The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts tonight for UFC Fight Night 26: “Shogun vs Sonnen.” The promotion’s debut on FOX Sports 1 was headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Chael Sonnen.
Also on the card tonight, former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem faced Travis “Hapa” Browne in the co-feature. “The California Kid” Urijah Faber battled Iuri “Marajo” Alcantara in a featured bantamweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC Fight Night 26.
Chael Sonnen vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Round 1:
Sonnen took Rua down within seconds and landed a knee as Rua stood. Rua countered with a takedown of his own, but Sonnen locked on a guillotine choke and used it to get back to his feet. Sonnen lateral dropped Rua down to the mat and struck from the top in half-guard. Sonnen postured up with punches and nearly took Rua’s back. He continue to strike from Rua’s half-guard until Rua scrambled to his feet. Sonnen pulled guard with a tight guillotine choke and Rua was forced to submit.
Winner: Chael Sonnen by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:47 of round one. He improves to 28-13-1.
Travis “Hapa” Browne vs Alistair Overeem
Round 1:
Overeem pressed forward with punches and a knee to the body right away. Brown escaped a clinch, but Overeem landed a right hook to the body. Browne missed with a looping hook and fell to the mat. Overeem looked for a guillotine choke and then hurt Browne with a knee to the body. Overeem unloaded with punches on the ground and the fight was nearly stopped. Browne narrowly survived, but Overeem landed more knees and big punches.
Browne stood and exchanged punches with Overeem against the cage. Overeem pulled Browne to the mat, but Browne easily escaped his grasp and the fighters returned to their feet. Browne flashed out front kicks and Overeem clinched once more. Browne circled out and landed a grazing head kick and a knee to the body. Browne continued to kick from a distance and he landed a crushing front kick to the jaw. Overeem collapsed and Browne finished him off with two hammerfists.
Winner: Travis Browne by KO (Front Kick & Punches) at 4:08 of round one. He improves to 15-1-1.
“The California Kid” Urijah Faber vs Iuri “Marajo” Alcantara
Round 1:
Alcantara took Faber down into mount right away and tried for an armbar. Faber escaped the submission, but gave up his back in the process. Alcantara landed hammerfists from back control and Faber countered by punching backwards. Faber finally fought free and stood, then slammed Alcantara down. Faber missed with an elbow and nearly gave up his back. He regained top position and landed elbows and hammerfists. Faber threw more elbows throughout the final minute to steal the round. 10-9 Faber.
Round 2:
Alcantara countered a head kick with a left hook that knocked Faber off-balance in round two. Faber stood and took Alcantara down. He scored with a knee to the chest and a series of elbows. Alcantara tried to stand and Faber kept him pinned down against the cage. Faber continued to land elbows and punches and he looked to set up a guillotine choke. Alcantara stood and reversed a takedown, but he still wound up on the bottom after a scramble. Faber elbowed from the top. 10-9 Faber.
Round 3:
Faber landed a right hook early in the final round and Alcantara responded with a left. Faber connected with another looping right hand and tried for a takedown. Alcantara stayed up and landed a knee to the body. Faber took his back and slammed him down. He resumed striking from the top with more punches and elbows. Alcantara eventually scrambled into an omoplata attempt, but Faber escaped and nearly took his back before the end of the fight. 10-9 Faber.
Winner: Urijah Faber by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 29-6-0.
Matt “The Immortal” Brown vs Mike “Quicksand” Pyle
Round 1:
Brown landed a combination very early in the fight and he dropped Pyle with a right hook and a knee. Pyle tried to recover on the ground, but Brown stood over him and rained down right hands until Pyle was out cold.
Winner: Matt Brown by KO (Punches) at 0:29 of round one. He improves to 18-11-0.
John “Doomsday” Howard vs Uriah “Prime Time” Hall
Round 1:
Hall immediately took Howard down and pressed him up against the cage. He landed two elbows from the top and allowed Howard to stand. Hall jabbed and missed with a spinning wheel kick. Howard scored with a lunging left hook and Hall tried for another takedown. Howard escaped the clinch with an elbow and followed with a leg kick. He countered a knee from Hall with another hard left hook. Howard stuffed a takedown, but Hall landed a knee and a left hand. He missed with another wheel kick. Close round. 10-9 Howard, barely.
Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of leg kicks and Howard blocked a head kick. He leapt forward with a combination and Hall attempted a takedown. Howard countered with a standing guillotine choke. Hall escaped and Howard clinched. The fighters exchanged short strikes until referee Mario Yamasaki separated them.
Howard caught a knee and tried for a takedown, but Hall countered with a kimura attempt and took his back as the fight returned to the feet. Howard backed Hall up with a leg kick and a left hook. He took Hall down and punched to the head and body. Another close round. 10-9 Howard.
Round 3:
The fighters exchanged kicks and punches in the final round, but neither one was able to land anything cleanly. A clinch against the cage ensued and another stalemate followed. Howard took Hall down soon after and he landed knees to the thigh as Hall stood. Howard tried to take Hall’s back, but he lost the position. Hall dumped Howard to the mat and landed knees to the thigh himself. Hall backed away, then attacked with a somersault kick. Howard leapt into the air and landed a diving punch as time expired. 10-9 Howard. Fight could go either way.
Winner: John Howard by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 21-8-0.
Michael “The Menace” Johnson vs Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon
Round 1:
Johnson landed quick leg kicks and a combination in the opening round, but Lauzon remained the aggressor and he walked Johnson down with right hands and a clinch attempt. Johnson was light on his feet and mixed up his strikes to the head and body. Lauzon backed him up again with another combination. A left cross dropped Lauzon, but he recovered quickly and got back to his feet.
Johnson swarmed with more punches, but Lauzon cracked him with a counter right hand. A three-punch combo scored for Johnson and he followed up with a left hook and a leg kick. Johnson stunned Lauzon with an uppercut and he dropped him with a left-right combo. Johnson allowed Lauzon to stand and punished him with a leg kick and a knee before the bell. 10-8 Johnson.
Round 2:
Lauzon clinched and backed Johnson up against the cage in round two. Johnson broke away and landed a combination. Johnson missed with a right hook and Lauzon made him pay with a hard one-two. Johnson regained his footing and flurried with hooks and uppercuts in close. Lauzon landed a knee and a left hook. Johnson held him against the fence and landed a knee. The fighters separated and Johnson landed a left hook and a one-two. He took Lauzon down in the final seconds and landed a pair of elbows. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 3:
Johnson opened round three with a combination and he began to find success with his jab. Both fighters’ eyes began to swell up and Johnson hurt Lauzon with a one-two and a head kick that partially landed. Johnson threw a series of lead right hooks and added straight lefts to the body. Lauzon’s face continued to swell and Johnson remained very active with his punches. Johnson began to throw standing elbows and Lauzon landed a right cross. A knee to the body scored for Lauzon, but Johnson took him down and landed elbows before the bell. 10-9 Johnson.
Winner: Michael Johnson by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 13-8-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)