Wow, impressive card last night at UFC 121. Let's get into it:
Tom Lawlor def. Patrick Cote via unanimous decision
Lawlor walked away with the scorecards, 30-27 across the board. Lawlor fought hard for a takedown in the first round and attempted several submissions. At one point he had Cote in an arm triangle and Cote had to resort to grabbing the fence to escape (which is illegal). He totally outperformed Cote three rounds straight.
Court McGee def. Ryan Jensen via submission (arm triangle), round 3
The Ultimate Fighter winner McGee started off slowly and likely lost the first round, but picked up the pace in the second, mixing up some good punches with kicks as well. He got taken down but popped right back up, ending the round with a takedown of his own. McGee started the third with a big takedown, secured mount, dropped some big elbows, and then got the tapout with an arm triangle. Awesome comeback.
Brendan Schaub def. Gabriel Gonzaga via unanimous decision
Schaub wobbled Gonzaga in the first round and took it to him again in the second. Gonzaga rallied in the third -- the last round seemed much more even -- but also much slower as both men seemed to have run out of steam. Gonzaga really went for it at the end, but it was too little too late.
Matt Hamill def. Tito Ortiz via unanimous decision
This was a highly entertaining fight. Ortiz showed some really good striking in the first round, but by the second frame Hamill was working his takedown game and dominating on top. Ortiz has a busy, offensive guard but couldn't make anything work. They billed this one as Teacher vs. Student because of Ortiz and Hamill's close relationship as coach/fighter on the Ultimate Fighter reality show. They really were tight throughout their season, and this must have been an emotional fight for Ortiz. Hamill contributes to Ortiz's losing streak, but still, I hope they keep the Huntington Beach Bad Boy around. He keeps losing, but he's always competitive.
Diego Sanchez def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision
Sanchez is back! First round is very close and Thiago might have walked away with it. In the second and third, however, Sanchez worked his ground game and dominated from all positions. Thiago stayed busy, improved his position a couple of times and went for several submissions, but he looked tired and Sanchez was all over him. "Yes!", as Sanchez would say. It looks like his move back to Greg Jackson's camp was a good idea.
Jake Shields def. Martin Kampmann via split decision
Shields' first fight in the UFC after vacating his belt in Strikeforce wasn't an easy one. He was able to get Kampmann to the ground several times, but had to work like hell for it. In the second round Kampmann landed a couple of big knees and even went for a choke. He got taken down and mounted but he got back to his feet. In the third, Shields was working really hard but he looked tired. He did enough to win it.
Cain Velasquez def. Brock Lesnar via TKO (punches), round 1, wins the Heavyweight Belt
At the outset, Lesnar angled off, then charged in like a madman. He even landed a flying knee, the sight of which just looks impossible considering how massive he is. He took Velasquez down but Velasquez stayed calm and made his way to his feet. Lesnar put him against the cage and struggled for a double-leg, but Velasquez held his base. Eventually he gets taken down but popped right back up. They separated, and then Velasquez unleashed a hellstorm of strikes. He took Lesnar down, but couldn't keep the champ on the ground. Lesnar was all over the ring, like a fish flopping on deck. Velasquez hit him hard, ended up on top in side control. He rained down punches and Lesnar was bloodied and hurt. Herb Dean stopped the fight, and we have a new champ.
AMAZING.
Ariel Helwani talks to Dana White after the fights:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftraUJn0rLE&fs=1&hl=en_GB&rel=0]
(photo via)