Up now: UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Match – Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida (c) Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher
Referee: Mario Yamasaki Round 1
Belcher and Cote begin with their feeling out process. MIssed right hook by Cote. Belcher with several leg kicks to Cote. Another inside leg kick catches Cote on the cup. Mario Yamasaki pauses the fights for a minute. Cote with several punches against he cage. Back into the center of the cage, Cote eats a body shot on a leg kick. “Ole” chants break out in the crowd. Cote’s right side is swelling from kicks to the body (not left as Joe Rogan says). Cote catches a leg and gets Belcher to the mat. Butterfly guard from Belcher, but Cote fights for a kimura. Belcher escapes and reverses position, taking top position and almost securing an arm triangle. The round ends with Belcher on top.
10-9 Belcher
Round 2
Right hand from Cote. The ref realizes that Belcher forgot his mouthpiece and stops while he gets it back. An exchange of punches by both fighters with no major damage. Inside leg kick by Cote. Cote begins letting his hands go and tags Belcher with 3-4 clean shots. Belcher pulls Cote into the clinch and gets him against the cage. Cote gets free and begins bobbing and weaving before letting 2 punches go that connect. Belcher goes for a knee that Cote catches and takes him to his feet. Back on their feet, Cote gets pump handle slam that Cote lands on his face and body. On the replay, it doesn’t look like a spike slam (which would be illegal if he landed on the top of his head), but Belcher rolls around Cote and secures the rear naked choke for the submission win. That is Patrick Cote’s first ever loss in Canada, FYI.Winner: Alan Belcher by submission (3:25, rear naked choke, R2)
Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs. Matt Mitrione
Referee: Dan MirgaliottaRound 1Mitrione is smiling and attempts a big head kick and Kimbo catches him, launching Mitrione to the mat with a HUGE powerbomb. Kimbo and Mitrione are tangled up and he scoops Matt again for a powerbomb, but Mitrione controls his head and tries to sink a triangle choke. Kimbo works out of it and ends up in half guard. Mitrione back to his feet, but Slice picks him up and slams him again. Mitrione tries for the triangle again, but Kimbo escapes. Back on their feet, several body shots from Kimbo are countered by a leg kick that takes Kimbo down. Mitrione dives in for a gator roll, but Kimbo avoids and real danger before the round ends.10-9 SliceRound 2
Kimbo presses Mitrione to the cage. Jab from Mitrione leads to a leg kick to Kimbo. Slice eats two more leg kicks and is noticeably stunned. His legs are a weakness, we know that. Slice shoots in and presses Mitrione against the cage, but doesn’t have the strength to slam him and falls to the mat. Mitrione takes Kimbo the mat and begins leveling him with big knees to the body. Mitrione gets the mount and starts beating the elbows and forearms of Kimbo Slice. Mitrione thinks about the arm triangle, but switches to the americana, which Slice powers out of. Several more big shots from Mitrione cause Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight.Winner: Matt Mitrione via TKO (4:24, R2)
Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
Referee: Mario YamasakiRound 1
Stephens misses a big shot to start. Leg kick from Stout is caught and Jeremy takes him to the mate. Stout works back to his feet. Stephens lands with a right hand that hurts Stout. Outside leg kick from Stout keeps Stephens outside the pocket. Right hand from Jeremy misses. Body punch from Stout and a counter by Stephens. Left hook to the body by Stout. Big right hand takes Stephens down. Stout on his way up and Stephens hits him with a big knee. Stout with kicks and a cross. Spinning back fist from Stephens. Two punches to the body from Stout countered by a right to the face. Left kick to the body from Stephens. Two hooks to the body by Stout and then he ducks the big looping “Leonard Garcia special”. Body kick by Stephens countered by a right hand from Stout.10-9 StephensRound 2Jab, outside leg kick from Stout. Stout is working combos with the leg kick, and Stephens half catches, half blocks a kick that Stout stumbles away from. Stephens comes flying in with a flying knee that catches Stout in the body and then he takes Stout to the mat. Stout works for the kimura, but Jeremy hides the arm. Back on their feet now, Stout eats a hook on the way up and barely misses eating a knee. Right cross, left hook to the body from Stout. Stephens is being slowed down by the leg kicks significantly (are leg kicks the new weapon of choice?) Stephens with a big right hand that barely missed Stout. Stephens shoots for a takedown that is avoided by Stout. Back to back inside leg kicks from Stout loosen up Stephens’ leg. Leg hook by Stephens. Big right hand from Stephens. Spinning back fist from Stephens misses. Stout comes in for a cross and misses on a spinning back fist of his own10-9 StoutRound 3Left-right combo from Stout. Stout lands a leg kick to the cup on Stephens and we get a big break. Stephens with a big shot and then a body kick. Flying knee by Jeremy misses. Left hook to the body by Stout. Lots of boxing for 30 seconds, no major power shots. Both fighters connect with rights. Big jab from Stephens, followed by a glancing outside leg kick. Jab Stephens. In the clinch, Stephens tags Stout with a knee to the face. Leg kick from Stout stops Stephens in his tracks and Stout charges in and begins tagging him with punches before being pulled into the full guard. Back on their feet, Stephens goes for a big flying knee. Stephens is swinging for the fences, and shoots in for a takedown with under 30 seconds to go. He lets Stout up and neither man really engages for the final 5 seconds and the fight ends.10-9 StephensWinner: Jeremy Stephens via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
Referee: Yves Lavigne
Round 1
Lawlor and Doerksen come out very fast with a ton of strikes early. Big right from Doerksen. Head kick from Doerksen. After a great exchange, Lawlor rocks Doerksen. Doerksen gets back to his feet. Lawlor tees off on Joe with straights and crosses. Doerksen tries for the clinch, but Lawlor pushes him off. In case you’re not watching, Lawlor dyed his hair shoe polish black and looks like a porn star or Dan Severn, depending on your point of view. Doerksen begins punching as Lawlor looks a bit spent. Doerksen stumbles, but Lawlor swings and misses, falling to the mat. Doerksen gets on top, but Lawlor grabs a leg and is working for a takedown as the round ends.
10-9 Lawlor
Round 2
Head kick from Doerksen is partially blocked. Body kick from Doerksen. Left body kick by Lawlor. Head kick from Doerksen misses, but he quickly follows up with a left palm slap and straight. Big right from Doerksen. Lawlor catches the left leg of Doerksen, but he remains standing long enough to get onto Lawlor’s back, secure the rear naked choke and earn the submission
Winner: Joe Doerksen by submission (2:10, rear naked choke, R2)
Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley
Referee: Dan Miragliotta Round 1 Winner of this bout will be coaching opposite Georges St. Pierre on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. Daley comes out with a flying knee that misses. Daley looks ready to spring on Koscheck. Jabs to the body from Daley. Koscheck gets a single leg and takes Daley down. Daley back to his feet, but Koscheck still has his arms wrapped around Daley, scoops him and slams him on his back. In half guard, knee to the ribs from Koscheck. Daley tries to stand back up, but Koscheck keeps him on the mat. Daley gets full guard, but Koscheck waits and takes Daley’s back. Hooks are in on Daley and Josh waits for him to make a mistake. Koscheck tries to go palm to palm for the rear naked but Daley gets free. On the scramble, it looks like Daley gets Koscheck gets hit with a knee. On the replay, it looks like NOTHING happened. Daley had a point deducted. The match is restarted and Daley comes out pissed. He knows he was robbed of that point, but he wants it back now.
10-9 Koscheck
Round 2
The point wasn’t deducted as Koscheck admits he was never hit with the knee. Daley is tagged with a punch, and Koscheck shoots for a take down, driving him across the octagon. Koscheck in half guard. Daley does a good job of getting back into half guard after two full mount attempts by Koscheck. Knees to the body and short hooks to the head from Koscheck. “Semtex” is doing a great job of keeping Koscheck in half guard. Elbows and body shots from Koscheck before he walks him toward the cage. Kos begins working on Daley’s back. Koscheck with shots to the side of the head. The round ends with Kos on Daley’s back.
10-9 Koscheck
Round 3
Paul Daley catches Koscheck with a knee while he is working for the takedown. Koscheck is in the half guard with small right hooks to the side of his head. Daley has double underhooks on Kos, who smothers Semtex to the mat. Josh Koscheck gets the full mount. Daley tries to roll away, but Kos maintains the mount. Daley gets back to half guard, but Koscheck is just laying on him like a blanket. Kos and Daley are getting back to their feet, Paul Daley steps around referee Dan Miragliotta and throws a left handed sucker punch that Koscheck blocks.
10-9 Koscheck
Winner: Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Post-fight, Koscheck taunts the Montreal crowd, who are booing, saying that the Pittsburgh Penguins will beat the Montreal Canadiens next week and that he’ll be beating GSP as well. Also, Paul Daley will surely be suspended for his unnecessary attack on Koscheck. He might be a boring fighter, but that’s not something the sport needs.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Match
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida (c)
Referee: Yves Lavigne Round 1
Leg kick from Rua and he charges in with a few punch. Machida counters with a punch of his own. Leg kick by Rua. Leg kick from Rua, countered by a missed body kick from Machida. Machida with the takedown. Shogun back to his feet and he charges in with straight punches. A clinch leads to a takedown by Machida. Back on their feet, Shogun presses Rua against the cage. Machida with a knee on the break from the clinch. Knee to the body from Machida. Shogun clips Machida with a right hook to the temple, gets the full mount, lands 6-7 big punches and Machida is completely out cold.
Winner and NEW UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua by knockout (3:35, R1)
Jonathan Goulet vs. Marcus Davis
Round 1
Goulet with a takedown, sweep from Davis and they’re back on their feet. Davis catches Goulet with a big right hand that causes Goulet to stumble. Goulet presses in for a takedown and gets caught in a deep guillotine in full guard. Goulet rides it out and they are back standing. Goulet with a takedown, but Davis is seated. Goulet leaves the neck in and it’s clear that Davis’ arms are spent. Goulet goes for a takedown, but Davis is back on his feet. Davis goes for a leg kick, but Goulet catches it and takes him down. Davis twice gets to his feet, only to become unseated by the Canadian. Lots of long punches from Goulet. Goulet drops for a leg lock, but loses it as the round comes to a close.
10-9 Goulet Round 2
Davis lands a big shot that fazes Goulet and after several shots, Davis moves into half guard. Goulet gets the underhook and is back on his feet. Goulet steps into a big right hook, a left uppercut from Marcus Davis and he hits the mat. Goulet eats another big punch and the fight is stopped.
Winner: Marcus Davis by TKO (1:23, R2)
And that’s it for us tonight, folks. Did you think Rua was going to pull out the win? What will the co-main event be remembered more for: the “phantom knee” or the sucker punch after the fight? Disappointed by Kimbo’s performance or impressed with Mitrione?
Leave your thoughts and reactions to tonight’s card below.
