UFC Fight Night - Maynard vs. Diaz

[DixieDestroyer]

Fyi, here's the card for tonight's UFC Fight Night Live (from Fairfax, VA @ 9PM ET on Spike).

Preliminary Card

* Middleweight bout: Nick Catone vs. Jesse Forbes

Catone defeated Forbes via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

* Middleweight bout: United States Gerald Harris vs. United States John Salter

Harris defeated Salter via TKO (strikes) at 03:24 of round 3.

* Lightweight bout: Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos
* Welterweight bout: Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald
* Lightweight bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Nik Lentz
* Welterweight bout: United States Rick Story vs. United States Jesse Lennox
* Middleweight bout: Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva

Main Card

* Welterweight bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn
* Middleweight bout: Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson
* Lightweight bout: Efrain Escudero vs. Evan Dunham
* Lightweight bout: Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz

***- I'll be pulling for Maynard, Dunham, Lawlor, Sadollah (vs. afflete BLACKburn), Leben (vs. afrolete Silva), Lentz, Bradley & Salter (vs. afflete Harris).

UFC Fight Night Live Card

 

[Liverlips]

Another great night from a caste perspective.

Sadollah beat afflete Blackburn.
Leben beat afflete Silva.
Dunham subbed Escodero (and broke his arm when Efrain wouldn't tap). Simpson and Lawlor (both white) had a fight of the night that could have gone either way. Both need to now be considered contenders at 185. Maynard won a very boring decision over Nate Diaz (unfortunately, Maynard has no chance against BJ Penn).

 

[White Shogun]

The Maynard fight wasn't thrilling but I wouldn't say it was boring. I liked watching him punch Diaz in the face.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Here's the full card results...

Preliminary Card

* Middleweight bout: Nick Catone vs. Jesse Forbes

Catone defeated Forbes via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

* Middleweight bout: Gerald Harris vs. John Salter

Harris defeated Salter via TKO (strikes) at 3:24 of round 3.

* Lightweight bout: Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos

dos Anjos defeated Bradley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

* Welterweight bout: Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald

MacDonald defeated Guymon via submission (armbar) at 4:27 of round 1.

* Lightweight bout: Thiago Tavares vs. Nik Lentz

Tavares and Lentz fought to a majority draw after three rounds.

The judges scored the fight 29-27 (Lentz), 28-28 and 28-28. A point deduction was given to Tavares for a shot to the groin.

* Welterweight bout: Rick Story vs. Jesse Lennox

Story defeated Lennox via majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-28)

* Middleweight bout: Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva

Leben defeated Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Main Card

* Welterweight bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn

Sadollah defeated Blackburn via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

* Middleweight bout: Tom Lawlor vs. Aaron Simpson

Simpson defeated Lawlor via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

* Lightweight bout: Efrain Escudero vs. Evan Dunham

Dunham defeated Escudero via submission (armbar) at 1:59 of round 3.

* Lightweight bout: Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz

Maynard defeated Diaz via split decision (29-28, 28-29 30-27). .

***Looks like Maynard gets the next shot at BJ's LW strap!

 

[guest301]

If Gray Maynard is the best and next guy in the lightweight division to fight BJ Penn then I think Penn will be a champion for a long time. I would be more excited to see Kenny Florian getting a rematch with Penn than the Maynard/Penn fight. There are some lightweights in the WEC(UFC owned) that I would rather see fight BJ.

 

[guest301]

I am also glad to see Chris Leben getting back to his winning ways. I was hoping to see his fight make it to the televised portion but his career has taken a downturn with some recent losses and I hope he make it back to main card status.

 

[Liverlips]

I can see Penn fighting Maynard in April as GSP also has an easy defense (against Hardy) in March. That could set up Penn-GSP III in the fall.

Both 155 and 170 have lots of good contenders but GSP and Penn are so much ahead of their divisions that there are no good matches left for either.

Looking ahead, Evan Dunham may be champ in the next few years if he keeps improving. I was very impressed by his win over Escodero.

 

[guest301]

Yes Liverlips, Dunhams submission was very impressive and I was screaming at Escodero to tap sooner because that was one vicious submission and that arm was getting bent back in ways that was disturbing to watch. Wisdom is the better part of valor and live on to fight another day, It's no dishonor to tap if you are beaten, it's a sport.Edited by: guest301

 

[Liverlips]

Yep - he still tapped eventually and if his arm did break he could be out for a year or so. Forrest Griffin did that once and said he learned his lesson.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

KenFlo might be the 2nd best LW (above Guida & Stephenson). We'll see if Maynard can bring his A stand up game & leverage his wrestling to avoid BJ's ground game.

 

[Liverlips]

Looks like Frankie Edgar will get the title shot at Penn. Best of luck to him but beating Penn at 155 is a tall order.

 

[guest301]

I believe I read somewhere that the fight will be in Abu Dhabi this spring. Some Middle Eastern company just bought ten percent shares in the UFC and Dana White said it will help the UFC make inroads sooner in to the Middle East and China.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Abu Dhabi is the home of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Submission Wrestling/Grappling championships. ADCC was initiated by by Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the son of the former United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, together with his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Nelson Monteiro. The UFC (Zuffa) sold percentage of company to Sheik Tahnoon of Abu Dhabi.


UFC Sells % To Abu Dhabi Sheik

Edited by: DixieDestroyer