-Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan open the broadcast and show highlights of the two staredowns this week between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. Then it's on to our first fight of the night.
FIGHT ONE: JOHN ALESSIO VS. SHANE ROLLER (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Alessio popped to the center, but it was Roller who landed the first blow. Roller landed a couple of inside leg kicks. He popped in with a right. Roller continued to feint with strikes. Alessio pressed back but missed. Roller landed a big right, then a left. They continued to circle around one another. Roller threw a low kick that caught Alessio in the groin and the action was halted. As they restarted, Roller was the aggressor. He shot in and Alessio got away. Alessio grabbed a clinch and pressed Roller to the cage. He landed a knee, but Roller held control and kept it on the cage. Alessio finally backed off with a strike, and Roller came straight ahead. They traded a few punches. Roller landed a hard uppercut and a couple more. Alessio knocked Roller down with a big strike in the final seconds of the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Alessio. He stole it with the knockdown. May be worthy of a 10-10 because of Roller's early work in the round, but that knockdown was huge.
ROUND TWO: Alessio came out throwing strikes and landing kicks. He pressed Roller back and landed a nice body punch before going for a double leg. He secured the takedown, but Roller tried to lock up a guillotine. He used it to get on top briefly, but Alessio scrambled to his feet. Roller went for the takedown. He picked Alessio up and slammed him down. Roller passed to half guard and landed an elbow. Roller tried to change up to a D'Arce choke, then landed a really hard elbow. Alessio scrambled, and Roller took his back. Alessio defended while on a knee. Roller stayed busy with strikes, looking for an opening. Alessio held control of his arm, but as he tried to scramble Roller got both hooks in. Roller postured up and landed strikes as Alessio tried to defend. He ended the round holding onto that position.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-8 Roller. Dominant display after getting the takedown. Very good round for Roller after getting knocked down in the first.
ROUND THREE: Alessio rushed in with a big flurry of strikes, then grabbed a clinch. Roller got out, then came forward with a few wild strikes before shooting for a takedown. He scored it into half guard. He landed a few strikes. Alessio got back to his feet. In a scramble Roller took his back standing, then took him down. Roller continued to stay busy, landing strikes and holding position. Alessio continued to defend, but Roller was still in control. Alessio finally got to his feet after an ill-advised arm triangle attempt, and he landed a few strikes before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Roller. Alessio didn't have an answer on the ground, and that cost him the fight.
WINNER: Roller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (**) Average fight. Some decent moments throughout, but Roller was content with his ground advantage and Alessio allowed him to have his way with the action through the final ten minutes after stealing the first round. He lost it as much as Roller won it.
FIGHT TWO: CONSTANTINOS PHILIPPOU VS. RIKI FUKUDA (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Both fighters circled each other early. Fukuda landed a hard leg kick. Neither fighter was willing to fully engage through the first couple minutes. Philippou landed a short right. They traded punches. Fukuda shot in for a nice single leg, then completed the takedown on the cage. Philippou tried to fight him off, and eventually worked to his feet. They traded strikes in the clinch, and Philippou pressed Fukuda off. Fukuda landed a right. Philippou landed a punch. Fukuda landed a couple of punches in close. They traded strikes again. Philippou landed a couple of hard punches in a combination. He threw one up top. Fukuda landed a hard inside leg kick. They traded strikes a couple more times as the round came to an end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Philippou. Fukuda was doing some damage early, but Philippou turned up his output as the round wore on and did more damage overall.
ROUND TWO: Philippou landed a two punch combo early. He attempted a brief trip but backed off. Fukuda tried to press in, but ate a couple of counters from Philippou. Fukuda went for another single leg, but Philippou held him off. They traded punches as Fukuda backed off a clinch. Fukuda landed a right. He got in a hard inside leg kick. Philippou tried to press in, and they traded some big strikes in close. Fukuda tried another shot but missed. Fukuda landed a hard body kick and pressed in. He landed another right. Then a body kick. And another right. Philippou landed a short combo. Fukuda landed an inside leg kick that crawled up low. They restarted with Fukuda landing another punch. He shot in but got stuffed. Fukuda landed a straight left and an inside leg kick. He landed a hard body kick but ate a counter punch. Fukuda continued stalking. He ate a couple of punches before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Fukuda. He out-landed Philippou throughout that round.
ROUND THREE: Fukuda continued moving forward to start the round. They traded strikes. Fukuda landed a right. He shot in for a takedown but got stuffed again. Fukuda continued to press in while Philippou circled on the outside. Fukuda ducked under a strike and grabbed the single leg, but again got held off. Philippou was waiting to counter, but wasn't doing much offensively. Fukuda landed a hard body kick, but got in an accidental eyepoke as he did so. Philippou doubled over in pain, and this is probably going to be stopped. Philippou was couldn't open his eyes as the doctor was checking on him. The replay showed an absolutely nasty eye poke from Fukuda. Unintentional, but still damaging. Wow. Philippou decided to continue. He tried to press forward. Fukuda land an accidental lowbrow, which fired Philippou up further. Fukuda shot in but got stuffed. They separated with 50 seconds left. Fukuda pressed in and Philippou touched his eye a couple times. They traded strikes. Fukuda landed a hard right. Philippou got in a couple and they traded as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Fukuda. Really close round, but Fukuda's aggression and overall offense won out.
WINNER: Philippou via unanimous decision (30-27, 20-27, 29-28)
STAR RATING: (**) Another average fight. No issues with the decision; the second and third rounds were close, and Philippou was doing a lot more damage overall, so it was a just decision.
FIGHT THREE: GLEISON TIBAU VS. KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: For the sake of typing ease, I'll be typing "Khabib" for Nurmagomedov's offense tonight. Tibau took the center and pressed Khabib back early. Both landed grazing shots early. Tibau kept Khabib's back to the cage. Khabib missed a left but it got him out to the center. Tibau backed him up again. Khabib kicked high but it was blocked. He missed a couple of punches and got hit with a counter. He shot in and grabbed a single leg, driving Tibau to the cage. Tibau held it off and nearly got loose, but Khabib stayed on him on the cage. Khabib stayed on the attempt, but finally had to let it go. He shot in again, but got stuffed and ate a hard knee to the body. Khabib continued to try to bring the fight down, but Tibau stayed standing. They were separated from the clinch with no advancement. Khabib threw several wild strikes that missed the mark. He then connected on a two punch combo. He went for a flying kick, then landed a couple of strikes. He backed away as Tibua came forward. He then stuffed a shot. He threw a couple of punches and again went for the single leg. He finally got a brief trip, but Tibau defended again as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nurmagomedov. Tibau won the early part of the round, but Nurmagomedov's aggression and offense in the last two minutes took back over.
ROUND TWO: Khabib took the center to start the second round. The action was very tentative from both early. Tibau threw a high kick. He landed a nice counter strike. He tried for a takedown but ate a right. Khabib again went for the single leg. He again got stuffed, but the traded punches on the way out and Khabib opened a cut over Tibau's right eye. They traded strikes. Tibau rushed in and got Khabib down off balance. Khabib immediately got back up and landed a couple of strikes. Khabib went for the takedown again, but again got stuffed. This has been a lot of rinse and repeat with very little legitimate action. Khabib landed three nice strikes and kept the clinch. They were separated again. Tibau landed a couple of good counter strikes as Khabib tried to engage. Khabib landed a body punch. Tibau landed a couple more strikes and avoided the offense. Khabib got in a flying knee right before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Neither established that round as their own. Khabib can't get the takedown, but Tibau doesn't have any sustained offense while he's defending takedowns.
ROUND THREE: Khabib came to the center and looked to swing wild strikes again. He landed a couple of kicks and punches. He backed Tibau to the cage and got another clinch. He couldn't get the takedown once again, and ate a couple of knees in the clinch. Khabib landed a few strikes. Tibau rushed in and got him down, taking his back, but Khabib immediately stood. He came forward again, but Tibau landed a hard knee. Khabib stayed on the clinch and kept him pressed on the cage. He landed a knee. Tibau finally got out. Khabib landed a short combo. Khabib landed a hard overhand right. Tibau landed a hard right. Joe Rogan was talking on commentary as if Nurmagomedov had already lost, but I think he's winning the final round and could have won the second, and the first. This is a close fight. They traded punches. Khabib swung wildly and got a clinch. They swung to the horn.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Nurmagomedov. Tibau just wasn't doing a lot offensively at all in this fight. His takedown defense was great, but he didn't have much else throughout the fight.
WINNER: Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*) Really bad, boring fight. Nurmagomedov couldn't get the takedown, but Tibau didn't do anything offensively in that fight to warrant taking the rounds despite stopping every takedown attempt.
FIGHT FOUR: MELVIN GUILLARD VS. FABRICIO CAMOES (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Guillard took to the outside, popping in with strikes a couple of times. Guillard landed a hard left as Camoes shot in. He landed a couple of jabs. Guillard landed a strike. Camoes shot in and went for a takedown. Guillard held it off with a kimura attempt, then landed a couple of strikes and backed away. Guillard landed another hard right. He caught a kick and landed a few strikes, then backed off when Camoes tried to clinch. Guillard then ducked under a punch and scored his own takedown into guard. He postured up and landed a few strikes. Camoes then reversed it and landed a few strikes. Guillard tried to get to his feet. Camoes then passed to mount in a scramble. He landed a few elbows and Guillard covered up. Guillard scrambled again and got Camoes off and popped to his feet. He dropped Camoes with a strikes and ended the round landing punches an elbows. Good round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Guillard. Camoes nearly stole it with his top control action, but then Guillard took it right back with the knock down and ground and pound.
ROUND TWO: Guillard landed a couple of left hooks early. The action slowed considerably. Guillard stayed patient on the outside, but Camoes wasn't trying to engage. Guillard finally pressed in with a few strikes. Guillard landed a hard left. He got in a body kick. He landed the jab again and Camoes went for a spinning kick, but missed. Camoes shot in for a single. He tried to roll through, but Guillard rolled with him and popped back up. Camoes pressed him to the cage in a clinch, and tripped him briefly. Guillard popped back up. Camoes missed a few strikes and Guillard landed a solid punch. Camoes grabbed double undercooks and got Guillard to the ground. Guillard popped up, then got Camoes' back, then landed some major strikes. He landed a bunch more punches and elbows before the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Guillard. There wasn't a lot going on through the first four minutes, then Guillard had the best offense of the round in the final 30 seconds.
ROUND THREE: Guillard pressed in with a high kick but it was blocked. He avoided a strike. He held off another takedown attempt. Guillard landed a hard body punch. Guillard landed another jab. Camoes landed a kick. The crowd grew restless at the inaction. Guillard landed a strike. Camoes tried to press him back, but Guillard got free. Guillard landed a couple of hard punches after Camoes landed a leg kick. Guillard landed a left. They traded punches. Camoes grabbed a single leg, and Guillard landed a few strikes to break free. Guillard avoided Camoes' attacks. Camoes tripped him with a kick, but Guillard popped back up. Camoes shot in for a single leg. Guillard tried to hold it off, then Camoes rolled for a leg lock. Guillard held control of his wrist until the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-10. Neither did much of anything, and the little offense they did have was negated by the other.
WINNER: Guillard via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (**-) The first round was really fun, but the rest of the fight was just bad. Very little action, and both fighters being very tentative throughout the final ten minutes.
-Rogan and Dana White give the final sell for the pay-per-view.
=====Pay-Per-View Card======
-Rogan and Goldberg open up the pay-per-view broadcast with another look back to the first fight between Sonnen and Silva.
FIGHT FIVE: IVAN MENJIVAR VS. MIKE EASTON (BANTAMWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Easton took the center and pressed in. Menjivar threw a front kick. Easton landed a leg kick. Menjivar threw a head kick but it was blocked. Easton landed a few counter strikes. Menjivar missed a spinning back fist. Easton landed a kick low. Menjivar landed a right and blocked the counter. Menjivar landed a couple of jabs and Easton landed a leg kick. Menjivar went high again but it was blocked. Easton landed a hard kick high, but Menjivar stayed standing. Menjivar again went for the high kick and it was blocked. Menjivar landed a spinning kick to the leg. He did it a second time. Easton pressed in with a hard kick. He landed a short left in. Menjivar had a couple more kicks blocked. Easton landed a few more kicks. They traded strikes again.Easton shot in late but got held off as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. Menjivar's strikes were being mostly blocked, but it was a very close round.
ROUND TWO: Easton pressed in early, and Menjivar landed a few solid kicks and punches. He took a kick to the body. He landed one in return. Easton grabbed a clinch, but ate a few strikes which forced him to let it go. Easton landed a leg kick. Menjivar landed a hard leg kick. Easton connected to the body. Easton backed Menjivar down and landed a few punches. The crowd booed the tentative action. Menjivar had a couple of punches blocked. He caught a kick and landed a leg kick. Easton continued to back Menjivar up and they traded strikes. Menjivar landed a hard body shot. Easton threw a jumping knee but it was blocked. The round ended to boos.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. He's continuing to press the action and Menjivar isn't connecting on much.
ROUND THREE: Easton again came forward to press the action. They traded strikes. Easton landed a body kick. He landed a hard left hook in an exchange. He picked up the attack briefly. Menjivar shot in but got stuffed. He landed a hard leg kick. Easton landed some leg kicks. He landed a right. He blocked the high kick again and moved forward. Easton landed a hard body strike. Menjivar landed a side kick to the body. Easton ducked under a spinning kick and scored a takedown. He landed some strikes and Menjivar tried to grab an armbar. Easton got out easily and stayed busy. Menjivar kicked him off and popped to his feet. Easton landed a short combo. Menjivar landed a strike, but ate the counter. They traded punches again. The horn sounded to boos.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Easton. Very little happening again, but Easton was the constant aggressor in the fight.
WINNER: Easton via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (*+) Another very poor fight. It was too evenly matched, so neither fighter got anything sustained and it turned into a tedious 15-minute affair.
FIGHT SIX: CHAD MENDES VS. CODY MCKENZIE (FEATHERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Mendes rushed in with a nice knee to the body and a couple of strikes. He landed a hard leg kick. He caught a kick and landed a vicious, vicious body punch. McKenzie dropped to the ground and ate a bunch of hammer fists on the ground to bring a quick end to the fight. First stoppage on the card, and a big return for Mendes.
WINNER: Mendes via TKO at :31 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**+) Raised because it breathed some life into the card. Mendes needed a big return after his loss to Aldo in January, and he did exactly what most thought he could do. Big win, and a much needed finish on this card.
FIGHT SEVEN: DONG HYUN KIM VS. DEMIAN MAIA (WELTERWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Maia immediately closed the distance and went for a takedown. Kim landed several elbows. Maia took his back standing and got one hook in. Kim stayed standing as Maia worked. Maia completed the takedown and as he took him down Kim may have broken a rib as he looked to verbally tap out as Maia got into mount. Kim was in a ton of pain and Maia stopped attacking as Maia landed a couple of strikes. Still, great work from Maia even though it ends by injury.
WINNER: Maia via TKO (injury) at :47 of the first round
STAR RATING: (**) Great work from Maia, and though the fight ended unfortunately due to injury, it was all because of Maia's relentless work. He went to work with his grappling immediately and was determined to bring the fight down. He did that, and hurt Kim in the process for the stoppage.
FIGHT EIGHT: CUNG LE VS. PATRICK COTE (MIDDLEWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Le caught a kick from Cote and threw him to the ground. He let him back up. He threw a kick high but it was blocked. Le landed a kick to the body and one to the leg. Le landed another hard kick to the body. Cote tried to press in with strikes but missed them all. Cote got in with a punch to the body. Le landed the body kick again. Cote landed a good right. Cote landed a left. They traded body kicks. Cote landed a hard right. Le stuffed a shot. Cote pressed in with a short combo and Le landed a hard right. Le landed a side kick to the body. Le landed a nice short combo. He kept Cote back with a short side kick. Le landed another hard body kick. Le landed the side kick to the thigh. Cote landed a leg kick. Cote pressed in as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Le. The opening round went as expected. Le worked his strikes well and kept Cote back for the most part. He's got to keep the pace up throughout 15 minutes.
ROUND TWO: Cote took the center to start the second. Le landed a couple short kicks. Cote landed a leg kick. He tried to clinch and Le kept him away. Le landed a nice series of kicks. Cote landed a hard punch to the body and a good combo to the head. Cote landed another combo. Both were bleeding. Cote from the top of the head and Le over his left eye. Le landed a shot to the body. Cote landed a couple body shots, then got in a knee. He landed another body shot. Le landed a counter right. Le landed a hard kick and a punch behind. He landed another hard body kick. Cote landed a short flurry. They traded strikes again. Le's face was getting busted up from the exchanges. They traded more punches. Le landed a kick to the body. Cote came back with another strike. Le landed a hard right. Cote got in a hard strike. Le clinched and pressed Cote to the cage. Cote landed a nice flurry of strikes as Le held onto the clinch. They separated and Cote landed a jump kick to end the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Le. He landed more strikes overall, but it was a much closer round.
ROUND THREE: Cote pressed forward. Le landed a high kick. He got one into the body. He landed one low, but Cote was able to continue quick. They traded strikes in the center. Cote landed a couple of punches. He got in a body shot and they clinched. He pressed Le to the cage. Cote landed a hard spinning back fist on the separation. Le landed a punch. Cote still had trouble getting inside to land his strikes. They clinched again. Le scored a takedown out of the clinch, but Cote popped up. Cote shot for a single leg, but Le held it off. Cote landed a body punch. Le landed a body kick. They traded punches in an exchanges. Le scored another takedown. Cote grabbed guard. He landed some strikes off his back. Le stayed busy on top to finish out the round. Good performance from Le to get his first UFC win.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Le. Good performance overall from Le. He was simply the better fighter tonight.
WINNER: Le via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
STAR RATING: (**) Not a bad fight, but it wasn't an overly exciting bout either. Solid work from Le throughout the 15-minute fight, and he didn't fade massively down the stretch, holding on to get his first UFC win. Good stuff.
FIGHT NINE: TITO ORTIZ VS. FORREST GRIFFIN (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Griffin came straight ahead and landed a quick leg kick. He landed a couple more and Ortiz landed a short left. Griffin went high with a kick, then landed another kick. He avoided a right, then landed a solid kick. Griffin landed a good straight punch. Ortiz grabbed a clinch and then scored an early takedown. Griffin tried to scramble and Ortiz landed a hard right. Ortiz landed a couple more punches. Griffin tried to walk up the cage but got dragged down. Griffin finally kicked him off and got back to his feet. Griffin threw a high kick. He landed a few punches while taking just one counter strike. Ortiz landed a left. Griffin landed a nice short combo. Griffin landed a knee to the body. They traded high kicks. Griffin landed a few punches in an exchange. Griffin landed a nice uppercut and another strike. Ortiz shot in and Griffin sprawled, landing a knee on the way back up. Griffin landed a few short punches. Griffin landed a couple of punches. He landed a short combo. He landed another series of punches. He landed an inside leg kick. Griffin landed the right. Ortiz landed a jab. Griffin landed a hard body kick. Ortiz got in a jab. Griffin landed the leg kick and a couple of strikes. He looked at the clock a couple of times. Griffin landed a few more strikes. He got in a couple more kicks. They traded punches. Ortiz shot in and almost got a takedown at the end.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Griffin. Ortiz's one takedown didn't count for much considering he lost the stand up exchanges the other four and a half minutes.
ROUND TWO: Griffin started out with kicks. Ortiz dropped Griffin with a punch, but Griffin popped back up and shook his head. They traded punches and Griffin clinched. He pressed Ortiz to the cage and landed a knee to the body as the crowd chanted for Ortiz. Griffin backed off as he had recovered. He landed a hard right. Griffin landed a hard left. He landed a couple of really hard strikes as they exchanged punches. Ortiz landed a couple jabs. Griffin landed a few hard punches. Griffin landed a hard right. Griffin landed another short combo. Griffin landed a few leg kicks. Ortiz's nose was bleeding. Griffin landed a hard body kick and a jab. Griffin ducked under a punch and landed a hard combo. He landed another uppercut. He tagged Ortiz. Ortiz got in a couple of jabs. Griffin landed a hard combo again. Griffin landed another big series of strikes and Ortiz landed a left. Griffin landed a leg kick. Griffin landed another combo. Griffin landed another short combo. Griffin landed a leg kick. They traded punches again. Griffin threw a straight kick that missed. Griffin landed another few punches. Ortiz shot in but Griffin grabbed a choke and landed hammer fists as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Griffin. Despite the early knockdown, Ortiz couldn't sustain any offense. Griffin's output is dwarfing Ortiz right now.
ROUND THREE: They touched gloves to start the round. Griffin landed a good leg kick. The crowd was now chanting for Griffin. He landed a few more punches and kicks, keeping Ortiz at bay. Griffin landed an uppercut. He landed another series of strikes and avoided the counters. He landed a straight kick. Ortiz knocked Griffin down again, but Griffin rolled through and got to his feet. Ortiz scored a takedown. Ortiz tried to pass, but Griffin kept him in guard. Griffin tried to kick Ortiz off, but Ortiz stayed in guard. Griffin grabbed for a kimura, but Ortiz ripped the arm free. Back to "Tito" chants from the crowd. Ortis got his back to the cage and stood up. He pressed Ortiz to the cage. He landed a couple of short elbows. He landed a knee to the body and separated. Ortiz kept the pressure on with a few strikes on the cage. He landed a nice short combo. Griffin landed another combo. Ortiz landed a right after getting hit by two strikes. Griffin landed a straight kick. Griffin landed several more strikes. Griffin landed another kick and a combo. They traded punches and kicks as the fight came to an end and Ortiz raised his hand. Griffin walked out of the cage and started walking to the back, even though he's likely won this fight.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Ortiz. The knockdown and takedown probably edge the output that time around, but even still, Griffin almost took it back. This should be Griffin's win here.
WINNER: Griffin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
-The crowd had a very mixed reaction to the decision. Griffin grabbed the mic from Joe Rogan, and took the role of interviewer, asking Ortiz if that was really his last fight, and Ortiz said it really was. He asked him a second question, and Ortiz was a good sport and answered the questions from Ortiz. That was… strange. Rogan took the mic back and then asked Griffin a question and the crowd booed. Griffin said he felt like they've fought three draws, and said he wanted a fourth fight. He said he didn't have much gas down the stretch, and said the second knockdown was a legit knockdown.
STAR RATING: (**+) That was a sloppy, but enjoyable back and forth fight. Both fighters are very well matched, and it's led to some very, very close fights. This was pretty clearly Griffin's fight, though, he out-landed Ortiz 3-to-1 in the fight, despite the two knockdowns and takedowns.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT TEN: ANDERSON SILVA VS. CHAEL SONNEN (MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Silva came out throwing, and Sonnen took him down immediately. Silva held control of him as Sonnen landed strikes to the body. Silva avoided much of Sonnen's offense early. Sonnen passed to half guard. He landed a forearm. He landed some palm strikes to Silva's head as the Champ held control of him. Sonnen tried to pass, but Silva continued to keep control of him. Sonnen threw some knees to the body. Back to the palm strikes. Sonnen continued to work the palm strikes. He missed a stroked from the top and Silva continued to hol onto him. Sonnen landed some punches from the top. Dueling chants from the crowd. Sonnen continued to work from the top as Silva mostly neutralized his offense. He finally passed to mount. He landed a couple of shoulder strikes, but Silva held control of his body again. Sonnen rode out the round on top.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Sonnen. Close to a 10-8 because of the time on top, but Silva neutralized much of the offense. Not unexpected here to start the fight. Lots of time left.
ROUND TWO: Sonnen tried to close the distance again, and he got the clinch. Silva grabbed a single leg with his back on the cage. The Brazilians in the crowd chanted for Silva. Silva landed some knees to the body. Sonnen returned a couple. Sonnen dropped down and Silva tried to stuff him. Silva got separation and landed a strike. He dropped his hands and landed a hard rigth as Sonnen came in. Sonnen shot in and Silva held him off. He dropped his arms. Sonnen threw a spinning kick and fell. Anderson threw a knee and some p-unches on the ground. He dropped Sonnen and landed a bunch of strikes on the ground. Sonnen covered up and Silva continued landing strikes and Yves Lavigne stepped in. On replay they showed the knee landed to the body. Perfectly legal. Holy hell that was incredible from Anderson Silva again.
WINNER: Silva via TKO at 1:55 of the second round
-Silva said MMA is the best sport in the world. He said it's the sport and he's got no more problems with Chael. He said Chael disrespected him and his country, but it's all behind him. Anderson brought Chael into the center with him, and asked the fans in Brazil to show their manners by applauding Sonnen. Then he invited Sonnen over for a barbecue. Sonnen said he got hit by a good shot and a good knee, but would need to look at the tape.
STAR RATING: (***+) Had an epic feel to it again, but on a different level than the first fight. Silva came out looking for the KO, but Sonnen got his takedown and rode out the round on top. Silva then turned up his defense in the second and got his opening for the finish. Another huge win for the greatest fighter in the world.
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