UPDATED Rapid Reaction: UFC 181 'Hendricks vs. Lawler 2'
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12:37 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, don't look now but... AMERICAN TOP TEAM HAS A UFC WORLD CHAMPION.
12:33 a.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: Where's Jens Pulver?! Tim Sylvia?! Drew McFredries?! Get them all in here, it's 2002 all over again tonight .
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12:31 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: 48-47 Hendricks on my card, as Lawler gets his hand raised. Here we are, Christmas is finally here for Dana White after 12 long years. 12:31 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: ...and oh my God, over 13 years in the making, Robbie Lawler is the UFC welterweight champion.
12:31 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: We've got a
split decision.
12:30 a.m. ET Greg Savage: Good fight, nothing like the first but the scores could be about the same. You can tell Lawler wanted it badly at the end, but I'm not sure that was enough.
12:29 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: I stand by my statement: Hendricks went for tepid takedowns and Lawler punished him for the better part of five minutes and really beat his ass late. Lawler fought hard for the first 45 seconds and then turned it on late. Somehow, it could be enough to win a super close decision. 48-47 Hendricks, but this is intense.
12:27 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Audible boos every time Hendricks goes for a takedown to try to seal this one.
12:25 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Hendricks might be doing himself a disservice wrestling here. He might be tired after another long, gruelling fight, but having his head pushed to the mat while Lawler hits him is a bad look, just in case the judges gave Lawler both the first and fourth rounds.
12:23 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Lawler finished round four with some gusto, but I still have Hendricks up 39-37. The leg kicks have taken their toll and Hendricks remains the far more active puncher, outlanding Lawler basically two-to-one after having combined for almost 350 total strikes thrown.
12:22 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: I'm curious to see if Lawler did enough to steal that round back, especially given our esteemed panel of judges for this bout.
12:17 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: Lawler seemed to take almost entirely take the third round off. I have Hendricks up 29-28 as we go into the championship rounds.
12:17 a.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: CM Punk appearing to take careful mental notes at cageside as Hendricks works, mouthing things.
12:16 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Even if you don't dig his personality, Marc Laimon is a fabulous cornerman. He's always brutally honest, he's got a loud distinct voice, he gives offensive tactics while telling his fighters how to defend and what to be worried about, keeps them appraised of the clock. 29-28 Hendricks after three, as he continues executing Laimon and Steven Wright's gameplan.
12:13 a.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: I think it's pretty indictable that Lawler didn't come into this rematch better able to deal with the leg kicks after they put such a cramp in his style in the first fight.
12:13 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: I can't stress this enough about Johny Hendricks and fighters in general: the fact he is, and has always been, so comfortable standing at a close striking distance to his opponents helps immeasurably. He's always there to strike or wrestle, always apt to defend or clinch and can do so while fighting at a controlled pace, where he's not chasing his opponent and reaching. Bueno.
12:09 a.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Johny's throwing low kicks with borderline Jose Aldo technique tonight. He's pulling his head offline and stepping into them, which gives them brutal, effortless power. He's showing more and more of that Dutch-style kickboxing as his work with Steven Wright pays off.
12:08 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: Indeed. I was in-house when he torched Melvin Manhoef, after being made to knee himself in the face, repeatedly. His knee/leg was so shot that he did all of his post-fight interviews seated. I could only imagine what he was like when Pete Spratt separated his his hip.
12:08 a.m. ET Greg Savage: Lawler's former coach Pat Miletich is going crazy behind Dana White at cageside. 12:06 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Hendricks remembers that Lawler has spent his whole career getting smashed with leg kicks and now he's doing a great job at chopping him up low.
12:03 a.m. ET Jordan Breen: Hendricks started grooving a bit late and landed a few nice punching combos along with a takedown, but that's still Lawler's round. He assaulted Hendricks in the opening 45 seconds and for several minutes, did a great job shutting down his takedown while landing knees and short punches.
12:02 a.m. ET Jesse Denis: Lawler tuning up body of Hendricks in the clinch should pay dividends, assuming we see the later rounds. Hendricks has never been known for his cardio.
12:01 a.m. ET Greg Savage: I think it's safe to say Lawler isn't going to give away the first round like many thought he did last fight.
11:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, what the hell, Greg? We're not gonna get a 25-minute war now because your boy Robbie Lawler is going for broke in the first 60 seconds. The challenger putting massive heat on the champ with knees to the body and head.
11:58 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: Even if Robbie Lawler never closes that career loop and achieves the title, I want to see him try again and again and again.
11:58 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: A record 308 significant strikes landed by Lawler and Hendricks combined in that first fight. Mmm hmm.
11:56 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I think there's a decent outside chance. I got some fanboy chills like this is 2002. Also, to reiterate from earlier: this panel of judges stinks.
11:54 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Any way this fight lives up to the first one from March? Check back with him in a half hour. Now pardon me while I go revel in the chaos that is about to ensue.
11:53 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: Johny Hendricks holding it down for fans who go to Bass Pro Shops. Coming into his own as a character.
11:52 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As usual, the champion Hendricks is out to “50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown.” This is Greg Savage's jam.
11:50 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: This has been an incredible show.
11:47 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As pointed out by the homie and occasional Sherdog.com contributor Joe Ortiz, Pettis' fight stops undermine his challengers' assets, too. Cerrone's ruggedness? Crushed his body. Henderson's imperviousness to submissions? Break his arm. Melendez being tough as hell? Rock him then tap him. It's mental, this guy.
11:47 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Absolutely incredible performance from Anthony Pettis. He might have the best killer instinct in the game today, he's dangerous at every range, and he can finish you in every phase. He's even faster and sharper in every phase than he was before the injury, too. The way he struggled against the fence makes me think that Khabib would be an incredibly tough matchup for him, but how can you count out someone that dynamic?
11:44 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I'm not ready for the main event yet. I'm not fully over Pettis. I want Khabib Nurmagomedov to hop out of the crowd pro-wrestling style and challenge him to an impromptu second title defense.
11:42 p.m. ET Greg Savage: It's about to go down. Johny Hendricks-Robbie Lawler two is up next. If this one even comes close to their “Fight of the Year” scrap from March, we're all in for (another) violent treat.
11:41 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I'm genuinely loving the production value on these new UFC promos. We've seen two tonight, alone, that are potentially the best we've seen in the last 21 years from the promotion.
11:39 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: A disappointed Melendez says Pettis made him feel old, praises him as “the new breed.” I wonder how many times Melendez got hit with that same guillotine-to-mount from Jake Shields in training and escaped. Pettis is just on a whole other level when it comes to offense. Consecutive finishes of Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez. This man is a problem.
11:36 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Pettis could be the most dynamic dude in MMA, as if we weren't already aware. Submitting Melendez is a feather in that cap, to be sure. It only took one mistake for “Showtime” to hand Gilbert Melendez the first stoppage loss of his career.
11:35 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: What a killer Pettis is. He fights like he knows he's better, and whether or not he goes for a technique is completely without regard to who his opponent is and what he can do.
11:34 p.m. ET Greg Savage: There it is, one mistake and Pettis capitalizes. Kid is the truth.
11:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Melendez shoots and this time, Pettis grabs a guillotine, jumps guard, rolls him to mount and it's all over. Just like that. Twelve years, 25 fights prior and Anthony Pettis is the first man to stop Gilbert Melendez. This man might be the most offensively gifted fighter in the history of this sport.
11:32 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Pettis is getting taken apart at boxing range and with his back to the fence. Needs to be in and out, using his legs and keep Melendez at distance; whenever the fight stays at range, Pettis is beating him to the punch.
11:30 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: 10-9 Melendez in the first; smart fight from the challenger, thus far. “Neutrifying,” as Mike Goldberg would say, one of the gifted offensive fighters on the planet is no easy feat.
11:31 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Round one is living up to the billing. Melendez comes out and bullies Pettis a bit, but you can still see Pettis lining up the big shots. He got a couple decent shots in, but Melendez controlled and landed much more volume. 10-9 Melendez after one over here.
11:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Pettis had a few flashes, but it was a fantastic first round for Melendez. He hasn't been able to keep Pettis flat on the mat, but he's managed to grind him to the fence, constantly force him to defend the takedown and has been able to land his own punches as a result. If he can fight five rounds of with this general level of efficacy, he's got a great chance to finally nab the brass ring (and gold belt).
11:26 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: After 12 years in the game and 25 fights, this is somehow, improbably, Gilbert Melendez's first fight in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world. “Big” John McCarthy is your referee. The lightweight opt not to touch gloves at the final instructions. It's go time.
11:24 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: This is such an fascinating matchup. The key factor, to me, is cage control: out in the center, Pettis is king, while Melendez is going to struggle if he can't keep Pettis within a few feet of the fence and cut off his angles and movement.
11:23 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: It seems like despite the long layoff, Anthony Pettis has become a bigger star. Stayed champ, got Wheaties, got TUF, new custom entrance theme. Great counterpoint when someone says inactivity is a real problem in MMA.
11:22 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Melendez's biggest problems, whether Josh Thomson (especially in the first fight) or the screwjob against Benson Henderson, is guys keeping distance and kicking on him. Pettis is unique, and maybe the only guy who is surgical enough to stop the never-before-stopped Melendez to the head or body. That's enough for me to give him an ever-so-slight advantage.
11:19 p.m. ET Greg Savage: The UFC lightweight strap is up for grabs in a few moments, and it's such an interesting match. If Pettis defends he is on his way to establishing himself as a true superstar in the sport. On the other hand, Melendez inches towards legendary status as a legit contender to B.J. Penn's throne as the greatest lightweight in the sport's young history. Let's do this.
11:16 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Imagine the warm, fuzzy feelings in the community if Gil and Robbie both walk out as UFC champions tonight. Despite how hotly contested the first Hendricks-Lawler fight was, I favor the champ. As for what's on deck, I'm still fairly torn. I don't think we see Anthony Pettis leave Melendez in a motel bathtub full of ice, but would it really be surprising if the current champ can score a finish? Still, I slightly favor Gil.
11:15 p.m. ET Jack Encarnacao: It's time to decide who opposes Frankie Edgar in the debate about the greatest lightweight in UFC history.
11:15 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, before we get started, here's a fascinating and fantastic little piece from MMADecisions.com, detailing how all four fighters in tonight's championship fights have struggled with some of the judges who are evaluating their bouts tonight.
11:14 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alright. First of two lustily anticipated title fights on deck. Any scintillating insights, thrilling predictions or hot takes, y'all?
11:09 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Going in, I figured this match-up would be easy pickings for Browne, but that was worse than I expected. It's one thing to have chin issues as Schaub does, go out on a flash knockout, but getting dominated by a guy who was, ostensibly, not even trying is just completely demoralizing.
11:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Mike Goldberg lets us know that Travis Browne, courtesy of his dominant win, wins a brand new 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle. UFC heavyweights (and athletes in general) driving motorcycles never, ever goes wrong.
11:07 p.m. ET Greg Savage: What an anti-climatic finish there. Browne looked like he was just playing around having fun. Easy win for him and it should put him right back in position for a crack at the heavyweight strap sometime in 2015.
11:06 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Damn. Gracie University Online didn't work out so well for Brendan Schaub there. He started well with the takedowns, but Browne hurt him then went to town on him from top position, mounting him twice and pounding him over from back control. Dominant business. The official time of the stoppage is 4:50 of the first round.
11:02 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Bruce Buffer announces that Travis Browne is fighting out of Albuquerque even though he spent his entire camp with Edmond Tarverdyan’s team in Glendale, Calif.
10:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Our last fight, which featured two robust men, lasted all of 33 seconds. This one between Travis Browne and Brendan Schaub might not last much longer. However, it is a testament to Joe Silva's clever, esoteric matchmaking memes, with “Big Brown” taking on MMA's biggest Brown(e).
10:58 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Welcome to the world, Phil Brooks.
10:56 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Well, CM Punk is now officially a fighter. He's got a FightFinder profile.
10:51 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Speaking of Will Brooks, he is not impressed with the UFC’s roster-building performance and Phil Brooks.
Idk if I'm that impressed by the CM punk news. Is it that big of
a deal? And why?
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) December
7, 2014
10:50 p.m. ET Greg Savage: I am dying over hear reading the responses to the CM Punk signing. Comparing him to Brock Lesnar is insane. Lesnar was a NCAA champion and unreal athletic specimen. Phil Brooks, who I wish nothing but the best, has never competed at a high level in any sport. It is clearly a publicity-fuelled decision and I hope it work, but don't tell me this is where only the best of the best compete.
10:49 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Contrast that promo, which was an excellent piece of work that should attract casual fans, and the UFC 181 promo, which drew audible waves of laughter from the crowd when they played it at a movie theater I was in a few weeks ago.
10:47 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I love that the UFC put some kaiju battle music on the Jones-Cormier brawl starring Dave Sholler.
10:47 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Incredible UFC 182 extended trailer from the UFC, showcasing the rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, complete with footage from their infamous ESPN “Sportscenter” debacle. I think that's my favorite UFC promo ever, by far.
10:44 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Whatever his health problems or the effects of his long layoff, Duffee looks like a better version of the same fighter he was when he left off. He's still relatively young, he's athletic, he can stuff takedowns, and most of all, he can crack. Let the man cook.
10:42 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Sorry I was away, I was in shock that CM Punk is now a UFC fighter. Barely came out of it in time to see Duffee slip the mind eraser right hand in there for the finish early.
10:41 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Todd Duffee needs all of 33 seconds to land a right cross and a brutal follow up shot that put Anthony Hamilton away. He gets on the mic after and tells Joe Rogan he's the world's most high-profile Parsonage-Turner Syndrome case so he's flying the flag of awareness. Very cool.
10:38 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Even Brock Lesnar had to have a prior fight at K-1 “Dynamite!! USA”. Unfortunately his original opponent Hong Man Choi, who Dana White would later call “Long Duck Dong” was forced to pull out with a tumor on his pituitary gland.
10:34 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: On a night when the undefeated Ben Askren is in the building helping to corner his Roufusport brethren, the UFC is announcing that CM Punk has signed a multi-fight contract with the promotion. Like Dana White once said, better go get yourself some fights in the WWE. That is what he said, right?
10:34 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I'm heartbroken that CM Punk has signed with UFC. A history of injuries in the professional wrestling world does not correlate well to real fights. I do not see this ending well.
10:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Yes, “Phil Brooks” not to be confused with “Will Brooks” of course.
10:34 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: UFC needs stars so bad they went to Phillip Jack Brooks! Let's see what they do with him.
10:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: CM Punk says he's gonna do a test cut and try to fight at middleweight, but refuses to divulge what camps he's talking to about training. Yeehaw, smart marks. CM Punk in the Octagon.
10:31 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: There's a lot of trepidation in my mind when it comes to seeing a CM Punk signing. Having listened to the man's tell-all podcast appearance, it sounds like the last few years of his life have been a giant string concussions and knee injuries.
10:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Joe Rogan now interviewing former WWE champion CM Punk, talking about him training with Rener and Ryron Gracie and what motivated his decision to get into MMA. I know that our boy C.J. Tuttle is pumped.
10:26 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Tony Ferguson weathers the early storm and submits Abel Trujillo with a rear-naked choke to finish off the lightweight affair at 4:19 of the second round. Good performance for the ascending lightweight.
10:25 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Tony Ferguson weathers the early storm and the knockdown, starts boxing wisely and keeps the pressure on, takes away Abel Trujillo's energy and it pays off. “El Cucuy” rides Trujillo for a moment, punching away until he took the back and snatched a quick rear-naked choke on his exhausted victim. Classy, veteran performance. Trujillo's cardio remains his biggest enemy.
10:20 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: A lot of one-way traffic for Trujillo for a good chunk of that round. Ferguson seemed to come to life a bit at the end, but that was definitely a lost round.
10:19 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Fun first round from these two lightweights. Trujillo takes the round on his strong work early where he dropped Ferguson, but had to hang on a bit at the end after he got tired. Ferguson is primed to take over right now.
10:15 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Very interested in this fight. Trujillo's at his best throwing meat clubs in the pocket and throwing knees in the clinch, while Ferguson is better at literally everything else. "El Cucuy" has a distinct tendency to get drawn into brawls, however, and if that happens it immediately becomes a coin flip.
10:15 p.m. ET >Chris Nelson: Joe Rogan thinks Katsunori Kikuno fought in Pride, I guess because he’s Japanese? 10:11 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Especially disappointing given how awesome Melendez's curly fro and hibiscus shorts were in that fight.
10:09 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: The booth makes mention of Melendez having two belts at home, yet makes no mention of his WEC title bout with Olaf Alfonso. That's just disappointing.
10:08 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Abel Trujillo and Tony Ferguson batting lead off on the PPV card. If Trujillo wants to get it done he better get to work early. Ferguson is the smarter long play here. I expect a knockdown, drag out affair early with Ferguson taking control late. “Most Violent Fight of the Night” candidate right here.
10:06 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: The pay-per-view portion of UFC 181 gets started with a great lightweight fight between Tony Ferguson and Abel Trujillo. While I think his cleaner, technical boxing and better submission savvy should carry him to a win, I feel like the UFC production crew photoshopped his hairline in that picture.
10:02 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's not even Front Row Brian's shots. It's one of his many billions of fans, possibly even Greg Savage himself with a different Twitter account.
10:00 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Not so front row, are we Front Row Brian?
9:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: A look inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center, courtesy of Twitter. I know that Las Vegas is always a late arriving crowd, but that's behind the curve even for “Sin City” standards:
@FrontRowBrian
This place is dead! Is this a sign of the times? pic.twitter.com/GL5toPyRd8
— JohnnyUtah (@johnnyutah013) December
7, 2014
9:52 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, with that “win,” Urijah Faber is now the UFC record holder for most wins, submissions and finishes in the bantamweight division. He really is the best non-title fighter ever.
9:52 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: As a referee, I think it’s pretty safe to say that you definitely don’t want to find yourself consistently in the running for “Robbery of the Year” (dis)honors.
9:49 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Tristen, to your point: Yamasaki was the star of Sherdog's 2012 “Robbery of the Year,” one of the rare ones that doesn't involve the judges. Even if Ross Pearson-Diego Sanchez is a lock for our vote this year, this is gonna make the top five likely.
9:47 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Damn. If Mario Yamasaki isn’t disqualifying Erick Silva for phantom illegal blows against Carlo Prater, he’s missing an obvious eye poke that allowed Urijah Faber to turn the tide in the fight he was losing against Francisco Rivera. Not saying Rivera was definitely going to win, but it sure would’ve been nice to find out if he could have kept his momentum going.
9:47 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Just a reminder from August 2009: instant replay is approved in Nevada to review fights like this. The real problem is that even when folks appeal, justice is very seldom served. Even if he deserves it, Rivera stands little chance of getting this overturned to a No Contest in my eyes.
9:44 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Urijah Faber makes it 3-0 for the cornrows thus far tonight.
9:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Rivera's having the best performance of his career in his biggest fight and Mario Yamasaki takes his opportunity by missing a foul. I know that refs aren't infallible, but this Yamasaki's a longtime suspect official, especially with weird stand-ups, capricious point deductions and non-deductions and missing stuff like this. Can we invoke the Anthony Johnson-Kevin Burns rule here?
9:41 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Oh, for crying out loud. Mario Yamasaki misses a blatant eye poke by Faber (albeit unintentional), Rivera reels away from the foul, Faber swarms him then hits a no-hooks rear-naked choke (actually, maybe like another bulldog choke) to make him tap. Thanks for not refereeing.
9:36 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, hot damn. “Cisco” shuts down five minutes of Faber takedowns, cracks him clean a few times and probably just won a 10-9 round, which is already better than most would've figured him for in this bout as a +700 underdog in some places.
9:25 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Time for your FS1 undercard main event between bantamweight bridesmaid Urijah Faber and heavy-hitting tough guy Francisco Rivera. An upset is unlikely here, but at least Rivera's insane power gives him a classic puncher's chance. And, like the first Mike Thomas Brown fight, or his bout with Tyson Griffin, you never know when Urijah might get too cute with his strikes and get swatted out of the air.
Speaking of that, here's a blast from the past for y'all and a cautionary tale about Superman punches gone wrong:
9:22 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: “Joe Silva! Fifty thousand dollars! I wanna change my life, I think I just did it!” That's how you end a promo. Fantastic everything there from Josh Samman, other than perhaps defensive wrestling.
9:21 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: The torque Samman got on that kick was unreal. Surely, that's in the running for “Knockout of the Year” since Gordon was a body as soon as it connected.
9:20 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Gordon is up on his feet but quite wobbly and now sits down on his stool. Bruce Buffer announces Samman as the winner at 3:08 of the second round.
9:19 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Gordon is sitting up now after being out of it for quite a while. Cageside physician is working him up as we speak. Samman is crouched just outside the circle of people attending to Gordon and is looking on intently.
9:16 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Man, that's going to leave a mark. Josh Samman lands a huge left head kick that flattens Eddie Gordon. Big come-from-behind win for the kid.
9:15 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: And as I finish saying that, Eddie Gordon gets stood up by Herb Dean and he gets his head kick off, out cold, stiff by Josh Samman. Wow. An incredible knockout and an emotional moment for the man. Samman was celebrating with his arms up before Gordon even hit the mat.
9:15 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Eddie Gordon is “Truck” I presume because of his ability to park his rig on top of dudes. He's a physically imposing and fundamentally sound fighter, but man oh man, does he lack in the offense department.
9:10 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I’m chuckling at Joe Rogan referring to Matt Serra as a “current heavyweight.” It reminds me of interviewing Serra after UFC 168 and him worrying about looking fat on camera.
9:07 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Ouch, that will shift things around a bit. Samman with the shot to the groin very quickly.
9:05 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I don't know, Jordan, I was kind of a fan of Bird getting jumped in. Also, Malice at The Palace. I want to say the trick is that it basically has to degenerate into the bathroom scene from “The Warriors,” no one-on-ones.
9:06 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: I don’t know about that, Jordan. Kermit Washington packed a pretty nasty punch.
9:05 p.m. ET Greg Savage: Cageside now at Mandalay Bay after wrapping up our SiriusXM pre-fight show. Just in time for the Josh Samman and Eddie Gordon. Samman is a +130 underdog. Expecting some fireworks here.
9:03 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Time for TUF 19 winner Eddie Gordon taking on returning TUF 17 alum Josh Samman. For those not in the know on Samman's motivations, check out this story by MMAJunkie's Ben Fowlkes. Samman's ex-girlfriend died in a car accident while texting and driving, and he wanted to fight on the anniversary of her death. I can't imagine emotion wouldn't be a factor.
8:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: FS1 running a promo with Anthony Pettis' strength and conditioning coach Matt Gifford, who remarks that Pettis' hand speed and coordination are amazing and it shows on the basketball court. If there's any athletic correlation, why is it that every NBA fight is a dumpster fire of flailing humanity?
8:57 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: And in addition to his solid unanimous decision win, Corey Anderson fans, rejoice:
FightMetric is still working on its BRpW (Beastin' Rate per
Week) algorithm.
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) December
7, 2014
8:51 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Justin Jones was involved in one of the better fights I've ever seen live, a come from behind submission win against Paul Gemmati at BAMMA USA “Badbeat 12.” After getting pounded for 10 minutes, Jones came back in the third frame and locked in that guillotine submission he had in the first round tonight against Corey Anderson.
8:51 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: The physically massive Anderson slows down in round three and rides Jones out to assuredly win on points. Still, Anderson had pretty big offensive output in the first 10 minutes and Jones withstood a surprising amount of potent offense. Impressed with Anderson's improvements, impressed with Jones' toughness and grit and am excited to see him back down at 185. Cool inside spinning elbow by Anderson, too, a la Jon Jones.
8:43 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: If you're Justin Jones, there's worse ways to be losing a fight. He's taking some real licks from Anderson, especially inside the clinch, but he still took this on short notice for Gian Villante, is moving up in weight and has showed he's a big rugged guy who has some tools, even if he's only got a scant few pro MMA fights.
8:41 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Call me crazy, but if I’m making a movie about YouTube brawler “Kimbo Slice,” I’d think long and hard about casting Justin Jones to play the part of a young Kevin Ferguson.
8:40 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: We're seeing massive improvements from Corey Anderson now that he's spent a solid few months working with Frankie Edgar, Mark Henry, and Ricardo Almeida in Jersey. To Jordan's point, you have to love how the tall, rangy guy uses his leverage on the inside to create space for short uppercuts and knees. If you ask coaches, their opinions will differ on whether you should teach tall fighter to work outside or play to their personalities, and Anderson is clearly a guy who likes to conduct business on the inside.
8:37 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Well, this fight is off to a rollicking start. Corey Anderson showing expansion of his striking game and Justin Jones, usually a middleweight, still looks robust at 205 and showing off quite a chin so far. I have concerns about Anderson's cardio, but I love how he uses his wrestling to set up his dirty boxing game and is such a natural offensive fighter in close despite being 6-foot-4.
8:36 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Tristen, I don't think Dodson was exaggerating. Ian McCall walks at around 155 and I've heard other flyweights say similar things, so 162 is right in that range, if high.
8:34 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Maybe he was exaggerating a little, but Patrick, I remember John Dodson once telling me he walks around at 162 pounds before cutting weight.
8:31 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: I would have been OK with the “25/8” part had he capped it off with “punk weight.”
8:30 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I'm sorry you feel that way, dude. I was just about to ask everyone where it ranked on the pantheon of great nicknames.
8:30 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Corey Anderson is up next. Where does “Beastin' 25/8” rank in the pantheon of ridiculous nicknames?
8:29 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: It's a sign of how ridiculous weight-cutting has gotten in MMA that a guy who reportedly walks at 150, like Pettis the Younger, would be about average-sized for the UFC's flyweight division.
8:27 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: That's pretty spooky. Also, I find it interesting that Pettis said he couldn't make 125 pounds any more, he got physically larger and filled out as a man, then decided to cut back down. Curious about the plan. But, if he can make it comfortably somehow, awesome.
8:24 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I didn't know Patrick Wyman had psychic powers, but Pettis was just quoted after the bout saying he's going to be moving back down to 125 pounds.
8:22 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Raquel Pennington goes from being a showcase opponent for Holly Holm’s Octagon debut to cinching a buzzer-beating bulldog choke at the end of a harrowing first round. Ashlee Evans-Smith, meanwhile, will always have Fallon Fox.
8:22 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Definite cool points for finishing at the bell, but Medeiros damn near ripped Jackson's head off. We also can't forget Niklas "I'm not f'ing yoking around, you guys" Backstrom's slick-as-hell bulldog choke of ADCC competitor Tom Niinimaki in Berlin earlier this year.
8:21 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: I'll go with Medeiros since I was in the building at 177.
8:20 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Quick poll: more or less cool than Yancy Medeiros brutal execution-by-hanging of Damon Jackson earlier this year at UFC 177? I thought Evans-Smith was gonna grind out Pennington just like she was doing. I'm saying Pennington.
8:17 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: I just spent 30 seconds searching for a YouTube video of Chris Tucker in "The Fifth Element" yelling "commercial" into his headset to express my displeasure with that cut to advertising.
8:16 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: She seemed to collapse near the very end; it almost appeared as though Smith was going to tap but got the lights turned out before she could do so.
8:16 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: That is correct: the standing-to-the-ground bulldog choke leaves Ashlee Evans-Smith unconscious at 4:59 of the first round. Incredible single-round come-from-behind win for Raquel Pennington and one of the most badass submissions this year.
8:14 p.m. ET Chris Nelson: Yo, this fight just ended viciously, let's go to commercial right quick. She was out, right?
8:14 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: WTFFFFF. Did they just go to commercial with Ashlee Evans-Smith dead on the canvas in a bulldog choke? WHAT?
8:09 p.m. ET Mike Fridley: After finishing her amateur mixed martial arts career with a ho-hum record of 5-4, Ashlee Evans-Smith has found her stride as a professional. Debuting in the UFC with a pro record of 3-0, Smith finds herself on the sport’s biggest stage thanks to an injury to Raquel Pennington’s original opponent, Holly Holm. Interestingly enough, the bartender was considering hanging up her gloves before the UFC’s call came:
“Realistically, I was about to take a little time away from MMA,” she told FoxSports’ Elias Cepeda. “The WSOF had me on the shelf for six months before getting me a fight. Since that fight, it was getting close to the six-month mark again. It was very discouraging. I was working a lot as a bar tender to make ends meet. Then, out of nowhere, I get a call to fight in the UFC, the WSOF released me to allow me to take it.”
8:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As we descend upon Raquel Pennington taking on the debuting Ashlee Evans-Smith, I also realize I missed a chance when mentioning former Sergio Pettis victim Jimmy Jones, earlier. I couldn't find a good picture of the tattoo of Patrick Swayze as Dalton in “Road House” on his back, unfortunately. Pretend I found one.
8:07 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Beal-Seery is actually a ton of fun. Thanks, Sean Shelby.
8:05 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: Not trying to s--- on your potential matchup for Pettis, Patrick, but didn't Beal formally drop down to flyweight with the announcement he's fighting Neil Seery today?
8:03 p.m. ET Tristen Critchfield: Sergio Pettis is barely able to buy a beer and he’s already 3-1 in the Octagon. Considering how much room for growth he still has, it’ll be interesting to see how we view him four or five years from now. I’d like to steepen “The Phenom’s” learning curve in his next outing. Matchups with Aljamain Sterling or Pedro Munhoz could be a lot of fun. At his age, a loss doesn’t hurt his stock significantly.
7:59 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Rounds two and three were the Pettis show after a dicey start. Sergio admits that he's still "finding himself" as a fighter, and from the looks of it, he's on the right path. While he shouldn't be getting dropped early in fights like this, he treated Hobar exactly the way he was supposed to for two rounds.
7:58 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: I'd like to see Pettis get another tune-up matchup -- Chris Beal, maybe -- before he starts to move up the ranks. As Jordan pointed out, he really needs time to grow into his body; he also needs to work on his defensive skills, as he's still hittable, but that's usually the last thing to fall into place for high-level MMA strikers.
7:56 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 are your official scores for “The Phenom” Sergio Pettis, getting his third UFC victory. He's faced marginal opposition at 135 pounds as he's grown into his body, physically and competitively maturing. Any enterprising ideas on next opponents that could rouse improvement from the young man?
7:54 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Alrighty then. That should be 29-28 Pettis after taking doing big damage in round two, then keeping up tactical striking control over Hobar for round three. Reminds me of his RFA 4 fight with the impossibly spindly and awkward Jimmy Jones, where it took him a while to get comfortable with the length and reach.
7:47 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Two rounds in, I can see the game that Sergio's playing. He's giving up the outside angle, the standard play in an orthodox-southpaw matchup, which is what the inexperienced striker (Hobar) is looking for. It got Pettis cracked early, but now that he has the rhythm and the range, he's landing clean straight rights and high kicks to the exposed left side of Hobar's head.
7:46 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: And as soon as I say that, Pettis takes Hobar to the danger zone, hitting him with a head kick, zinging him with punches and dropping him with a brutal cross to the body. Two minutes into round two, Pettis is taking control of the fight, but he did just let Hobar recover by locking up guard and relaxing for a moment.
7:45 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Sergio does a better job of landing high kicks from weird places -- off clinch breaks, handfighting, strange inside angles -- than just about anybody in MMA. It helps make up for his lack of height relative to the guys he's been fighting.
7:42 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I don't want to be a red alarmist after just five minutes, but if you're a big lover of the Pettis family, you're not feeling good right now. Hobar is looking large and in charge after round one. This is still very winnable for Pettis, but Hobar is leveraging his height and reach better than anticipated, has cracked Pettis hard and is a better wrestler.
7:39 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Hobar's throwing his left hand directly over the top of Pettis' right. Because he's so much longer, it's landing while keeping him mostly safe, though Hobar has eaten a few.
7:39 p.m. ET Jeff Sherwood: Just interviewed T.J. Dillashaw back here in the media room at the Mandalay Bay. The bantamweight champ is picking his fellow champions Johny Hendricks and Anthony Pettis to retain tonight.
7:38 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: And despite this being a tune-up fight, Hobar smacks Pettis with an overhand left that rocks him 20 seconds into the fight. Maybe we get a real fight here.
7:34 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: To your point, Patrick: when he showed up at weigh-ins yesterday, I actually did a double take. It looks like he went through puberty (again?) in a matter of months, it actually tripped me out how noticeably different his face and body were.
7:33 p.m. ET Patrick Wyman: Pettis the Younger is on tap next. I'm interested to see how he'll deal, once again, with a much longer and rangier fighter, and whether he's continued his physical growth into adulthood. It's hard to overstate how physically undeveloped he was when he was signed, and how far away from his athletic prime he still is. That should be borne in mind when evaluating his development as a prospect.
7:32 p.m. ET Mike Fridley: Making his fourth appearance in the Octagon with a record of 2-1, Sergio Pettis is still looking for his first finish with the promotion. Talking with Sherdog’s Matthew C. Scaro, Pettis declared that his sights are set on putting away Matt Hobar.
“I want to finish this guy. I have three fights in the UFC; I haven’t finished one yet. This is the guy I want to finish,” said Pettis. “That’s something I’ve been working on in this camp. Just having a great mindset; the mindset of finishing fights and not just going out there and scoring.”
7:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Just kidding. I know that Hobar is a Legacy FC. I'm not a dummy.
7:31 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Up next, at 135 pounds, it's Sergio Pettis and Matt Hobar. You know, in case you missed Resurrection Fighting Alliance last night on AXS.
7:29 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: A spirited Alex White takes round three on my card, but it's too little too late. Very fun, back-and-forth fight, but Collard was really in the driver's seat with cleaner strikes, superior grappling and better execution over the first 10 minutes. All three judges have it 29-28 for The Pit Elevated Fight Team product. 7:28 p.m. ET Jesse Denis: Clay Collard came out for a scalp in the second, tying things up on my card, not relinquishing control through the third. Gritty performance from Alex White, but in the later rounds, the man just seem outclassed at every turn.
7:27 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: No doubt Clay Collard is fun to watch, but depending on how long he lasts in the UFC, I could easily see the cumulative damage he takes becoming a problem later in his career.
7:23 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Interesting tweet from MMA official Rob Hinds, responding to scribe Luke Thomas about the referee in Collard-White:
@SBNLukeThomas
@ItsMikeFagan Mark
Smith from NV. Mostly judges. Making his way as a ref. Refs TUF.
Since Mazz & Winslow are out he moved up.
— Robert Hinds (@hindsmmareferee) December
7, 2014
7:16 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Collard asserting himself, starting to put style on White a bit with his striking and grappling. I couldn't believe he was an underdog. Does knocking out Estevan Payan count for that much? Collard's wins over Justin Buchholz in Showdown Fights showed more than a big-swinging White clobbering lesser fighters. Also, Collard has a terrible style to fight Max Holloway, nevermind on short notice in his UFC debut, and he looked decent until Holloway overwhelmed him.
7:13 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: As usual, it's all about the main events. There's some fun window dressing – the TUF winners like Eddie Gordon and Corey Anderson, a Urijah Faber bout, Tony Ferguson-Abel Trujillo is a great style match-up – but people are going to remember this card by the two title fights. If they both deliver, and I think they will, I think it'll be very positively received and fondly remembered regardless of the other fights. Then again, if we get a lame decision, who knows what public recollection becomes. Also, Chris Cariaso isn't in the main event of this.
7:12 p.m. ET C.J. Tuttle: How does this card stack up against UFC 178? While tonight's event has two title fights, 178 had an equally impressive buzz heading into it. Not to mention it delivered as far as quality. Will tonight live up to the expectations?
7:09 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: I'm somehow confident that we'll get something much lamer than “Cool Kids” by Echosmith almost immediately. This is a major UFC card, we're bound for it. Bring on the worst of the worst Eminem tracks.
7:07 p.m. ET Brian Knapp: Did Clay Collard really come out to Echosmith?
7:05 p.m. ET Mike Fridley: For those unfamiliar with the story of Alex White, Sherdog.com’s Yael Grauer penned an interview prior to the fighter’s signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Before he ever stepped foot in an MMA gym, the Ultimate Team Destruction product fought for his life after accidentally ingesting gasoline at the age of 4. 7:04 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Our evening begins at 145 pounds, with heavy-swinging Alex White taking on Clay Collard, who acquitted himself well in his UFC debut against a much more skilled Max Holloway on a week's notice.
7:02 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: Also, I should do my duty and point out that if you have a satellite radio subscription, tune your SiriusXM dial to channel 92. You can listen to the SiriusXM UFC 181 pre-show live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas with Steve Cofield and my “Cheap Seats” cohort Greg Savage. If that's your kinda thing.
6:59 p.m. ET Jordan Breen: It's seven o'clock in the East and possibly the grandest MMA card of the year, UFC 181 is upon us in Las Vegas. The two best divisions in MMA (for my money, anyway) have the thrones on the line, one in a long overdue pairing of generational lightweights, and the other a replay of the “Fight of the Year” so far. And, most importantly, the return of the man known as “Beastin' 25/8.”
4:15 p.m. ET Mike Fridley: Sherdog.com's UFC 181 rapid reaction will kickoff Saturday night at approximately 7 p.m. ET.
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