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Diego Sanchez had a nightmare and its name was B.J. Penn. The gifted fighter known as “The Prodigy” made the third successful defense of his UFC lightweight championship by destroying Sanchez in dominant fashion, finally ending the one-sided contest in the fifth round on cuts.

Penn moved forward early, stalking Sanchez who fired several punches, but landed none. Penn landed a straight right that dropped Sanchez. Penn then pounced, landing several more punches in the process. To his credit, Sanchez took the punishment and survived.

Sanchez continued to attack, but Penn landed an effective right hand counter. Sanchez did land a left cross after backing Penn to the cage. Penn advanced forward, looking to unleash his great striking skills. Sanchez shot for quick takedown attempt but Penn thwarted it. Sanchez attempted a flying knee but missed. Sanchez survived the round but lost it badly. It was a round that could easily be scored 10-8.

In the second round, Sanchez stepped up his aggressiveness and tried to take Penn down. However, Penn displayed the insane balance that has defined his unique skill set. Penn moved in to land his deadly straight right hand. Penn thrived again in the counter-punching role, landing deadly punches each time Sanchez attempted to go on the offensive.

In the third round Sanchez again tried mightily to take Penn down but ate some leather in the return. Sanchez pushed Penn against the cage and tried to take Penn down but Penn landed several short uppercuts and side punches. In the process Sanchez accomplished nothing other than lasting (and losing) the round.

In the fourth round Penn continued to land more strikes. Sanchez again tried his left leg kick but simply could not find a way to land it. Sanchez threw a monstrous right hook, but again Penn managed to stay out of harm’s way. Sanchez found himself caught in a dangerous situation, he was unable to take Penn down, and couldn’t match BJ’s striking prowess. What looked to be a test, became a mismatch.

The same pattern continued in the fifth round, as Sanchez was unable to mount an effective offense. Later in the round Penn landed a kick followed by several uppercuts. One of the kick’s landed with the shin and a huge gash opened up on Sanchez’s forehead. Sanchez’s face turned a crimson red and referee Herb Dean stops the fight and asked for the doctor’s advice. Upon the advice of the doctor, Dean stopped the contest at 2:37 of the fifth round.

“I was keeping my mouth shut but I always wanted to fight Diego Sanchez,” Penn said. “I knew for years he wanted to fight me.”

“BJ is a great champion,” Diego said. “That was the best BJ I’ve seen…I’ll be back.”

Mir Makes Quick Work of Kongo!

Frank Mir entered the ring heavier but with a purpose – to show that he meant business about facing and defeating Brock Lesnar in a future rubber match. But, first he had to defeat a dangerous striker and ground-and-pounder in Cheick Kongo. The two exchanged a stream of verbal insults back and forth to heighten expectations.

The two refuse to touch gloves and this one is personal. Mir lands a heavy left cross that drops Kongo like a sack of potatoes. He then sinks in a brutal submission. The referee stopped the contest only 1:12 into the round.

“Talent will only take you so far,” Mir said. “He had a very erect stance. He’s a big powerful guy and I wanted to put him to sleep. I really do hope he is healthy.”

Florian Chokes Out Guida!

Three-time “Fight of the Night” award winner Clay Guida squared off against former number #1 lightweight contender Kenny Florian fresh off his title shot loss to the great B.J. Penn. The question coming in was whether Guida’s nonstop aggression and energy would overcome the technical skills of Florian.

The orthodox Guida opened up aggressive, though not crazy aggressive as in some of his past bouts – perhaps out of respect for Florian. After Florian missed with a kick, Guida charged him and took him down. Guida tried to hammer Florian but the elusive Florian managed to get to his feet. Guida landed a good uppercut in another exchange. Florian tried some knee strikes but never landed one cleanly. Florian later picks Guida up and slams him down. Guida’s face is a bloody mess enough that referee Mario Yagasaki stops the action to let the doctor examine him.

The second round featured Guida diving in for the takedown but Florian thwarting it quite effectively. Florian landed a good right jab. Florian caught Guida with a great counter right hand and then sunk in a rear naked choke. Guida tapped out at 2:19 of the second round.

“Tonight was my night,” Florian said. “Clay Guida is a phenomenal fighter. Tonight was my night. I have really worked on and tightened up my boxing. I want another shot at the title.”

Fitch Decisions Pierce!

Mike Pierce took on his toughest competition to date in the tough Jon Fitch – a man whose only loss in the last several years was to pound-for-pound great Georges St. Pierre over five hard rounds. Fitch moved in and took Pierce down. He got his back and began punching him to soften him up, perhaps to then put in a choke hold. Pierce managed to throw Fitch down but could mount little effective offense. Pierce cut Fitch under his left eye early in the round but Fitch did more damage during the round.

In the second round, Pierce attempted to take Fitch down. Fitch landed some good jabs, bloodying Pierce’s nose. The two exchanged strikes for a long period of time. Neither fighter gained much of an advantage though Fitch seemed to win the round.

In the third round, the two picked up the pace though neither fighter distanced himself from the other. The great wrestling skills of both fighters are on display. Fitch tried a series of knee strikes but Pierce blocked most of them. Fitch landed a good uppercut and then shot in for ground control. Pierce took a good knee and a right hand but delivered a great hook that seemed to really shake Fitch. The former world title challenger wisely tied Pierce up and lasted the round without taking any more significant damage.

Fightnews scored it 29-28 Fitch. The judges scored it 29-28 for Fitch as well.

“I got off to a slow start,” Fitch said. “It kind of freaked me out when I got cut early. I wished I picked up the pace more. He’s a tough guy with a bright future,” Fitch acknowledged. When asked about whether he was hurt, Fitch said that he’d be hit hard in the past and he knew what to do.

Struve Edges Buentello!

Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello returned to the UFC for the first time since February 2006 when he stopped Gilbert Aldana. Buentello faced a tall task at UFC 107, a 6′11″ task in Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve.

The lanky Struve led with a kick while Buentello fired a right cross. Struve landed a nice uppercut that Buentello took well. Struve then clinched, tripped Buentello to the ground and then sought to submit him. Struve kept trying to sink in a guillotine choke but Buentello managed to survive. Struve took the round by controlling the action on the ground.

In the second round, Buentello landed a good right hand that dropped Struve but he wanted no part of the “Skyscraper” on the ground. Struve then pushed Buentello up against the cage. Struve then went for a heel hook submission. Struve went for a flying knee strike and took a strong uppercut from “The Headhunter”. The two later went toe to toe in a furious exchange. Later the two slapped hands in a mutual exchange of respect.

There was a bit of delay heading into the third round as they had to remove a pieced of Struve’s tooth from the mouthpiece. Heading into the third round, the fight hung in the balance with Struve taking the first and Buentello the second. Struve moved forward, attempting leg strikes and an occasional right cross. Buentello fired back a stringing uppercut. Struve landed another leg strike to Buentello’s left leg. Buentello threw more frequently in the final minute, perhaps obtaining a 29-28 victory.

The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 28-28 for Stefan Struve in a majority opinion that was not well received by the Memphis crowd. The crowd booed so loudly that it was hard to hear Rogan’s post-fight interview.

“I thought it was more a draw,” Struve said. “He caught me but I wasn’t hurt bad. I’m disappointed in my performance. I finish fights and I didn’t finish this one. I’m going to work harder and come back better.”

Belcher Strikes His Way To Victory!

Alan “The Talent” Belcher returned to the winner’s circle with an exciting victory in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, with an exciting battle against Wilson Gouveia. Fresh off a narrow decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyami in a bout that won “Fight of the Night” honors, Belcher needed to start a winning streak if he wants to fulfill his dream of a world title shot.

These two waged a stand-up war in the first round with Belcher seemingly landing the harder shots. Belcher later switched to southpaw and pounded Gouviea to the canvas with a beautiful right uppercut followed by a right hook. He rained down several blows to the fallen Gouveia before referee Herb Dean mercifully called an end to the bout at 3:03 of the first round.

“I’m so happy to get the win,” Belcher said. “All my friends, my family are here. All the faces that I grew up with – I love you guys. I want to show that I can finish fights, I can knock guys out. I came into the UFC and I was young. But now I’m ready to step up and be the next contender,” he said. “I want that belt baby.”

Wiman Decisions Nelson…

Matt Wiman entered his bout with Shane Nelson, desperately needing a win, as he had dropped his last two fights in the Octagon to Sam Stout and Jim Miller. He needed a win for his UFC life and he fought like it. The first round featured a back-and-forth exchange between the southpaw Nelson and the orthodox Wiman. Wiman landed a right-hand bomb just before the last minute of the fight that probably earned him the round on the judges’ scorecards.

Wiman opened a nasty cut over Nelson’s forehead, but the game Nelson kept battling Wiman in a high-energy second round. Both combatants landed some good strikes and both attempted submissions on the ground.

In the third round, Wiman landed a nasty kick to the jewels, causing a stoppage in the action. Wiman advanced forward, the aggressor again. Nelson landed a good leg kick to the side of the head, but Wiman took it well. Wiman later took the fight to the ground and ended up on top where he did more damage than Nelson. Wiman set up a rear naked choke attempt but couldn’t quite put it in final position. Wiman dominated the round and seemingly won the fight.

The judges scored it 30-27 for “Handsome” Matt Wiman.

“He’s tough on his feet, he hits hard and has a lot of heart,” Wiman said. “I felt like I was the better fighter than him tonight. We both wanted to get after it so I knew it was going to be a good fight.”

Hendricks Wins Battle Of  The Unbeatens!

In a battle of unbeatens, American Johny Hendricks used his incredible wrestling skills to batter Brazilian Ricardo Funch over three rounds. Hendricks, a former decorated NCAA wrestling champion, showed too much strength and grappling skill for the talented and game Funch.

In the opening round, the two unbeatens grappled against the cage with both showing incredible balance, fending off takedown attempts by their opponent. Hendricks finally slammed Funch to the canvas but was unable to inflict much damage. Later in the round, Hendricks excelled at dirty boxing, landing several good shots at close range while the two were clinched. Hendricks captured the first round.

In the second round, the aggressive Hendricks pressed the action, performing another crowd-pleasing body slam. Later in the round he did some effective work with knee strikes to the head. Hendricks dominated the action, almost putting in a guillotine choke near the end of the round.

Heading into the third round, Funch presumably needed a knockout to win or at least a 10-8 round to earn a draw. He didn’t get it; in fact, it took all his skill to survive to the final bell. The judges scored it 30-27 (twice) and 30-25 for Hendricks. Hendricks moved to 7-0 and Funch falls to 7-1.

“I just wanted to show that I had jiu-jitsu and I did it against a purple belt,” Hendricks said. “He’s a tough dude. I hit him with everything I had. I got to thank God and all my trainers. Those guys are awesome and helped me get the win tonight.”

Palhares Submits Linares!

In this battle of Brazilian warriors, Rousimar Palhares earned his third victory in the Octagon against only one defeat – a decision loss to “Dangerous” Dan Henderson – when he submitted Lucio Linhares by heel hook in the second round.

In the opening round, it took only a matter of seconds to hit the ground, as Palhares immediately shot in for a takedown and then sought to submit, pound and pummel Linhares. Palhares stood up and rained down an elbow strike on Linhares who managed to keep Palhares in his guard for much of the early part of the round. After the referee stood the fighters up, Palhares landed a combination and then shot in for a takedown. The two both attempted ankle submissions. Palhares dominated the action in the first round.

In the second round, Linhares started off much better, attempting submissions and landed some good strikes. However, when the two were on the ground, Palhares set in a heel hook that ended the fight when Linhares tapped, forcing referee Greg Franklin to stop the contest at 3:21 of the second round. Palhares improves to 10-2, while Linhares drops to 13-5.

“All the hard work and the training paid off,” Palhares said. “I’m a little tired. I was injured after my last fight and I felt a bit cold coming into this one. It feels great to get the win. I’m glad I did my job and got the submission.”

Johnson Pulls Off Quick Submission Over Garcia…

Both of these promising fighters looked to garner their first win in the Octagon in their second official UFC fights. Edgar Garcia had dropped a decision to Brad Blackburn, while DeMarques Johnson lost in the Ultimate Fighter finale to James Wilks.

The two traded bombs in the opening of round one with neither fighter gaining a real advantage. When the fight hit the ground, Garcia ended up on top in Johnson’s guard. Garcia nearly won via a “Peruvian necktie” submission but Johnson survived. The two even slapped five in the ring at one point after an engaging onslaught. Garcia dropped Johnson with a heavy shot and then started raining more blows down on him. It looked for all the world, like Johnson was about to be pummeled into oblivion. However, Johnson not only survived but he also thrived, as he landed an effective upkick and then set in a triangle choke. Garcia tapped out at 4:03 of the first round.

“It was pretty fucking tight, but I had to decide to either go to sleep or work my way out,” Johnson admitted when asked by Joe Rogan about the Peruvian necktie submission that Garcia nearly had him. “He’s a big strong guy. He surprised me with the choke.” Johnson thanked Jeremy Horn and his other trainers and coaches for pulling him through this exciting war. On his submission, Johnson said: “That was some straight up Jeremy Horn Fight-Jitsu. I can’t really remember much because he hits so hard.”

Grant Pounds Out Win Over Burns!

These two wasted little time going to war. The consensus headed into the fight was that Kevin Burns would seek to keep the fight standing with his superior striking skills, while T.J. Grant would look to use his submission skills and take the fight to the ground. The consensus was correct for much – but not all – of the first round.

Burns droped Grant with a devastating left hook and then sought to finish it with several more strikes. Grant somehow survived and then took Burns down tried to move in for side control. Grant had the advantage but Burns showed adequate defense and then eventually squirmed out.

Grant landed a kick to the family jewels that stopped the action with less than a minute to go in the round. With less than 20 seconds to go in the round, Grant landed a right hook that floored Burns. He followed up with a vicious right hand and further strikes.

Referee Greg Franklin stopped the bout with only three seconds in the round. Burns seemed upset by the stoppage, perhaps feeling that he should have been given a chance to finish the round.

“I recovered real quick but for a second I was on the canvas and I didn’t know what happened,” Grant said. “My hat’s off to Kevin Burns. I know what kind of fight he brings and I thank him for that. Hard work pays off.” He added that “I’ve never had a knockout out before (in the UFC) it felt good.”

Octagon Girls Logan Stanton & Natasha Wicks…

Written by David Hudson/FightNews.com

Fight Fotos by Joe Cordova/Brawlin.net

One Response to “Penn Dominates Sanchez, Mir Destroys Kongo In One!”

1. Rick Says:
   December 24th, 2009 at 6:11 am

   Nice pics Joey

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