“Sugar” Rashad Stings Liddell
Posted by Chad Edward on September 6th, 2008“Sugar” Rashad Evans (12-0-1) knocked out Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-6) with a right hook in the second round Saturday night in Atlanta.
Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch.
Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight. Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round. Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance.
In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans’s counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51.
Franklin Finishes Friend
“Ace” Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO’d his friend and former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill’s floating rib in Franklin’s return to 205.
Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds. In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off.
Franklin took a deep cut over his right eye from a Hamill uppercut in the first round. In the second round, Yamasaki asked a referee to take a look at the cut.
“I’m walking around with a black eye already; so, it wasn’t too bad,” Franklin said of the cut after the fight.
The fight continued; and, Hamill chose to stand with “Ace” after several takedown attempts were resisted.
Of his new weight class, Franklin said, “Cutting weight this week was awesome; but, pushing around another 20 pounds wasn’t.”
Marquardt Kayos Kampmann
Middleweight Nathan Marquardt (27-8-2) quickly KO’d kickboxer “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-2) at 1:22 of round one Saturday night in Atlanta.
After the fight, Marquardt said, “I knew I was better and, though he was a kickboxer, I knew I could take him standing.”
Marquardt connected early with a right head kick that plopped Kampmann on his ass. Kampmann bounced back up, but ate Marquardt’s straights while backpedaling to cage. At the fence, Marquardt dug an uppercut into Kampmann’s chin. Kampmann fell and the fight was stopped.
Pellegrino Brutalizes Tavares
Before Saturday night, only two fighters had ever defeated lightweight Brazilian Thiago Tavares (13-3). “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (12-4) beat him twice in Atlanta.
Officially, the judges scored the unanimous decision 29-27 twice and 29-8, all for Pellegrino.
Pellegrino won a 10-8 first round on two score cards, dropping Tavares with a flush right hook and crackling uppercut. On the mat, Pellegrino’s elbows opened up cuts on each of Tavares’s temples and under his righ eyelid.
In the second round, the only round Tavares won (paritally due to an inadvertant eye poke by Tavares), Pellegrino squeezed an armbar from his back; and, Tavares appeared to tap; but, referee Yves Lavigne missed the call.
After the fight, Pellegrino said, “I know it was super duper tight. Yeah, he tapped. All I remember him saying was ‘you couldn’t get me.’”
Pellegrino eeked out a close third between two exhausted fighters to put away the unanimous decision.
Barbarian Chops Down Patt
After peppering Octagon rookie Michael Patt (12-3) with right hooks, “Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (8-2) crashed a straight right through Patt’s guard.
Patt took a seat on the mat with a split lip and a faint idea where he was. Boetsch pounded the fight closed at 2:03.
Boetsch said after the fight, “I’m pumped. I trained real hard to get an explosive finish like this.”
Kim Barely Beats Brown
“Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) remained undefeated versus Matt Brown (7-7)…barely.
Kim won a split decision 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Brown. Fighters.com scored it 29-28 for Kim; but, UFC commentator Joe Rogan told the disappointed crowd he thought Brown had won.
Kim rode Brown’s back most of round one, nearly finishing Brown in a rear naked choke while Brown stood.
Apparently, that was the controversial round as two judges and Fighters.com scored it 10-9 for Kim while Cecil Peoples scored round one 10-9 for Brown.
Kim was sluggish in round two. Brown took advantage, capturing Kim in his Thai clinch and hammering knees to the Korean’s midsection.
In round three, Brown walked right through a square Kim left hook; but, Kim followed up with a toss into Brown’s full guard. Kim opened up a deep cut under Brown’s left cheekbone with a slick elbow.
Kim lamented, “I hate to go to a decision. Next time I’m going to be different.”
Brown made clear after the fight, “I don’t fight for the judges. I fight for the fans and to finish.”
MacDonald Avenges Maia Loss
Middleweight “Athlete” Jason MacDonald (21-10) willed a second-round submission ”W” over “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-9) after nearly being forced to tap in a guilltoine himself at the end of round one.
MacDonald said after the fight, “[The guillotine] was pretty tight; but, my head was toward the screen and I knew I could hold my breath for six seconds.”
MacDonald held on and dumped Lambert on his ass to open the second round, then passed to mount. Lambert rolled right into J-Mac’s rear naked choke at 1:20.
“I knew he was getting tired from making the cut to 185 pounds,” MacDonald said, ”so I knew if I could take it into the later rounds I would get him.”
Chonan Earns Split Decision
Two of the three cageside judges prevented welterweight “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-8) from serving “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) a cold dish of revenge for 2005 TKO loss.
Chonan won a split decision by 29-28 twice and 28-29 once in favor of Carneiro. Fighters.com scored the fight for Carneiro 29-28.
Carneiro dominated round one, flopping “Piranha” on his back and chiseling a cut over Chonan’s right eye with elbows. Earlier in the round, Carneiro had nearly scored an omoplata transitioned from a triangle; but, Chonan rolled free.
Chonan won the second round by stuffing Carneiro’s shot and out wrestling him while landing infrequent punches. The crowd pleaded with referee Herb Dean to stand the fighters; but, Dean let them tussle for position.
Chonan stuffed Carneiro’s shot again in the third, but rolled into Carneiro’s guard. Carneiro landed a few shots before Chonan regained his feet. Chonan gained top position before the round ended, but did little damage.
Hendo’ Earns First UFC “W” Since 1998
“It’s been awhile,” said “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (23-7) after squeaking a unanimous decision “W” over “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-2) passed the judges by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28.
A timid Hendo’ wanted no part of Palhares’s Brazilian jiu-jiu, consistently waving off the ground game throughout the three rounds.
Instead, “Hollywood” stalked with his devastating right hand cocked.
“Normally I’m more aggressive,” he said, “so, I apologize about that.
Palhares shot often, almost all of them stuffed by Henderson. Palhares also peppered Hendo’ with an impressive array of kicks and nearly locked in two knee bars.
Hendo’ only landed his overhand right cleanly with ten seconds left in the fight, dropping Palhares. Hendo’s pounced with two more overhands to steal the round.
scott said:
backed to what i said a month ago. does rashad evans deserve a title shot or do you still think he didnt deserve the fight against liddell.
Chad Edward said:
Are you asking me? No, I don’t think Rashad deserved the fight versus Liddell. I also still think “Rampage” deserves a rematch with Griffin before Evans deserves a title shot.
Brent Csutoras said:
To say Rashad didn’t deserve the fight with Liddell is silly. Chuck has lost back to back fights and is questionable on how strong he will be going forward in any fight.
Rashad is undefeated.
Chad Edward said:
Liddell is coming off of a UD over Wanderlei Silva. Rashad is coming off of a SD over Michael Bisping, following a draw on a point deduction versus Tito Ortiz.
joesmailer said:
chuck is just too old and beat up, he needs to retire.