Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz

Round 1:
The fighters traded a variety of kicks in the opening 30 seconds of the fast-paced fight and Buchholz cracked Danzig with a pair of hard shots. Danzig answered with a looping right hook and more quick strikes were exchanged. Both fighters landed big right hands in close and Danzig scored with a trio of hooks. A one-two and a leg kick landed for Danzig and more power punches landed for both.

Buchholz briefly dropped Danzig with a right hook to the temple, but Buchholz could not put him away. The fighters continued to trade punches and Danzig landed a lead left hook. Buchholz teed off with punches against the cage, but Danzig defended well. Danzig backed Buchholz up with a lunging right hand and both fighters landed in the final seconds. Good round. 10-9 Buchholz.

Round 2:
After an exchange of strikes, Danzig clinched and muscled Buchholz up against the cage, but Buchholz broke free. Both landed leg kicks and Danzig scored with a right hook. Danzig shot in for a takedown and slammed Buchholz to the mat. He landed in side-control and quickly moved to mount. Buchholz regained half-guard and looked for a Kimura from the bottom.

Danzig defended well from the top, but could not break free of the Kimura. He finally managed to escape and looked to set up an arm-triangle choke, then moved to side-control and then to mount. Danzig rained down punches and took Buchholz’s back, but Buchholz broke free and struck from the top. Danzig replied with elbows from the bottom and swept Buchholz. He landed punches to end the round. 10-9 Danzig.

Round 3:
Quick strikes were exchanged to begin round three and Danzig scored a takedown. He fought off a choke attempt and the fighters returned to the feet. Buchholz connected with punches that backed Danzig up. A right hook followed for Buchholz and Danzig attempted a throw, but wound up on his back. Buchholz defended a Kimura and struck from the top. Danzig tried to use rubber guard from the bottom, but Buchholz broke free and held on until referee Herb Dean stood the fighters up.

Danzig staggered Buchholz with a combination of kicks and punches, but Buchholz recovered and fired back with punches of his own. Danzig began to get the better of the exchanges and he dragged a fatigued Buchholz to the ground. Danzig landed punches and took Buchholz’s back. He moved to mount and landed more punches, then took Buchholz’s back again. Danzig tried for a rear naked choke, but Buchholz escaped. Danzig stole the round in the final 40 seconds. 10-9 Danzig.

Winner: Mac Danzig by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 19-7-1.

 

Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard vs Ronys “Jungle Boy” Torres

Round 1:
Guillard opened with a kick and a right hook, but Torres clinched and took him down. Torres moved to side-control and then to partial mount, but Guillard exploded to his feet. Torres landed a one-two and took Guillard down again. He took Guillard’s back, but made a mistake and lost the position. Back on the feet, Guillard landed a pair of kicks. A one-two and a flying knee grazed the head of Guillard.

Guillard kept his distance with jabs and Torres answered with an uppercut. Torres scored a takedown, but ate a knee to the face in the process. Torres struck from Guillard’s guard and moved to half-guard as Guillard tried to use the cage to get back to his feet. He did so and was met with a right hand from Torres. Both fighters landed in an exchange. 10-9 Torres.

Round 2:
Torres landed a trio of punches in the second round and shot in for a takedown. Guillard nearly fell over the top of the Octagon wall as Torres picked him up. A stiff leg kick landed for Guillard and he followed with a quick two-punch combination. Guillard opened up with kicks and Torres replied with a lead left hook. Torres ate a big knee as he shot in for a takedown and Guillard broke free of a clinch.

A kick-punch combo rocked Torres’s head back and Guillard scored with a pair of knees. The fighters traded lunging right hooks and Torres took Guillard’s back while standing. Guillard rolled forward, but Torres maintained top position and worked for a Kimura. Guillard wound up on top and landed a trio of short elbows, then added a diving punch just before the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Guillard.

Round 3:
A pair of looping overhand rights found the mark for Guillard in the final round and he stuffed a takedown. A big right hook rocked Torres’s head back, but he was unfazed. Both fighters landed punches and Guillard scored with a one-two. Torres took Guillard down and moved to half-guard, then side-control. Torres tried to move to mount, but Guillard did well in defence.

Torres stayed in side-control and tried for a Kimura, but Guillard scrambled to his feet. Jabs landed for Guillard and Torres answered with a right hook. Torres tried for another takedown and Guillard defended with punches and elbows. Torres got Guillard down and landed short punches to the body. He peppered the body and head of Guillard with more punches, but Guillard reversed and blasted Torres with big shots just before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Torres.

The judges’ decision was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd, but it quickly subsided.

Winner: Melvin Guillard by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 23-8-2, 1 NC.

 

Rob “The Saint” Emerson vs Phillipe Nover

Round 1:
Nover opened the fight with a stiff leg kick and a right hook, but slipped while throwing another kick and Emerson rushed in. He could not keep Nover down and the fighters clinched. Nover pulled guard and Emerson pushed him up against the cage. Nover looked for a guillotine choke from his back, then stood up and secured a standing guillotine. Emerson tried to roll to escape the choke, but wound up on his back.

In all sorts of trouble, Emerson finally managed to break free of the choke and briefly tried for a heel hook, but Nover locked on another guillotine. He let the choke go and Emerson pressed him against the cage. Nover worked back to his feet and held Emerson in place against the cage until the bell. Very close round. 10-9 Nover, barely.

Round 2:
Nover opened the second round with more kicks and just missed the mark with a head kick. The fighters exchanged hard kicks to the legs and Emerson connected with a right hook. Nover clinched, but Emerson took him down. Nover defended with an upkick, but it had little effect and Emerson moved straight to side-control.

Emerson struck from the top with punches that bloodied Nover’s nose and Nover eventually regained full guard. Nover attempted an omoplata, but gave it up and returned to guard again. Emerson got back to his feet and clinched against the cage, but Nover circled free. The fighters traded punches and Emerson scored a takedown. He landed punches to Nover’s ribs until the bell. 10-9 Emerson.

Round 3:
The fighters traded kicks to begin the final round, but Emerson was hit with a low blow and was given time to recover. The fight resumed and Nover scored with a knee to the body. Emerson clinched and tried for a takedown, but Nover defended. Nover landed knees to the body and tried for an uppercut, but Emerson ducked under and scored a takedown.

Emerson worked from the top and kept Nover down for quite some time, but Nover escaped to his feet and locked on another standing guillotine choke. Emerson was in big trouble, but he somehow managed to work free of the choke. Nover secured another guillotine choke briefly, then let it go and scored with a knee. The fighters traded kicks and Emerson scored a takedown just before the final bell. Extremely close fight. 10-9 Nover.

Winner: Rob Emerson by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 9-8-0, 1 NC.

 

Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis vs “The All-American” Brian Stann

Round 1:
Davis landed quick jabs early in the fight and Stann answered with a pair of leg kicks. Davis rushed in and clinched against the cage, but Stann stayed on his feet and circled free. Both fighters landed kicks and Davis kept his distance as Stann looked to land a big shot. Davis scored a takedown against the cage and landed sparse strikes on the ground.

Stann tried to scramble to his feet, but Davis blasted him with punches. Stann rolled over repeatedly and gave up his back, then mount, as Davis scored with punches. Davis flattened Stann out and continued to tee off with punches until the bell. 10-9 Davis.

Round 2:
Stann backed Davis up with a trio of punches, but Davis replied with a series of kicks. A wild right hook found the mark for Davis and he quickly took Stann down. Davis moved from half-guard to mount and he landed punches from the top, but Stann managed to regain half-guard. Davis used a Kimura to move to side-control, then passed to mount again.

Stann gave up his back and Davis flattened him out again. Stann rolled over and Davis landed punches, then took Stann’s back. Stann could do nothing as Davis punished him with short strikes. Davis postured up and landed hard punches and Stann tried to escape to his feet. Davis pinned him down and scored with a series of vicious knees to the body and arm of Stann. 10-9 Davis.

Round 3:
Davis kept his distance in the final round and looked to land quick strikes before circling away. He picked Stann up and slammed him to the ground. Stann tried to set up a Kimura from his back, but Davis escaped and took Stann’s back. Stann rolled over and Davis moved to side-control and then to mount. Davis worked for a keylock, then pinned Stann’s arm behind his head and landed punches.

Davis alternated between side-control and mount, then took Stann’s back again. He tried to secure a rear naked choke, but Stann defended. Davis moved back to mount and then to side-control. Davis rained down punches from the top and took Stann’s back yet again. He secured an armbar very late in the round, but Stann survived until the bell. 10-9 Davis.

Winner: Phil Davis by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 5-0-0.

 

Chris Tuchscherer vs Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague

Round 1:
Hague used stiff jabs to keep Tuchscherer at a distance, but Tuchscherer rushed in and clinched. He tried for a takedown, but Hague defended and landed knees to the body. The fighters separated and Hague landed a right hook. Tuchscherer answered with a left and a stiff leg kick. He missed with a wild two-punch combination, then tried for another takedown. Hague stuffed it and landed an accidental low blow. Tuchscherer was given time to recover and the fight eventually resumed.

Tuchscherer landed an uppercut and a hard leg kick, then missed with a combination. A vicious leg kick scored for Hague and Tuchscherer answered with a pair of punches. Tuchscherer clinched and tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. Hague rocked him with a left hook and secured a standing guillotine choke, but Tuchscherer worked free. The fighters remained in a clinch and Hague landed a knee before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Hague by a small margin.

Round 2:
Hague opened the second round with a big right cross, but Tuchscherer answered with a takedown. Hague rolled through and locked on a Kimura, but Tuchscherer escaped and worked from side-control. Tuchscherer landed elbows from the top and secured a standing guillotine choke as Hague scrambled back to his feet. Hague escaped and landed a knee-punch combo.

Tuchscherer scored with a big right hand and followed with a leg kick, but failed in another takedown attempt. The pace slowed and Hague just missed with an uppercut. The fighters traded punches and Hague attempted a flying knee. Tuchscherer tried to counter by pushing Hague up against the cage, but he could not take him down. Hague landed a left hook and a knee before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Tuchscherer.

Round 3:
Hague rocked Tuchscherer with big punches right away in the final round. He followed up with more punches and Tuchscherer answered with wild strikes of his own. Hague hurt Tuchscherer again and Tuchscherer tried to counter with a takedown. Hague slammed him to the mat and landed big punches from half-guard. He tried to move to mount, but Tuchscherer worked to regain guard. Hague stayed in half-guard and tried to move to mount again, then briefly looked to secure an inverted triangle choke.

Tuchscherer escaped, but Hague blasted him with more punches. Tuchscherer turtled and rolled over, but Hague continued to punish him with strikes. Tuchscherer scrambled and Hague took his back. He tried for a rear-naked choke, but Tuchscherer scrambled free once again. Hague absolutely teed off with punches from half-guard in the final seconds of the fight. Tuchscherer was quite possibly saved by the bell and the final round was all Hague. 10-9 Hague. Could easily be a 10-8.

The crowd heavily booed the judges’ decision and Hague was left in a state of shock and disbelief. Others in and around the ring could not believe that Tuchscherer was given the victory.

Winner: Chris Tuchscherer by Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) after three rounds. He improves to 18-2-0, 1 NC.

 

Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran vs Rolles Gracie

Round 1:
Gracie clinched right away and pressed Beltran up against the cage, then landed knees. Beltran broke free of the clinch and Gracie punched his way into a clinch again. He took Beltran down and moved straight to mount. Beltran rolled over twice, but Gracie maintained top position. Gracie lost position in a scramble and Beltran worked from the top. Gracie kicked him off and the fight returned to the feet.

Beltran caught a kick from Gracie and scored with a counter right hook. Gracie backed Beltran up with a big right hook and clinched. Beltran escaped the clinch and was drilled with another right hand. Beltran answered with a right hook and the fighters exchanged looping punches. Both connected in a lengthy exchange, but Gracie’s technique was very sloppy. Beltran stuffed a takedown and landed punches at the bell. 10-9 Gracie.

Round 2:
Beltran landed a one-two and sprawled out of a takedown in round two. A fatigued Gracie fell forward and ate a barrage of punches and a knee. Gracie dove for a desperation takedown and flopped to his back. Referee Herb Dean stood him up and Gracie tried for another weak takedown. Beltran stuffed it and blasted Gracie with punches and hammerfists as Gracie lay prone on his stomach. The fight was waved off as an exhausted Gracie stayed on the mat.

Winner: Joey Beltran by TKO (Punches & Hammerfists) at 1:31 of round two. He improves to 11-3-0.

 

In a night filled with decisions, a pair of technical submissions will be what many fans remember most. UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman refused to submit, but was choked out by fellow legend Randy Couture, while Paulo Thiago ended Mike Swick’s night in similar fashion. In middleweight action, Chael Sonnen positioned himself for a future title shot with the best performance of his career.