UFC 85 Results & Recap
by Robert Sargent
UFC 85 was a reasonably decent event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, especially given the number of late changes that had to be made to the card, and Thiago "Pitbull" Alves upset Matt Hughes in the final fight of the night.
Controversy surfaced in a questionable stoppage in the Fabricio Werdum vs Brandon Vera fight and excessive point deductions for Nate Marquardt against Thales Leites.
Thiago "Pitbull" Alves vs Matt Hughes
Alves, coming into the fight overweight at 174 pounds, looked huge compared to Hughes and appeared to outweigh Hughes by at least 20 pounds by fight time.Alves stuffed three takedown attempts from Hughes in the opening minute before Hughes resorted to pulling guard. From Hughes's guard, Alves landed a number of punches that cut Hughes on the nose. Back on the feet, Alves landed a hard knee to the body, but Hughes managed to score a takedown. Hughes retained top position for much of the rest of the round, but could mount absolutely no offence besides weak elbows to the thigh. Alves got back to his feet late in the round, took Hughes down and landed some hard punches from the top. Alves takes round one.
Alves was barely breathing heavily at all to begin round two, suggesting that his cardio wasn't hampered by the failure to make weight. He drilled Hughes with a knee to the face as Hughes tried for a takedown, cutting Hughes badly beside the eye. From top position, Alves landed elbows and punches before Hughes got back to his feet. Alves ran in with a jumping knee that partially landed, and Hughes fell awkwardly on his left knee. Alves followed up with three more punches and the referee stopped the fight.
A very impressive stoppage victory for Alves, who looks to be on track for a title shot in the near future. After the fight, he attributed his failure to make weight to an ankle injury that prevented him from training properly. Hughes stated after the fight that he had at least one fight left in him, with that being Matt Serra.
Winner: Thiago Alves by TKO (Flying Knee & Punches) at 1:02 of round two. He improves to 15-3-0.
Michael "The Count" Bisping vs Jason "Dooms" Day
While UFC commentator Joe Rogan would have everyone believe that Bisping dominated every second of this fight, the reality was that Day more than held his own in the initial striking exchanges, but offered little resistance once the fight hit the ground.Both fighters threw strikes for the first minute of the fight, with Day landing a series of leg kicks and a pair of uppercuts, while Bisping landed two quick flurries. The fighters clinched and Bisping managed to score a takedown. Day attempted to utilise the rubber guard that had worked so well against Alan Belcher, but Bisping smartly broke free. From there, it was all Bisping, as he stood up and landed about a dozen diving punches, then moved to side-control and continued to punish Day. Day managed to get back to his feet, but was quickly taken down again. Bisping first took mount, then moved to Day's back and began raining down strikes. Day turtled and could not escape, and the fight was stopped.
It seemed like Day had simply taken on too tough of an opponent too soon, but full credit must be given to Bisping, who looked extremely impressive in his second middleweight fight.
Winner: Michael Bisping by TKO (Strikes) at 3:42 of round one. He improves to 16-1-0.
Mike "Quick" Swick vs "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis
What was poised to be a kickboxing battle quickly turned into a ground war, as most of this fight featured Swick landing strikes from the guard of Davis.Both fighters traded strikes in the opening minute, with Swick focusing on kicks. Davis scored a brief takedown, then tried for a guillotine, but Swick reversed and worked from Davis's guard. Davis landed elbows from the bottom while preventing Swick from passing guard. Swick landed weak punches for the next minute, as the crowd grew bored and began to sing. An elbow from Swick opened up a cut on the side of Davis's nose and Swick continued to land weak punches and elbows for the remainder of the round. Swick did very little damage, but controlled position and took round one.
Davis landed a solid counterpunch early in round two, and Swick replied with a pair of head kicks and a knee. Davis went to the ground and Swick once again worked from Davis's guard. Swick eventually moved to half-guard and Davis attempted a Kimura. The crowd began to boo as neither fighter did anything, and Swick eventually escaped the Kimura attempt and got back to his feet. The disinterested crowd again began to sing as the fighters clinched against the cage and exchanged weak strikes. Swick began to land some hard knees, but Davis countered with an uppercut and a takedown. Swick briefly trapped Davis in a loose triangle, then scored a takedown just before the bell and took round two.
Swick landed a knee to the face early in the third round, with both fighters exchanging punches. The crowd was so disinterested that they began doing The Wave, of all things. More clinches against the cage saw Swick land a few weak knee strikes. Davis scored a very brief takedown with two minutes left and the crowd booed heavily. Now bleeding badly from below his left eye, Davis tried for a takedown and Swick evidently grabbed the cage. The referee docked one point from Swick, which angered him. Swick began to turn up the pace considerably, landing dozens of quick strikes from Davis's guard. In the final 10 seconds, both fighters flailed wildly on the ground, landing whatever strikes they could. Swick wins the round, but the point deduction means it's a 9-9.
The judges agreed and scored it unanimously for Swick. After the fight, Joe Rogan made repeated mention of how great the fight was, but the fight was actually a lacklustre performance for both and had the crowd totally disinterested.
Winner: Mike Swick by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 12-2-0.
Thales Leites vs Nate "The Great" Marquardt
Originally thought to be a methodical battle on the ground, this fight stole the show and was marred only by two point deductions for Marquardt - one justified and one not - that wound up deciding the fight's outcome.Marquardt came forward with a quick combination early in round one, but Leites responded with a flurry of his own. Shockingly, Leites then dropped Marquardt with a huge right cross, but was unable to finish him off, despite taking full mount. Marquardt managed to get back to his feet with two minutes left in the round. Both fighters exchanged punches, with Marquardt landing two good shots to the body. Leites landed a spinning back kick, and Marquardt came back with three quick punches and an uppercut that rocked Leites. Leites held on for the final 25 seconds, circling to avoid follow-up flurries from Marquardt, and Leites takes the close first round.
Marquardt opened up round two with another quick flurry to the body and head. After a clinch against the cage, Marquardt scored a trip takedown, then drilled Leites with a knee to the head as he tried to get up. The problem was, Leites's hand and knee were still down, so the strike was illegal. Leites, nearly unconscious from the blow, was given time to recover and Marquardt was justifiably penialised one point. After the restart, Marquardt scored a takedown and began to tee off on Leites's nose, which appeared to be broken and bled profusely. Marquardt landed more punches and elbows and Leites began choking on blood from his nose. The fight was stood up with 30 seconds to go and Marquardt tried for another takedown, but was reversed and Leites took mount. Marquardt wins the round, but the point deduction means it's 9-9.
Marquardt continued to land hard punches to the body in round three and Leites came back with a flying knee. Marquardt took Leites down, but Leites went for an omoplata shoulder lock, then a triangle choke. Marquardt squirmed free and landed three elbows to the ear of Leites, but referee Herb Dean claimed that the strikes had hit the back of Leites's head - which they clearly did not - and deducted another point from Marquardt. The fighters traded strikes for the next minute before Marquardt scored a takedown in the middle of the round. Marquardt landed punches and elbows as Leites looked for a Kimura. Marquardt opened up a cut between the eyes of Leites, as Leites once again tried for a Kimura. Leites managed to get back to his feet with 15 seconds left and Marquardt proceeded to plant him with a front piledriver. Again, Marquardt takes the round, but it's 9-9 with the deduction.
The point deductions wound up making all of the difference, as Leites emerged with a Split Decision victory as a result. Strangely enough, not a single mention was made of the fact that Marquardt's piledriver - a completely illegal move that spikes the opponent on their head - is outlawed and often punishable by disqualification, but it did not matter in the end. Marquardt's previous penalties, justified or not, cost him the fight.
Winner: Thales Leites by Split Decision (28-27, 28-27, 27-28) after three rounds. He improves to 13-1-0.
Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum vs Brandon "The Truth" Vera
Just one week after his controversial stoppage in the Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson fight in EliteXC, referee Dan Miragliotta struck again, stopping this fight very late in the first round under questionable circumstances.The opening round was dominated by clinch work, much like Vera's fight with Tim Sylvia. Neither fighter could gain an advantage in the clinch and the round was largely a stalemate. Werdum landed a solid left hook one minute into the round, and his striking seemed to be vastly improved over years passed. Werdum scored a takedown and landed elbows and punches from Vera's guard. Vera pushed off and got back to his feet, then stuffed a takedown from Werdum. Vera landed a couple of good punches and Werdum replied a minute later with a high kick. Werdum scored another takedown, then moved quickly to mount and threw dozens of punches and hammerfist strikes, a few of which made it through Vera's gloves. The fight was stopped, yet Vera was completely fine.
The controversy arises from the fact that, while Vera was turtling, he blocked nearly every strike that Werdum threw at him, and there were only 20 seconds remaining in the round. Vera stated that the fight should not have been stopped, and he has an excellent case, but the record stands with Werdum taking the victory.
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by TKO (Strikes) at 4:40 of round one. He improves to 11-3-1.
Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann vs Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera
Kampmann's return to competition after two surgeries on his left knee was a success, as he submitted Rivera with a guillotine choke in the middle of the opening round.Rivera used leg kicks to the surgically-repaired left knee of Kampmann early on, while Kampmann fired back with a flurry of punches and a takedown. From Rivera's guard, Kampmann landed elbows and weak punches, then lifted Rivera up and slammed him. Kampmann managed to get Rivera's back and eventually sunk in both hooks, then looked for a rear naked choke. Kampmann transitioned to mount and tried to lock in his trademark kata-gatame arm triangle choke, but Rivera managed to squirm free. However, Kampmann quickly caught him in a guillotine and rolled over into mount, forcing Rivera to submit. A very impressive performance for Kampmann.
The UFC billed Kampmann as 12-1 coming into the fight, but his official record read as 15-2, so he improves to 16-2 with the victory.
Winner: Martin Kampmann by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:44 of round one. He improves to 16-2-0.
"Handsome" Matt Wiman vs Thiago Tavares
In one of the biggest upsets of the night, Wiman survived numerous submission attempts in round one and knocked Tavares out cold with a right hook in the second round.Wiman came forward aggressively, landing quick punches and scoring a takedown, but he got trapped in a guillotine in the process. He managed to escape, but Tavares quickly transitioned into an omoplata. Wiman again escaped and ate two upkicks for his trouble. Wiman then looked to trap Tavares in a heel hook or kneebar, but Tavares escaped and tried a heel hook of his own seconds later. Wiman landed elbows from the bottom as Tavares punched from top position. Wiman locked on an omoplata and Tavares was forced to stand to escape. Wiman kicked free and got back to his feet with one minute remaining, then rolled and kept Tavares in his guard until the bell. Tavares takes the round, but Wiman looked vastly improved in all aspects.
Wiman came forward swinging to begin the second round, pushing Tavares back to the cage. Tavares countered with a huge right cross, snapping Wiman's head back, but Wiman somehow kept pressing forward. Both fighters landed knees in the clinch and began wildly swinging punches. Wiman landed a hard right and caught a kick attempt from Tavares, pushing him to the mat. Tavares tried to lock on a leg submission, but Wiman got free and got back to his feet soon after. Wiman landed a hard right that pushed Tavares back to the cage, then followed it up with another vicious right hook that knocked Tavares out cold. Easily the biggest victory of Wiman's career.
Winner: Matt Wiman by KO (Punch) at 1:57 of round two. He improves to 10-3-0.
Luiz "Banha" Cane vs Jason "The Punisher" Lambert
Cane rebounded nicely from his controversial disqualification loss to James Irvin last year, battering Lambert and knocking him down three times before the fight was finally stopped.Lambert tried to take Cane down early on, to no avail, and ate a bunch of punches to the head and body in the process. Cane continued to land punches in the clinch, then dropped Lambert with a left cross as Lambert stalked forward. Cane continued to throw punches at Lambert, dropping him a second time. Lambert barely held on and was dropped a third time by punches, and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Luiz Cane by TKO (Punches) at 2:07 of round one. He improves to 8-1-0, 1 NC.
Kevin "The Fire" Burns vs Roan "Jucao" Carneiro
In the single biggest upset of the night, Burns, a complete unknown with only a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, somehow managed to submit Roan Carneiro, a multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, with a triangle choke in the second round.Carneiro completely dominated the first round, scoring an early takedown and maintaining top position for the duration of round one. From the top, Carneiro landed punches and hammerfists and prevented Burns from being able to do much of anything. With about 90 seconds left, Carneiro briefly attained mount, but Burns managed to escape after taking some punches. Carneiro remained in control until the bell and easily took round one.
In round two, Burns defended an early takedown attempt from Carneiro, but could not escape the second try and Carneiro took the fight to the ground. Once again, Carneiro controlled from top position and landed a series of punches. However, in an unfathomable display, Burns managed to trap Carneiro in a triangle choke and forced Carneiro to submit, giving Burns a huge upset win in a most impressive fashion.
Winner: Kevin Burns by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:53 of round two. He improves to 6-1-0.
"Relentless" Paul Taylor vs Jess "The Joker" Liaudin
Taylor scored his second win over Liaudin in this fight, emerging with a hard-fought Split Decision victory after three back-and-forth rounds.Both fighters landed strikes early on, with Liaudin scoring a takedown and moving to side-control. Taylor managed to work his way back to his feet and the fighters clinched. After a period of inactivity, the fight was restarted and Liaudin landed a flying knee strike. Taylor came back with a big punch that dropped Liaudin, but Taylor was unable to finish the fight before the bell. Taylor takes round one.
Round two began slowly, with neither fighter wanting to commit to strikes. Liaudin scored a takedown and tried to control position, but Taylor managed to get back to his feet. Liaudin scored another takedown and landed strikes from Taylor's guard. This continued for the remainder of the round, with Taylor unable to do much in defence, and Liaudin takes round two in the process.
Round three was a very close round that went back and forth. Both fighters landed solid leg kicks early on, with Liaudin attempting a takedown soon after. Taylor defended the attempt, but was drilled with a knee in the process. Liaudin managed to get Taylor down, but could do nothing and Taylor got back to his feet. Another takedown from Liaudin resulted in a stalemate, and the referee brought the fight back to the feet. Liaudin pulled guard and Taylor maintained top position until the bell. The round could have gone to either fighter.
Winner: Paul Taylor by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 9-3-1, 1 NC.
Antoni Hardonk vs "The Manic Hispanic" Eddie Sanchez
This battle of strikers delivered lots of action, as Hardonk came back from an early knockdown in round one and knocked Sanchez out in the second stanza.Sanchez, as is his custom, came out very aggressively, pushing the pace and scoring an early knockdown with a right cross. Hardonk regained his senses and controlled Sanchez's position on the ground, preventing him from doing any damage. The referee stood the fighters back up and Hardonk began to land knees in the clinch. Sanchez scored a takedown, but could do very little on the ground and the fight was stood up once again. Sanchez took Hardonk down once more before the bell and takes round one.
Hardonk upped the tempo in round two, knowing that he was behind on the scorecards. He landed a knee to the jaw of Sanchez, then followed it up with a series of elbow strikes to the body. Sanchez fought back and dropped Hardonk for the second time, again with a right cross. Hardonk managed to get back to his feet and both fighters started wildly swinging punches, with each landing a few effective shots. Hardonk started to get the better of the striking as Sanchez began to tire, and a left hook late in the round dropped Sanchez and ended the fight.
Winner: Antoni Hardonk by KO (Punch) at 4:15 of round two. He improves to 7-4-0.
While it definitely wasn't the most exciting UFC card of late, and had the crowd thoroughly disinterested at points, UFC 85 did feature a couple of entertaining fights and was about as good as could be expected after all of the event changes.
