UFC 96 Results & Recap
by Robert Sargent
Culminating with a very competitive light heavyweight bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine, UFC 96 went off without a hitch, save for the complete and total embarrassment that was Pete Sell vs Matt Brown.
The co-main event of the evening featured a brief slugfest between heavyweight powerhouses Shane Carwin and Gabriel "Napćo" Gonzaga, with Carwin knocking Gonzaga out.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine
Hampered only by the terribly biased commentary from UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans - a training partner of Jardine's - this back-and-forth battle was settled in the final seconds, as Jackson dropped Jardine just before the final bell and took a close Unanimous Decision in the process.Round one began with an immediate clinch against the cage, to the dismay of the crowd. Very little happened and the referee separated the fighters. Jardine looked to land quick combinations of punches and leg kicks. Jackson countered with short punches, but Jardine did well to evade any real danger. Jardine clinched and looked for a takedown, but Jackson defended. Another clinch ensued, with little damage done, and Jardine scored with a looping hook. Jackson finally landed a decent combination, but Jardine fired right back. Jackson scored with two big punches that sent Jardine back to the cage, but Jardine threw back a one-two of his own. Jardine landed more combinations, then a front kick and a knee. Jackson replied with another hard two punch combination shortly before the bell. Very close round that could have been scored either way.
The fighters traded punches to begin round two, and it was Jackson who landed a leg kick. Jardine threw a variety of kicks, while Jackson came back with punching combinations. Jardine landed two combinations of right leg kicks and left crosses. More leg kicks landed for Jardine, but Jackson dropped him with a left hook seconds later. Jackson pounced and tried to finish, but Jardine fought back to his feet. The fighters separated and Jardine looked for more leg kicks, but Jackson scored a takedown. Jardine got up and clinched against the cage, and the fighters separated again. Both fighters began to tire, and time was briefly called after an accidental low blow from Jardine. After the restart, Jardine rocked Jackson with an uppercut, then pushed the pace with a flurry of punches. Jackson held on and fired back with big punches of his own, then punished Jardine with more punches in close before the bell. 10-9 Jackson.
Jardine came right out with kicks in round three, but Jackson stopped his march forward with punches. Bleeding from below the right eye, Jardine landed kicks to the legs and body. Jackson landed a leg kick and a stiff jab. Jackson then scored a very impressive body lock takedown and worked from half-guard. Jardine got back to his feet and the fighters clinched briefly. Jardine went back to quick combinations of short punches and leg kicks, while Jackson countered with occasional punches. A nice uppercut landed for Jardine, and he followed up with more kicks. Jardine scored with two more leg kicks, then a quick combination, but Jackson replied with two big punches of his own. Jardine tried unsuccessfully for a takedown, and the fighters clinched again. They separated and both fighters landed big punches. A wild exchange ensued, and Jackson managed to drop Jardine with a right-left combination just before the final bell sounded. The knockdown proved to be costly for Jardine, as he was otherwise seemingly on his way to winning the round.
Jackson got the nod on all three scorecards, but it was announced after the fight that he had suffered an injury, so Lyoto Machida will face Rashad Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98. In a hilarious note, Evans came into the ring after the fight and attempted to win a trash-talking battle with Jackson. Evans was mercilessly destroyed and embarrassed. No idea what he was thinking.
Winner: Quinton Jackson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 30-7-0.
Shane Carwin vs Gabriel "Napćo" Gonzaga
After getting rocked with punches early on, Carwin fought his way back to his feet and proceeded to knock Gonzaga out with a huge right cross just over one minute into the first round.Carwin rushed forward with punches early in the round, but Gonzaga backtracked and caught Carwin with a right hook seconds later. Carwin was staggered, and Gonzaga followed up with another big right cross. Gonzaga scored a takedown and moved to half-guard, where he landed strikes from the top. Carwin battled back to his feet and promptly turned Gonzaga's lights off with a massive right cross. He followed up with more punches on the ground, but Gonzaga was out cold. Hugely impressive win for Carwin, who could potentially challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship later in the year.
Winner: Shane Carwin by KO (Punch) at 1:08 of round one. He improves to 11-0-0.
"The Immortal" Matt Brown vs Pete "Drago" Sell
Only one word can be used to describe this fight, and that word is disaster. The fact that this meaningless bout was even on the main card in the first place was bad enough, but watching Sell take an unnecessary beating after an uncharacteristic gaffe from referee Yves Lavigne made the fight one that will hopefully be quickly forgotten by all. Terrible.Brown immediately threw a head kick, which caused Sell to smile. The smile quickly faded, however, as Brown drilled him with a Superman Punch and another head kick. A one-two combination dropped Sell, and referee Yves Lavigne moved in to stop the fight (which would have been the correct decision). However, perhaps as a result of a horribly premature stoppage earlier in the night, Lavigne allowed the fight to continue, even though he had briefly waved Brown off.
What followed was a complete sham, as Sell was dropped again with knees from a Thai clinch. He desperately tried to hang on as Brown blasted him with punches. Brown countered a takedown attempt with a guillotine choke, then clinched and landed punches and elbows over the top. More knees and punches landed for Brown, as he questioned (rightfully) why the fight was still continuing. Sell fell down after eating another head kick, and Brown finally finished the travesty of a "fight" with two more punches. As massively overhyped as Brown is in the UFC, this was not his fault and he did not want to continue hurting a helpless Sell.
What an absolute waste of time. Truly pathetic.
Winner: Matt Brown by TKO (Head Kick & Punches) at 1:32 of round one. He improves to 12-7-0.
Matt "The Hammer" Hamill vs "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Mark Munoz
After a back-and-forth opening three minutes, Hamill put a stamp on his latest victory by brutally knocking Munoz out cold with a head kick that left Munoz unconscious for quite some time.Hamill began the fight by pressing forward with strikes, then stuffed a takedown attempt. The fighters traded punches, with Hamill holding an advantage. Munoz attempted a takedown, but Hamill reversed and sprawled. The fight returned to the feet and Munoz began to land a looping right hook. The fighters traded punches again, with Munoz landing strikes to the body as well. Hamill began to tee off with punches against the cage, which forced Munoz to clinch briefly. More punches landed for Hamill, but Munoz once again found a home for his lead right hook. More right hooks landed for Munoz, as he seemed to be finding a rhythm. Hamill defended a sloppy takedown attempt, then landed another combination. Seconds later, it was all over, as Hamill drilled Munoz with a vicious right head kick and an unconscious Munoz crumpled in a heap, with his head bouncing off of his own knee.
The UFC, as it has sadly done on a number of occasions lately, did not show Munoz a single time after the initial fight replays, and the audience was left completely in the dark as to his condition. Fortunately, Munoz eventually got to his feet and left the cage on his own power, albeit while sporting a neck brace. A great victory for Hamill, but the sheer lack of respect for the well-being of fighters in Zuffa-owned promotions is becoming unsettling.
Winner: Matt Hamill by KO (Head Kick) at 3:52 of round one. He improves to 6-2-0.
Gray "The Bully" Maynard vs Jim Miller
Much to his credit, Maynard shed his reputation as "The Blanket," with boring lay-and-pray tactics, and instead employed a highly effective game plan of varied striking and wrestling defence, which Miller simply had no answer for.The fight began with an exchange of punches, with both fighters landing cleanly. Miller landed a leg kick and clinched, then landed knees to the legs. They separated and Maynard landed a one-two to the body. He followed up with another combination of body shots, but Miller fired back with a kick to the midsection. Miller attempted a takedown, but Maynard bloodied him up with punches as he balanced on one leg. Miller's attempts to take Maynard down were relentless, but Maynard remained on his feet. Maynard landed a pair of quick combinations, and Miller came back with another kick to the body. More combinations landed for Maynard, whose striking looked much improved. Maynard landed a solid right cross, then followed it up with a one-two just before the bell that momentarily staggered Miller. 10-9 Maynard.
Maynard landed more right hooks and crosses in the opening minute of round two, as Miller tried to find his range with punches and leg kicks. Miller continued to score with kicks to the legs and body, but Maynard's punches became more varied, as he targeted both the head and the body. Another leg kick landed for Miller, and he followed with a partial head kick. Maynard backed Miller to the cage and unloaded two big haymakers. Miller, bloodied all around the face, shot for a takedown and briefly pulled half-guard. Maynard landed a few punches and stood up, then connected with another right hook that further opened up a gash by Miller's left eye. Miller landed more kicks to the inside and outside of Maynard's leg, but Maynard replied with another big flurry of punches. Both fighters landed punches in an exchange before the bell, as Miller bled all over the place. 10-9 Maynard.
Miller landed a nice combination of punches in the early stages of round three, and both fighters connected in an exchange. Miller clipped Maynard with a short right hook, then looked to string together combinations. Maynard halted that with a pair of hard overhand rights, but Miller landed another kick to the body, which was his most effective type of strike in the fight. Maynard finally scored a takedown, but immediately found himself in a kneebar. Miller transitioned into a heel hook briefly, but Maynard escaped back to his feet. Miller tried for a takedown, but Maynard sprawled all the way out and continued to defend. Miller persisted with an ankle pick, but Maynard once again escaped. Maynard postured up and landed a trio of huge left hands, and the fighters traded short punches from top and bottom. The fight returned to the feet and Miller attempted a head kick. Maynard backed away and landed another combination before the bell. 10-9 Maynard.
The decision was clear-cut in this bout, but Maynard's performance was more impressive because he has clearly worked diligently on filling the holes that were previously evident in his game.
Winner: Gray Maynard by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 7-0-0, 1 NC.
Tamdan "The Barn Cat" McCrory vs Ryan "The Lion" Madigan
As expected, McCrory handily disposed of Madigan in this bout, as he used an early takedown and impressive ground control to transition to mount, where he finished Madigan off with punches from the top.McCrory countered a low kick from Madigan by landing a head kick, then clinched and scored a takedown. Madigan tried to lock up an armbar or triangle, but McCrory easily evaded. McCrory passed to side-control and landed short elbows. He stood up and rained down two huge punches, but Madigan regained guard in the process. Once more, McCrory passed to side-control, then moved to mount. McCrory attempted a triangle choke from mount, but lost position and moved back to side-control. As he moved around, McCrory mistakenly left his leg in and Madigan weakly attempted a kneebar. McCrory escaped, largely due to Madigan's clear inexperience with leg submissions, and McCrory quickly took mount again. This time, he rained down punches and elbows on a bloodied and turtling Madigan until Madigan tapped out and the referee stopped the fight. Complete dominance from McCrory, who hilariously insulted Dana White's poor choice of entrance music for him in the post-fight interview.
Winner: Tamdan McCrory by Submission (Punches & Elbows) at 3:34 of round one. He improves to 11-2-0.
Undercard Fights:
Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove defeated Jason "Dooms" Day by KO (Punch & Elbows) at 1:31 of round one. Day was dominating most of the early striking exchanges, and Grove seemed well on his way to a pink slip out of the promotion, but he caught Day with a huge right cross that sent him to the canvas. Grove followed up with three elbows on the ground that left Day in a world of unconsciousness. Grove saves his job with an impactful knockout. Grove improves to 10-5-0, 1 NC with the win.Jason "Hitman" Brilz defeated Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. Boetsch had Brilz in all sorts of trouble right from the beginning, as he teed off with strikes and dominated round one. The story quickly changed in rounds two and three, however, as Brilz took the fight to the ground and controlled the pace and position of the bout's duration, while a fatigued and bloodied Boetsch could do little but hold on. The latter two rounds were all Brilz, who took the Unanimous Decision. Brilz improves to 17-1-1 with the win.
Brandon "The Truth" Vera defeated Michael Patt by TKO (Leg Kicks) at 1:25 of round two. This fight was a complete and total slaughter, as Vera definitely had his game face on and was all business from start to finish. His recent disappointments are a thing of the past, as Vera destroyed Patt with endless combinations of kicks and punches that had Patt on the defensive for nearly the entire fight. Vera targeted the legs of Patt with kicks, and nearly finished the fight in round one before Patt ultimately collapsed from the leg kicks in round two. Extremely dominant and impressive victory for Vera. Vera improves to 10-3-0 with the win.
"Sugar" Shane Nelson defeated Aaron Riley by TKO (Punch) at 0:44 of round one. This fight is shrouded in controversy, as Nelson dropped Riley with a punch early in the fight, but Riley immediately recovered and the referee waved off the fight anyway. Riley justifiably protested, and the crowd booed the decision heavily. Further, this unjust stoppage was the likely cause for the bizarre non-stoppage in the Brown vs Sell fight later in the evening. Terrible stoppage here, and Riley had every right to be upset. Nelson improves to 12-3-0 with the win.
Aside from the controversial stoppage in the Nelson vs Riley fight and the non-stoppage in the Brown vs Sell fight later on, UFC 96 was otherwise a very good event for The Ultimate Fighting Championship, though further care and attention must be paid when fighters are knocked out in the ring. Their safety and well-being are key to the growth of the sport.
