UFC 97: Redemption April 18th, 2009 Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada PPV (10:00PM EST) 185lbs. Anderson "The Spider" Silva [23-4] (C) vs. Thales Leites [14-1] 205lbs. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell [21-6] vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua [17-3] 205lbs. Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski [16-8-1] vs. "All American" Brian Stann [6-1] 265lbs. Cheick Kongo [13-4-1] vs. Antoni Hardonk [8-4] 205lbs. Steve "The Robot" Cantwell [7-1] vs. Luiz Arthur "Banha" Cane [9-1] 205lbs. Eliot Marshall vs. Vinicius Magalhaes 185lbs. Dennis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam 185lbs. Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry 185lbs. David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman 155lbs. Mark Bocek vs. David Beilkheden 170lbs. TJ Grant vs. Ryo Chonan 155lbs. Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman
Notes on the event: -- UFC Middleweight king Anderson "Spider" Silva was expected to face Japanese wrestler Yushin Okami at this event, but Leites was swapped in instead. Silva can break Royce Gracie's record of consecutive UFC victories and set a new record for successful title defenses in this bout with a win (...IIRC). Thales Leites, a BJJ World Champion, is coming off a controversial split decision victory over Nate Marquardt. -- Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell has been knocked out twice in his last three fights and has lost three of four, leading UFC President Dana White to put him on notice for this bout. A Liddell loss could spell a significant reduction of his presence in the UFC in marketing and as a headliner. He has the opportunity to redeem himself with a win over struggling Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (1-1 UFC). Rua last fought Mark Coleman in an exhausting but entertaining three-round brawl that ended with seconds left on the clock following a flurry of knees and punches from Rua that floored the bulky American. Rua was once considered a top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in Japan but lackluster performances stateside have made some fans wonder if he stopped fighting well when he stopped taking his vitamins. -- French kickboxer Cheick Kongo can move up the heavyweight ladder with a win over Dutch kickboxer Antoni "Smiling Politely" Hardonk. Kongo has had a lukewarm UFC career with notable wins over Mirko Cro Cop and Ausserio Silva and losses to Heath Herring and Carmelo Marrero. He won't have to worry about his unrefined ground game being exposed against the tall Dutch fighter who is 4-2 in the UFC with all of his wins coming by knockout or technical knockout due to leg kicks. -- Surging Light Heavyweight challenger Luis Cane faces American standout Steve Cantwell in a compelling undercard match to open the televised portion of the show. Cane has demonstrated vicious Thai boxing in his short UFC career having knocked out Sokoudjou and Jason Lambert in his last two fights. Cantwell broke Razak al-Hassan's arm in his last fight, his UFC debut. Cantwell made his MMA debut against former UFC lightweight Richie Hightower. -- The Ultimate Fighter is well represented on this card with six TUF veterans on board, including Vinny Margalhaes, Eliot Marshall, Krzysztof Soszynski, and Nate Quarry. Likewise, seven Canadian fighters are being given the opportunity to showcase their skills in Montreal at UFC 97, with David Loiseau returning to the UFC, and TJ Grant making his debut.
I'm so jealous your going man! Take awesome pics. I just bought a new car, so I don't have the cash flow or order this myself. Either a guys night or I'll hit up the pizza place that orders them and lets you in for free.
Anybody else get the feeling that Silva is going to come out and dismantle Leites in the 1st round to erase the memory of Silva's last fight against Cote from everyone's mind?
I sure hope so. In the back of my mind though I keep thinking Silva's due for a lost and maybe Leites will catch him in a sub.
Pros Pick from Sherdog 18 for Liddell 2 for Rua 2 Undecided Especially loved the quote from Cote: http://sherdog.com/news/articles/pros-picks-liddell-vs-rua-17022
UFC 97 Weigh-in Results: Anderson Silva (182) vs. Thales Leites (185) Chuck Liddell (206) vs. Mauricio Rua (206) Cheick Kongo (232) vs. Antoni Hardonk (249) Steve Cantwell (205) vs. Luis Arthur Cane (206) Krzysztof Soszynski (204) vs. Brian Stann (206) Eliot Marshall (205) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (204) Denis Kang (185) vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam (185) Jason MacDonald (186) vs. Nate Quarry (186) David Loiseau (185) vs. Ed Herman (186) Mark Bocek (154) vs. David Bielkheden (157) Ryo Chonan (171) vs. T.J. Grant (169) Sam Stout (155) vs. Matt Wiman (155)
One of my friends is there. He is fuckin pumped. I'm not gonna lie, I'd be pumped too and I'm not even a big UFC fan.
I have Bruins tickets for tonight, so hopefully they rerun a replay on a stream later on around like 12-1230...
Silva over Leites via KO Round 1 Liddell over Rua via TKO Round 2 Kongo over Hardonk via UD Cane over Cantwell via TKO Round 2 Soszynksi over Stann via UD
So far... VINICIUS MAGALHAES VS. ELIOT MARSHALL Round 1 - Neither fighter connects with punches, but Magalhaes partially connects on a high kick and then just misses another. Marshall lands a combo but is tagged with a low kick. Magalhaes throws some ineffective leg kicks and then is battered with a kick to the body from Marshall. The fighters trade jabs, and the crowd boos for no apparent reason. Magalhaes charges forward wildly, and Marshall easily sidesteps the advances. The crowd again boos when the pace slows for a mere 20 seconds. Magalhaes partially connects on a kick to the ribs before Marshall lands a left jab flush. Marshall goes with a head kick that's blocked but connects on a few jabs through his opponent's defenses. Magalhaes becomes the aggressor but can't land anything as the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Marshall. Round 2 - Marshall lands two inside kicks and a kick to the body before Magalhaes clinches and puts his opponent against the cage. Marshall fends off the takedown but eats a punch on the separation. Marshall throws a kick and then is knocked off balance by a body kick. No damage is done. Magalhaes telegraphs a body kick and eats a quick one-two from Marshall. Magalhaes snaps off a body kick, and the boo birds come alive again. Magalhaes goes high and misses with a head kick and then eats a left jab and a right. Little action over the next 30 seconds as the fighters trade ineffective jabs. Magalhaes throws a body kick and eats a quick right. Marshall lands a quick left and forces a trickle of blood from Magalhaes' nose. Magalhaes catches a head kick and then finally puts Marshall on his back. He quickly delivers a series of elbow strikes to open a cut on Marshall's head and then delivers another barrage after improving position. Marshall gets back to his feet before the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Magalhaes. Round 3 - Both fighters are tentative to start the final frame. The two dodge punches for the first minute before Marshall lands a lunging body shot. Marshall then lands a nice combination and then blocks a head kick. Magalhaes gasps for breathe before eating a couple jabs. Magalhaes' nose is now providing a steady stream of blood. Marshall continues popping the nose with jabs and lands two inside leg kicks. Magalhaes throws a couple body kicks, though both are mostly blocked. The fighters trade inside leg kicks before Marshall lands two nice rights before ducking under a head kick. Marshall has clearly become the aggressor before Magalhaes charges forward for the clinch. He picks and drags his opponent to the mat, hops into mount with 10 seconds remaining and rains down a frantic series of blows before the round ends, but it's clearly too late. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Marshall. Eliot Marshall def. Vinicius Magalhaes via UD RYO CHONAN VS. T.J. GRANT Round 1 - A deafening reception welcomes the Canadian Grant to the UFC. After a touch of gloves, we're underway. Both fighters swing and land early, but Grant's wild shots (with his head down) connect. Chonan quickly clinches and tosses his opponent to the mat and works from full guard. Grant initially ties him up and avoids any damage and nearly escapes before returning to full guard. Chonan lands a couple quick punches from his dominant position and then frees a leg and looks to pass guard. Grant reclaims full guard as "T.J.! T.J.!" chants briefly fill the arena. Grant secures an arm, but Chonan escapes and continues working from the top. Grant secures the arm again and throws some upkicks as Chonan works for position. Chonan, though, postures up and delivers some elbow strikes. Grant kicks his way free and finally gets to his feet but eats a left from Chonan. The fighters again trade frantically before Grant gets a takedown of his own. He quickly frees a leg, but Chonan reclaims guard and kicks his way free to get back to his feet. Both fighters land punches as the round comes to an end. MMAjunkie.com scores a close and entertaining round for Chonan, 10-9. Round 2 - Chonan partially connects on an early head kick but eats a Superman punch and a lunging right. Chonan quickly clinches and puts his opponent against the cage. He finally scores the takedown and works from inside guard. Grant tries to muscle his way back to his feet and finally and does and then puts Chonan against the cage. Grant then pulls his opponent's legs out from under him, takes his opponent's back and delivers some punches from below. After locking in a body triangle, he works for the rear-naked choke, but Chonan rolls out of it. Grant takes his back again, but Chonan rolls out of it and takes the top position. Chonan lands some punches from above and postures up but misses the big right. Chonan tries it again, but Grant lands an upkick before Chonan takes sidemount. Grant pulls him back into full guard quickly. Grant throws ineffective punches from below and then trips Chonan when he postures up. The fighters scramble for position on the mat, and Chonan eventually emerges with sidemount before hopping into full mount. Chonan bucks his way free before Grant pulls guard. Chonan postures up and rains down a blow as the round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com scores another close round this time for Grant, 10-9. Round 3 - Grant delivers some knees from the clinch. A timeout is called and the fighters separated. There's no apparent reason for the stoppage, but we're underway again. The fighters trade leg kicks, and Grant uses an overhand right to set up a beautiful double-leg takedown. Grant quick frees a leg and postures up, but Chonan ties him up. Grant pins an arm with his knee, but Chonan pushes him over and takes the top position. Chonan again postures up and nearly get caught in a triangle choke. Grant reverses the position before Chonan reverses it again and take the top spot. Chonan tries to free his legs, but Grant reclaims guard. Chonan tries to posture up, but Grant blocks each subsequent blow. Chonan tries to pass guard, but Grant uses the opportunity to escape and then put Chonan on his back. Grant frees a leg and works from half guard and then takes his opponent's back and fires off quick punches from behind. The fighters scramble for position and Grant lands a couple nice blows as they get back to their feet. MMAjunkie.com scores a third and final close round in favor of Grant, 10-9, though this decision could go either way. T.J. Grant def. Ryo Chonan via SD
DAVID BIELKHEDEN VS. MARK BOCEK Round 1 - The fighters battle for position after an early clinch, and Bocek tries for the trip takedown. Bielkheden fends it off and then puts Bocek into the cage. Bocek pops him with an elbow before reversing the position, dipping for a single leg and finally getting the takedown. Bocek frees a leg by hopping over his opponent's guard. He follows with a couple quick elbow strikes and then frees himself and takes sidemount. Bielkheden reclaims full guard and avoids his opponent's punches when Bocek postures up. A persistent Bocek, though, finally finds his mark with elbow strikes and a couple stiff rights to the chin. He then frees a leg and follows with the second to take sidemount. Bielkheden keeps him from taking full mount but eats some short elbow strikes. Bielkheden reclaims a leg, but Bocek frees it and takes mount. Bielkheden immediately clings to his opponent, but Bocek postures up and rains down a brutal barrage of elbow strikes and punches with 10 seconds remaining. Bielkheden rolls over, and Bocek secures the fight-ending rear-naked choke with just seconds remaining. Mark Bocek def. David Bielkheden via submission (RNC) - Round 1, 4:57.
ED HERMAN VS. DAVID LOISEAU Round 1 - Loiseau recieves a huge ovation in his UFC return and immediately batters Herman with body kicks. Herman closes the distance, clinches an takes the fight to the mat. Loiseau gives up his back, and Herman rains down a series of elbow strikes and punches with his opponent in the kneeling position. Loiseau briefly gets to his feet, but Herman scoops him up, pulls Loiseau's knee to his chin and takes him back to the mat. Herman frees a leg, takes the mount, and then takes his opponent's back when Loiseau rolls over. Herman follows with more punches, but Loiseau gets to his feet. The crowd can sense an upcoming spinning backfist, but Herman drags the fight back to the mat before Loiseau can get off any offense. Herman again takes his opponent's back but can't get in his hooks. "F--- you Herman!" chants fill the arena as Herman delivers an ongoing assault to a kneeling Loiseau. Herman delivers three brutal knees to the body and then lands another. Loiseau looks to his corner for help, but Herman delivers two more huge knees to the ribs. Five more land before Loiseau gets to his feet, but Herman clinches and lands knees before a lopsided first round comes to a close. MMAjunkie.com scores a dominant round for Herman, 10-8. Round 2 - The start of the round is delayed because of excess water in Loiseau's corner. We're finally underway, and Herman ducks under a spinning back headkick. Herman shoots and takes Loiseau to the mat, frees a leg and drops some elbow strikes from above. Loiseau reclaims full guard, but Herman continues the assault. Herman frees a leg to half guard then takes mount, and Loiseau clings to him. Loiseau rolls over, Herman takes his back, and Loiseau again remains in the kneeling position. Herman again crushes his opponent with knees to the ribs. Five of the blows land before Loiseau tries to get back to his feet. Herman denies it and delivers punches and elbows from the dominant position as Loiseau remains kneeling. Loiseau briefly gets back to his feet but is dragged back down by Herman. A persistent Loiseau gets back to his feet and has a huge knot above his right eye. The fighters remained clinched while standing, and Loiseau balances out of a trip-takedown attempt. The referee restarts them, and we're underway again. Loiseau dances and looks to land a homerun shot, but his Superman punch misses wildly and Herman stuffs the takedown attempt. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Herman. Round 3 - Georges St. Pierre is shown on the screens, and the crowd goes wild. St. Pierre tries to pump up the crowd for Loiseau, and his training partner finally connects on a blow to Herman. A left hand is followed by a knee to the body, but Herman quickly clinches and pushes his opponent into the cage. Herman delivers a knee to the body. Loiseau avoids the trip takedown while clinched, but he takes more knees to the midsection. Loiseau reverses the position and puts Herman's back against the cage, but Herman reverses it and power forward to put Loiseau back on the mat. The crowd becomes dead slient but awakes when Loiseau gets back to his feet. The fighters remain clinched before Loiseau creates some distance. Herman quickly scores the takedown and works from half guard. A few elbow strikes allow Herman to take the mount position, and Loiseau tries to roll to his stomach. Herman doesn't allow it and batters him with punches and elbows. Loiseau rolls over and again kneels before getting to his feet. With 45 seconds to go, it's do-or-die time for Loiseau. He does nothing for the first 20 seconds before Herman catches a body kick, clinches with his opponent and waits out another winning round. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Herman, who registers a very impressive performance. Ed Herman def. David Loiseau via unanimous decision
