leaned back a bit too far as he stretched a kick forward and Rashad quite suddenly switched gears using his superb wrestling skills to put Griffin on his back.  The champ managed to pull Rashad into his guard where his Jiu Jitsu skills should have served to keep the challenger at bay but somehow he failed to control the Rashad’s posture and Evans was able to raise up and drop a stunningly accurate and devastating right hand directly on Griffin’s jaw.

 

In the video replay it is hard to tell if Griffin was out from the first shot or the barrage of equally damaging blows that followed.  As quickly as that, Evans put to waste Griffin’s first two rounds of restraint and cautious strategy and declared himself the new Light Heavyweight champion of the UFC.

 

 

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Frank Mir for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Title

 

Many including this writer expected that this match up between two of the greatest Heavyweight submission artists would be decided on the feet.  The prevailing opinion was that the veteran Nogueira’s boxing skills and indestructible chin would get the better of Mir’s sub-par striking.

 

Well, the fight was decided in the stand-up but not the way anyone expected.  Frank Mir’s punching was crisp and accurate against a sluggish looking Nogueira as he put the Interim UFC and former Pride champ down twice in round one. 

 

Mir kept his cool allowing the Brazilian to rise after each knockdown rather than following him to the mat where Nogueira has finished so many over eager opponents.

 

Nog fans are used to seeing their durable hero take a beating in the early rounds only to come back later and with Mir’s suspect conditioning it seemed safe to bet that he would do the same again here.

 

Mir had other plans.  In round two Mir wasted no time in knocking down the Brazilian once again and this time he followed Nog to the ground punishing him with strikes until referee Herb Dean had to jump in and stop the match marking the first time in 36 fights that Nogueira has been stopped.

 

While some criticized Dean for stopping the fight too soon given Nog’s famous ability to sustain and recover from damage the Brazilian’s wobbly legs as he sought to stand seemed evidence enough that Dean had made the right call.

 

With the Interim belt strapped around his waist Mir called out new UFC Heavyweight champ and former WWE star Brock Lesnar, a man whose first UFC fight at the start of 2008 resulted in a first round submission loss to Frank Mir himself.

 

 

 

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer’ Silva

 

With two devastating knock out losses to Silva in their two previous meetings; many marveled that the UFC would match Rampage against his nemesis for a third time.

 

Proponents of the match-up pointed out that the cage and the rules of the UFC favoured Rampage’s strong wrestling and ground-and-pound game and would allow him to take-down Silva, the more dangerous striker.

 

Once again, the bout did not play out according to expectations.  Through the opening minutes of round one the two fighter’s exchanged cautiously with Silva seeming to connect in flurries more frequently than Rampage who would wisely cover and retreat each time the Brazilian unleashed a combination.

 

Just before the 3 minute mark the Axe Murderer saw his opening and unleashed a flurry of punches.  With no space to retreat, Rampage ducked behind his arms catching the worst of the damage on elbows and shoulders but he didn’t stop throwing back, in fact, even as he covered up from a hard Silva punch Rampage threw a counter left hook that caught the Brazilian square on the jaw and put him out.

 

Three subsequent punches to his downed opponent were unnecessary as Rampage had knocked Silva cold much in the same way he did to dethrone former champ Chuck Liddell in 2007.

  

The Rest of the Card

 

Heavyweights:

 

Cheick Kongo vs. Mostapha Al Turk

British fighter Mostapha Al Turk had a brutal introduction to the UFC as he faced Rampage’s training partner Cheick Kongo from France.  In an early clinch Al Turk landed an accidental knee below the belt requiring a stop in the action so Kongo could recover.  Kongo seemed to carry a grudge for when they clinched again after the fight was restarted the Frenchman delivered what looked to be a very intentional low knee of his own forcing another referee intervention.

 

Kongo had little intention of letting his British opponent recover however.  As soon as the fight was restarted the Frenchman charged Al Turk and drove him to the mats with a series of vicious punches and then proceeded to rain down a storm of effective elbows and hammer fists that opened up the Brit’s face and forced a referee salvation for the overwhelmed UFC newcomer.

 

It was a frightening display of aggression by Kongo.

 

Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike Wessel

Another UFC newcomer Mike Wessel stepped up on short notice to take on Dutch striker Antoni Hardonk.  Wessel’s strength and aggressiveness seemed to pay off in round one as he managed to take the Dutchman down and inflict some punishment on the ground while avoiding Hardonk’s submission attempts.

 

The effort clearly winded Wessel who tried to do the same in the second round.  While he managed to take Hardonk down again Wessel was not able to keep control of the Dutch fighter who worked his way to the exhausted Wessel’s back and punished him with strikes until the referee stopped the action.

 

Dan Evensen Vs. Pat Barry

The opening fight of the evening saw kick boxer Pat Barry make his first Octagon appearance against Dan Evensen who was returning for his second UFC after losing in his debut against to Cheick Kongo.

 

Pat Barry’s devastating leg kicks landed solidly and repeatedly from the opening bell and Evensen had no answer for them.  Halfway into round one Barry landed an especially damaging leg kick that buckled Evensen’s knee forcing him to limp away and signal defeat as he could no longer stand on the injured limb.

 

Light Heavyweight:

 

Matt Hamill vs. Reese Andy

Having gone the distance in a losing effort against much heralded Brandon Vera, Reese Andy was given a second chance to use his wrestling pedigree in the Octagon against Ultimate Fighter alumnus Matt Hamill.

 

Round one saw both men exchanging on their feet cautious of one another’s wrestling skills.  Andy opened up a cut under Hamill’s eye and a heavy Hamill punch threatened to close one of Andy’s eyes.  It was a reasonably close first round of sloppy striking with Hamill seemingly controlling the pace.

 

In the second round however Hamill seemed to find his range and his big looping punches that had looked sloppy in round one now began to connect with effect including some wicked body shots.  A desperate Andy tried to take the fight to the mats but Hamill easily threw off all take down attempts and used the proximity to deliver some brutal knees. 

 

Fearing another knee off a failed clinch, Andy went to the mat where the rules prevent Hamill from kneeing a downed opponent, it wasn’t enough to save Andy though as Hamill followed him down with wicked punches that forced a referee stoppage early in round two.

 

Middleweight:

 

TUF finalist CB Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio

With a win in his UFC debut fight Massenzio returned to the Octagon hoping to avenge a wrestling loss to Ultimate Fighter finalist CB Dollaway.

 

At the start Massenzio managed to hurt Dollaway with a punch and then took the TUF star to the mat where he worked a couple close submission attempts.  But Dollaway reversed fortunes as he passed Massenzio’s guard with apparent ease and when Massenzio rolled to his front Dollaway flattened him out and delivered a series of punches that required the referee to stop the match three minutes into the first round.

 

Yushin Okami vs. Dean Lister

In a bout too boring to be aired Okami and Lister elicited boos from the audience in attendance.  Not known for aggressiveness or action Okami was not really at fault for the pace of this match which saw Lister repeatedly try to bring the fight to the mats in order to avoid Okami’s superior stand-up.

 

Though occasionally successful in bringing Okami to the mat Lister’s submission attempts were unsuccessful and he failed to keep the Japanese fighter on the ground.  Standing and on the ground it was Okami who managed to score points with punches earning a unanimous decision. 

 

While Okami will probably be invited back based on his ability to win matches, it is less likely that the UFC will rush to sign Lister for future events.

 

 

Welterweight:

 

Ryo Chonan vs. Brad Blackburn

In his second UFC fight Blackburn faced the Japanese fighter Chonan who holds the distinction of being the last man to submit UFC Middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

 

Rounds one and two appeared close with Blackburn having the slight edge in the striking despite Chonan’s efforts to push the pace.

 

Probably realizing he was behind on the scorecards Chonan seemed to grow desperate in the third round but Blackburn retreated and avoided engaging.  With 40 seconds remaining Chonan finally caught Blackburn with a punch and followed the retreating American with several more good shots clearly dominating the third round but failing to finish Blackburn before the time ran out.

 

Blackburn managed to hold on for the decision winning 2 rounds to 1 in a less than satisfying finish.

 

Summary:

 

Apart from the disappointing Chonan-Blackburn and embarrassing Okami-Lister matches the UFC 92 card was filled with exciting finishes and great efforts from the fighters.

 

The three main events were each dramatic and their outcomes make for interesting future fights.  Might Rampage challenge Rashad to win back the belt he so recently lost to Griffin?  Can Mir beat Lesnar again and reclaim the UFC Heavyweight title he lost so many years ago to a near crippling motorcycle accident?  Will Rashad be able to maintain his undefeated streak and become the first champion since Chuck Liddell to successfully defend the Light Heavyweight title?

 

Forrest Griffin will certainly return to the Octagon but will he ever rise to challenge for the title again?  What about the former Pride champions Nogueira and Silva?  After their devastating losses will they return to the Octagon and if so can they ever rise again to reclaim their former glory or are their best days behind them?

 

Compellingly dramatic story lines, surprising outcomes and underdog victories made UFC 92 an event well worth watching.