UFC 110 Recap-Velasquez Stops Nogueira, Silva decisions Bisping
UFC 110 was the organization’s first event in Australia, and from the crowd reaction, it was definitely a success. It was a very entertaining night of fights, and the Australian crowd really got into the event, assuring a future venture into the region.
Cain Velasquez proved me and everyone else who doubted his power wrong by taking out one of the best heavyweights of all-time in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. From the opening bell, Velasquez was the better and faster striker. He consistently beat Nogueira to the punch, and with the success he was having on his feet, he felt no need to venture into the danger zone that is Nogueira’s guard. The end came about halfway through the first round when Velasquez connected on a right hook to the chin of Nogueira, followed by a left hook to the temple. Nogueira went down in a heap and a few follow up shots from Velasquez finished him off.
UFC president Dana White said that Velasquez is on “standby” for a title shot right now, meaning if the winner of the Frank Mir/Shane Carwin fight at UFC 111 is too injured to fight Brock Lesnar in early summer, then Velasquez would get the title shot instead. If he doesn’t fight Lesnar next, look for Velasquez to take on the winner of the Junior dos Santos/Gabriel Gonzaga matchup at UFC on Versus I, scheduled for March 21st.
In the co-main event of the evening, Wanderlei Silva got a much needed win, getting the unanimous decision nod over Michael Bisping. Bisping once again seemed hesitant to engage with the more powerful Silva, but utilized takedowns and good movement to win the first round. The second round seemed to be in Bisping’s favor as well, until Silva nearly finished him with a guillotine in the closing seconds of the round. That probably pushed the round into Silva’s column. It could be argued that the third round was going Bisping’s way too until Silva dropped him in the closing seconds. Silva could have finished the fight right there if the bell hadn’t sounded. Silva will likely take on another contender in the UFC’s middleweight division, while Bisping will face another mid-level middleweight to get back on track.
George Sotiropoulos impressed the hometown crowd as well as UFC fans from across the world with his dominating unanimous decision victory over Joe Stevenson. Throughout the fight, Sotiropoulos showed the difference between black belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as his Jiu Jitsu was clearly supperior to Stevenson’s. Sotiropoulos controlled the vast majority of the fight and showed a very solid striking game as well. At 5-0 in the UFC, Sotiropoulos will probably get a fringe title contender in the lightweight division, perhaps someone like Tyson Griffin or Sean Sherk. Stevenson, who had looked much improved since joining Greg Jackson’s camp, will go back to the drawing board in hopes of eventually getting another title shot in the lightweight division.
Ryan Bader showed continued improvement in his all-around game, getting a KO victory over Keith Jardine in the third round of their contest. Bader got the takedown in the first round, and spent a lot of time in top control, dropping punches and elbows down on Jardine. Jardine did a good job of defending takedowns in the second round, but Bader’s takedown in the closing seconds of the round probably gave the nod to Bader again. In the third, Bader got a slam on Jardine, but Jardine scrambled to his feet nicely. Bader landed a right hook that was followed by a knee and a left hook that dropped and finished Jardine. It was an impressive performance for the former Ultimate Fighter winner, and one that should earn him a shot against another fringe light heavyweight contender next. An opponent such as Thiago Silva would be a good test for Bader. Jardine’s future is much cloudier as he dropped his third straight fight. I don’t expect the UFC to release him, but he’ll definitely need a win the next time out or he’ll be in some serious danger.
In the opening fight of the PPV, Mirko Cro Cop easily dispatched of the overmatched Anthony Perosh after the doctor stopped the fight between the second and third rounds. Perosh replaced Ben Rothwell just days prior to the contest, giving him very little time to prepare. Cro Cop likely won the first round 10-8, as he battered Perosh throughout the round. In the second round, Cro Cop cut Perosh with a pretty vicious elbow. The fight was allowed to continue after the doctor looked at the cut, but after Cro Cop delivered more punishment, the fight was called off after the round. It still wasn’t a vintage Cro Cop performance, he definitely still looked slow to me, but a win is a win. Cro Cop still thinks he’s among the division’s best, but don’t expect the UFC to feed him to a top contender yet. Dana White’s post-fight comments point to a future fight against Rothwell, the man he was suppossed to fight last night.
Full Results:
Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:20
Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 2:10
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh via TKO (cut) – Round 2, 5:00
Prelims
Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) – Round 3, 1:04
Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster via submission (knee-bar) – Round 1, 1:41
C.B. Dollaway def. Goran Reljic via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
James Te Huna def. Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:26
*Photo courtesy Sherdog.com
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