GROCKE’S UFC 204 LIVE EVENT REPORT
OCTOBER 8, 2016
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
LIVE ON FIGHT PASS, FS1 AND PAY-PER-VIEW
Michael Grocke here to take you through UFC 204. Michael Bisping defends his Middleweight Title against Dan Henderson in tonight’s main event from the T-Mobile Arena in Manchester, England. As always, we’ll have live round by round coverage of tonight’s main fights, with quick results and commentary on the prelims. Make sure to follow along right here all night, and follow me on Twitter @FightChampBlog
Fight Pass Prelims – Fight Pass (6:00pm CT)
(1) Leonardo Santos vs. Adriano Martins (Lightweight 155 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: The fight starts off with both fighter feeling each other out. Low kick by Martin. Both fighters miss with kicks. Martins blocks a kick from Santos. A lot of hand checking. Santos just misses with a high kick. The crowd starts booing the slow start. Nice low kick by Martins. Martins glances an uppercut off of Santos’ chin. Martins just misses on a combination as the round ends.
Not much happening there, but Martins was the busier fighter. 10-9 Martins
ROUND TWO: The second round starts with a quicker pace than the first. Martins throwing kick after kick trying to chop down Santos. Martins remains the busier fighter two minutes into the round. Santos just misses a head kick. That caught the attention of Martins. The crowd begins to get restless again. Martins partially blocks a head kick from Santos. Nice inside leg kick from Santos as the round ends.
Again, not much happening but Martins is landing enough kicks and staying busier. 10-9 Martins
ROUND THREE: Both fighters seem to be fighting not to lose, which makes for a boring fight. Inside leg kick from Santos and it looks like Martins’ leg is bruising. Martins has controlled the center of the octagon throughout the fight. Santos ducks a wild left from Martins and is stuffed on a take down attempt. A high leg kick is blocked by Martins. A nice short left lands by Martins. Santos avoids an uppercut showing great footwork. Big inside leg kick by Martins follows with a quick left. Santos is cut after the left by Martins.
10-9 Martins
Result: Santos by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: I don’t agree with that decision. Martins controlled the center of the octagon throughout the fight and was the busier fighter. Although the power strikes were even, Martins landed more kicks and did more damage overall. This wasn’t a good fight.
(2) Danny Roberts vs. Mike Perry (Welterweight 170 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Perry blocks a head kick from Roberts as the fight starts. Head kick partially blocked by Perry. Both fighters landing nice kicks. Roberts landing inside kicks and getting out. Big left by Roberts lands. Perry continues to stalk Roberts down. Perry being the aggressor and walking through the shots thrown from Roberts. Roberts is hurt from a nice right and Perry now has Robert’s back. Nice work by Roberts to get up, but he looks gassed. Perry is throwing haymakers and has Roberts hurt bad. Perry landing big shots as the round ends.
If that round was 10 seconds longer Perry would have had the finish. 10-9 Perry
ROUND TWO: Nice right by Roberts to start the round. Perry continues to march forward. Roberts appears to have his wits about him. Nice body shot by Roberts, followed by a knee by Perry. Roberts starting to land leg kicks on Perry. Two big rights by Perry and he’s back as the aggressor. They trade leg kicks. Nice left by Roberts. Big combo again by Roberts. Perry’s hands are low and he looks tired. Big shots landing by Roberts. Perry lands a big right and takes Roberts down. Perry with a big finish as the round ends with him delivering heavy shots from on top.
Roberts had the round won easily until the final 30 seconds. Still not enough to steal it though.
10-9 Roberts
ROUND THREE: Roberts connect with a nice combination to start the round. Perry counter with a big shot of his own. Back and forth both fighters are landing. Perry’s out put has slowed considerably. Roberts lands a few body shots. Perry continues to move forward. Straight left lands for Roberts. Robert’s left eye is bloody. Big head kick from Roberts. Both fighters are exhausted. Another head kick from Roberts. Nice inside leg kick from Roberts. Perry just rocked Roberts with a huge shot and Roberts is hurt. A huge knee , vicious right hand and Roberts is out on his feet. Perry lands two more big shots as Roberts was out on the mat. Ref got there late as Roberts took a few more shots than needed.
Result: Perry by TKO (4:40 of round 3)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Excellent fight! Both fighters landed huge shots throughout the fight. Perry has an incredible power, I’m looking forward to his next fight. Roberts was winning the last round until the big knee landed for Perry. Had that gone the distance I think there was a chance Roberts might have got the decision.
Prelims – Fox Sports 1 (7:00pm CT)
(3) Lukasz Sajewski vs. Marc Diakiese (Lightweight 155 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Diakiese rushes towards Sajewski and is taken down immediately. Well, that backfired. Sajewski has full side control a minute in. He works into full mount and has Diakiese against the cage. Diakiese works his way up, and gets a take down. Sajewski is up. They reset. Sajewski pushes Diakiese up against the cage and gets a take down. Sajewski doesnt do any damage and Diakiese is up. They circle and Sajewski pushes Diakiese up against the cage as the round ends.
10-9 Sajewski. He controlled Diakiese most of the round, even if he didn’t do any damage.
ROUND TWO: The fighters circle to start the round. Nice body shot by Diakiese. He’s clearly the quicker fighter and looks to settling in. Diakiese misses with a high knee. They reset in the middle of the octagon. Uppercut misses from Diakiese. Much slower pace to this round. A right lands for Diakiese, he follows with a kick and misses. A big right just misses from Diakiese. Diakiese is much busier than Sajewski. Not much out put from Sajewski at all. Under a minute to go and Diakiese is opening up on Sajewski against the cage. A big uppercut and down goes Sajewski. The ref steps in and this one is over.
Result: Diakiese by TKO (4:40 of Round 2)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: It appeared Sajewski gassed himself out after the first round because he did absolutely nothing in the second. It was just a matter of time before Diakiese caught him. I’d like to see Diakiese move up in the level of competition for his next fight because Sajewski had nothing here.
(4) Leon Edwards vs. Albert Tumenov (Welterweight 170 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Edwards fakes a head kick to start the fight. They feel each other out a minute in. Take down by Edwards but Tumenov is back up immediately. Edwards pushes Tumenov up against the cage and get another take down. Edwards in full guard. Tumenov works back to half guard. Nice reversal from Tumenov and he’s up. Edwards has Tumenov up against the cage again and has his back as both fighters catch their breath. The round ends with Edwards in control.
10-9 Edwards. Edwards dominated that round taking Tumenov down three times and controlling the entire round.
ROUND TWO: Both fighters come out active to start the second. They trade shots. Tumenov doing a good job of cutting the octagon off. Edwards shoots in and is stuffed. Edwards looks a bit slower in this round. Neither fighter doing much halfway through the round. Both trade jabs. Tumenov tries to close distance and lands. Edwards shoots in and is stuffed again. Tumenov finding his range. He lands a few more shots as the round ends.
10-9 Tumenov. A much better round for Tumenov as it looks as though Edwards was conserving energy.
ROUND THREE: Tumenov looks to be the aggressor as the third round starts. Nice jab by Tumenov. It looks like Tumenov is baiting Edwards in by keeping his hands low. Edwards just throwing a punch a moving out. Tumenov continues to stalk Edwards down. Edwards catches a kick and takes Tumenov down. He has one hook in and has Tumenov’s neck. He’s got it deep. Tumenov taps!
Result: Edwards by submission (3:01 of Round 3 – RNC)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Wow, I didn’t see that coming. It looked like Edwards was done. Tumenov won the second round and was clearly winning the third until Edwards took his back and forced the tap. Impressive win by Edwards. He persevered and took advantage of Tumenov’s mistake.
(5) Davey Grant vs. Damian Stasiak (Bantamweight 135 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Stasiak catches a kick and takes Grant down as the fight opens. Grant is up. Both fighters trade shots in the middle of the octagon. Grant pushes Stasiak up against the cage and get the take down. Grant lands a nice right, but Stasiak is up. Grant takes him right back down. Both fighters are up and reset. Grant misses with a wild right. Heel kick misses by Stasiak. Grant shoots and takes Stasiak down, but Stasiak rolls through and has Grant on his back as the round ends.
10-9 Grant. Tough round to score, buy I think Grant did more damage.
ROUND TWO: Both fighters come out aggressive to start the second. Nice right hand by Grant followed by a knee. A left by Grant and he’s taking control of the fight. Stasiak catches a kick but can’t follow up. Big uppercut against the cage from Grant. Grant with a big advantage in power strikes. Nice knee from Grant. Another knee and he has Stasiak rattled. A take down for Grant, but Stasiak reverses it. Stasiak in mount and is working for a choke. Grant explodes up, but is taken back down and the round ends.
10-9 Grant. He dominated the round up until the last minute and a half. Not enough for Stasiak to steal the round in my opinion.
ROUND THREE: They trade jabs and kicks to open the third. Neither fighter landing anything. Stasiak gets a take down with three minutes to go. Grant powers up and is free. Grant returns the favor and gets a take down. Stasiak has an arm bar from underneath. Grant tries to roll through but has to tap.
Result: Stasiak by submission (3:56 of Round 3 – Arm Bar)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: That was huge finish for Stasiak. It looked like he was going for a triangle but instead grabbed the arm and twisted until Grant tapped. A hell of an attempt from Grant to try and get out of the submission. He’s going to feel that in the morning.
(6) Brad Pickett vs. Iuri Alcantara (Bantamweight 135 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Alcantara opens with a kick to the body. He pushes Pickett against the fence and lands a knee between the guard of Pickett. Alacantara rocks Pickett with an elbow and Pickett is in big trouble. Alacantara is landing big shots on top. He transitions to full mount then to an arm bar. Alcantara then goes back to the triangle and gets Pickett to tap.
Result: Alcantara by submission (1:59 of Round 1 – Triangle)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Excellent chain submission game from Alcantara. That was really impressive. That was by far the best I’ve seen from Alcantara. He rocked Pickett early with a spinning elbow and never let up, eventually getting the submission. He went from a triangle, to an arm bar, then back to a triangle, good stuff. Tough to see Pickett go out like that.
Main Card – PPV (9pm CT)
(7) Mirsad Bektic vs. Russell Doane (Featherweight 145 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Doane comes out swinging. Bektic takes a kick to the groin but they continue. Bektic misses a head kick then shoots in and scores the take down. Doane tries to stand but is thrown back down. Doane works his way up again and Bektic maintains control. Doane doing an excellent job of fighting him off, but Bektic too strong and has Doane’s back against the cage. Bektic looks to get under the neck and has it. He stretches Doane out and the tap come quickly.
Result: Bektic by submission (4:22 of Round 1 – RNC)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Quick work by Bektic. That was to be expected. Kudos to Russell Doane for taking the fight in six days notice. Bektic was in a tough position because he was expected to win, but I’m not sure if we learned anything new about him. He’s definitely a fighter on the rise and I’m looking forward to seeing him in a more competitive fight next time out.
(8) Stefan Struve vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (Heavyweight 265 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Kicks by both fighters to open the fight. Slow pace to start. Big right by Omielanczuk. Struve using front kicks to keep Omielanczuk at bay. Omielanczuk closes distance and Struve goes for a take down but Omielanczuk fights it off. They scramble and Struve scores a take down. Struve has Omielanczuk’s back and is looking to lock in a RNC. Struve continues to work for a submission for the final minute and the round ends.
10-9 Struve. All Skyscraper in that round. I forget how big Struve is.
ROUND TWO: Omielanczuk comes in looking for a take down and is stuffed. Omielanczuk pushes Struve up against the cage. Struve lands a big knee with his back against the cage. Judo trip for Struve for the take down and he has the neck. Omielanczuk tries to walk the fence but has to tap.
Result: Struve by submission (1:41 of Round 2 – D’Arc Choke)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Struve dominated as expected. No surprises in the first two main card fights. Struve continues his way back into contention.
(9) Ovince Saint Preux vs. Jimi Manuwa (Light Heavyweight 205 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Both fighters come out aggressive. OSP has Manuwa backed against the cage. Both fighters landing heavy knees. They break. Couple kicks from Manuwa and pushes OSP to the fence. Knee to the body for Manuwa. They break. OSP gets a take down and a hook in. They work against the cage. OSP trying to improve his position and Manuwa slips in a choke attempt. OSP is out and has Manuwa’s back. Manuwa is up. The round ends.
10-9 Saint Preux. Good round for OSP. I question Manuwa’s game plan here. We’ll see if he adjusts as the fight progresses.
ROUND TWO: Nice front kick from OSP to start the round. OSP shoots and is stuffed. Manuwa grabs a head lock but loses it quickly. Heavy shots from Manuwa. OSP is holding his hands very low almost inviting Manuwa in. Manuwa obliges and throws a few jabs. High knee from Manuwa. OSP looks tired. Manuwa lands a big body shot and follows with a big over hand right that lands flush. OSP is hurt badly. Manuwa with a big left and OSP is out. The ref tackles Manuwa before he can do more damage.
Result: Manuwa by TKO (2:38 of Round 2)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Yes! I called that upset. Manuwa did change his game plan. I didn’t understand why he came out and looked to try and out wrestle OSP. In round two he came out and did what he does best. He landed some big shots to the body that noticeably wore OSP down, then landed some huge power shots to end the fight. That was a great performance by Jimi Manuwa and a very disappointing outing for Saint Preux.
(10) Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi (Middleweight 185 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: High kick from Mousasi to open. Big left from Belfort looked to stun Mousasi but he recovers. Hard kick to the body from Belfort follows with a combination. Mousasi changes levels and tries for a take down but is stuffed. Slow start for Gegard. They trade kicks in the middle of the cage. Nice jab from Mousasi. Head kick misses for Belfort. Big combo lands flush for Mousasi and pushes against the cage. Belfort spins out. Mousasi goes for a take down as the round ends.
10-9 Belfort. Good round for both fighters. Belfort came out strong to start, but Mousasi started to find his range about mid-way through the round.
ROUND TWO: Big kick for Vitor but Mousasi counters with a shot of his own that lands. Mousasi with a big head kick that lands to the left side of Vitor’s head and follows with a flurry of punches. Belfort is hurt. Mousasi is landing big shots from on top. He’s in full mount and is hammering Belfort. Belfort is taking big shots here, and that’s it. The ref calls an end to it.
Result: Mousasi by TKO (2:43 of Round 2)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Excellent performance from Gegard Mousasi. Once he had Vitor hurt he went in for the finish and got it. Much respect to Vitor Belfort but he hasn’t looked good. He took a decent amount of punishment here and I wonder how much he has left. From what I’ve seen, not much. Mousasi puts himself in a good position and should get a big fight next.
(11) Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson (Middleweight 185 lbs.)
ROUND ONE: Bisping comes out as the aggressor. Henderson tries to fend him off with kicks but Bisping continues forward. Henderson lands a jab and then misses with an overhand right. Both fighters trade jabs. Hendo goes for a take down but is pushed back by Bisping. Bisping follows with a head kick. Hendo lands a big over hand right and Bisping is down. Hendo is landing big shots as Bisping covers. Bisping survives and scrambles to get to his feet. The round ends with Bisping busted open.
10-9 Henderson. I can’t believe Bisping survived that. This fight was close to being over.
ROUND TWO: Bisping looks to have recovered from the big right hand that dropped him in the first round. Bisping continues tobe the aggressor as pushes forward. Bisping is landing jabs and kicks as Henderson looks to have slowed down. Bisping lands a right followed by a knee that lands. Henderson lands another huge right hand that drops Bisping yet again. Hendo misses a few follow up shots and Bisping holds onto Hendo waiting for the round to end.
10-9 Henderson. Bisping was winning the round until another big right hand dropped him.
ROUND THREE: Bisping is increasing his activity while Henderson looks be decreasing activity. Bisping pushes forward as Henderson circles. Bisping lands a right and the two trade kicks. Bisping lands a few jabs and connects with a nice kick to the body. Henderson lands another right hand, but this one doesn’t fully connect and Bisping shrugs it off with the round coming to an end.
10-9 Bisping. Good round round from Bisping as it looks like he’s gaining control of the fight.
ROUND FOUR: The round starts with Bisping pushing forward as Henderson circles away. Bisping mixing up jabs and kicks nicely. Henderson needs to get going here. Bisping lands a few jabs. A kick to the body from Henderson. A low blow from Bisping and Henderson is given time. He’s taking all the time he can get. We’re back. Bisping throwing a ton of jabs in an effort to keep Hendo at bay. Left misses from Henderson but then lands a nice combination. Hendo just misses with a big over hand right. They circle. Bisping misses a head kick. The round ends with both fighters scrambling.
10-9 Bisping. Bisping continues to be more active and landing more shots. He’s definitely in control.
ROUND FIVE: Henderson comes out to start the fifth with more aggression. Both fighters trade jabs and kicks. Bisping peppering Hendo with jabs so he can keep distance. Hendo misses a big right, but land a knee to the body. Nice kick to the body from Bisping. Henderson lands a right hand and follows up with a take down. Hendo in top position but Bisping is up quickly. Hendo goes for another take down but Bisping stuffs it. They circle with ten seconds left. The fight goes the distance.
Result: Bisping by UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Grocke’s Viewpoint: Not sure what fight the judge who scored the fight 49-46 was watching. I scored the fight for Michael Bisping. He was the more active and aggressive fighter. Henderson clearly landed more power shots, but it just wasn’t enough. A good fight.
Final Thoughts: A fun night of fights with a ton of finishes. The main event delivered. Dan Henderson kept his word and retired. He should be proud of his performance tonight. As a big Dan Henderson fan, I know I am.
Thanks for joining me tonight, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @FightChampBlog.
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