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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC 133: EVANS VS. ORTIZ II
AUGUST 6, 2011
LIVE FROM PHILADELPHIA, PENN.
=====SPIKE TV PRELIMS=====
-Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan open up the broadcast discussing the remaining card for the night after a fairly uneventful preliminary card. And they go right to the first fight in short order.
FIGHT ONE: CHAD MENDES VS. RANI YAHYA (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Mendes stalks early as Yahya threw an early leg kick. Both fighters were tentative through the first minute. Yahya landed a straight kick but Mendes caught it briefly. The action stalled as Mendes landed a low kick. Yahya got in close with a short exchange but ate a punch from Mendes. Mendes landed again in close. Mendes got in with a leg kick. Mendes landed a short right as Yahya tried to pop in. They each landed shots in a short exchange. Yahya shot and Mendes backed away. Mendes landed another leg kick. And another. Mendes caught another body kick and spun away. Yahya tried to step in and Mendes threw him aside but didn't follow up. Yahya missed on another shot as Mendes just stepped away. Mendes landed a counter left when Yahya missed a punch. Yahya tried to engage and Mendes dropped him with a takedown but stayed up and made him stand. Mendes landed a hard punch to the body. Mendes popped in with a flying knee to the body right before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mendes. Yahya missed most of his strikes, Mendes started turning it on by the end and added a quick takedown as well.
ROUND TWO: Yahya rushed in early, but it was Mendes that got a big takedown early. He landed a couple of punches but stood up as Yahya tried to attack from the bottom. Mendes landed more in another exchange. Mendes landed another strike and got in with another takedown. He moved Yahya toward the cage but stood up again. Yahya landed a left in close. Yahya shot in and Mendes held it off. Mendes landed a hard right. Mendes cracked Yahya with another really hard right. He had a couple of strikes blocked. Yahya tried to land a couple but ate a counter. Yahya tried to engage but Mendes held him off. Mendes caught a kick and looked for a takedown briefly but Yahya stayed standing.The crowd booed at the relative lack of action as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mendes. Yahya got in more offense than the first round, but it wasn't enough to take the round with Mendes doing more overall.
ROUND THREE: Mendes scored an early takedown and Yahya grabbed guard. Yahya tried to hold control of Mendes in his guard. Mendes covered Yahya's mouth. Yahya tried to kick Mendes off but Mendes kept position. He landed a hard elbow. He got in another hard elbow in the guard. Yahya tried to hold his wrist and Mendes cracked him with a forearm. Yahya finally scrambled out with less than half the round left and got to his feet. Mendes scored another takedown and kept himself out of a guillotine attempt from Yahya. He landed a few more elbows. Yahya tried to bring his legs up but Mendes held control. Yahya got to his feet again in a scramble. Mendes landed a left. Mendes stumbled as they exchanged strikes but Mendes popped up. Mendes scored yet another takedown into half guard as time was running out. Mendes stood up and flipped over Yahya's guard and almost got his back as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Mendes. The multiple takedowns were definitely the difference. Not Mendes' most impressive performance, but he picked up a win he needed to get, and he keeps himself in line to get a shot at the Jose Aldo-Kenny Florian winner.
WINNER: Mendes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
POST FIGHT: Mendes said he hurt himself in the fight, hearing a pop at some point. He said he felt comfortable on the ground and knew he could do just enough to get the win.
STAR RATING: (*+) It was a slow-paced fight, and there wasn't a whole lot to the 15-minute bout. Mendes' aggression and takedowns were the difference, and Yahya just wasn't able to do much of anything to be effective.
-The Ultimate Fighter season 14 premieres on September 21 with a two-hour special debut episode.
FIGHT TWO: MATT HAMILL VS. ALEXANDER GUSTAFSSON (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Hamill took the center and stalked Gustafsson around the cage. Gustafsson circled to keep distance early. Gustafsson landed a good right as Hamill tried to step in. Hamill landed a left. Gustafsson landed a hard uppercut in the center. He continued to circle. He threw a few punches and kicks that missed their mark. They each landed hard strikes in a nice exchange. Gustafsson went for a superman punch but it was blocked. Gustafsson backed off from a strike from Hamill. Gustafsson landed a hard leg kick. The crowd started chanting "U.S.A." Gustafsson landed another leg kick. Hamill landed a nice jab. Hamill landed another short combo. Gustafsson landed a couple of punches after eating a left hook. Gustafsson is cut open. He landed a short combo of his own.Hamill tried to clinch and Gustafsson landed a number of strikes to separate. Gustafsson stuffed him again. Hamill landed a right but Gustafsson countered. Gustafsson landed a couple more punches. He finished the round engaging but missed a couple strikes.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Gustafsson. Close round, and Hamill did some damage, but Gustafsson had a lot more output overall with his strikes.
ROUND TWO: Hamill pressed in early for the clinch, but Gustafsson turned him around and landed a few strikes before separating. Gustafsson got in another short combo. They clinched in the center but neither did anything. Gustafsson landed a head kick and an uppercut and Hamill continued on. Hamill's been cut open now under his right eye. Gustafsson hurt Hamill with a combo and Hamill clinched. Gustafsson separated and circled again. Gustafsson landed another hard combo. Gustafsson landed a hard leg kick. Hamill landed a jab. Gustafsson just barely missed a big uppercut. Gustafsson stuffed another takedown attempt from Hamill. Gustafsson hurt Hamill with another big punch and dropped him. He got to full mount as Hamill tried to scramble and landed a big flurry to finish Hamill. Huge win for Gustafsson and the crowd boos.
WINNER: Gustafsson via TKO at 3:34 of the second round
POST FIGHT: Gustafsson said he was super happy and called it a dream come true. He thanked all his training partners. He said he wasn't completely pleased because he didn't feel he did a great job at the beginning, but he picked it up in the second.
STAR RATING: (**+) Great second round from Gustafsson. He dominated the action in both rounds, despite Goldberg and Rogan calling them both "close." Huge win for Gustafsson.
RAMIFICATIONS: This is the biggest win of Gustafsson's career and boosts him up the ladder, while Hamill will drop well down the ladder after losing two straight. That was as badly as Hamill's been beaten in his career, matching what Jon Jones did to him in a DQ loss.
=====PAY-PER-VIEW BROADCAST=====
-After running down the fights for tonight's pay-per-view card, Goldberg and Rogan send it to the first fight of the pay-per-view broadcast.
FIGHT THREE: RORY MACDONALD VS. MIKE PYLE (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: MacDonald takes the center early and shrugs off a clinch attempt. After a tentative feeling out process, Pyle throws a kick that MacDonald catches and drops him with a right. MacDonald doesn't engage and lets Pyle stand up. Pyle completes a takedown and MacDonald goes for a guillotine. Pyle gets out and into his guard. MacDonald gets up to his feet but Pyle had his back standing. Pyle tripped him up and took him down again. MacDonald again got to his feet and landed a short combo to separate. MacDonald landed a nice left after faking a right. He had a tight standing guillotine, but Pyle spun out and dropped to his back. MacDonald dropped into Pyle's guard. Pyle tried to grab a leg and MacDonald stood. He landed a leg kick. The crowd booed as MacDonald stood over Pyle. MacDonald landed another hard right and then went back into Pyle's guard. He landed a right after posturing up. MacDonald got in a couple more punches. He landed a couple of big punches and hurt Pyle. He landed some hard elbows and strikes to the side of the head and Pyle's hurt. He kept on him and Pyle could only cover up and the ref stopped it! Huge, huge win for MacDonald. Great performance.
WINNER: MacDonald via TKO at 3:54 of the first round
POST FIGHT: MacDonald said he wished it would have went a little longer so he could show more, but he'll just get back into the cage soon. He said as soon as he felt the left land clean in the ground and pound flurry he knew he needed to finish.
STAR RATING: (**+) MacDonald looked fantastic. He got to his feet after being taken down, put Pyle on his back and showed some great ground and pound of his own in that finishing flurry.
RAMIFICATIONS: MacDonald is a special talent, and it's time for him to get a jump up the ladder in the welterweight division. He's a fantastic fighter at 22, and he's only going to get better. This isn't a huge loss for Pyle, as he's still in a similar spot to where he was before the fight, but for MacDonald he made a big statement with this win.
FIGHT FOUR: JORGE RIVERA VS. CONSTANTINOS (COSTA) PHILIPPOUS (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Rivera took the center and landed a couple of early kicks to the legs and body. He ducked under a punch from Philippou. Philippou grabbed the clinch and pressed Rivera to the cage. He grabbed a leg and completed the takedown. Rivera got his back to the cage but Philippou moved to half guard and kept him on the ground. Philippou landed some punches to keep Rivera in trouble. Rivera finally got to his feet. They were then separated with a little more than two miuntes left. Philippou landed a leg kick and threw a few punches but clinched. The crowd booed some inaction on the cage. Rivera turned Philippou around on the cage but then they separated. Rivera cracked Philippou with a right and got in for the clinch. He landed a few strikes in close. He landed a left hook. Philippou got in a punch in the clinch as they separated. Philippou pressed in with a punch and clinched again as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Philippou. Rivera landed a couple of good strikes, but Philippou had him on his back and landed a bunch of strikes of his own.
ROUND TWO: They both came out swinging, each landing a few strikes. Philippou cracked Rivera and dropped him with a right. Rivera covered up as Philippou tried to finish him. Rivera then got out and put Philippou on his back against the cage and landed a bunch of strikes of his own. Rivera stepped back and landed a couple of punches before clinching again as Philippou tried to get up. He finally walked up the cage and they separated after a brief clinch. Philippou threw some heavy shots but missed. He pressed Rivera's back on the cage and they were separated. But Philippou went right back to the clinch. Rivera landed a trip takedown but Philippou caught him in an omoplata. Rivera kept his arm safe and wouldn't allow Philippou to sit up. Philippou tried to get to the finish of the hold but Rivera defended well. Philippou grabbed for a leg to sweep and he ended the round in Rivera's half guard.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Philippou. Another good round with both landing strikes and getting good positions, but it was Philippou with the more effective work on the feet and on the ground.
ROUND THREE: Philippou landed a left early. He got in an uppercut in an exchange. Rivera hurt Philippou with a knee but Philippou recovered and continued circling. Rivera hurt Philippou with a short combo and landed a couple more before clinching. They separated and went back to exchanging punches. Philippou then got in and landed a takedown. Rivera nearly got a triangle, but Philippou popped out and took Rivera's back. Rivera then got up. Philippou landed a knee as they separated from the clinch. Rivera clinched immediately again. They were separated after some ineffective work. Philippou grabbed the clinch and landed a knee. He went for the takedown but Rivera held it off. Rivera held control of Philippou and landed a couple of strikes. Rivera landed a hard knee to the body and tried to put Philippou on his back. He landed a few strikes and kept Philippou's body on the cage. Philippou finally got to his feet again. They were separated with twenty seconds left. They exchanged strikes and each landed. Rivera tried to trip Philippou but was put on his back as the fight ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rivera. Philippou had an argument for the round, but he ran out of energy and Rivera got in some good strikes and grappling of his own, but it won't be enough for him.
WINNER: Phiippou via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
POST FIGHT: Philippou said it wasn't his best performance. He said he was glad he got the win, but it wasn't the best fight. Glad he realized that.
STAR RATING: (**-) There were some decent exchanges and moments in the fight, but it wasn't very good. Surprised Rivera got two rounds on one scorecard, don't see how he won the first or third.
FIGHT FIVE: DENNIS HALLMAN VS. BRIAN EBERSOLE (WELTERWEIGHT)
-Hallman is in the least amount of clothing allowed in the Octagon, while Ebersole is back with the harrow. This will be interesting.
ROUND ONE: Hallman got Ebersole down almost immediately and took his back. He got one hook in and got the body triangle. Ebersole tried to defend as Hallman worked with his hooks in. Ebersole tried to throw some strikes behind his head to Hallman. Hallman tried to pin Ebersole's arm but was unsuccessful. The crowd booed as they were battling for position here. Ebersole tried to spin out but Hallman held on. Ebersole finally spun around and got on top but Hallman grabbed a guillotine. Ebersole finally broke free and postured up. He landed a right and a hard elbow but Hallman regained guard. He landed an elbow again. Hallman tried to go for a guillotine and got hit by some big hammerfists. Ebersole hurt him with another elbow and landed a flurry of strikes. He's started dropping bombs with his hammer fists and forearms. The assault continued and finally the ref stepped in and stopped it. Replay showed Hallman went limp from one of the final forearm blows.
WINNER: Ebersole via TKO at 4:28 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Ebersole said he was fine with Hallman on his back, and once he got on top it was his fight. Ebersole pitched Joe Rogan an all-UFC fighter edition of Fear Factor.
STAR RATING: (**) Good finish from Ebersole after being in a dangerous position for awhile. His ground and pound was very good, and it was a nice finish.
FIGHT SIX: VITOR BELFORT VS. YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Akiyama came straight ahead and they traded kicks. Belfort threw a high kick but Akiyama backed away from it. Belfort checked a kick. Belfort went back to the head kick but Akiyama blocked it. Akiyama threw a kick but missed. Belfort landed a big punch and dropped Akiyama. Akiyama tried to recover but Belfort pounced and stayed on him. After a few big bombs Akiyama went limp on his face. Brutal.
WINNER: Belfort via KO at 1:52 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Belfort said he's back. He said something about making your own atmosphere and living for your dreams. He said he felt great and wants the shot at the winner of Silva-Okami. He then yelled that he had hands of steel.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was another big win for Belfort in his career, but another in which he landed a few brutal back of the head shots at the end. Still, he smelled blood and pounced and finished Akiyama quickly.
RAMIFICATIONS: Akiyama is on his way out after his third straight loss, by far the most brutal of his career. Belfort gets another knockout win in his career, but he won't get another title shot for a while.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT SEVEN: RASHAD EVANS VS. TITO ORTIZ (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Ortiz came out to the center and threw a kick early that Evans avoided. Evans stood on the outside as Ortiz tried to walk him down. Ortiz landed a hard left and Evans countered with a right. Ortiz tried to rush in but a straight right was blocked. Evans landed an overhand right and went to the clinch. They exchanged strikes and Ortiz got the better of it as they released. Big "Tito" chant broke out from the crowd. Ortiz shot in and took Evans down. Evans tried to walk back up the cage but Ortiz stayed on him. Evans held off the takedown and finally got back to his feet. He then got in close and pressed Ortiz to the cage. He started swinging wild punches and Ortiz might be hurt. Evans unleashed some big strikes on the cage and Ortiz landed a knee before grabbing the clinch. Ortiz landed a knee to the body. Evans landed an elbow and Ortiz cracked him with a knee to the jaw. Evans threw a big right. He ducked in for a shot, picked Ortiz up and dropped down with a big slam into half guard. Evans moved to side control and tried to put Ortiz into a crucifix. Ortiz got out and Evans landed a couple of shots before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Evans. Ortiz had a decent round for a while, but Evans poured it on in the latter half and ended with a huge slam and ground position. Great start to the fight.
ROUND TWO: Tentative start to the round as both take the center. Ortiz tried to press in but Evans got away. Evans landed a couple of shots and shot in. Ortiz grabbed for a guillotine as Evans took him down. Evans was in half guard, though, and he popped out. He tried to trap Ortiz's arm and then moved to side control with three minutes left in the round. Evans landed some big strikes to the side of Ortiz's head but Ortiz was alright. Evans tried to trap the arm again and got the crucifix. Ortiz is in trouble. Evans landed a hard elbow but Ortiz got his arm out. Ortiz tried to roll out but Evans held position. Ortiz covered up again and gave up his back. Ortiz rolled for a leg lock and Evans popped out back into side control. Ortiz scrambled and almost got to his feet but only got to his knees. Evans landed a huge knee to the body that hurt Ortiz and started throwing punches against the cage, and with Ortiz unable to defend Dan Miragliotta was forced to step in. The knee to the body was brutal and that was the end for Tito. Really smart move from Evans there and a big win after 15 months off.
WINNER: Evans via TKO at 4:48 of the second round
POST FIGHT: Evans said he felt great and that all his hard work, trials and tribulations have paid off. He said Ortiz's guillotine attempt wasn't that tight. He said the knee was a product of his trainers. Evans said he's getting his belt back whether Jon Jones has it or whether Rampage has it after UFC 135.
Ortiz was interviewed after and said he took his hat off to Rashad and told him to go win the title. He said he came and gave it his all, said he had nothing to hold back and Evans beat him at his best. Glad to hear no excuses from Ortiz. He said Rashad was the better man.
STAR RATING: (***) Very good fight. Ortiz threatened a few times, but this was a brilliant performance by Rashad Evans. That knee to the ribs was just immensely smart and absolutely brutal, and Evans looked excellent through the entire fight after being out of the cage for 15 months.
RAMIFICATIONS: Evans moves on to a title fight with the winner of UFC 135's Rampage vs. Jones fight, and Ortiz will still get another payday in the UFC. Ortiz stepped up for the UFC, and though he fell short, it was to one of the best fighters in the division. Big win for Evans to make it an early night for the UFC.
It's prelim fights the rest of the way on pay-per-view, so thanks for joining us here tonight for another event, we'll have more on the fallout from these fights and more as we move on to UFC on Versus 5 next weekend and UFC 134 at the end of the month.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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